Dunlop Roadsmart IV motorcycle tyre review: Sport touring tyres perfect choice for Scottish adventure

Dunlop Roadsmart IV motorcycle tyre review: Choosing the right tyres for your bike is always a challenge, but DAVID HOOPER says, the Dunlop Roadsmart IV is an excellent all-rounder

ALL bikers love their bikes, so when it comes to choosing a new set of tyres, there’s always a discussion to be had with your friends about which tyre to go for, what will suit the bike best, and of course how long it will last.

Any forum or owners group on social media is never long without someone asking the question, while others, tired of the same old debates, cringe and scroll rapidly on!

With today’s technology, in all honesty I don’t think there is a definitively bad tyre, and most of us mere mortals will never approach the limits of any good, modern tyre – at least not deliberately – the bikes, and the tyres on them, are usually far more capable than the rider, no matter how good we think we are, unless you’re a professional racer of course.

A chat with Dunlop led to me being offered the opportunity to test their new Roadsmart IVs on my Ducati Multistrada V4S ahead of an autumn trip to Scotland with friends. The Roadsmart IV, I was told, is very good in the wet, so it seemed like the perfect choice for a trip to the West Coast of Scotland – think Ayr and south towards the English border and you’re in the right area, the west of the country is well-known to be the wettest.

The Multistrada is too expensive for me to take far off the beaten track, so I wanted a road focused tyre that’s a good all-rounder, so was more than happy to give these a try.

The Roadsmart IV is very much a case of evolution rather than revolution — but that’s no bad thing. The Roadsmart name has long been Dunlop’s answer to the “do-everything” sport-touring brief, and the IV is the most rounded version yet.

Unlike some updates that feel like a light refresh, the Roadsmart IV was developed as a clean-sheet design, replacing the Roadsmart III entirely. Dunlop’s own research suggested riders wanted strong wet-weather confidence, neutral handling and consistent performance over the life of the tyre, rather than something that feels great for the first 1,000 miles and then tails off. That design philosophy shows through clearly once you get some miles under your belt.

Construction-wise, the Roadsmart IV is bristling with Dunlop tech. The front tyre uses Dunlop’s Dynamic Front Formula, which effectively tailors the profile and internal structure to balance steering effort, feedback and stability. In practice, it gives the front end a reassuringly planted feel without making the bike feel slow or reluctant to turn — a tricky balance to strike on heavier sport-touring machines.

At the rear, Dunlop’s Multi-Tread compound combines a harder centre strip for mileage with softer shoulders for grip when you’re leaning over. It’s a familiar approach these days, but the transition is well judged and unobtrusive. You never feel like you’re riding across a step change in grip, which is something not all multi-compound tyres can manage.

The carcass construction also plays a big part in how the Roadsmart IV behaves. Jointless belt and tread construction help keep the contact patch consistent, while Dunlop’s carcass tension control system is designed to stop the handling changing dramatically as the tyre wears. Add a high-silica compound and a rayon ply casing and you get quick warm-up, good cold-weather flexibility and a surprisingly comfortable ride for a tyre that still feels sporty.

Out on the road, the Roadsmart IV does exactly what a good sport-touring tyre should. Steering is light and neutral, mid-corner stability is excellent, and there’s plenty of feedback as you approach the limit.

Our trip to Scotland was surprisingly dry which was brilliant and made for some nice riding, but I didn’t get chance to try the tyre in the Scottish rain, which was a real bonuse.

That came later, but the tyres showed that wet grip is a real highlight — confidence-inspiring rather than heroic, which is exactly what you want when the weather turns grim. Importantly, the tyre doesn’t lose its composure on poor surfaces either, coping well with ripples, repairs and less-than-perfect tarmac.

Mileage will always depend on bike and riding style, but the Roadsmart IV is clearly built to go the distance. More importantly, it feels consistent as the miles rack up, rather than starting sharp and slowly going vague.

Overall, the Dunlop Roadsmart IV feels like a tyre designed by people who actually listen to how riders use their bikes. It’s not flashy, it doesn’t chase lap times, but it delivers a reassuring blend of grip, stability and longevity that makes it easy to live with day in, day out — and that, ultimately, is what a proper sport-touring tyre is all about.

I’m about 2,500 miles into these tyres now, and would happily fit the same again as a direct replacement – I’m very happy with them and the way the bike feels on the road. My latest RST Pro Series Ventilator XT kit is also proving to be very good, with it’s aero exterior and weather proof interior liners. Read more about that here

For more information on the Dunlop range of tyres, click here www.dunlop-moto.com