Dunlop Trailmax TR91 Tire Test
Rarely do I get a chance to fully check a tire model’s rain-riding capability. But given the near Biblical amount of rain that occurred over two months during the testing period, there were plenty of opportunities to see how well Dunlop Trailmax TR91 tires could handle my everyday commuting, plus checking the performance on an all-day dual-sport ride on a pleasant sunny day.
Starting with the more technical information, the Dunlop TR91 tires are unidirectional. If you are mounting them instead of a shop, pay attention to the direction arrow embossed on the sidewall. The weight load of the front (467 pounds for the 90/90-21 size) tire and rear tire (639 pounds for the 130/80R17 size) is more than sufficient for touring duty and packing gear for primitive camping over a long weekend.
The dry pavement performance of the Dunlop TR91 is very stable for surfaces ranging from relatively smooth concrete slab to county roads with rough asphalt. Additionally, the tread design allows for a quiet, smooth pavement ride, even at highway speeds.
Although the cornering ability is not on the level of a sport bike tire, the dual-sport/adventure-touring silica-fortified rubber compound is soft enough for the rider to confidently carry momentum through turns and lean the bike to the point of scrapping the peg feelers.
The wet pavement performance was exercised in conditions from light, steady rain to heavy downpours, yet the fairly deep tread depth (8/32 of an inch in the front; 10/32 of an inch in the rear) easily channeled away water while maintaining solid contact. Granted, in rain conditions I do ride very conservatively, but at no time did I worry about hydroplaning in the downpour conditions.
Front tires are available for 21- and 19-inch rims, while rears are made for only 17-inch rims with the width ranging from 130 to 150mm. All of the rears are radials, while the 21-inch front is bias ply, and the the 19-inch front can be had in bias or radial design.
Overall, I am very impressed by the Dunlop Trailmax TR91, and its capabilities make riding my Kawasaki KLR650 all that more enjoyable.
Dunlop Trailmax TR91 MSRP Range:
Front: $184 – $230
Rear: $249 – $260