Dunlop has a wide range of motorcycle tires in its lineup, from the slow-going D803GP for trials bikes to the MotoAmerica-ready KR448 slick. Filling one of the few gaps in its catalog is the new Dunlop Dragmax, a DOT-compliant rear tire that is designed to run in the Pro Street class or the NHRA‘s Pro Stock class. That means the Dragmax can handle quarter-mile runs in the sixes and speeds over 200 mph.
Dunlop uses its N-TEC technology for the Dragmax. N-TEC is used in the KR448, and that means cut-breaker construction for stiffening the sideway, aramid fibers that are continuously wound, and Jointless Band construction for stability and feel. The tire comes in one size, 190/50 x 17, which is a popular rear tire size in the Pro Street drag racing world.
True to its drag racing focus, the Dunlop Dragmax is receptive to the extremely low tire pressures run by Pro Street motorcycles—typically in the 15 to 20 psi range. The low air pressure, along with a flat profile, gives the Dragmax a large footprint of rubber on the pavement. Dunlop also tells us that the Dragmax has the softest compound ever created at its Buffalo manufacturing facility.
Dunlop designed the Dragmax to resist the centrifugal growth that comes with high doses of instant horsepower. That helps manage the power interface with the ground, as well as makes de-beading less likely.
Given that the Dunlop Dragmax is a street-legal DOT tire, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them show up on Main Street mounted to a Suzuki Hayabusa and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R—you know what will happen when the light turns green.
All this performance does not come cheap, as the MSRP of the Dunlop Dragmax is $270. Also, don’t expect lots of longevity if you use the tire as intended—peeling rubber down the dragstrip at world-class velocities.
