New Dunlop tyres set to give TT Travelling marshals max performance
It’s not just some of the world’s greatest road racers that will see advantages from Dunlop’s latest tyre technology at this year’s Isle of Man TT. The eight travelling marshals at the event are set to benefit from Official Tyre Partner Dunlop’s latest SportSmart 2 Max tyre.
The marshal bikes have been visible at the TT races since 1935, and this year’s fleet of Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade’s will carry important medical equipment around the 37 ¾ mile course and provide rapid response to any incidents.
Stability, precision and handling at both low and high speeds is crucial to enabling the marshals to carry out their import roles, which, alongside rapid response, also includes course inspection, machine observation on the course and reviewing and reporting course incidents.
The new Dunlop SportSmart 2 Max has been designed for ultimate street performance but with track capability which brings considerable improvements in mileage, performance, handling and steering. This will allow the valuable work of the TT marshals to be completed effectively, whether it is reacting to an incident or carrying out routine checks. Specifically, the new optimised front profile and revised sidewall transition offers lighter handling, more feedback during corner entry, and a reduced stand-up tendency when braking in corners, making the ride as easy as possible for the team.
The current travelling marshals have previous race experience of the Mountain Course, having competed in either the TT or the Manx Grand Prix. Between them they hold eight Manx Grand Prix wins and a TT podium; they know what’s important around the TT course, and that’s grip.
Tony Duncan, Chief Travelling Marshal comments: “We are looking forward to switching to the new Dunlop product for this year’s TT. We face several different situations as travelling marshals, sometimes we need to be able to reach an incident as fast as possible and being confident in the product you’re riding on, knowing it will deliver when you need it to, is important.
“Easy handling is also crucial as we will spend many hours riding across the two-week event. The SportSmart 2 Max is reported to have much lighter handling at low speeds, giving nimble and agile urban handling to complement the tyre’s impressive high speed performance. This technology will provide the grip and handling we need around the island’s 37.73-mile TT Mountain Course.”