Pandclaw's Dunlop Q2 vs Bridgstone battlax S20 Review
When I was looking for tires late last year to put on my bike for the coming summer I saw wonderful reviews for the Q2's, got a good deal on them, and liked them. However on July 4th, 2012 I ran over a nail :/ one week before my track day.
I was going to just order a new rear but decided on giving the new Bridgestones a go. I was looking for reviews between the two and noone was really able to compare the two side by side. That is why I have given this wonderful community my .02 on both of these wonderful tires. I put about 1,500 miles of street and pleasurably fast canyon rides up to Mt. St Helens, and other local great roads around western Washington state. For the time being I loved the Q2's but there was always something I noticed.
Dunlop Q2:
This winter I got ahold of Dunlop Q2's through Sportbiketrackgear.com. Paid somewhere in the $220.00 range for them. Reviews are excellent on them however there are a few things that I did not like about them. Pros:
These things stick. They have that real nice soft gummy edges that you can really trust going through those high speed sweepers. However thats about it. Cons:
These things stick ONCE WARM. Dont try taking a turn too fast until your tires are warm. They warm up fast but they dont stick when they're cold. The biggest problem I had with these tires are that I felt as if I couldnt tip my bike over from side to side as easy as I remember. I felt like I had to use my "hulk" like strength to tip it over from one side to another. In other words I wasnt able to toss my bike over like I felt like I used to. Big deal I thought, you know what maybe I lost some of my mojo from last season and Ill soon gain it back. For awhile I got used to it but it was still always in the back of my mind. I wasnt able to transition to opposite corners as easy as I wanted.
Bridgestone Battleax S20:
I picked these up from a local shop near my house for $250.00. Not many reviews on these ones as it seems like everyone and their moms are all using Q2's. Ive heard great things about the BT-016's, and these are suppose to be better. Pros:
That feel I lacked when I had the Q2's I gained back in these. I have not ridden these on the street as much as I had with the Q2's because I swapped these out and put 20 miles on them and then went to the track. But in those 20 miles I felt way more comfortable than I ever felt with the Q2's. The bike was much more easier to flop from side to side, and of course we always want to warm up our tires but it felt as if these ones didnt need to be warmed up. Its as if they literally heat up right when you sit on the bike. Im able to feel confident in the first turn I take rather than thinking in the back of my head if my tires are warmed up enough. But my biggest thing was the feel that these tires have to offer. Im no tire Guru but I felt far more comfortable in these ones than I ever felt with the Q2's. Im excited to take these on the streets and test them out where I used the Q2's daily.
This is after about 200 miles on these tires Cons:
As of now I do not have any. Ive gained that feel that I lost with the Q2's and these all around just make me feel far more comfortable on my bike than any other tire Ive ever ridden on.
Conclusion:
Both tires are great. The price of the Q2's cannot be beat. However the feel I got from the Bridgestones are worth every penny more.
Now whoever was privlaged enough to read this amazing review is now privlaged enough to see some pictures of my track day at The Ridge Motorsports Park brought to us by, Optinum Performace Riders Training.
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'04 CBR600RR
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Thx for the review, first season on my Q2's and love them, but have nothing to compare them too? it will be hard not to buy these again, but will be considering the Duns and Pures next time around. BTW that second last pic reminds me of Laguna haha, looks like a great track!
nice write up that ktm is sooooo sick. So far I have no complaints on my Q2s but I am gonna need new tires after my next trackday and I've been thinking about trying the S20s since they are about the same price from STG
That looks like an awesome track! I've seen nothing but flat since I left VA, altitude change would be nice every once in a while.. lol
Have you ever ridden Pilot Power 2CTs? If so, where do they fit in that ranking? I rode the BTO-16s first, then the 2CTs and I love my 2CTs.. It felt like I had to put in more effort to transition with the BTO-16s than the 2CTs.. I did think about running Q2s next because a few of my buddies rave about them, and I would just like to see how they compare..
But I must ask. What changes have you made from one set of tires to another?
Maybe your bike settings are just more for the S20s than for the Q2s. I am not trying to take anything away from the S2os, because from what I hear they ARE great tires. But to compare 2 sets of tires without properly setting up the bikes chassis geometry optimally for each set of tires, it is not a fair review.
I am glad you found a tire that instills confidence, and you are happy with, because in the end that is all that matters.
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Street: 2009 CBR600RR Metallic black Track: 2007 GSXR 600 black/white/blue
But I must ask. What changes have you made from one set of tires to another?
Maybe your bike settings are just more for the S20s than for the Q2s. I am not trying to take anything away from the S2os, because from what I hear they ARE great tires. But to compare 2 sets of tires without properly setting up the bikes chassis geometry optimally for each set of tires, it is not a fair review.
I am glad you found a tire that instills confidence, and you are happy with, because in the end that is all that matters.
I was running 36/42 on the street with both tires and 32/32 on the track with the S20's.
Im in no way trying to bash the Q2's but I do feel for me the S20 is an all around better tire.
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'04 CBR600RR
Built by yours truly.
Good to read a direct user comparison. I love my Q2s and don't have any issues with warm up and they feel nice and agile. I'm tempted to try the S20s but yeah we'll see when I need a new set of tyres down the track.
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I was running 36/42 on the street with both tires and 32/32 on the track with the S20's.
Im in no way trying to bash the Q2's but I do feel for me the S20 is an all around better tire.
I am not talking about tire pressures, I am talking about chassis geometry, different tires require different suspension settings for them to work optimally.
I am running 190/55 and 120/70 Dunlop GPAs on my race bike, the suspension and ride heights are set up for those tires. If I was to switch to S20s, even with a 190 rear, my suspension would need to be reset to get the most out of the tire. I plan on trying out Dunlops new 190/60 rear tire to get the back of the bike a little higher, that will also require geometry changes.
But yeah, I understand you are not bashing the Q2, anybody who rides on them simply can't bash them. I feel they are that good of a tire. I feel that the S20s are the only tire that is gonna give the Q2s a run for their money, I have heard nothing but good about them so far. Bridgestone definitely stepped up to the plate with that tire.
Tires are one of those things where it's foolish to argue with people, they are totally a preference thing. The Dunlops have a very hard carcass which some people do not like. I prefer the hard carcass, but I do want to give some Pirellis a try.
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Street: 2009 CBR600RR Metallic black Track: 2007 GSXR 600 black/white/blue
I am not talking about tire pressures, I am talking about chassis geometry, different tires require different suspension settings for them to work optimally.
I am running 190/55 and 120/70 Dunlop GPAs on my race bike, the suspension and ride heights are set up for those tires. If I was to switch to S20s, even with a 190 rear, my suspension would need to be reset to get the most out of the tire. I plan on trying out Dunlops new 190/60 rear tire to get the back of the bike a little higher, that will also require geometry changes.
But yeah, I understand you are not bashing the Q2, anybody who rides on them simply can't bash them. I feel they are that good of a tire. I feel that the S20s are the only tire that is gonna give the Q2s a run for their money, I have heard nothing but good about them so far. Bridgestone definitely stepped up to the plate with that tire.
Tires are one of those things where it's foolish to argue with people, they are totally a preference thing. The Dunlops have a very hard carcass which some people do not like. I prefer the hard carcass, but I do want to give some Pirellis a try.
Geometry could definitely explain the difference in flickability. I also want to try the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsas.
The Q2s are one of those tires where they are good tires but so many people have them that I think the "reviews" are just a little skewed. Ben Bos ran them on his race bike at Infineon, everyone who has a sportbike brought them even if they only commute back and forth to work and so when people look for reviews and see all these positives then I think mentally they just automatic assume the tire is the best. I'm not saying it isn't, but I don't think its the best street/track tire out there. I think it may be a tad overrated.
Geometry could definitely explain the difference in flickability. I also want to try the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsas.
The Q2s are one of those tires where they are good tires but so many people have them that I think the "reviews" are just a little skewed. Ben Bos ran them on his race bike at Infineon, everyone who has a sportbike brought them even if they only commute back and forth to work and so when people look for reviews and see all these positives then I think mentally they just automatic assume the tire is the best. I'm not saying it isn't, but I don't think its the best street/track tire out there. I think it may be a tad overrated.
Yeah it is definitely not the best, hell if I was only commuting on my bike I sure as hell wouldnt be running them. For the riding I do, and for what I like, they are the best, although, I must admit I have ran nothing but Dunlop tires on all of my bikes, all the way back to the 207s.
But that is one of the reasons I never really take other peoples reviews too seriously, everyone who gives a review has an opinion, and VERY rarely do they let that opinion not bias a review. The OP did a good job of that. But probably one out of every 1000 tire reviews have actually had the geometry properly set with both sets of tires.
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Street: 2009 CBR600RR Metallic black Track: 2007 GSXR 600 black/white/blue
I had the Q2's on my bike and I enjoyed them, nothing bad to say about them, but, a local dealer ran a special on Michelin power pures 2ct and i picked them up this riding season, and for me they are a lot more confidence inspiring tire. I'm admittedly an amateur rider but thats my .02
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I had the Q2's on my bike and I enjoyed them, nothing bad to say about them, but, a local dealer ran a special on Michelin power pures 2ct and i picked them up this riding season, and for me they are a lot more confidence inspiring tire. I'm admittedly an amateur rider but thats my .02
if you ride street i reckon the pilot power 2ct's will last longer, thats what im gonna give a go next, im on BT016's at the minute but it's not the tyre for the street for me(i commute etc...and funds at the minute waiting for a cheque and this extremely crap torrential rain here in the UK every couple of days im not putting on the high miles right now...but when i do im not racing the street anyway), however they seem to warm up quick...but my view is tainted since the previous owner of my bike wore the middle out....so that's just about illegal and yet there's over 5mils or more left everywhere else :'(
a local dealer ran a special on Michelin power pures 2ct and i picked them up this riding season, and for me they are a lot more confidence inspiring tire.
Quote:
Originally Posted by brmoore
if you ride street i reckon the pilot power 2ct's will last longer
Please note these are two different tires. The Power Pures are more direct competition with the Q2s. Don't know too much about them but supposedly they are 2lb lighter than comparable tires. The Pilot Power 2CT are older tire technology but are still good tires for novice track riders.
I'll vouch for the Pures being lighter. My old worn out BT-015's were heavier than the new Pures I put on. My bike feels like it accelerates quicker and flicks over easier. I think I got about 3500mi out of my rear and just had to install another.
I'll be checking out either the S20'S or the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa
I'll vouch for the Pures being lighter. My old worn out BT-015's were heavier than the new Pures I put on. My bike feels like it accelerates quicker and flicks over easier. I think I got about 3500mi out of my rear and just had to install another.
I'll be checking out either the S20'S or the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa
Heard the rosso corsas are awesome tires, but can't justify the extra $80. Q2s work great for me, might try s20s since they are about the same price though
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I'm really impressed with the Bridgestone S20s both on the road and track. I've put just over 1000 miles on my set, of which a third of those have been on track, and they appear to be wearing extremely well. Highly recommended.
I've used Q2s for ages, over the past 2 months I've used the S20s and haven't been happy with them. Profile not as steep as Q2s and had the tyres spin up mid corner at times in the dry on 22*C - 26*C days. The issue with the S20 is the rear which don't match the fronts in grip characteristics, I found the fronts were very similar to Q2s with the exception of profile. The rears didn't last longer than the Q2s but I was purposely locking the rear and backing it into corner entries to wear them out quicker. All in all I wanted to get rid of the S20s ASAP.
I only used the S20s on my road bike but have read other people's experiences that they're not too flash at the track.
Last week I loaded a set of Q2s back on the bike, I feel so much more confident now and the steep profile has helped the bike regain the feeling of agility!
Oh and my experiences are similar with the reviewer's summary (front / rear mis-matched) in the Fast Bike's r/v earlier this year. Will be removing the link after a few days . . . http://dl.dropbox.com/u/25092045/Fas...est%202012.pdf
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The value of life can be measured by how many times your soul has been deeply stirred - Soichiro Honda
Pirelli Diablo Rosso are a great tire if you have $325
They can be had for $300 shipped.
I've ridden in both the Q2's and Rosso Corsa, and I must say I think the Corsa's are far better. The Corsa's are more flickable and, in my opinion, provide more grip. I've used both at the track and felt more comfortable with the Pirellis..
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