Best of British – Dunlop teams up with Triumph

Dunlop says it is proud to be British. The tyre manufacturer’s heritage and reputation span nearly 120 years and Dunlop has played an important role in Britain’s motoring history. The company claims the distinction of being involved at every stage in the evolution of the road transport industries and national infrastructure since Dunlop’s establishment in 1888.

Dunlop recently joined forces with another great and British brand. The manufacturer’s award-winning Sportmax Qualifier D209 street tyre has been approved as the sole OE tyre on the all-new Triumph Street Triple motorcycle for 2008. The Street Triple is essentially a ‘naked’ version of Triumph’s Daytona 675, but incorporates extensive modifications including new forks and brakes. Its restyled rear end is also based on its bigger brother – the Speed Triple. The first prototype of the Street Triple was tested by Triumph’s development riders in Spain in December 2005 and volume production began in July 2007.

Dunlop consulted with some of the world’s best sport riders and incorporated the expertise of its global research and development operations to create the Supersport tyre that performance riders wanted. And Dunlop is happy with the result, reporting that the Qualifier D209 delivers non-stop feedback that can be trusted, razor sharp precision when cornering, tenacious grip at extreme lean angles and incredibly fast warm-up times – characteristics demanded by Street Triple riders.

“We’re pleased to be given the opportunity to supply OE fitment on the new Street Triple,” says Dunlop’s Sales and Product Support Manager Bryn Phillips. “The Qualifier D209 revolutionised our high performance Sportmax range of tyres when it was launched in 2006. It proved to be a huge step for Dunlop in sports tyre development, and its capabilities have since been proven on the race track and the road. Our association with Triumph reinforces our commitment to the sports bike sector.”

“Our chassis development team felt that of the various tyres tested, the Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier D209 best suited the Street Triple’s chassis,” explains Triumph’s public relations and communications manager Andrea Friggi. “Many factors are assessed during our testing process, including the level of grip required, wear rate, stability and steering precision. We also consider global aftermarket availability of the chosen tyre.

“Feedback from the press at the launch was extremely positive and the first press reports on the bike have been fantastic.”