68
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
70/100
3 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated May 2026
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position vs Dunlop SportSmart 2 — Compared (May 2026)
Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.
VS
84
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
85/100
4 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Dunlop SportSmart 2 — better treadwear, comfort and handling. Pick the Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position if dry matters most to you.
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Category breakdown
5 categories, side by side
Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.
Dry
Score (0–100)
Potenza S-04 Pole Position leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Potenza S-04 Pole Position | SportSmart 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 90 | 87 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | Potenza S-04 Pole Position | SportSmart 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 73 | 73 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
SportSmart 2 leads by 23
Why this score
| Source | Potenza S-04 Pole Position | SportSmart 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 67 | 90 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
SportSmart 2 leads by 43
Why this score
| Source | Potenza S-04 Pole Position | SportSmart 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 40 | 83 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
SportSmart 2 leads by 10
Why this score
| Source | Potenza S-04 Pole Position | SportSmart 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 87 | 97 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position | Dunlop SportSmart 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 84 |
| Dry | 90 | 87 |
| Wet | 73 | 73 |
| Comfort | 67 | 90 |
| Treadwear | 40 | 83 |
| Handling | 87 | 97 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
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Recomputed
Headline score
68
/ 100
Tire A
84
/ 100
Tire B
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Bridgestone Potenza S04 Pole Position is regarded as a highly capable performance tire that balances impressive dry handling with competent wet-weather traction. While users appreciate its surprising level of comfort, they note that this performance comes at the cost of rapid tread wear and occasional road noise.
Pros
- Excellent dry handling and cornering stability
- Competent performance in wet conditions
- Unexpectedly high levels of ride comfort for a performance-oriented tire
Cons
- Rapid tread wear rate
- Audible road noise or humming on certain surfaces
- Wet-weather performance is good but outperformed by some direct competitors
Observations
- Users acknowledge that the accelerated tread wear is an expected trade-off for the tire's performance-focused compound.
The Dunlop SportSmart 2 is generally regarded as a capable sport-oriented tire that offers a strong balance of dry grip, quick warm-up times, and excellent feedback. While users appreciate its neutral handling and stable carcass, some riders note that its wet-weather performance, particularly regarding rear-end traction, may lag behind premium competitors like Michelin.
Pros
- Excellent dry grip and cornering stability
- Rapid warm-up time
- High level of road feedback and communication
- Neutral and predictable turn-in behavior
Cons
- Rear tire traction can be inconsistent in wet conditions
- Performance is perceived as only a marginal upgrade over lower-cost alternatives
- Outperformed in all-weather versatility by some rival brands
Observations
- Riders on high-torque sportbikes like the Honda SP1 and ZX10R report high confidence in the tire's carcass stability during aggressive cornering.
- Users on middleweight commuters like the F800R find the tire suitable for a mix of daily riding and spirited mountain canyon carving.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position | B · Dunlop SportSmart 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | — | Summer Max Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | — | Motorcycle |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
68
/ 100
Bridgestone
84
/ 100
Dunlop
Winner: Dunlop SportSmart 2 — better treadwear, comfort and handling. Pick the Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position if dry matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Dunlop SportSmart 2 scores 83 vs 40 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Dunlop SportSmart 2 scores 90 vs 67 on comfort.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Dunlop SportSmart 2 scores 97 vs 87 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position scores 90 vs 87 on dry.
Tire A · Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position
Tire B · Dunlop SportSmart 2
More comparisons
Also compared with
Bridgestone Potenza S-04 Pole Position also compared with
Dunlop SportSmart 2 also compared with
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.