Skip to content
Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR vs Pirelli Angel GT — 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.

Tire A Dunlop

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR

Summer Ultra High Performance tires

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
70/100
1 owner review
Dry
100
Wet
40
Comfort
90
Treadwear
40
Handling
90

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Pirelli

Pirelli Angel GT

Summer Premium Touring tires

Pirelli Angel GT tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
79/100
10 owner reviews
Dry
83
Wet
81
Comfort
83
Treadwear
79
Handling
76

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Pirelli Angel GT — better wet and treadwear. Pick the Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR if dry, handling and comfort matter most to you.
Read full

TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made via links on this page.

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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Sportmax Qualifier HR leads by 17
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
100
B — Pirelli Angel GT
83
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRAngel GT
Tyre Reviews owners 100 83

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Angel GT leads by 41
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
40
B — Pirelli Angel GT
81
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRAngel GT
Tyre Reviews owners 40 81

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Sportmax Qualifier HR leads by 7
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
90
B — Pirelli Angel GT
83
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRAngel GT
Tyre Reviews owners 90 83

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Angel GT leads by 39
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
40
B — Pirelli Angel GT
79
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRAngel GT
Tyre Reviews owners 40 79

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Sportmax Qualifier HR leads by 14
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
90
B — Pirelli Angel GT
76
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRAngel GT
Tyre Reviews owners 90 76

Scores at a glance

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR vs Pirelli Angel GT: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop Sportmax Qualifier HRPirelli Angel GT
Relative Score 65 80
Dry 100 83
Wet 40 81
Comfort 90 83
Treadwear 40 79
Handling 90 76

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Personalize

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR

The Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR is perceived as a performance-oriented tire best suited for lightweight, lower-horsepower motorcycles in dry conditions. While it offers high levels of confidence and agility, its utility is significantly hampered by poor wet-weather performance and exceptionally short tread life.

Pros

  • Excellent dry-weather grip and handling
  • High confidence during aggressive cornering
  • Reduced rotational inertia suitable for smaller displacement bikes

Cons

  • Very poor tread longevity, even on low-power motorcycles
  • Significant lack of traction in wet conditions

Observations

  • Users note that the H-rated specification is well-matched for smaller displacement bikes (e.g., 60BHP range) to improve acceleration.
  • Despite the lower power output of the intended vehicle class, the tire still suffers from rapid tread wear.
Tire B Pirelli Angel GT

The Pirelli Angel GT is widely regarded as a high-performance sport-touring tire that excels in wet conditions and provides significant rider confidence. While many users praise its longevity and grip, performance can vary significantly depending on the motorcycle's weight and the specific 'A' specification requirements for heavier touring bikes.

Pros

  • Excellent wet weather performance and grip
  • High level of rider confidence and feedback
  • Strong longevity for many sport-touring applications
  • Stable handling for loaded, two-up touring

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread wear on specific motorcycle models
  • Potential for handling degradation as the front tire wears
  • Specific 'A' spec requirement is critical for heavy bikes to avoid premature shoulder wear
  • Some users report a 'flat' or 'tame' handling profile compared to stock tires

Observations

  • Heavy sport-touring motorcycles like the FJR1300 require the 'A' specification to prevent premature shoulder wear.
  • Users on lighter sport bikes report excellent performance, though some note a loss of 'lively' handling compared to stock rubber.
  • Front tire wear patterns on certain VFR models can lead to under-steering and reduced confidence as the tire reaches the end of its life.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR B · Pirelli Angel GT
CategorySummer Ultra High Performance tiresSummer Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

Pirelli

Winner: Pirelli Angel GT — better wet and treadwear. Pick the Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR if dry, handling and comfort matter most to you.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Angel GT scores 81 vs 40 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Pirelli Angel GT scores 79 vs 40 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR scores 100 vs 83 on dry.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR scores 90 vs 76 on handling.

Tire A · Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
Tire B · Pirelli Angel GT

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.