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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR vs Pirelli Angel ST — 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 ST

Summer Premium Touring tires

Pirelli Angel ST tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
81/100
11 owner reviews
Dry
84
Wet
83
Comfort
89
Treadwear
78
Handling
81

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Pirelli Angel ST — better wet and treadwear. Pick the Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR if dry and handling matter 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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Sportmax Qualifier HR leads by 16
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
100
B — Pirelli Angel ST
84
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRAngel ST
Tyre Reviews owners 100 84

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Angel ST leads by 43
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
40
B — Pirelli Angel ST
83
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRAngel ST
Tyre Reviews owners 40 83

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Sportmax Qualifier HR leads by 1
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
90
B — Pirelli Angel ST
89
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRAngel ST
Tyre Reviews owners 90 89

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Angel ST leads by 38
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
40
B — Pirelli Angel ST
78
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRAngel ST
Tyre Reviews owners 40 78

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Sportmax Qualifier HR leads by 9
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
90
B — Pirelli Angel ST
81
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRAngel ST
Tyre Reviews owners 90 81
DriverReviews owners – 86

Scores at a glance

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR vs Pirelli Angel ST: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop Sportmax Qualifier HRPirelli Angel ST
Relative Score 65 82
Dry 100 84
Wet 40 83
Comfort 90 89
Treadwear 40 78
Handling 90 81

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

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 ST

The Pirelli Angel ST is widely regarded as a dependable, versatile sport-touring tire that offers a strong balance of dry grip, stability, and longevity. While users generally praise its predictable handling and confidence-inspiring performance in varied conditions, some riders report inconsistent wear patterns and a noticeable drop-off in performance as the tire nears the end of its service life.

Pros

  • Excellent dry grip and cornering stability
  • Predictable and reliable performance in wet conditions
  • Strong longevity for sport-touring applications
  • Neutral and responsive steering characteristics

Cons

  • Rapid, sudden wear once the tire reaches the end of its tread life
  • Requires a brief warm-up period to reach optimal operating temperature
  • Inconsistent wet-weather performance compared to premium competitors
  • Potential for cupping if tire pressures are not strictly managed

Observations

  • Heavy sport-touring motorcycles, such as the Yamaha FJR1300, benefit from running higher-than-factory tire pressures to prevent cupping and improve responsiveness.
  • The rear tire performance is noted to be more stable and predictable when the motorcycle is loaded with a passenger and luggage, suggesting the carcass design favors heavier loads.
Specifications

Specs side by side

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

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

Pirelli

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

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Angel ST scores 83 vs 40 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Pirelli Angel ST scores 78 vs 40 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR scores 100 vs 84 on dry.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR scores 90 vs 81 on handling.

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

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.