83
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
87/100
2 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated May 2026
Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II vs Dunlop SportSmart MK3 — 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
90
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
88/100
3 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Dunlop SportSmart MK3 — better treadwear and comfort. Pick the Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II 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)
Sportmax Qualifier II leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | Sportmax Qualifier II | SportSmart MK3 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 95 | 90 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Sportmax Qualifier II leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Sportmax Qualifier II | SportSmart MK3 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 75 | 73 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
SportSmart MK3 leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | Sportmax Qualifier II | SportSmart MK3 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 95 | 100 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
SportSmart MK3 leads by 30
Why this score
| Source | Sportmax Qualifier II | SportSmart MK3 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 70 | 100 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Sportmax Qualifier II leads by 2
Why this score
| Source | Sportmax Qualifier II | SportSmart MK3 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 95 | 93 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II | Dunlop SportSmart MK3 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 83 | 90 |
| Dry | 95 | 90 |
| Wet | 75 | 73 |
| Comfort | 95 | 100 |
| Treadwear | 70 | 100 |
| Handling | 95 | 93 |
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.
Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score
83
/ 100
Tire A
90
/ 100
Tire B
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II is regarded as a responsive and confidence-inspiring tire that offers excellent feedback and predictable handling characteristics. While it performs well in spirited riding conditions, users note that it requires a brief warm-up period to reach optimal operating temperatures in colder weather.
Pros
- Quick and agile turn-in response
- High levels of grip and tactile feedback
- Predictable behavior when approaching the limit of traction
- Reliable performance in wet conditions
Cons
- Requires significant warm-up time in cold temperatures
- Performance is sensitive to ambient temperature fluctuations
Observations
- Sportbike riders, specifically those on middleweight machines like the Kawasaki ZX6R, report a noticeable improvement in agility compared to competing brands.
The Dunlop SportSmart MK3 is generally regarded as a high-performance tire that excels in aggressive road riding conditions. While users praise its longevity and exceptional grip once at operating temperature, there are noted limitations regarding its performance in cold or suboptimal road surfaces.
Pros
- Excellent grip levels when tires are at operating temperature
- Impressive tread longevity for a sport-oriented tire
- Highly capable performance for spirited road riding
Cons
- Reduced traction in cold weather conditions
- Noticeable loss of grip on dirty or compromised road surfaces
Observations
- Performance characteristics are highly optimized for dry, warm-weather road racing environments.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II | B · Dunlop SportSmart MK3 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Ultra High Performance tires | Summer Ultra High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Motorcycle | Motorcycle |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
83
/ 100
Dunlop
90
/ 100
Dunlop
Winner: Dunlop SportSmart MK3 — better treadwear and comfort. Pick the Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II if dry matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Dunlop SportSmart MK3 scores 100 vs 70 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II scores 95 vs 90 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Dunlop SportSmart MK3 scores 100 vs 95 on comfort.
Tire A · Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II
Tire B · Dunlop SportSmart MK3
More comparisons
Also compared with
Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II also compared with
Dunlop SportSmart MK3 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.