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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Dunlop SportSmart 2 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 SportSmart 2

Summer Max Performance tires

Dunlop SportSmart 2 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
85/100
4 owner reviews
Dry
87
Wet
73
Comfort
90
Treadwear
83
Handling
97

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: Dunlop SportSmart 2 — better handling, treadwear and dry. Pick the Pirelli Angel ST if wet 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

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) SportSmart 2 leads by 3
A — Dunlop SportSmart 2
87
B — Pirelli Angel ST
84
Why this score
SourceSportSmart 2Angel ST
Tyre Reviews owners 87 84

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Angel ST leads by 10
A — Dunlop SportSmart 2
73
B — Pirelli Angel ST
83
Why this score
SourceSportSmart 2Angel ST
Tyre Reviews owners 73 83

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) SportSmart 2 leads by 1
A — Dunlop SportSmart 2
90
B — Pirelli Angel ST
89
Why this score
SourceSportSmart 2Angel ST
Tyre Reviews owners 90 89

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) SportSmart 2 leads by 5
A — Dunlop SportSmart 2
83
B — Pirelli Angel ST
78
Why this score
SourceSportSmart 2Angel ST
Tyre Reviews owners 83 78

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) SportSmart 2 leads by 16
A — Dunlop SportSmart 2
97
B — Pirelli Angel ST
81
Why this score
SourceSportSmart 2Angel ST
Tyre Reviews owners 97 81
DriverReviews owners – 86

Scores at a glance

Dunlop SportSmart 2 vs Pirelli Angel ST: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop SportSmart 2Pirelli Angel ST
Relative Score 84 82
Dry 87 84
Wet 73 83
Comfort 90 89
Treadwear 83 78
Handling 97 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 SportSmart 2

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.
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 SportSmart 2 B · Pirelli Angel ST
CategorySummer Max Performance tiresSummer Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

Pirelli

Winner: Dunlop SportSmart 2 — better handling, treadwear and dry. Pick the Pirelli Angel ST if wet matters most to you.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop SportSmart 2 scores 97 vs 81 on handling.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Angel ST scores 83 vs 73 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop SportSmart 2 scores 83 vs 78 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop SportSmart 2 scores 87 vs 84 on dry.

Tire A · Dunlop SportSmart 2
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.