76
/ 100
Objective (60%)
75/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
79/100
6 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Dunlop SportSmart TT vs Michelin Pilot Road 2 — Compared (September 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
77
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
86/100
76 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictToo close to call: Dunlop SportSmart TT and Michelin Pilot Road 2 are within 2 points overall. Dunlop SportSmart TT is stronger on handling. Michelin Pilot Road 2 is stronger on treadwear, dry and comfort.
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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)
Pilot Road 2 leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Pilot Road 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 82 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 100 | 90 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
SportSmart TT leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Pilot Road 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 96 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 23 | 80 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Pilot Road 2 leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Pilot Road 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | 85 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Pilot Road 2 leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Pilot Road 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 65 | 89 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
SportSmart TT leads by 17
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Pilot Road 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 98 | 81 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop SportSmart TT | Michelin Pilot Road 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 76 | 77 |
| Dry | 89 | 94 |
| Wet | 67 | 66 |
| Comfort | 78 | 82 |
| Treadwear | 65 | 74 |
| Handling | 98 | 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
76
/ 100
Tire A
77
/ 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 SportSmart TT is widely regarded as a high-performance, track-focused tire that excels in dry conditions, offering exceptional feedback and confidence at high lean angles. While users praise its rapid warm-up time and track-day capabilities, it is consistently criticized for its poor performance in wet weather and relatively short tread life.
Pros
- Exceptional dry grip and cornering feedback
- Rapid warm-up time without the need for tire warmers
- High stability and confidence during aggressive lean angles
- Strong dual-purpose performance for both spirited road riding and track days
Cons
- Poor performance and lack of confidence in wet conditions
- Rapid tread wear, particularly when used for high-mileage road riding
- Reduced grip levels once the tire reaches the end of its service life
Observations
- Users report the tire is well-suited for high-performance sportbikes, such as the Yamaha R1, where it enhances handling characteristics.
- The tire is noted to be unsuitable for long-distance motorway commuting due to accelerated wear rates.
The Michelin Pilot Road 2 is widely regarded as a benchmark sport-touring motorcycle tire, celebrated for its exceptional balance of longevity, wet-weather confidence, and dry-road grip. While some users note that newer iterations have surpassed it in absolute performance, it remains a highly favored choice for commuters and spirited riders who prioritize durability and all-weather reliability.
Pros
- Excellent tread life and resistance to squaring off
- Strong wet-weather traction and hydroplaning resistance
- Quick warm-up time and predictable handling
- High value-for-money ratio compared to newer sport-touring models
Cons
- Not suitable for track-day use due to overheating
- Can feel unstable or 'squirmy' in extremely hot climates
- Front tire can become noisy on rough road surfaces
- Susceptibility to punctures in certain road conditions
Observations
- Users on heavy sport-touring bikes (e.g., Hayabusa, Bandit 1200) report high satisfaction with the tire's ability to handle high-speed commuting without rapid wear.
- Riders of V-twin motorcycles noted that the tire provides good feedback, though some experienced rear-end movement under aggressive acceleration.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop SportSmart TT | B · Michelin Pilot Road 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Trackday and Competition tires | Summer Premium Touring tires |
| Vehicle type | Motorcycle | Motorcycle |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
76
/ 100
Dunlop
77
/ 100
Michelin
Too close to call: Dunlop SportSmart TT and Michelin Pilot Road 2 are within 2 points overall. Dunlop SportSmart TT is stronger on handling. Michelin Pilot Road 2 is stronger on treadwear, dry and comfort.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Dunlop SportSmart TT scores 98 vs 81 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Road 2 scores 74 vs 65 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Michelin Pilot Road 2 scores 94 vs 89 on dry.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Pilot Road 2 scores 82 vs 78 on comfort.
Tire A · Dunlop SportSmart TT
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Road 2
More comparisons
Also compared with
Dunlop SportSmart TT also compared with
Michelin Pilot Road 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.