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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Dunlop TrailSmart Max vs Pirelli Scorpion Trail II — 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 TrailSmart Max

All Season All Terrain and Off Road tires

Dunlop TrailSmart Max tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
93/100
3 owner reviews
Dry
93
Wet
93
Comfort
100
Treadwear
100
Handling
87

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Pirelli

Pirelli Scorpion Trail II

Summer Premium Touring tires

Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
77/100
9 owner reviews
Dry
87
Wet
69
Comfort
83
Treadwear
71
Handling
84

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Dunlop TrailSmart Max — better treadwear, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.
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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) TrailSmart Max leads by 6
A — Dunlop TrailSmart Max
93
B — Pirelli Scorpion Trail II
87
Why this score
SourceTrailSmart MaxScorpion Trail II
Tyre Reviews owners 93 87

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) TrailSmart Max leads by 24
A — Dunlop TrailSmart Max
93
B — Pirelli Scorpion Trail II
69
Why this score
SourceTrailSmart MaxScorpion Trail II
Tyre Reviews owners 93 69

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) TrailSmart Max leads by 17
A — Dunlop TrailSmart Max
100
B — Pirelli Scorpion Trail II
83
Why this score
SourceTrailSmart MaxScorpion Trail II
Tyre Reviews owners 100 83

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) TrailSmart Max leads by 29
A — Dunlop TrailSmart Max
100
B — Pirelli Scorpion Trail II
71
Why this score
SourceTrailSmart MaxScorpion Trail II
Tyre Reviews owners 100 71

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) TrailSmart Max leads by 3
A — Dunlop TrailSmart Max
87
B — Pirelli Scorpion Trail II
84
Why this score
SourceTrailSmart MaxScorpion Trail II
Tyre Reviews owners 87 84

Scores at a glance

Dunlop TrailSmart Max vs Pirelli Scorpion Trail II: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop TrailSmart MaxPirelli Scorpion Trail II
Relative Score 95 77
Dry 93 87
Wet 93 69
Comfort 100 83
Treadwear 100 71
Handling 87 84

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 TrailSmart Max

The Dunlop TrailSmart Max is highly regarded by adventure motorcycle riders for its exceptional balance between sport-touring road performance and light off-road capability. Users consistently praise its handling, wet-weather confidence, and comfort, positioning it as a superior upgrade over many original equipment tires.

Pros

  • Excellent handling and turn-in precision on tarmac
  • Strong wet-weather grip and stability
  • High levels of rider comfort and low noise output
  • Versatile performance across varying road conditions

Cons

  • Limited performance in deep mud or technical off-road terrain
  • Tendency to power slide under aggressive acceleration in heavy rain
  • Perceived as less capable in off-road environments compared to dedicated dual-sport tires

Observations

  • Riders of large-displacement adventure bikes like the BMW R1200 GSA report high satisfaction with longevity and road-biased performance.
  • Users of mid-weight adventure bikes like the V-Strom 650 appreciate the high grip levels on tarmac but note the tire's limitations on loose gravel surfaces.
Tire B Pirelli Scorpion Trail II

The Pirelli Scorpion Trail II receives a polarized reception, with users praising its dry-weather grip and versatility for light off-road touring, while frequently criticizing its performance in wet conditions. While some riders appreciate its longevity and capability on varied terrain, others report significant concerns regarding wet-weather stability, rapid tread wear, and inconsistent quality control.

Pros

  • Excellent grip and confidence on dry pavement
  • Strong performance on light off-road trails and varied surfaces like gravel and dirt
  • Quick warm-up time in favorable conditions
  • Capable handling for long-distance touring

Cons

  • Poor wet-weather performance and susceptibility to hydroplaning
  • Twitchy or unstable handling characteristics in rain
  • Rapid tread wear and premature flattening
  • Reports of structural quality issues, such as tread splitting

Observations

  • High-performance adventure bikes like the KTM 1290 Adventure exhibit significant issues with wet-weather stability and rapid rear tire wear.
  • Users on heavy touring platforms, such as the BMW R1200RT, report better success using the tire for mixed-surface adventure touring.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop TrailSmart Max B · Pirelli Scorpion Trail II
CategoryAll Season All Terrain and Off Road tiresSummer Premium Touring tires
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

Pirelli

Winner: Dunlop TrailSmart Max — better treadwear, wet and comfort. It leads or ties in every category we score.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop TrailSmart Max scores 100 vs 71 on treadwear.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop TrailSmart Max scores 93 vs 69 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop TrailSmart Max scores 100 vs 83 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop TrailSmart Max scores 93 vs 87 on dry.

Tire A · Dunlop TrailSmart Max
Tire B · Pirelli Scorpion Trail II

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.