95
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
93/100
3 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Dunlop TrailSmart Max vs Pirelli Scorpion Zero — 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
74
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
75/100
32 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Dunlop TrailSmart Max — better treadwear, comfort and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Read full
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Category breakdown
7 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)
TrailSmart Max leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | TrailSmart Max | Scorpion Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 82 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 93 | 79 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
TrailSmart Max leads by 19
Why this score
| Source | TrailSmart Max | Scorpion Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 77 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 93 | 64 |
Snow
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | TrailSmart Max | Scorpion Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 56 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
TrailSmart Max leads by 20
Why this score
| Source | TrailSmart Max | Scorpion Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 67 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 100 | 69 |
Noise
Score (0–100)
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
TrailSmart Max leads by 34
Why this score
| Source | TrailSmart Max | Scorpion Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Tire Rack owners | – | 56 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 100 | 59 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
TrailSmart Max leads by 20
Why this score
| Source | TrailSmart Max | Scorpion Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 87 | 67 |
| DriverReviews owners | – | 86 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop TrailSmart Max | Pirelli Scorpion Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 95 | 74 |
| Dry | 93 | 87 |
| Wet | 93 | 74 |
| Snow | – | 81 |
| Comfort | 100 | 80 |
| Noise | – | 89 |
| Treadwear | 100 | 66 |
| Handling | 87 | 67 |
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
95
/ 100
Tire A
74
/ 100
Tire B
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
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.
The Pirelli Scorpion Zero is a polarizing tire that delivers strong dry-road handling and a quiet, comfortable ride for many SUV and crossover owners. However, user experiences are highly inconsistent, with significant reports of rapid tread wear and underwhelming performance in wet or wintry conditions, leading to a mixed overall reputation.
Pros
- Excellent dry-road handling and grip
- Quiet and comfortable ride quality
- Strong performance on light off-road surfaces like grass and dry rock
- Responsive steering and road feedback
Cons
- Inconsistent and often rapid tread wear
- Poor traction and aquaplaning tendencies in wet conditions
- Lack of winter capability despite M+S ratings
- Reports of sidewall durability issues and punctures
Observations
- Land Rover owners generally report higher satisfaction and better mileage compared to owners of high-performance German SUVs like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
- Users of heavy, high-torque vehicles like the Rivian R1T and various performance SUVs report significantly accelerated tread wear.
- Some users noted that the tire's performance characteristics change drastically as the tread depth decreases, particularly regarding wet-weather safety.
Community buzz
What real owners are saying
From Reddit, forums and review threads. Not part of our score
Tire A
Dunlop TrailSmart Max
We haven't collected enough community discussion about this tire yet.
Tire B
Mixed
Pirelli Scorpion Zero
Community opinion on the Pirelli Scorpion Zero is deeply divided, particularly regarding tread life versus comfort. While many users praise the tire for providing a smooth, quiet ride, excellent traction, and good EV-specific performance, a significant number complain about unexpectedly rapid tread wear, cracking, and poor warranty support from the manufacturer.
r/tires
·3 upvotes ·2025-09-09
“The Scorpion Zero A/S is a very short lived tire. 11k seems nuts, but after taking a set of Pilot Sport 4 A/S for a 50k lap over a couple of years I replaced them with Pirellis thinking I was getting a better deal. They started losing chunks of tread within 5k and were almost bald after 20 (1 year for me). Never again.”
r/KiaTelluride
·3 upvotes ·2023-04-16
“Pirelli scorpion zeros wear life I was thinking these would last more than 35k miles. Seems they are wearing in the centers like it’s over inflated but they were set at 35 from dealer and have stayed there. Also after searching on here it’s a 2022 S AWD shouldn’t it have gotten the Michelins? Thinking about going with falken wildpeak at3w since I got 82k miles out of them on my 1/2 ton truck but really not needed for this one”
r/tires
·2 upvotes ·2025-04-03
“Pirelli Scorpion Zero All Season NCS These are size 245/45 R21 104W XL. Look at the tread. Has anyone seen this happen before? I’ve put 40K miles on these tires and all 4 of them look like this. Never in my life have I owned tires that have worn down in this way. I only drive on the street to and from work. Would this be considered a defect? Tire people say this is caused by driving on dirt roads or gravel but I have never done that. (PS I bought the Range Rover brand new from the dealership) anyone recommend a tire that won’t do this? Read more”
r/BMWX5
·1 upvote ·2025-12-28
“I bought a set of 20” M-wheels when I my X5 was at around 2k miles. I had fitted Pirelli scorpion zero runflats on it. At 65k miles, they had to be replaced due to compound cracking, thread was still at 5 to 6/32. I think they served me well.”
Top themes
#Tread Life and Longevity#Ride Comfort and Noise#EV Range and Efficiency#Uneven Wear and Damage#OEM vs Replacement Specs#Price and Value#Warranty Claims and Support
Based on 21 community posts
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop TrailSmart Max | B · Pirelli Scorpion Zero |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All Season All Terrain and Off Road tires | Summer High Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Motorcycle | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | — | 46 |
| Rim diameters | — | 18″ – 23″ |
| Tread depth | — | 9/32″ |
| UTQG | — | 500 A A |
| Sidewall | — | Blackwall |
| Max pressure | — | 51 psi |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
95
/ 100
Dunlop
74
/ 100
Pirelli
Winner: Dunlop TrailSmart Max — better treadwear, comfort and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Dunlop TrailSmart Max scores 100 vs 66 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Dunlop TrailSmart Max scores 100 vs 80 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Dunlop TrailSmart Max scores 87 vs 67 on handling.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Dunlop TrailSmart Max scores 93 vs 74 on wet.
Tire A · Dunlop TrailSmart Max
Tire B · Pirelli Scorpion Zero
More comparisons
Also compared with
Dunlop TrailSmart Max also compared with
Pirelli Scorpion Zero 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.