Tire Reviews is a big fan of two wheels, and we gladly cover new motorbike tire launches whenever we're invited to them. Sadly, our driving is better than our riding, which is why we leave the high risk motorcycle tire testing to people who aren't highly likely to destroy the bikes and themselves trying to do a fast lap.

Luckily for us riders, the excellent British magazine Fast Bikes has tested five of the very fastest extreme performance / track tires, using a Suzuki GSX-R1000R, wearing 120/70 R17 and 200/60 R17 "hoops".

The magazine took the rider, bike and tires to the challenging and bumpy Spanish circuit of Parcmotor. The test procedure was simple, warm the tires in blankets, and then two twenty minute sessions for each tire, in glorious 25c Spanish sun.

The rider obviously did a fantastic job, as the results speak for themselves.

Not only was the Dunlop the fastest tire on test, it also seemed to give a class leading balance between turn speed and the ability to soak up the bumpy track, giving the rider a huge amount of confidence to play with the bikes power.

Pirelli, and its co brand Metzeler were second and third, with similar times and largely similar feedback, and Continental finished a very strong fourth place, which surprised the rider given his relative lack of experience with the brand.

Michelin will be disappointed with fifth and last place overall, but as the only tire manufacturer to supply a 190 rear tire, it isn't really a comparable test against the other manufacturers.

Fast Bikes did a great job in the full article, so if you can find a copy of the March 2020 issue, it's well worth a read.

Results

1st: Dunlop D213 GP Pro
200/60 R17 3PMSF: no	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Handling 1st 108.219 s 100% Stiffer than the Pirelli, but with the lower pressures felt spot on. Highest amount of rear grip, and when they did slide, they slid in a progressive manner. Very low wear None mentioned Agility - 2nd, Stability - 1st, Grip - 1st, Feel - 1st, Durability - 1st Misc:32 psi front / 21 psi rear Medium front / Medium rear Read Reviews
2nd: Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC
200/60 R17 3PMSF: no	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Handling 2nd 108.716 s 108.219 s +0.5 s 99.54% High grip, very soft and compliant tire provided high levels of confidence, turned quickly None mentioned Agility - 1st, Stability - 2nd, Grip - 2nd, Feel - 2nd, Durability - 2nd Misc:34 psi front / 26 psi rear SC1 front / SC1 rear Read Reviews
3rd: Metzeler Racetec RR
200/60 R17 3PMSF: no	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Handling 3rd 108.971 s 108.219 s +0.75 s 99.31% Lots of feedback, very forgiving, very good front end, very responsive Once at the limit, the bike became rear tire limited Agility - 3rd, Stability - 3rd, Grip - 4th, Feel - 4th, Durability - 4th Misc:33 psi front / 26 psi rear K1 front / K1 rear Read Reviews
4th: Continental Race Attack Comp
200/60 R17 3PMSF: no	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Handling 4th 108.997 s 108.219 s +0.78 s 99.29% Incredible feel from the front Highest visible wear, rear struggle for grip under extreme throttle Agility - 5th, Stability - 5th, Grip - 3rd, Feel - 3rd, Durability - 3rd Misc:33 psi front / 26 psi rear Medium front / Medium rear Read Reviews
5th: Michelin Power Cup Evo
200/60 R17 3PMSF: no	Test # Result Best Difference % Dry Handling 5th 109.216 s 108.219 s +1 s 99.09% As the only 190/55 R17 the bike turned very quickly, very good at moderate speeds on track Lack of feedback from the front tire, peaky grip at the rear Agility - 4th, Stability - 4th, Grip - 5th, Feel - 5th, Durability - 2nd Misc:30.5 psi front / 27.5 psi rear Medium front / Medium rear Read Reviews