New Dunlop Mutant tire: A solution for street-based ADV bikes?

[advrider]

Dunlop’s just unveiled the Mutant, a new tire designed for versatile street use. The press release doesn’t explicitly say this, but it looks like it could potentially be interesting to ADV bikers with machines that are biased towards asphalt usage.

The Mutant is an all-new tire in Dunlop’s premium performance product line. The North American press release says it’s got “an aggressive tread pattern customizers will love.” Errrr maybe—it’s true that the “builders” cranking out scramblers and brats love them some knobbly tires. But, so do adventure riders, and the bike in Dunlop’s marking copy sure isn’t a scrambler.

Over at Dunlop’s Euro website, we get a better idea of the tire’s capabilities: “The world’s first crossover tyre boasts hypersport-level handling, grip as close as possible to racing wets, and some of the best touring durability in the Dunlop range.”

Perfect for a Multistrada or similar. Photo: Dunlop

The secret, as always with tires, is a combination of design, materials, and construction technique. The Mutant uses Dunlop’s MT Multi-Tread design, with high-mileage compound in the center for max mileage, and stickier compound in the shoulders for max grip. Dunlop claims the Mutant rivals sport tires’ performance. Then you get “uniquely shaped tread grooves to displace water for maximum traction in wet condition.” The tire uses Dunlop’s Jointless Band Technology, meaning there’s a continuously-wound belt in the tire carcass, keeping everything in line and making for consistent handling. The rubber itself is designed to warm up quickly, with a high-silica compound for tread flexibility for better performance at low temperatures, and improved grip in both wet and dry conditions.

A combination of mileage, cornering grip, and bad-weather traction? Sounds like a tire for sport-tourers and adventure riders who are looking to stick to smoothish roads. There’s a wide variety of 17-inch front and rear sizes available, but also a 19-inch front that would fit the Ducati Multistrada and similar bikes. For more details, check out Dunlop’s video above, or head over to Dunlop’s website. Currently, the Mutant is listed in the $179-$279 range over at Revzilla, but at time of writing, they don’t have any in stock. They should be along soon, though!

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