Dunlop Qualifier

Tufbusa

Track Coach / TufPoodle Coach
Registered
For those of you who may have over looked Dunlop's Qualifier, you may want to take another look?

I spent yesterday at the track with Adrenaline Freaks and had a blast, by the way. Two of the riders doing track patrol to make sure the dumb ones didn't kill themselves were riding their street bikes, both K5 Gixxer 1K's. Dunlop donated them both a set of Qualifiers. One had some suspension work done and the other was bone stock. These guys went out on a set of street tires and the guy with the suspension ran a 31 and the stock guy ran a 35. I followed them around the track a few times and was amazed at how well these tires performed. I was on race rubber and couldn't keep these guys in site. They were leaning so far they would tuck their knee up to keep it off the pavement. They weren't far enough to put their elbow down but not far from it. They pushed until they got front end drift (Something you don't get from every tire, some just give up and slide out) and would plant their knee, give a push and back on their feet, never missing a beat. The guy who had the suspension work got cocky after the tires were blazing hot and began doing the Gary McCoy move and would slide through the corners like a flat tracker. I was in amazement at the superb performance of these tires in the hands of skilled riders. Both riders had praise for these tires as well. I've never heard of anyone runing a 31 on street tires of any kind. One comment was "These tires are as good as the race tires we were on two years ago".

While they are not a race tire, I believe you will be hard pressed to find a tire that will perform as well as the Qualifier?
 
I just had one installed on the back(got a flat). Although I will not be doing any knee draggin'..its good to know they stick.
 
I've got about 1000 miles on mine and love them!
 
"but but how do they wear? " whine whine whine!
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Kiddin. I'm trying the Q's next even though I been a Donslop hater forever. nuttin beats the latest greatest tires technology
 
(Tufbusa @ Sep. 09 2006,06:53) For those of you who may have over looked Dunlop's Qualifier, you may want to take another look?

I spent yesterday at the track with Adrenaline Freaks and had a blast, by the way. Two of the riders doing track patrol to make sure the dumb ones didn't kill themselves were riding their street bikes, both K5 Gixxer 1K's. Dunlop donated them both a set of Qualifiers. One had some suspension work done and the other was bone stock. These guys went out on a set of street tires and the guy with the suspension ran a 31 and the stock guy ran a 35. I followed them around the track a few times and was amazed at how well these tires performed. I was on race rubber and couldn't keep these guys in site. They were leaning so far they would tuck their knee up to keep it off the pavement. They weren't far enough to put their elbow down but not far from it. They pushed until they got front end drift (Something you don't get from every tire, some just give up and slide out) and would plant their knee, give a push and back on their feet, never missing a beat. The guy who had the suspension work got cocky after the tires were blazing hot and began doing the Gary McCoy move and would slide through the corners like a flat tracker. I was in amazement at the superb performance of these tires in the hands of skilled riders. Both riders had praise for these tires as well. I've never heard of anyone runing a 31 on street tires of any kind. One comment was "These tires are as good as the race tires we were on two years ago".

While they are not a race tire, I believe you will be hard pressed to find a tire that will perform as well as the Qualifier?
Hey Tuff! great stuff to hear...especially since i've been trying my best to preach my azz off and convince some here that the Dunlop Quali's are in fact better than pilot powers and imho?...take Street Sport Tires to the next level.

I've got 2,000 miles on my 1st set of Quali's at the moment and it looks like they still have plenty enough skin left to survive the fall busa bash i'm going to in a week and a 1/2...and so far for me?..these suckers make me feel like Oren is vacuum locked to the road!
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also?...as proven by your shared observations?....what i like most about the quali's...(besides the phenominal traction)....is the utter and complete predictability and controllability at ALL angles of lean...someone here commented that like myself?...they rode both the powers and the quali's and claimed they loved both but that they really liked the flickability and ultra quick steering of the powers...making the statement that...."The Powers Made My Busa Feel Like It Was On Skates"......and that's exactly what I HATE about the powers but....LOVE about the quali's...as even thougfh the quali's steering is extremely neutral?....you NEVER feel like you're "On Skates"....and always in complete and utter control....yet look at a spot and dip the shoulder and just let'er have'er head 9so-to-speak) and shazam!...the quali tire profile must match the busa's rake/trail number dead on because at any lean angle?...the steering is completely neutral and those with light hands will quickly notice how eager the quali's are to go ahead and assume auto-pilot mode...at all lean angles...and i love'im for that!
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Folks?...if you thought your new pilot powers was a confidence boosting experience?...you ain't seen shid yet!
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L8R, Bill.
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L8R, Bill.
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Hey L8R Bill (aka Sweet William), I hear those Florida boys can't keep up, even on Quali's :-)

Keep the sunny side up dude!
 
yup. I'm putting the Q's on as a first replacement set for the Gixx1K. Track day on Oct 14 so I'll make sure to tear them Q's up a new one. Ride report to follow in 1 month.
 
I've already got a qualifier on the front thanks to a puncture in my ax, because I knew I wanted to try them next. My rear ax is real close to done; in fact it's starting to spin pretty good on gear changes above 8500. I can't wait to feel the glue like traction of the new rear. I won't push too hard now until I switch.
 
OK, I'm convinced. My Pilot Powers are almost used up, and I have nothing but good to say about them. But I think I'll give the Qualifiers a try.

Paul
 
I just put a set on and like em so far    havent really put many miles on em but hope they last awhile to.
 
I'm on my 4th set of Qualifiers and I love 'em too. Good on the street and the track. They stick very well and inspire confidence to go a little faster around the track. I did get far enough over that I wasn't sticking my knee out, once, hehe!
I only get about 4k miles out of them though, but I zip the canyons by my house a LOT.
 
All 3 Bikes are Currently Sporting Qualifiers, Best on the market right now.  Awesome on the TRACK!!!!
 
(WWJD @ Sep. 09 2006,12:36) "but but how do they wear? " whine whine whine!
smile.gif
Kiddin. I'm trying the Q's next even though I been a Donslop hater forever. nuttin beats the latest greatest tires technology
I have 3000 miles on mine and still a way to go for the wear indicators. Maybe another thousand- anyone else getting this kind of mileage?
 
I've run the PP's Diablos, and the last set i put on was the quialiers. and so far i must say i like the dunlops the best. and as an added bonus they cost less than the others too. I didn't buy them because of price, but because i've been hearing alot of good things the last few months about them. at about 1000+ miles on them so far, wear is good (seem to go a little faster wear-wise than the PPs, but they cost less) and lean angle, and being sticky, not hard to heat up on roads. I'm real happy with them. Although i must say i'm looking foward to the new PP (2TC) seeing as they are being offered in a 190/55 profile.
 
The only way one can truly know which tire of the "best" (dunlop, michelin, pirelli, etc) is right is to ride on them. I saw some good responses about Dunlop Qualifiers so I ordered some today. I'm sure I'll be happy with them... and they're surely better than the stockers!
 
I don't know what Michelin has done for the new dual compound PP but I'm simply afraid to run PP's on the track. I've seen way to many crashes on them. And,,,,,,,,,, if you don't have confidence in your tires, makes for a long day on the track.
 
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