Michelin generally gets the big headlines from a MotoGP race weekend, with its control tyre deal for the blue riband MotoGP class. But competitor tyre maker Dunlop is not far behind, with its exclusive contract for the two support classes. Goodyear’s bike tyre brand has been supplying rubber to Moto2 for 14 years, and Moto3 for 12 years, and now has new tyre choices across both series. Moto2 riders can select from three fronts and five rears, including asymmetric designs for different circuits, while the Moto3 loons get a new soft front, with a new hard rear coming midway through the season. There are also new wet tyre fitments on the way.
The point of all this is, of course, to promote the Dunlop brand amongst road riders, while also pushing forward technical developments in terms of grip, wear, handling and wet performance that transfer to consumer products.
Wim Van Achter, motorsport manager at Dunlop, said, “The Dunlop philosophy is to constantly chase improvements within every championship we work with. Moto2 and Moto3 represent a huge technical challenge as the bikes continue to evolve year after year. Teams and riders expect us to keep pace with that level of development and we’re excited that 2023 will be another year that sees our products make a considerable step forward in performance, while promoting close racing.”