01
February
2017
|
11:29 AM
Europe/Amsterdam

New Dunlop GP Racer D212 unleashed for 2017 season.

- Road legal Dunlop GP Racer D212 designed for track days and club level racing

- Full range now available across Europe

- Includes technologies developed in FIM Endurance World Championship success and cascaded from the D212 GP Pro

The Dunlop GP Racer series has long been a favourite choice of race and trackday riders. This month, the new GP Racer D212 goes on sale across Europe following its successful introduction in race events last year.

Dunlop had already previewed the tyre in demanding racing events. The first production-spec GP Racer D212 was used in the final round of the French Superbike Championship helping Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) win both Supersport races. Prototype tyres had already been validated in the FIM Endurance World Endurance Championship.

New Front Profile from TT winning GP Pro D212

The GP Racer D212 includes technologies that are a direct cascade of the Isle of Man TT winning GP Pro D212, but tuned for track day and club class racers.  Indeed, the new mould profile and casing construction is derived directly from the GP Pro, vastly reducing steering effort allowing sharper, faster direction changes compared to its predecessor.

Can be tuned for road and track

Dunlop’s latest Heat Control Technology ( included in 190/55ZR17 and 200/55ZR17 rear Endurance versions)  increases the tyre’s resistance to tearing, by allowing a very strong and enduring outer compound, whilst at the same time offering race-like levels of grip with heat generated by the softer base compound.

The tyre also features the latest version of Dunlop’s innovative NTEC system which allows pressure tuning, as Technology Director, Sebastien Montet, explains: “NTEC allows riders to run lower pressures for track use, providing an increased contact patch for maximum mechanical grip and more even wear without compromising rider feedback and confidence. This, coupled with our latest Heat Control Technology and MultiTread compound, has been a major factor in creating a track day tyre that can also win top-level races” 

Choice of compounds for race winning durability

The GP Racer D212 features a revised MultiTread compound designed to work at lower operating temperatures. Both the centre and shoulder compounds have been upgraded.

The GP Racer D212 is available in a range of Soft, Medium and Endurance compounds. The new Medium compound is focused on outright grip for ultimate performance over shorter distances . The new Endurance compound offers the optimum balance between grip and sustained performance.

The final selection of compounds was made after an intensive test programme with top Superbike and Endurance riders including Mahias, Freddy Foray and Julien da Costa. In race conditions, both the Medium  & Endurance Rears were able to achieve triple stints at Catalunya & double stints at Paul Ricard. The new front also proved its durability, achieving up to six stints at Catalunya & Paul Ricard – equating to over 200 laps before a tyre change.

The GP Racer D212 is now on sale across Europe in the following specifications:

120/70ZR17 Front – Slick (Medium)

120/70ZR17 Front – Treaded (Soft and Medium)

160/60ZR17 Rear – Treaded

180/55ZR17 Rear –Treaded (Medium and Endurance)

190/55ZR17 Rear – Slick and Treaded (Medium and Endurance)

200/55ZR17 Rear – Slick and Treaded (Medium and Endurance)