Performance Bikes Tire Test - June 1999

Tire Track or Street Combined Price Overall Score Tester #1 Tester #2 Price Rank (1=least expensive) Overall (Class) Score Rank Overall (Class) Lap Speed Rank Combined Lap Times Magazine Conclusion (S/T) Comments
Michelin Pilot Sport Street £214 71.5 1.35.02 1.40.71 8 5 (1) 8 (3) 75.73 1 (S) A good successor to the Hi-Sport. Fans of the old hoops won't be disappointed, nor will medium pace track scratchers.
Pirelli Dragon EVO MTR 21/22 Street £201 67 1.34.90 1.39.15 3 6 (2) 5 (2) 74.05 1 (S) How many ways can you say these tyres will be excellent on the road and good enough for not-so-fast trackday fans?
Bridgestone BT56 Street £202 61.5 1.34.57 1.39.20 4 7 (3) 4 (1) 73.77 4 (S) A good road-based tyre. Good enough for most roads and riders.
Dunlop Sportmax D207 Street £182 60 1.35.90 1.40.33 1 8 (4) 10 (5) 76.23 1 (S) Competent road tyres but wouldn't break any lap records.
Metzeler ME Z3 Street £213 42 1.35.39 1.40.66 7 11 (5) 9 (4) 76.05 5 (S) Standard ME Z3s aren't track tyres, plain and simple, but Metzeler don't bill them as such. So that's alright then.
Avon Azaro (AV39/40) Sport Street £197 39 1.36.18 1.40.95 2 12 (6) 11 (6) 77.13 6 (S) To say the Azaro Sport smashed the riders' confidence would be an understatement. The overall score says it all.
Michelin Pilot Race (Soft) Track £229 74 1.33.08 1.39.15 10 1 (1) 1 (1) 72.23 2 (T) Excellent grip and manners. Bonus points awarded for stability. Mileage? Forget it. For race use or serious trackday nuts only.
Bridgestone BT56SS Track £213 73.5 1.34.71 1.40.63 7 2 (2) 7 (5) 75.34 5 (T) Liked for what they are: better than the average road tyre and extremely competent trackday tyres… when scrubbed-in.
Pirelli Dragon Evo MTR21/22 Super Corsa SC1 Track £209 72.5 1.33.15 1.39.76 6 3 (3) 2 (2) 72.91 3 (T) Will only do half a job if your bike set-up isn't spot-on. These are Monty race tyres for Monty race bikes.
Dunlop Sportmax D207GP Track £278 71.75 1.33.07 1.40.43 11 4 (4) 3 (3) 73.50 1 (T) Grip, grip and more grip. Fine if a bike can handle it. But stock bikes can't. A race tyre for race bikes only.
Avon Azaro (AV39/40) Supersport Track £208 58 1.34.55 1.40.69 5 9 (5) 6 (4) 75.24 6 (T) Not the best tyres tested, or the worst (lap times prove that). Good for all-round use but wouldn't be a racer's first choice.
Metzeler ME Z3 Rennsport RS1 Track £222 47.5 N/A N/A 9 10 (6)   N/A 4 (T) Can't understand it: pressures as per recommended and nothing wrong with the bike. They're going back for inspection.