Very early on a set of Bridgestone S23s on an MT-09. 120/70ZR17 front, 180/55ZR17 rear. So far they've been pretty acceptable in the dry, a little terrifying in the wet. No issue with noise; they're quieter than the engine and wind. I don't have other moto tires to compare against. (When they wear out, I intend to replace them with Michelin Road 6s.)
Motorcycle Summer Max Performance Tires
All Motorcycle Summer Max Performance Tires on Tire Reviews, ranked. The 16 tires in this category are scored using 1 independent tire tests and 104 owner reviews covering 328,463 miles of driving.
- 16tires in this category
- 1professional tests
- 104owner reviews
- 328,463 milescovered on them
The quick answer
| Pick | Tire | The evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Dunlop Sportsmart 7.7 Current version: Dunlop SportSmart 3 | TR Score 7.7 / 10 limited data so far |
| Owners' favorite | Michelin Power GP 7.7 | 91% from 6 owner reviews |
| Latest test winner | Dunlop Sportsmart MK4 | 2025 Sport and Hypersport Motorcycle Tire Test |
Best overall is the highest TR Score in the category; the owners' favorite is the highest rated by the drivers who run them. The full rankings and the evidence behind every pick are below.
The best Motorcycle Summer Max Performance Tires, ranked
The highest scoring tire in the category is the Dunlop Sportsmart, with a TR Score of 7.7 out of 10. 7 of the 16 tires here have earned a score; the rest are listed further down. The current tire in that line is now the Dunlop SportSmart 3.
| # | Tire | TR Score | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
7.7 | 87% | 11 | 44,700 miles |
| 2 |
|
7.7 | 87% | 8 | 37,327 miles |
| 3 |
|
7.7 | 91% | 6 | 23,500 miles |
| 4 |
|
7.3 | 89% | 9 | 25,586 miles |
| 5 |
|
7 | 83% | 9 | 17,700 miles |
| 6 |
|
6.6 | 82% | 19 | 59,700 miles |
| 7 |
|
5.2 | 59% | 27 | 83,400 miles |
TR Score rates each tire out of 10 using independent test results and the full body of owner reviews, weighted by how much evidence backs them. Tires are only scored once enough data exists; discontinued tires are not ranked but remain in the complete record below.
What is a Max Performance tire?
Max Performance tires are the flagship road tires of each brand, built for powerful sports cars and supercars. They chase the highest dry and wet grip achievable while remaining genuinely usable every day.
Summer tires use compounds that work best in warm conditions, giving the strongest wet and dry grip of any season category when temperatures are mild or hot. Their performance falls away in the cold, which is where winter and all season tires take over.
Professional tests of Motorcycle Summer Max Performance Tires
Every published comparison test of this category we have indexed - 1 in total, newest first. Test results feed directly into the TR Scores above.
| Year | Test | Size tested | Winner | Tires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025 Sport and Hypersport Motorcycle Tire Test | 190/55 R17 | Dunlop Sportsmart MK4 | 12 |
Winners are only named where a test crowned a single overall winner. Tests that rank tires within groups, or test too small a field to compare brands, still count as evidence but name no winner here.
The Motorcycle Summer Max Performance Tires owners rate highest
Rated purely by the people who drive on them, the top tire in the category is the Michelin Power GP - 91% from 6 owner reviews. 9 tires have enough reviews to qualify; this is the same ranking behind the category position shown on each tire's own page.
| # | Tire | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed | TR Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
91% | 6 | 23,500 miles | 7.7 |
| 2 |
|
89% | 9 | 25,586 miles | 7.3 |
| 3 |
|
87% | 8 | 37,327 miles | 7.7 |
| 4 |
|
87% | 11 | 44,700 miles | 7.7 |
| 5 |
|
85% | 4 | 8,000 miles | - |
| 6 |
|
83% | 9 | 17,700 miles | 7 |
| 7 |
|
82% | 19 | 59,700 miles | 6.6 |
| 8 |
|
79% | 4 | 14,600 miles | - |
| 9 |
|
59% | 27 | 83,400 miles | 5.2 |
A tire needs at least 3 owner reviews to appear here. Owner ratings reward different things to tests - comfort, wear and value show up over thousands of miles, not on a test track.
What drivers say about Motorcycle Summer Max Performance Tires
The most recent owner reviews from this category, in their own words.
I rode this tire for over 4000 miles and it proved more than great. All the rave reviews are well deserved.
I can compare it to Bridgestone Battlax S22s and they offer most of the same experience while lasting longer.
Very quick to lean over, surprisingly stable when upright and at slow speed, you can literally let the bike balance itself at slow speed, which is a rare trait in hypersport tires.
Braking distance is very good.
For the wet grip, I can't say I rode it too much in the wet, but behaved quite well when I did.
On one occasion, I was riding on the highway, at night, early spring, with air temperature below 5 degrees and rain sipping, I noticed that above reasonable speeds, so north of 120 km/h, it starts to lose directional control, but as soon as the speed dropped to around 110, it all settled. I tried to replicate it one or twice more in that journey and every time, the behavior was consistent.
Grip levels really come up after just a couple of corners and never feels like its running out of grip, more like it gently encourages you to keep on exploring its capabilities.
Fantastic under breaking, even in the oh crap moments coming into a corner a bit harder than you intended, it responds to the change in direction and then hugs the corners nicely.
I have got a very respectable 6000km out of the rear which is now completely smooth in the whole middle section and only a little bit of grooves are left on the outsides, lots of scuffing present in the last 500 km most likely from excessively hard riding in very twisty country roads of varied condition. (For those that know River Road from sackville to wiseman ferry , Putty Road and the trip to Middle Mangrove will understand what I mean)
It really loves to be pushed, and you can easily find yourself right down to the pegs gunning it many times faster than the posted speed and these tires keep asking for more, and no signs of fade present. Even at speeds over 200 it feels nice and grippy on the roads.
In the wet it has ample grip when ridden sensibly, and when nice and warm it gives a clear indication as it approaches grip limits in corners before beginning to slide around a bit but is easily manageable with throttle adjustment.
I'm sure if it was ridden in a more ordinary manner it would last considerably longer than the 6000km I have achieved with it, but if you do like to really push it then I think that's a respectable mileage for some very hard riding.
Also of note, it's done about 200km of off-road riding and it was very comfortable and provided decent levels of precision and traction with sensible adjustments to throttle and brakes and felt comfortable enough to blast past adventure riders with more all terrain focused tires without issue.
About durability, if you plan doing many highway kilometers, your rear tire is going to get flat fast, front tire still is okay for 11000 KMs, but at the rear is too far gone ride anywhere.
Personally, I would buy it again, very forgiving tire, good grip at all-weather, albeit a short life span. (Keep in mind a GS500E is close to 180Kg wet, so a lighter bike might get a bit more life out of it)
Also it has an very progressive feel so it doesn't really ''tip in'' that much, which I personally prefer.
Guides and features for Motorcycle Summer Max Performance Tires
All Motorcycle Summer Max Performance Tires on Tire Reviews
The complete record, including discontinued tires and tires with too little evidence to rank, ordered by the amount of evidence. The most researched this month: Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV, Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S23, Pirelli Diablo Rosso II.
| Tire | TR Score | Owner rating | Reviews | Distance reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgestone Battlax BT 016 | 5.2 | 59% | 27 | 83,400 miles |
| Pirelli Diablo Rosso II | 6.6 | 82% | 19 | 59,700 miles |
| Dunlop Sportsmart Replaced by Dunlop SportSmart 3 | 7.7 | 87% | 11 | 44,700 miles |
| Continental ContiSportAttack 2 Replaced by Continental ContiSportAttack 5 | 7.3 | 89% | 9 | 25,586 miles |
| Pirelli Diablo Rosso III Replaced by Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV | 7 | 83% | 9 | 17,700 miles |
| Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV | 7.7 | 87% | 8 | 37,327 miles |
| Michelin Power GP | 7.7 | 91% | 6 | 23,500 miles |
| Dunlop SportSmart 2 Replaced by Dunlop SportSmart 3 | - | 85% | 4 | 8,000 miles |
| Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S23 | - | 79% | 4 | 14,600 miles |
| Avon 3D Ultra | - | 42% | 2 | 450 miles |
| Dunlop SportSmart 2 Max Replaced by Dunlop SportSmart 3 | - | 81% | 2 | 5,500 miles |
| Continental ContiSportAttack 3 Replaced by Continental ContiSportAttack 5 | - | 90% | 1 | - |
| Dunlop Sportmax Q LITE | - | 73% | 1 | 7,000 miles |
| Continental ContiSportAttack 5 | - | 99% | 1 | 1,000 miles |
2 more tires in this category have no reviews yet
Run Motorcycle Summer Max Performance Tires?
Review your tires and help the next driver choose. It takes about five minutes, and every rating on this page came from a driver who took them.
Where this data comes from
Rankings combine independent test results with owner reviews submitted through this site, each naming the car, the tire, the size and the distance covered. Reviews are checked by hand before publication, and the page rebuilds automatically as new evidence arrives.
About the TR Score
The Tire Reviews Score rates each tire out of 10 using independent test results and the full body of owner reviews, weighted by how much evidence backs them.
Who does the testing
Every test published as a Tire Reviews test is run by Jonathan Benson, who has been testing tires independently since 2007.

