History was made on May 18, 1889, when Willie Hume destroyed the competition in a Belfast cycle event. He won four of the day’s five races using pneumatic tyres invented the previous year by John Boyd Dunlop.
To this day Dunlop continues to break records. Dunlop was the choice of for the first 100mph production lap in 1969 – we’ve since claimed eight absolute speed records at the Isle of Man TT, including the new 2018 Peter Hickman landmark of 135mph.
Discover how we translate what we learn on the track to our production tyres here.
Dunlop is the title sponsor and exclusive tire supplier to all classes of the Campionato Italiano Velocità (CIV). All riders in each of CIV’s classes race on Dunlop’s range of race-proven tires.
In addition to supply of the Superbike, Moto3 and Pre-Moto3 categories, Dunlop has also been appointed as exclusive tire partner of the SuperSport 300 and SuperSport 600 NG classes, supporting rising talent in these highly competitive races.
The KR109 front and KR108 rear tires used in Superbike, SuperSport 300 and 600 are closely related to those trusted by leading teams in arenas such as the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC).
The CIV is marked by an incredibly high level of professionalism and competitiveness, featuring teams and riders with experience at the forefront of international motorcycle racing championships.
Dunlop has competed at every Isle of Man TT since the first race in 1907, helping more riders win races than any other tyre company. Of the 18 current single rider lap and race records, all 18 were achieved on Dunlop tyres. TT legend John McGuiness chose Dunlop for each of his wins on the island.
Racing for between eight and 24 hours puts immense strain on riders, bikes and tyres. It’s an extreme test, and one that we excel at. In the Endurance World Championship, Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and Kawasaki have all chosen Dunlop for championship wins. In 2020, SERT claimed the crown on Dunlop tyres.
Endurance racing is a brutal development ground, complicated by the big changes in temperature as racers ride from hot afternoons into freezing nights. But it’s worth it: the advances we’ve made translate directly to road tyres, which also have to work across a huge range of temperatures.
As well as global championships, Dunlop also supports teams in some of Europe’s top national championships. These races give us key insights into how our tyres perform in a variety of conditions. Dunlop supports teams in the following championships:
With a mixture of sand, mud and rocky terrain on the calendar, MXGP allows us to prove our performance in the most demanding conditions. The durability of Dunlop tyres gives our riders the confidence to perform at their limit, for the whole gruelling season.
Our Geomax range of tyres used in MXGP are available to both national and local riders. So World Championship performance is available at any MX event.
We never stop developing new technologies, and we test them in race conditions. Discover our latest breakthroughs here.
