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Equivalent of Sportmax D214 is now...?

9K views 22 replies 11 participants last post by  brumster 
#1 ·
Hey peeps, quick sanity check please...



Calling time on my OEM Sportmax D214's after 4000 miles so in the market for a new set, but of course there is no longer a D214 Sportmax :)


I have been perfectly happy with these; the performance in terms of grip in dry/wet, the turn in, the confidence and the wear rate... I'm happy... so I just want to replace them with something similar.


Is that the Roadsmart 2 or the Sportsmart 2 Max?


The former is branded their sport/touring, the latter sport. But I don't know what the 214 was categorised as - although the name suggests it was the more sportier tyre maybe, so am I best going for the Sportsmart 2 Max as an equivalent?
 
#5 ·
Consider your self lucky you can't buy them again. My traction control was always engaging with the those tires even in the dry. They were spinning up on corner exits mostly. Mine were done in 2700 miles. There are MUCH better tires out there for your bike that will last much longer and grip much better than the OEM tires.
 
#7 ·
I beg to differ. I'm getting pretty darn impressive life out of my 190/55 Roadsmart 3. I've got 4k miles on it and it's only now starting to show visible wear (but I don't wantonly trash my tires or my bike). I only ride dry roads so I can't speak to wet performance, but I can attest that it does fine in hot and cold weather (I commute year round, in temps of 112 degrees last summer and 19 degrees last winter). It has never lost traction, ever...not in straight-line acceleration, not leaned over in a corner. I'm getting me another one when this one's toast.

And while we're talking tires, for the life of me I've never understood why Michelin carved all those giant gouges out of the rubber on their Road 5 tire. I mean, what the **** is that all about? If they had just left that rubber on the carcass they could've easily gotten another 20% more life out of the tire, for cryin' out loud. Yeah, I know they brag about their great wet traction, but how many of us hop on the bike and go carving canyons in the rain? Gimme a break!
 
#9 ·
As they wear they're pretty average in the wet. 6,000kms and my front is pretty squared off due to straight road commuting but that's to be expected.

The road 5's are a sport touring tyre designed for all conditions and especially rain, hence the extra channels for water siping.

If you're a dry weather only rider then go buy a more sporting tyre and leave the road 5's for those of us who aren't afraid to get wet 😉
 
#11 ·
I can attest to the Roadsmart 3's life and grip. I am at about 5K on the rear and its about half done. 2.5k on front and its just starting to show some wear. The traction is fantastic. I don't ever see the TCS light flicker since replacing the OEM tires. They just hook up and give supreme confidence and stability. A friend of mine bought a set for XR1200 and after a year told me his tires never slip either. I don't have experience with any other tires on the GSX, but I think its getting hard to find bad tires nowadays. The latest sport touring tires just keep getting more grip and more life. The most mileage I have ever gotten on a rear tire on any bike is about 5K before getting the Roadsmart 3. I will easily get 7-8k with the RS3 which is awesome given the power of the 1000.

Ain't technology grand?
 
#13 ·
Cool, so from the feedback above, the D214 was more a sport-tourer tyre than an outright sports tyre right? I know you guys are saying maybe it wasn't a very good one, that's fine :) each to their own.


So it sounds like the Roadsmart 2 (or preferably 3) is the most comparable direct replacement, rather than the Sportsmart 2 Max? The tyre place is trying to sell me the latter at more expense, but an outright sport tyre I don't need if I've been happy with the 214 the last 3 years. I just don't want to go down in terms of grip levels or longevity - which from the feedback above, sounds like would be hard to do anyway, seems like everything (including a wooden cart wheel covered in blutac) would be better than the 214....?!
 
#16 ·
Yes, I'd be happy with 5k (miles) out of a rear no problem. As you can see, in 3 years I've done 4000 miles and that's on the OEM tyre which I'm going to assume was a 'special' budget construction for Suzuki, so maybe not the best longevity you'd expect. So yeah, maybe there's no need for me to be fussy. I'll see what they have that works in terms of price but won't get too worried about what gets fitted...
 
#17 ·
Even the S21 is now 'old hat'. The S22 is the hypersport tyre. S21 is the OEM's 'go to' tyre for the like of the GSX-S750 class of bikes.
Mine are wearing so well, I expect them to outlast even Stocky's abused 16 000 KM rubber bands.
I can't see me changing them in normal conditions with my limited time with the 750 before moving on to something else to ride and experience.

Rob.
 
#21 ·
I never did either until I bought the Road Smart 3's. Previous tires on all my bikes from 600cc to 1854cc lasted between 3 and 5K. These new multi tread compound tires are the real deal. I also bought Michelin Commander 2's for my cruiser when I bought the Dunlops for the GSX. Both are dual compound and both are outperforming all my previous tires in both wear and grip. If you have only been running sport tires for traction you might be surprised at the grip the new sport touring tires deliver along with longer life and reduced warm up times.
 
#20 ·
Right, I'm all shod on brand new Sportsmart 2 Max's. Obviously way too early in the experience to comment on them compared to the 214's but nothing untoward at this point; the bike is obviously steering/dropping beautifully now thanks to a non-squared rear tyre but that's hardly surprising. Time will tell; I'll try and remember to report back after I've put some miles on them.
 
#22 ·
I ran touring tires on the hayabusa after I bought a second bike. The bike I ride in the mountains will always have a super sport tire on the front simple because of the way our group rides. I get away with a touring out back because I generally don’t hammer it coming out of the curves, unless it’s hwy 181.
 
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