Dunlop Mutant - 1000 Mile Review
I used to skate around corners and ‘50p’ roundabouts, that horrible sinking feeling in my stomach as I doubted the capability of the OE tyres to actually grip the road – I had more than a few sketchy experiences where the rear almost let go. I didn’t quite poop myself, but close enough to not be a pleasant experience and to permanently destroy any confidence I had in the tyres. The OE Bridgestone’s on my bike were truly terrible in the wet. Acceptable in the dry, but still. Not great for an all weather rider. My experience is night and day after fitting the Dunlop Mutants. They were an instant improvement over my stock tyres – the first ride home was in a thunderous downpour, and on brand new tyres that hadn’t been scrubbed in, even then they performed well. No doubt Dunlop would attribute this to their increased silica content (Hisilica) and ‘state of the art’ compound which aids quick warm up and increases durability. The weekend after fitting, I was out doing the Bike Safe course with the Sussex Police. I was careful not to accelerate or brake too harshly in the first 100 odd miles, but even during this time they performed far better than the tyres I was used to. With renewed confidence in the traction of my bike, I was free to focus on the experience I was keen to soak up from the folk I was riding with.
The Mutant tread pattern perfectly suits a naked bike
Mutant Concept
the concept for the Mutant was All Roads, All Distances, All conditions. To achieve that we pulled on the years of experience and technology building the world’s best racing wet tyres with that of our test winning road tyres. The result is a tread pattern that takes elements from racing wets, Supermoto and dirt track tyres mixed with state of the art compounds and resins creating a tyre that offers versatility, superb wet performance, sports handling, stability and durability. – Dunlop
The Dunlop Mutant is designed to be a do-it-all tyre for all roads, usage and conditions. So far, they have lived up to and surpassed my expectations. I spend most of my time on two wheels commuting to work, with weekend rides here and there, and the Mutants excel in this role. The UK roads currently resemble apocalyptic derelict highways, strewn with potholes and covered in detritus, and the Mutant’s are at home. The ability to grip on any surface I throw at them is an incredible confidence boost. Heading home along what is left of the A273 after work does nothing to diminish the composure of Dunlop’s latest crossover rubber. Loose gravelly surfaces, road paint and last-second pothole-skirting are all deftly tackled without fuss. It’s interesting that they position this as a ‘crossover’ tyre – it sits in the range between the Meridian adventure tyre and the road focused GPR-300 and Roadsmart III, with a 90/10 road-dirt bias, suggesting some capability in off-road situations, though I haven’t put this to the test. I’d imagine they’d be right at home with the odd bit of green laning, if that takes your fancy. As a road tyre, I am impressed.
Wet weather performance
In short, as good as they are in the dry. I have no loss in confidence on corners or at roundabouts. The rear doesn’t squirm under acceleration and braking feels controlled. Great grip in the wet is one thing, but grip when it is wet and cold is vital in the UK, as we spent 90% of our time battling rain and misery. I’m impressed at the performance straight off the bat – heading out on the road on a cold, rainy October morning does nothing to phase the Mutants. Steering is light, the handling fuss free, no doubt thanks to the Dynamic Front Formula (DFF) design process that Dunlop implement.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a deeper, chunkier tread pattern on a road tyre! Inspired by racing wets, dirt track tyres and Supermoto, the influence is clear to see. I think this tread pattern is perfectly suited to a naked, adventure or Supermoto bike - they might look a bit odd on a sportsbike or modern retro, but that wouldn’t put me off! Despite the chunky appearance of the tread, they are incredibly smooth on the road at speed. I have full confidence when tipping into a corner and the bike feels planted no matter the weather. The chunky tread expels a large amount of water and combined with the high silica content gives great composure in the wet. The tyres are also rated for mud and snow (M+S), not that I’ve used them in those conditions – yet!
“The Mutant is what you might expect: A mutation of unique components that create one of the most versatile street tires Dunlop has ever produced.” – Dunlop Tyres
Longevity
In terms of longevity, I have no idea. After just over 1,000 miles there is no hint of wear. Dunlop were reluctant to put a figure on it, and the Mutant’s haven’t been out long enough for many people to be reporting back on the life they’ve had out of these tyres. The Mutant features Dunlop’s Multi-Tread Technology – essentially two compounds (much like Michelin’s 2CT) layered to give a more durable central section for racking up miles and a softer shoulder for extra grip at lean. I’ll update my review when they come to the end of their life. When that day comes, it would be hard for me to pick any other tyre as a replacement.
In Summary
The performance of the Mutant’s may be even more stark in my view, as my point of reference is the frankly wooden tyres I had fitted to my bike previously, but other impressions across the web seem to mirror my own experience. The Mutant lives up to the hype put out by Dunlop, achieving its aim of being a do-it-all tyre for every condition you can throw at it. Their performance over the last 1,000-odd miles has done nothing to make me doubt their ability and will make it very difficult for me to look at any other tyre when it comes time for a new set. Did I mention I’m impressed?
Features
- Rayon Ply Casing and ‘state of the art compound’ - quick warm up, increased durability
- Dunlop’s 4 season technology
- High surface area silica - improved wet weather grip
- Dynamic Front Formula (DFF) – neutral handling, clear feedback
- Multi-Tread (MT) technology – increased side grip when cornering, greater durability
- 90/10 – road/dirt bias
Pro’s
+ grip was great straight off the bat, even in cold and wet conditions
+ seem to be wearing well, done over 1,200 miles already
+ tread pattern looks cool! Suits a naked in my opinion
Con’s
- None I can think of? Styling might not suit all styles of bike or biker!
