The Dunlop K81 TT100 is a motorcycle tyreThe Book of Ducati 750SS. Ian Falloon Veloce Publishing Ltd, 1 Nov 2010 thought to be an "obligatory" performance upgrade and a tyre of choiceNew sticky street tires (K291)
''

Popular Science ''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...

'', February 1982 Page 166. (Volume 220, issue 2) ''Motorcycling'' by ''Ray Hill''. Retrieved 23 March 2015 with sporting street

motorcyclist Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. For some people, motorcycling may be the only affordable form of individual motorized transportation, and small-engine displacement, displacement motorcycles are the most common motor vehicle in ...

s during the late 1960s and 1970s due to their shape and relatively sticky compound.

History

Originally introduced in early 1968 as the ''Roadmaster K81'' rear tyre by Dunlop Rubber Co. Ltd, the tyre was renamed "TT100" because it was the first production tyre to reach a lap speed of 100 mph over the

Isle of Man TT The Isle of Man TT or Tourist Trophy races are an annual motorcycle racing event run on the Isle of Man in May/June of most years since its inaugural race in 1907. The event is often called one of the most dangerous racing events in the world ...

race course when

Malcolm Uphill Malcolm Ernest Uphill (15 April 1935 – 15 August 1999) was a Welsh professional motorcycle racer. He competed in British national-level short-circuit and in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Uphill was the first competitor in the Isle of Man T ...

rode his

works Works may refer to: People * Caddy Works (1896–1982), American college sports coach * Samuel Works (c. 1781–1868), New York politician Albums * '' ''Works'' (Pink Floyd album)'', a Pink Floyd album from 1983 * ''Works'', a Gary Burton album ...

Thruxton Bonneville to victory in 1969 with a fastest lap of 100.37 mph during the 750 cc class production race. ''Motorcycle Mechanics'', June 1973, Dunlop full page advert, p.6 ''Every time they race you win. "Tyres like the K70, Ribbed and the fabulous K81, re-named the TT100 after lapping the TT course at over 100 mph on a production machine''". Accessed 23 March 2015 The feat was repeated in 1971 when

Ray Pickrell Raymond Pickrell (16 March 1938 – 20 February 2006) was an English short-circuit motorcycle road racer who won four Isle of Man TT motorcycle races. Pickrell was born in Harrow Weald, Middlesex. During his early career, Pickrell rode for t ...

averaged 100.01 mph on a

Triumph Trident The Triumph Trident is a three-cylinder motorcycle of either 750 cc or 900 cc capacity. These bikes were produced from 1991 to 1998 at Hinckley, Leicestershire, England, by Triumph Motorcycles Ltd, the successor business to the defu ...

Slippery Sam Slippery Sam is a British production class racing motorcycle from the early 1970s that used a carefully prepared version of the 750 cc Triumph Trident ohv (pushrod) three-cylinder engine. The "Slippery Sam" name was acquired during the 1 ...

replica, a modified version of the motorcycle the tyre was designed for. The tyres were standard fitment on production models of BSA and

Triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...

triple Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * ...

motorcycles. Originally called in some countries the "Dunlop Roadmaster K81 Trigonic Tyre" and developed from Dunlop's racing background, TT100s were first made in England, and then later reintroduced from Japan,. The tyres featured a unique "Trigonic", or triangular, profile which provided ample outstanding grip for the day, and an identical tread pattern to front and rear instead of the usual circumferentially ribbed front tyre of the day. Considered a "super tyre",Motorcycle mechanics. George Lear, Lynn S. Mosher. Prentice-Hall, 1977 it continues to be made utilising the latest technologies and materials for improved performance.

External links

K81 TT100 Improving on the legend

References

{{Reflist, 30em Motorcycle technology Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company