Tests – · none yet Owners 64 · 17 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Pirelli Dragon Sport vs Avon Spirit ST — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 0 road tests and 17 + 15 owner reviews. How we score
Spirit ST is ahead, 82–66
Add your size for an exact match
/R
Both Amazon links then search this exact size.
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
-
65
Dry
Spirit ST +1782Why this score
Source Dragon Sport Spirit ST Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 66 (est.) ≈ 77 (est.) Reviews found online 64 89 Dragon Sport: 60% × 66.2 (est.) + 40% × 63.6 = 65
Spirit ST: 60% × 76.7 (est.) + 40% × 89.1 = 82
No road tests of dry for Dragon Sport. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
No road tests of dry for Spirit ST. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
-
70
Wet
Spirit ST +1787Why this score
Source Dragon Sport Spirit ST Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 70 (est.) ≈ 83 (est.) Reviews found online 70 93 Dragon Sport: 60% × 70.2 (est.) + 40% × 69.7 = 70
Spirit ST: 60% × 82.9 (est.) + 40% × 93 = 87
No road tests of wet for Dragon Sport. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
No road tests of wet for Spirit ST. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
62
Comfort
Spirit ST +1678Why this score
Source Dragon Sport Spirit ST Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 67 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 59 82 Dragon Sport: 40% × 66.7 (est.) + 60% × 58.9 = 62
Spirit ST: 40% × 71.3 (est.) + 60% × 81.9 = 78
No road tests of comfort for Dragon Sport. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for Spirit ST. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
-
62
Treadwear
Spirit ST +1375Why this score
Source Dragon Sport Spirit ST Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 64 (est.) ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 60 80 Dragon Sport: 60% × 64 (est.) + 40% × 59.5 = 62
Spirit ST: 60% × 71.5 (est.) + 40% × 80.4 = 75
No road tests of treadwear for Dragon Sport. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
No road tests of treadwear for Spirit ST. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
-
66
Handling (owners)
Spirit ST +2187Why this score
Source Dragon Sport Spirit ST Reviews found online 66 87
Scores at a glance
| Category | Pirelli Dragon Sport | Avon Spirit ST |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 66 | 82 |
| Dry | 65 | 82 |
| Wet | 70 | 87 |
| Comfort | 62 | 78 |
| Treadwear | 62 | 75 |
| Handling (owners) | 66 | 87 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
66
/ 100
Dragon Sport
82
/ 100
Spirit ST
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Dragon Sport
Pros
- Excellent tread life and durability for the price point
- High value-for-money compared to premium performance tires
- Strong dry grip and reliable wet weather performance for daily driving
Cons
- Soft sidewalls leading to vague steering feedback and understeer
- Susceptibility to sidewall damage and punctures from road hazards
- Performance limits fall short of true enthusiast-grade tires like the Michelin Pilot Sport series
Tire B Spirit ST
Pros
- Excellent grip in dry, cold and wet conditions, with confidence-inspiring braking and wet-weather performance, and capability extending to occasional track use
- Stable, predictable handling at high speeds and under heavy loads (pillion and luggage), with a comfortable ride and low noise
- Good tread life reported by several riders, who describe even wear, resistance to squaring off and mileage up to nearly double that of Michelin tyres
Cons
- Wear complaints from a minority, including one rider who got only about 2,000 km
- Reluctance to turn in fast direction changes and a lack of feedback from the tyres, according to one reviewer
- Front tyre vibration and shaking over 60 mph on one BMW K1600GT, which persisted after rebalancing at two garages
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Pirelli Dragon Sport | B · Avon Spirit ST |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Motorcycle | Motorcycle |
| Sizes available | 22 | — |
| Rim diameters | 17″ – 20″ | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
66
/ 100
Pirelli Dragon Sport
82
/ 100
Avon Spirit ST
Winner: Avon Spirit ST — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Pirelli Dragon Sport rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 17 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Avon Spirit ST rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 15 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Avon Spirit ST scores 87 vs 66 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Avon Spirit ST scores 82 vs 65 on dry.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Avon Spirit ST scores 87 vs 70 on wet.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Avon Spirit ST scores 78 vs 62 on comfort.
Tire A · Pirelli Dragon Sport
Tire B · Avon Spirit ST
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made through these links.
Dragon Sport or Spirit ST?
Which is better in the wet, Dragon Sport or Spirit ST?
Avon Spirit ST, 87 vs 70 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Dragon Sport or Spirit ST?
Avon Spirit ST, 82 vs 65 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Dragon Sport or Spirit ST?
Avon Spirit ST, 78 vs 62 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Dragon Sport or Spirit ST?
Avon Spirit ST, 75 vs 62 on our treadwear score.
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.
Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology