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Tires: whats the latest and greatest

catch2otwo

catch2otwo

Active member
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Location
Vacaville CA
Moto(s)
Multi
Name
Cedric
Been about ten years since ive been on track. Will be riding an 01 600. What size and tire do people like these days. Dont have warmers. Probably slow to mid b group
 
^Ditto on the tire, ditto on the Duke, Lonester.
Ditto on the ten years away from the track, Catch20two.
Tires seem to have come a long way
in terms of longevity and no warmers.
Should be just fine on the 600
 
I imagine the flagship sport tire from each manufacturer would get the job done.
A sport touring tire is probably as good as a sport tire from 10-15 years ago.

Better get them before the tariffs are applied
 
The same brands/models are still around, just newer versions, ie. Bridgestone S20 -> S21 -> S22 -> S23
Pirelli Rosso I -> II -> III -> IV. Rosso vs Corsa vs Supercorsa are the same tiers, just newer versions of each.
 
I’ve tried:
Bridgestone: S21/S22
Dunlop: Q3/Q3+
Bridgestone: RS10.
I’ve cycle through those a couple times but have always preferred, felt most comfortable on and have always come back to the RS10.
As stated above, tires now days have come a long way from 10-15 years ago. So, really it’s personal preference with the idiosyncrasies.
Any sport or sport touring tire in B group would be just fine. No warmers needed.
 
The Michelin Power Cup 2 seems to be the best all around track DOT. They last longer than the Supercorsas, but without sacrificing any grip.
 
On a group mountain bike ride last weekend someone asked me what kind of tires I like. I have no idea. Ones that hold air.
 
taylormade21 said:
I've wanted to try those too.
Click to expand...
I've run numerous sets on my track bike, and they're great. I only started "upgrading" to the Power Performance 2 and the Power Slick 2 rear since I wasn't doing any street riding with it.
 
For a sport touring bike in B group, I have run the Q3 plus, and transitioning to the Q5s rear and Q5 front for the first time this year. Thus far, I have not experienced the cold tire tearing on the rear as experienced by some. I have yet to exceed the front tire grip of the Q5 front and the Q5s rear was very predictable when it broke loose.

My only gripe is the price of the new Q5s has increased beyond the Q3+ and seems to wear quicker. It's work to change out tires.

I am getting lazy and poor so will try the Powercup 2.

How does the Powercup 2 manage straight line braking with all those large delta sipes in the middle?
 
Saxon said:
For a sport touring bike in B group, I have run the Q3 plus, and transitioning to the Q5s rear and Q5 front for the first time this year. Thus far, I have not experienced the cold tire tearing on the rear as experienced by some. I have yet to exceed the front tire grip of the Q5 front and the Q5s rear was very predictable when it broke loose.

My only gripe is the price of the new Q5s has increased beyond the Q3+ and seems to wear quicker. It's work to change out tires.

I am getting lazy and poor so will try the Powercup 2.

How does the Powercup 2 manage straight line braking with all those large delta sipes in the middle?
Click to expand...
I've never had a problem with hard braking. I'm on the slower side of A group pace, but I've managed a few tail wiggles under hard braking and nothing has made me lose confidence.
 
W/in the local racing circle and TD circle, Dunlop and Pirelli are the most used (and won on) brands. I don't know what model numbers for comparable Dunlop's are (I'm a Pirelli guy), but for your 600 on Pirelli's, you'll want a 120/70 SC2 slick and 180/60/ SC1 or SC3 slick. Very few run DOt's anymore, but if you're going to ride it on the street, take the DOT's. Pirelli warm up is fast and even more important: there's lots of information on setup pressures, etc. They're a basic, easy tire to use and get used to. Very user friendly. The SC1 rear won't have the life of the SC3, but will have more outright grip and a quicker warm up. The SC3 is a great trackday tire too, but not a good race tire. Chris Maguire is your guy for Pirelli's:

Pirelli Racing Tires for the Western United States

CT Racing is the West Coast distributor for Pirelli motorcycle race tires
www.ctracetires.com www.ctracetires.com

www.ctracetires.com

Diablo Superbike Slick

Compounds and materials of the carcass are the result of innovative technological solutions developed on the most demanding racetracks in the world. Profile designed to ensure incomparable handling and maximum support at high angles of inclination. Excellent traction and stability at high...
www.ctracetires.com www.ctracetires.com

www.ctracetires.com

Diablo Superbike Slick

Compounds and materials of the carcass are the result of innovative technological solutions developed on the most demanding racetracks in the world. Profile designed to ensure incomparable handling and maximum support at high angles of inclination. Excellent traction and stability at high...
www.ctracetires.com www.ctracetires.com
 
Hey all - I’m just getting back into track riding this season and my first set of tires on my R7 was Pirelli Supercorsa SC3 DOTs. That’s what I used to run back in my AFM days, and they seem pretty similar - quick warmup, great grip. Only thing I’m wondering about is longevity. I’ve got four track days in on them and the rear is pretty much done. Front looks ok, but not sure about it. Recall it starting to feel a little greasy toward end of last day out.

If memory serves, when I was racing I was getting about a full season - 8 weekends, with 3 races and 4 practice sessions - out of my front, and 4 weekends out of the rear. Given that, a race weekend is pretty comparable to a trackday in terms of amount of laps and heat cycles.

So I’m wondering a couple of things and hoping someone here can weigh in:
1. Are full on race tires overkill for just doing track days at a mid to fast-ish B group pace on a lightweight bike (R7 - around 70hp)? Could I be using a high performance street/track compound that doesn’t need warming up and wouldn’t really benefit from warmers? Pirelli makes all sorts of different levels, but I’ve never checked out their street stuff (other than the race DOTs, which aren’t really street tires).
2. I’m not using warmers on the SC3s - would that help with longevity, especially on the front??

TIA for any input.
 
Tom, what bike were you on when racing and which circuit? The newer pavement circuits are going to work the tire harder. Thill with the repave is going to chew through tires like crazy...but it's going to have massive hero grip too. 4 days on an SC3 is good wear. Don't forget; while marketed as a TD (trackday tire), the SC3 is a bonafide endurance racing tire. It sits in between a Rosso Corsa and a full race Super Corsa.

Tire warmers will help with longevity (warm up/ cool down). If you use them, use them when coming off track too (I think you know this already tho). Also, check pressures coming off your last session at least once in the day...not 1st session, but 2nd or 3rd. Make sure they're in the right range, hot.

Lastly; you've got great grip and a tire you trust. The general formula is 1 front/ 2 rears. Change the rear and see how that feels. If you like how they feel and the grip, I'd keep running what you're comfortable with and thus, safer on, even if it means changing a bit more often. IMO/ IME.

Bias alert: I AM a Pirelli Fanboi.
 
Thanks, Berto. Yeah, I was on an SV - initially in the Midwest on a Gen 1; and then out here with AFM on a Gen 2. Big Pirelli fanboi here, too - loved those tires; and used to win tire money to help me pay for them. So tracks here were mostly TH East and Sonoma. I had one race at BW and did not like the layout, so don't see myself going there. After racing there was 10 year hiatus before i hit the track again. This time for my 60th bday a few years ago for a trackday on a rental 400. Great fun. So I did it again the next year; and the next and the next. Finally decided I'm not getting any younger, so bought the R7. It's basically what we were trying to build our SV's into - only it comes that way practically out of the box.

I don't know what my times are in B group - definitely can hold my own in B group (B+ w Z2) with bikes my size, and occasionally I'm able to run down liter bikes, Katooms and the odd R9. I'm really loving TH W. Little track, very flowy, great fun. Don't see myself running TH E - too long/big for this little pea shooter when mixing it up with liter bikes and 600s/middleweights in the B group.

Re the SC3, yes, I get that - used to run those a lot with DOT tread rather than slicks, and did just fine on them. Always used warmers which, of course, I sold when I hung up racing in 2009. I think the warmer on the front probably makes some sense, even if I don't get one on the back since the rear wears out so much faster. (Did you see my DM?).
 
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