Tyres in the west mids
Discussion
I'm looking for some new tryes for the 636 i've used sportec m1's but find them great sometimes and iffy othertimes (the front was a 70 instead of a 65 though). I used 207's before them and liked them any other idea's i would like something thats lasts ok and offers decent grip i was thinking conti road or Avon's touring tyre
I've been really impressed with the Pirelli Dragon evo's. Reasonable wear rates, they warm up quickly and have plenty of grip. The profile seems to be more rounded than the Dunlops (which I have always liked on track, but found a little twitchy on the road)
I have had a set on my Ducati through the winter and they have been fine, very little slipping and sliding, even on the cart tracks that pass for B roads in Essex these days. I did a track day on the same set today and to be honest they felt much the same as a set of Rennsports or Super Corsers from a couple of years ago. (But much easier to get warm)
As I said really impressed.
I have had a set on my Ducati through the winter and they have been fine, very little slipping and sliding, even on the cart tracks that pass for B roads in Essex these days. I did a track day on the same set today and to be honest they felt much the same as a set of Rennsports or Super Corsers from a couple of years ago. (But much easier to get warm)
As I said really impressed.
muffles said:
off topic, but how do you know if a tyre is warm? if it slips, don't you...crash?
The short answer is no you don’t normally crash, but I guess that’s not particularly helpful.
Just because a tire skids, it doesn’t follow that a crash is inevitable, in fact very few skids end in crashes. With a little practice you can feel the changes in the tires as they warm up. They slip a bit more when cold and the air pressure in the tire also rises as the tire warms up. These things change how your bike feels.
The changes are more apparent at the track than on the road, because you tend to start with lower tire pressures at the track and the final temperature the tire reaches is both higher and more consistent than on the road. For the first lap or two, the bike tends to run wide in the turns and the tires feel squirmy. You know the tires are cold when you start, so you take it easy. After a couple of laps the bike turns more easily, the steering gets lighter and the tires loose the squirmy feeling (because the tire pressure is 10-15psi higher than when you started) This is where you start to push a bit harder, working up to your full pace over the next couple of laps
On the road it’s a little more difficult to feel, because you start with higher tire pressures from cold and the tires rarely get as warm as at the track. The changes are more subtle but still there. It’s also important to remember that the tires can cool down again on the road, if for example you get caught in traffic.
This is why I tend to prefer tires that are intended for road use and are OK for track days, rather than pure track tires that are (just) road legal.
muffles said:
thanks, i will try and find some info somewhere to add to the signs you've mentioned - i think it'll be worthwhile after hearing some stories about what cold tyres have done! (or maybe these people are just looking for something to blame, haha)
me, new tyre, 30 feet from front door, 10 mph - high side.
wrote the bike off.
Me, this week , new bike!!
I put it down to over enthusiastic polishing spray usage on the wheel before installing back on the bike...
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