First time using DOT track tire recommendation?

JohnnyP636

JohnnyP636

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Ok so here is my history, Ive done about 4 track days and one race weekend at TMP. I started on Michelin Pilot Power street tires, then I switched to Dunlop Ntec slicks. The street tires sucked got hot really fast and then I would slide all over the place, the slicks were great had way more grip and gave me more leaning confidence. The only problem is Im a slider and when they did break loose they were very sketchy in the way they would react to a slide and very harsh when they regain traction. Now to add to that problem I was on stock suspension running amateur race pace, so my riding wasn't the smoothest looking, and highside prone

Ok so here is where I am how, its been at least 2 years since then, and I just got the track bug again being at TMP over the weekend and watching the GTAM track day..And I was told there is another day coming up at Grand Bend that I now want to attend. So Im trying to get my bike prepped but I want to try a DOT track tire instead of slicks or street tires...Bike is almost the same, ZX6R but a newer year, and I now have Ohlins rear shock and may possibly have Ohlins NIX cartridge kit in before the track day..

So my question with all that being said, what would you track guys recommend as a good current DOT track tire in to try? Purely from a performance stand point...And also who has the best prices on them lol
 
49over said:
Bridge Stone R10 EVO.
$400/ set. Approx.
warmer recommended.
Click to expand...

Hummm My least favorite tire manufacture lol Opinion coming strictly from street tires though...So I would still consider trying them

Damn like an idiot I sold my warmers, so I will not have access to warmers

Thanks
 
Being a Dunlop guy, I just tried the new 212's this weekend and they worked quite well. The rear didn't have amazing drive out of the corner but it was definitely manageable/predictable and the front tire is stunning with great feedback (using ohlins gas cart). Also being a Dunlop they wear extremely well. Rear tire only uses 15psi....no typo. Pro6 is the vendor in the west end.
 
infernobuster said:
Not sure of your pace, but you could settle for Bridgestone BT003R or Dunlop Q2's.
Click to expand...

003R has been discontinued

R10 is the replacement and an incredible tire.

It's arguably the dot tire on the podium the most at Soar race weekends

I use them
 
infernobuster said:
Not sure of your pace, but you could settle for Bridgestone BT003R or Dunlop Q2's.
Click to expand...

1:18's at TMP during track days, fastest lap in my first race was 1:16 according to the SOAR timing

Right now I have Michelin Pilot Power 3's on the bike, they are brand new with only 1700 km on them. So I really want to invest in a DOT race tire for track days, and put these PP's back on for the street. Or I will just use these and see what happens...
 
JohnnyP636 said:
Ok so here is my history, Ive done about 4 track days and one race weekend at TMP. I started on Michelin Pilot Power street tires, then I switched to Dunlop Ntec slicks. The street tires sucked got hot really fast and then I would slide all over the place, the slicks were great had way more grip and gave me more leaning confidence. The only problem is Im a slider and when they did break loose they were very sketchy in the way they would react to a slide and very harsh when they regain traction. Now to add to that problem I was on stock suspension running amateur race pace, so my riding wasn't the smoothest looking, and highside prone

Ok so here is where I am how, its been at least 2 years since then, and I just got the track bug again being at TMP over the weekend and watching the GTAM track day..And I was told there is another day coming up at Grand Bend that I now want to attend. So Im trying to get my bike prepped but I want to try a DOT track tire instead of slicks or street tires...Bike is almost the same, ZX6R but a newer year, and I now have Ohlins rear shock and may possibly have Ohlins NIX cartridge kit in before the track day..

So my question with all that being said, what would you track guys recommend as a good current DOT track tire in to try? Purely from a performance stand point...And also who has the best prices on them lol
Click to expand...

Dunlop 209s or 211s. UK or US spec.
 
Fiery254 said:
Dunlop 209s or 211s. UK or US spec.
Click to expand...

Do you have any experience with the difference in how these 209 or 211 feel compared to Dunlop slicks? I would love a tire that gave me the corner confidence of the slick without the temper tantrum they have when they do slide. AKA the perfect tire lol
 
It'd be easier to find the perfect tire if you didn't slide as much. From the sounds of it your suspension was 1/2 the problem and that's fixed now, but the sliding is the other half of the problem. I get that you come from a stunting background? You need to re-tune your butt-meter from sensing slides to sensing lateral Gs. You will start to notice that sliding reduces the cornering force and start to change your riding to that knife-edge between too much sliding and not enough (based on my experience in cars).

The street tires are designed to slide in a very progressive way as a safety measure, which is what you're feeling. Of course the cost is in ultimate grip, so if you can manage to slide less you will benefit from slicks more. DOT race tires would probably be a middle ground compromise, not a perfect tire.
 
JohnnyP636 said:
Do you have any experience with the difference in how these 209 or 211 feel compared to Dunlop slicks? I would love a tire that gave me the corner confidence of the slick without the temper tantrum they have when they do slide. AKA the perfect tire lol
Click to expand...

The 211 is pretty close in compound to the slick. I think that your suspension and general set up wern't the best. Whatever slide I've had from the NTECs has been progressive, fairly readable (with my ability level) and not agressive in any way. Apart from when they're completely done. And even then when they let go they wern't too bad.
 
Bridgestone R10 like everyone said. Amazing.

No Warner's no problem!!! If its just a track day take a few warm up laps. If your racing. I'd buy another set lol

Just my nickel bc the penny is no more.
 
Bridestone R10's are a great tire , and if you haven't done so already , raise your forks about 10mm on the ZX6.
 
Not wanting to buy a new tire just for a trackday, especially since I have new rubber coming next weekend for SOAR round 3, I just grabbed whatever scrub I could get my hands on last weekend at the GTAM trackdays.

On the rear was a well used Bridgestone 003R that I raced on for SOAR rounds last Oct, this May, and this June. The matching front was cooked after SAt morning, so I installed a Dunlop GPA on the front.....to top it off, the GPA was a Daytona spec one with a hard compound on the left side, so I mounted it backwards so the harder compound was on the right side, as TMP is a right turning track.
First session on Sunday, I was a little weirded out, and overly cautious, half expecting some weird handling issues as I had never ridden on anything but a matching set.But as the laps clicked by, I could see it was all in my head.

After helping riders in beginner groups, I stayed out in hot shoe, and proceeded to turn it up to almost a race pace at 1:18, and never noticed any problems at all. Very predictable, and felt no different than it did on a matching set of 003R's. Modern DOT's are pretty awesome.

On my Fireblade I run the Dunlop NTEC slicks, and I don't find that I have to ride any slower on DOT's than I do the slicks.
 
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pick the one you get the best deal on, you'll be fine with any of the current front line DOT race tires
 
fastar1 said:
It'd be easier to find the perfect tire if you didn't slide as much. From the sounds of it your suspension was 1/2 the problem and that's fixed now, but the sliding is the other half of the problem. I get that you come from a stunting background? You need to re-tune your butt-meter from sensing slides to sensing lateral Gs. You will start to notice that sliding reduces the cornering force and start to change your riding to that knife-edge between too much sliding and not enough (based on my experience in cars).

The street tires are designed to slide in a very progressive way as a safety measure, which is what you're feeling. Of course the cost is in ultimate grip, so if you can manage to slide less you will benefit from slicks more. DOT race tires would probably be a middle ground compromise, not a perfect tire.
Click to expand...

Yeah I know sliding isn't fast or cost effective, but its fun so I go with it...If the rear breaks loose I naturally want to get on the gas and drift out of it, rather the let off it and possibly high side. My new bike has traction control and I hate it on the street, but I will defiantly give it try at the track. And Im just wanting to have some fun on a trackday, so a few slides here and there isn't going to hurt my chances at winning anything. If I got into racing then I would have to work on not doing that anymore for sure. Also if that were the case Id probably stick with the slicks and warmers
 
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