How do you know when slicks are done?

[Corsara]

This is my first set of slicks, and I don't know how to decide when it's time to throw them away, especially that they were good in the last session I used them.

Would you go out for another day on this set if it was performing great last time you used them? Or there's a big chance they'll be garbage in the middle of the day?!

Rear:

Front:

 

[infernobuster]

Lots of life left in them.

Lots of people will give you different opinoins though. Whatever you feel is best though.
Some guys are getting up to 3 days on slicks while others can get 6 to 8.

 

[Corsara]

Lots of life left in them.

Lots of people will give you different opinoins though. Whatever you feel is best though.
Some guys are getting up to 3 days on slicks while others can get 6 to 8.

Thanks, your reply is like a music for my ears!

 

[carboncat]

I would suggest flipping them around . Then there good

 

[Ould]

Looks like lots of life left in them. I would ride that rear at least another day (depending on your pace of course.) As your lap times drop the tires will wear exponentially quicker. Also I genereally use 2 rears to 1 front on the Dunlop slicks. I will also usually flip the rear too which can then can get maybe another day. Obviously, in the end change them when you think it is time, it's not worth crashing to try and squeeze every last ounce of life out of them.

 

[JohnnyP636]

I dont know how to tell for sure, but to me that rear tire looks brand new compared to what my slick looked like when I stopped using it...Personally Id give that tire of yours more of a beating before tossing it.

Going by feel alone my slicks got really loose on me when they got worn to the replacement point...

 

[Rossi86]

What about heat cycles guys? Doesn't the tire get harder and harder as it's used especially without warmers. I know Pirelli SuperBike Pros are more resistant to heat cycles, but how do you know they are done if the holes/dots are still deep throughout the tire surface? I just got rid of a Pirelli Superbike SC2 (not Pro) rear, it was almost at the wear hole/dots in terms of meat but the Racer 5 tech guy told me to get rid of it cause I had already done 6 trackdays on it, and it was used before that too so it was like 3 years old... The front is an SC1 it's from the same set, it looks like new almost but it's got more than 6 track days on it, should I get rid of the front too? BTW, I don't use warmers I just do 2 laps of warm up every session before pushing the bike hard

 

[Corsara]

For what it's worth, my slicks (in the top post) have seen one race (by another guy) and 3 track-days by me, the last of which saw a 10 sec pace decrease as compared to the first two (I did a few trackdays in between on other tires). Always on warmers, always cooling down at the end of the day with warmers on top, so not worried about heat cycles too much. Looks like I'll get at least one more day out of them, maybe even two.

 

[dricked]

What about heat cycles guys? Doesn't the tire get harder and harder as it's used especially without warmers. I know Pirelli SuperBike Pros are more resistant to heat cycles, but how do you know they are done if the holes/dots are still deep throughout the tire surface? I just got rid of a Pirelli Superbike SC2 (not Pro) rear, it was almost at the wear hole/dots in terms of meat but the Racer 5 tech guy told me to get rid of it cause I had already done 6 trackdays on it, and it was used before that too so it was like 3 years old... The front is an SC1 it's from the same set, it looks like new almost but it's got more than 6 track days on it, should I get rid of the front too? BTW, I don't use warmers I just do 2 laps of warm up every session before pushing the bike hard

No way no how your tires are up to temp in 2 laps.

When my rear tire is no longer round but starts to look like the pic JohnnyP posted or they don't give me the drive I'm looking for I either flip them or toss them. The fronts I change after 2 rears or when I no longer have confidence in them. Tires are cheaper than days off work or most of the parts on my bike.