How long do your race tires last?

[boyoboy]

How much life do you get out of your race tires on a typical race weekend. Specifically, can you run a full weekend, in three classes, with a 600 supersport, on one set of tires? for an amateur running at a pace that puts him in the top 25% at the finish in 600? Do you get more life from slicks than you would DOT race tires?

edit: what are the tire/compound choices vs tire life?

 

[dricked]

Well that's going to vary greatly depending on your pace.

I can can run a full weekend on a single front (they last much longer but I change them anyway) but a rear lasts around 50-60 laps if I really use it to nothing and flip it. I wouldn't race or qualify on that tire as the drive grip has really signed off by then. On a 600 I was getting around 20% better wear but I was slower.

 

[boyoboy]

Well that's going to vary greatly depending on your pace.

I can can run a full weekend on a single front (they last much longer but I change them anyway) but a rear lasts around 50-60 laps if I really use it to nothing and flip it. I wouldn't race or qualify on that tire as the drive grip has really signed off by then. On a 600 I was getting around 20% better wear but I was slower.

thx for the response, i've made an edit as to pace//

 

[dricked]

thx for the response, i've made an edit as to pace//

At that pace running 3 classes and doing the practices (Friday included) you won't be making it on one rear. I would say 2 rears one front would be a realistic number and compounds really depend on the weather. It also depends on how important your position is as well. If you've got a chance at winning/podium/championship you're going to want to use a new tire for that race most likely. I'm also speaking solely on my experience running the Dunlop 211 dot. The new tires may be worse or better I don't know. Slicks I feel like you get more life out of them but I haven't tried a dot on a 1000 to see how much better they would be.

 

[bakaboy]

As an old guy I used to get an entire weekend of racing (2 qualifier and 2 final races) from my Pirelli SC2 rear with a pace that would have put me at the back of AM 600.

At mid pack pace now the same SC2 runs 3 Sat races and the next morning practice sessions and a new one mounted for Sun races. The tires are then used after that for track days since they have life left in them.

The Pirellis SC2 160 rear on the SV650s last about 9 days of practice and racing before I change them. Even then I only change them out of habit not because they were done.

The Pirelli SC2 on the 250s would run about 20 days with 20 races included before we needed to change them. The Rosso IIs lasted multiple seasons.

I'm supposed to change the front?!?!

Hope this helps.

 

[racepro171]

too many variables to even start listing.. do you feel ok sliding a front while dragging knee.... how about spinning and stearing the bike with the rear. and what about having the rear come around sliding while entering corners.... each gets easier with more wear on the tires. softer tires grip more but dont last as long. I will say worn tires are alot of fun and a good teacher of control and understanding.

 

[Brian P]

I get roughly 3 weekends out of a set of Bridgestone slicks on my Fizzer 400, which doesn't have enough power to spin the rear tire. The tire life goes down exponentially with how fast you go ...

 

[Bickle Racing]

Also consider that all these riders are using warmers which ,,if you don't,, changes everything
Which is not meant to be an info-mercial but the info will be tainted if you venture out with out warmers and hot tire pressures. I think the key today is to get that hot tire pressure right for your pace.

 

[kellen]

I do ~60 laps on a rear slick on my 600 before I no longer feel comfortable risking a win on Sunday if it goes off. Front, change it....whenever. I run two classes.




The three rear system.
Worst tire Friday for practice.
Second best tire for practice/qualifying.
New tire Sunday.

next round, Sunday's ~30 lap tire becomes Saturday's tire. Saturday's~50 lap tire becomes Friday's tire, etc.

I'm absolutely sure I could do many more laps on a rear, but as any racer knows it's a major head game, and I need that confidence a new tire provides

 

[caboose56]

I do ~60 laps on a rear slick on my 600 before I no longer feel comfortable risking a win on Sunday if it goes off. Front, change it....whenever. I run two classes.




The three rear system.
Worst tire Friday for practice.
Second best tire for practice/qualifying.
New tire Sunday.

next round, Sunday's ~30 lap tire becomes Saturday's tire. Saturday's~50 lap tire becomes Friday's tire, etc.

I'm absolutely sure I could do many more laps on a rear, but as any racer knows it's a major head game, and I need that confidence a new tire provides

That's the best way to manage tired right there.

Write it down, kids.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Owen]

The Pirellis SC2 160 rear on the SV650s last about 9 days of practice and racing before I change them. Even then I only change them out of habit not because they were done.

The Pirelli SC2 on the 250s would run about 20 days with 20 races included before we needed to change them. The Rosso IIs lasted multiple seasons.

I'm supposed to change the front?!?!

Hope this helps.

Awesome!! Thanks!! Was going to ask about smaller bikes than the OP.

 

[kellen]

....

 

[boyoboy]

all the responses have been helpful. I suppose if one were smooth and not spinning the rear up too often you could get two qualifiers and two finals out of a new set.

i gather two rears and a front - for three qualifiers / three finals. depending on pace. and of course race tires should be on warmers.

save the old tires for track days /practice because thats all they will be good for.

all the responses make sense. and i'm also getting a sense of the cost involved for running a 600 race weekend.

the responses for the fzr400/sv650 were interesting and give me some perspective.

thanks everyone for your insight.

 

[boyoboy]

too many variables to even start listing.. do you feel ok sliding a front while dragging knee.... how about spinning and stearing the bike with the rear. and what about having the rear come around sliding while entering corners.... each gets easier with more wear on the tires. softer tires grip more but dont last as long. I will say worn tires are alot of fun and a good teacher of control and understanding.

on a bike that feels right ...i have gotten comfortable sliding the rear a few times a lap in my preferred corners, but everything has to feel right...

I've slid the front a few times, but could never say comfortably. dang, when you say your comfortable sliding the front...well wtf #%&*^, people get comfortable doing that !?

LMAO I don't see myself ever getting comfortable sliding the front.

 

[boyoboy]

now that were talking about sliding, may i pick the brains of you that have black numbers?

The few times i have slid the front, it has most often happened in the same spot. I dont know the corner number, so bare with me. Running the long track or pro track, coming off the fabi strait, make the right turn, through the chicane, down the short strait, and your braking hard and heading towards the quick left - quick right just before pit out. That quick left / quick right is where it happens for me - specifically, the QUICK LEFT part. How do you approach this left turn? Any helpful hints or thoughts on how you approach this corner? Are you still carrying some front brake when you enter this left? Are you completely off the brakes when entering this left?

 

[caboose56]

now that were talking about sliding, may i pick the brains of you that have black numbers?

The few times i have slid the front, it has most often happened in the same spot. I dont know the corner number, so bare with me. Running the long track or pro track, coming off the fabi strait, make the right turn, through the chicane, down the short strait, and your braking hard and heading towards the quick left - quick right just before pit out. That quick left / quick right is where it happens for me - specifically, the QUICK LEFT part. How do you approach this left turn? Any helpful hints or thoughts on how you approach this corner? Are you still carrying some front brake when you enter this left? Are you completely off the brakes when entering this left?

Allen's.. The breaker of collarbones.

A bit of an odd corner. Definitely trail brake into that corner but start picking up the throttle just before the apex. Use the throttle to stand the bike up coming out of Allen's, a quick squirt of throttle will stand the bike up (it should wheelie a little over the hump) then flop the bike over on the right side and you'll probably need to drag the front brake just a little to hit your entry marker.

Lots of last laps heroics in that corner.

FWIW, I'm somewhat comfortable sliding the rear. I don't slide the front much at all.

 

[racepro171]

you might be turning too slow, which means haveing to use more lean at the end to make the corner. it is a tricky corner to get through. best i have seen there are Jodi and Elie watch them.

 

[Bickle Racing]

Awesome!! Thanks!! Was going to ask about smaller bikes than the OP.

well,on a Ninja 250, did a 2:38 at Calabogie on two year old tires that came on the bike new. New tires sure would have helped the mid corner grip and entry grip. But the bike was for the most part stuck.
So in my experience, smaller bikes need grip on entry/mid corner. Bigger bikes need grip mid/exit of a corner unless you are chasing lap records. So unless you are moving the front under braking with a smaller bike,,,you are not pushing it. On smaller bikes I never really worried about grip on the exit,, it was more entry as you are running it in harder.So it's a bit different conversation. A 600+ is much different then a RS125 or 250/300 Production bike. The grip was always great but the carcass would start collapsing under load. So if you are not carrying corner speed,, just keep riding. when your entry and corner speed come up,, you'll know. entry speed dictates your exit speed as you do not have the power to do it with the throttle. A 600+ has the ability today to do both. So two completely different conversations.

 

[boyoboy]

you might be turning too slow, which means haveing to use more lean at the end to make the corner. it is a tricky corner to get threw. best i have seen there are Jodi and Elie watch them.

I had to read your answer a couple times to grasp what you are saying, but I think you are right - i do use more lean at the end to make the corner.
I find this corner - yeh tricky. The front end feels really wound up tight from the braking and its so hard getting the timing right to hit the apex. I'm going to search some you tube videos for a look. ty

 

[N3WMAN]

I did this season(5 Rounds) on 1 front and 2 rear Dunlop slicks only. Finished 3rd in both AM600 and Lost Era. I only seem to spin the rear a lot on modified track and don't push the front often.

I had to replace the front at Round 2 because something in the sidewall broke and it bulged out real weird. Last season I went 5 rounds on an already scrubbed front until I replaced it(still had loads or rubbed but wouldn't turn worth a damn anymore). I replaced the rears every 3 rounds but have only ever had one go off really bad in a race which did cost me a win imo.

Can't really say what I do right or wrong as I don't seem to use anywhere near as many tires as a lot of other people but it seems to work for me. I don't ever do friday practice and only usually go out for one or two sessions of practice on Sat/Sundays so that could be part of it.