Looking for track bike advice | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Looking for track bike advice

2 bits of useless info.

1) On a cold Calabogie this morning, on warmers with US NTECS, I was getting grip on my out lap then losing a bit second lap then getting it back 3rd and onwards.

2) During a lull this morning, while we watched a helicopter land at turn 20, a mate went down to turn 2 with a heat gun. Track temp in the sun was about 22c. Track temp in the shade of the wall was 4c.
 
FriendlyFoe said:
Who said anything about riding when its below 20? What about when its 30+
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Think about it.

I leave the pits with my tires and wheels thoroughly heat soaked. Tires at 80C. If its 20C or lower I will lose temp even at race pace. If ambient temps are 25-30 I can keep them at ideal temp but I have to be really working (read 1:14s or faster at TMP).

It takes a minimum of 45 mins to heat soak a wheel and tire, then I have to be going pretty much as fast as I can to keep them hot. A slower rider in a 20 minute session will never get a DOT race tire or a slick to ideal operating temp. It's one thing to get the surface hot, its a completely other thing to get the carcass hot as well.

Sorry. Not going to happen.

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2 more bits of useless info.

The generator worked fine all day yesterday powering my keurig coffee machine. ;)

Below 0 at Bogie overnight, I almost plugged in the tire warmers to use a ghetto electric blanket.
 
Jayv said:
2 more bits of useless info.

The generator worked fine all day yesterday powering my keurig coffee machine. ;)

Below 0 at Bogie overnight, I almost plugged in the tire warmers to use a ghetto electric blanket.
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I burned thru 2 bottles of propane on my Coleman stove in a vain attempt to stop my teeth chattering. T'was worth it though for the sun kissed day we got yesterday and hearing that Dave did a 2.18 on his cripship.
 
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My battery ran low Friday night and the heater stopped working @ bogie, then the propane warning alarm came on because the electrics weren't working. Apparently some people like to sleep with at least one light on... ugh. All good Saturday night, thankfully.

Oh, and what everyone said about tires and bikes. True.
 
@ caboose - neat. Do DOT's hold onto heat anymore then a full slick? I get very little feedback out of race tires because I'm not fast enough to make them work properly
 
FriendlyFoe said:
@ caboose - neat. Do DOT's hold onto heat anymore then a full slick? I get very little feedback out of race tires because I'm not fast enough to make them work properly
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Technically yes, they will hold heat slightly better than a slick. But I think the difference would be negligible.

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caboose483 said:
Technically yes, they will hold heat slightly better than a slick. But I think the difference would be negligible.
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Not mentioned: The important difference is that they generate heat internally a lot faster. That, alas, also leads to overheating under a fast rider.
 
Shaman said:
Not mentioned: The important difference is that they generate heat internally a lot faster. That, alas, also leads to overheating under a fast rider.
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I assumed he was referring to DOT race tires, not street tires.

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caboose483 said:
I assumed he was referring to DOT race tires, not street tires.
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Some of the same applies, as technically anything that is DOT rated for street legality... is a street tire. Even if we know they suck on the street.
 
Shaman said:
Some of the same applies, as technically anything that is DOT rated for street legality... is a street tire. Even if we know they suck on the street.
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A DOT race tire is designed to be used with warmers on a race track. It may be street legal but saying it is a 'street tire' is misleading.

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caboose483 said:
A DOT race tire is designed to be used with warmers on a race track. It may be street legal but saying it is a 'street tire' is misleading.
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Tell that to the manufacturers, then. I'm on the same page, but they're in the business of selling books.
 
If you can overheat a DOT race tire your someone very special or your pressures are out the window.
 
caboose483 said:
Tell them what??
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That they should stop selling DOT and promoting race tires as... DOT legal (street). Have fun.

If you can overheat a DOT race tire your someone very special or your pressures are out the window.
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Ask the guys in VRRA if an old GS 1000 (600+lbs) or the like can overheat the tire. I'm thinking... yes. But, this last two years has been a complete change of pace for tire technologies, so who knows now...
 
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Shaman said:
That they should stop selling DOT and promoting race tires as... DOT legal (street). Have fun.
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Maybe you should call various race organizations around the world and get them to amend the Supersport/600 rules so that they don't require a DOT approved tire.
 
caboose483 said:
Maybe you should call various race organizations around the world and get them to amend the Supersport/600 rules so that they don't require a DOT approved tire.
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It's pretty stupid, but I guess the idea is to slow down the riders and/or lower costs. The rule does a crap job of either, imho.
 
If most National and AMA riders dont overheat the DOT spec tires they run on i think i'll probably be good for next SOAR round :) Everything i've read suggests they're basically the same as the slicks they just have tread, which makes them DOT legal. DOT has nothing to do with tire compound or intended use, just tread.
 
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