Pro and cons for installing scrub tires | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Pro and cons for installing scrub tires

If you ride in rain, you will wish you weren't on scrubs.
 
If you ride in rain, you will wish you weren't on scrubs.

Why? Please help me understand why they would be any different than a similar tread patterned street tire,
 
2 Corsara - as mentioned before track tires (and we are talking purely track, not DOT certified tires for street and ocassional street use0 are designed to live through several heat cycles. So honestly why would you want tires which are at the end of their life?
Second - check how old are your tires. Mileage aside - riding style, surface, temperatures, how they were kept off season, etc can degrade tire in 2-3 seasons. May be its just time for new set?

And third - most important point - before you spend any money on new tires (track or street): take Lee Parks Total Control. Book is great but course will give you immediate feedback and will correct any wrong body positioning and steering. I can guarantee you - you will never look at those corners the same way again. I know you've been trying (or were going to try) to do the drills yourself - again, pay the moneys, take at least Level I and it will serve you good for the rest of your life.

And two points I was not going to mention as they are obvious but I'll throw them in anyway - make sure tire pressure is correct for your riding style, weight, etc and makes sure you suspension is dialed in properly.
 
2 Corsara - as mentioned before track tires (and we are talking purely track, not DOT certified tires for street and ocassional street use0 are designed to live through several heat cycles. So honestly why would you want tires which are at the end of their life?
Second - check how old are your tires. Mileage aside - riding style, surface, temperatures, how they were kept off season, etc can degrade tire in 2-3 seasons. May be its just time for new set?

And third - most important point - before you spend any money on new tires (track or street): take Lee Parks Total Control. Book is great but course will give you immediate feedback and will correct any wrong body positioning and steering. I can guarantee you - you will never look at those corners the same way again. I know you've been trying (or were going to try) to do the drills yourself - again, pay the moneys, take at least Level I and it will serve you good for the rest of your life.

And two points I was not going to mention as they are obvious but I'll throw them in anyway - make sure tire pressure is correct for your riding style, weight, etc and makes sure you suspension is dialed in properly.

Tire manufactured in 2011. Riding it hard, warm temperatures, etc. It's not time for a new set, it has plenty of life in it, also plenty of grip (that hasn't changed much since it was new, at least i think so). Whole point was if scrubs would provide even more grip as I tend to push to the limit in certain places, just wanted to raise that limit, that's all. I do touch knee now, but only on my two favorite ramps---one left and one right :D Can't agree more on the Total Control, unfortunately I can't take it this year as I've planned more track time for the remainder of the summer all the way into September. Maybe next summer, been reading about and thinking about the California Superbike School too, so I guess I'll need to sort out what it's gonna be next year, also budget for that, etc.. Other than that, I'm running 34 front and 31 rear on the street, I ride aggressively (for the most part on selected routes when by myself or others with similar riding style), tires are burning hot when I stop, and I had Ryan Gill from Condor racing help with the suspension settings, so I'm confident that is set well too, I did notice positive difference on how the bike handles in cornering after the setup. I guess I'm itching too much for track, am i not :) But one thing is clear---scrubs are not for me. Not really trying to save money, but rather thought I could get more performance for less money, which apparently doesn't hold true.
 
I ran scrubs and hated them on the street. I felt like I was falling into the corners instead of gently transitioning into them. Also the initial cost of the tires were much reduced, but that was offset by the tire installation cost which is more frequent on scrubs. Not that I'm rich, but I prefer buying new tires for street.

I tried "fresh scrubs" for a trackday and they were fine in the intermediate group at a GP Bikes trackday.

Just my personal experience.
 
I ran scrubs and hated them on the street. I felt like I was falling into the corners instead of gently transitioning into them. Also the initial cost of the tires were much reduced, but that was offset by the tire installation cost which is more frequent on scrubs. Not that I'm rich, but I prefer buying new tires for street.

I tried "fresh scrubs" for a trackday and they were fine in the intermediate group at a GP Bikes trackday.

Just my personal experience.

The problem with scrubs is they have less tread on the shoulders, which means they'll generate less heat there than if they had more tread. So on the street, where you already have trouble heating the tires, you have a harder time getting them up to temperature. Which you probably won't do anyways.. And track-compound tires are meant to be ridden at their design temperature..if you don't ride them at the correct temperature, they have a tendency to cold-tear. Which is why tire-warmers help a great deal in prolonging tire life.

Having said all that, for most people, lots of centre tread and the fact that most track tires are early in their life means they're not terrible and most people will never approch the limit of the tire anyway..
 
2 Corsara - as mentioned before track tires (and we are talking purely track, not DOT certified tires for street and ocassional street use0 are designed to live through several heat cycles. So honestly why would you want tires which are at the end of their life?
Second - check how old are your tires. Mileage aside - riding style, surface, temperatures, how they were kept off season, etc can degrade tire in 2-3 seasons. May be its just time for new set?

Again, more inaccurate information.

Scrub tires are not at the end of their lifecycle.

Perhaps those that have been sold 3-4 times since they were new(yes, this happens on a regular basis)

But if you buy them from the rider who purchased them new, this is NOT the case.

Every rider and their sister blames the tires, the suspension, the weather, the track temperature, big foot, elvis and the baby jesus for problems on track and on the street,,,,

The real problem is the defective equipment between the seat and the handlebars.

Trackday riders do endless laps, and make statements like "I was dead tired," "I had arm pump!" "It was freezing out" blah blah blah yet they continue to ride lap after lap, burning up tires, fuel and equipment, and all the while going slower each lap.

Do less laps, do more "BETTER" laps, your trackdays will be cheaper, you'll crash less, you won't be as tired and you'll go a hell of a lot faster.

I've seen guys win races at the pro level on tires novices were throwing away.

The tires are not the problem.


There should be a fightclub-esque rule for trackdays,,,

FIRST RULE OF TRACKDAYS!!!!!


IT'S NOT THE TIRES!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
So is it the tires or not?

Definitely the tires.. :) Seriously, it's really hard to make guesses on the street. Some people think they're fast and they're horribly slow. The tires at that level are so good I really don't think people can tell the difference without a stopwatch and a track. Scrubbed or not.
 
The BT016 was designed for more tread life in the centre and softer tread of the shoulders. It succeeds as an all-rounder, track and street. A more track-oriented tire will have less tread-life generally. It's a trade-off. I suspect someone shopping for scrubs though is more worried about price and probably wants longer tread life. It's a tough combo..cheap and good..

Q2's use the same dual compound. Also Q2's seem to be the least expensive hyper-sport tire.
 
Tire manufactured in 2011. Riding it hard, warm temperatures, etc. It's not time for a new set, it has plenty of life in it, also plenty of grip (that hasn't changed much since it was new, at least i think so). Whole point was if scrubs would provide even more grip as I tend to push to the limit in certain places, just wanted to raise that limit, that's all. I do touch knee now, but only on my two favorite ramps---one left and one right :D Can't agree more on the Total Control, unfortunately I can't take it this year as I've planned more track time for the remainder of the summer all the way into September. Maybe next summer, been reading about and thinking about the California Superbike School too, so I guess I'll need to sort out what it's gonna be next year, also budget for that, etc.. Other than that, I'm running 34 front and 31 rear on the street, I ride aggressively (for the most part on selected routes when by myself or others with similar riding style), tires are burning hot when I stop, and I had Ryan Gill from Condor racing help with the suspension settings, so I'm confident that is set well too, I did notice positive difference on how the bike handles in cornering after the setup. I guess I'm itching too much for track, am i not :) But one thing is clear---scrubs are not for me. Not really trying to save money, but rather thought I could get more performance for less money, which apparently doesn't hold true.

I see - now that's a post worthy of FZ6 forum, I see old Corsara all over it! After reading it only things I can think of:
- perhaps look for another brand or model with stickier copmpound
- try and run for an hour with 30 front and 30 rear (just don't run it for hours and with excessive speeds) and see how it feels

And as for the way you steer - I obviously never observe you but you should provide minimum input to the bars, bike will do the rest. If you are downtown Toronto - let's meet up (next week), I can show what I mean (hard to explain - I'd rather show)
 
Again, more inaccurate information.

Scrub tires are not at the end of their lifecycle.

Perhaps those that have been sold 3-4 times since they were new(yes, this happens on a regular basis)

But if you buy them from the rider who purchased them new, this is NOT the case.

Every rider and their sister blames the tires, the suspension, the weather, the track temperature, big foot, elvis and the baby jesus for problems on track and on the street,,,,

The real problem is the defective equipment between the seat and the handlebars.

Trackday riders do endless laps, and make statements like "I was dead tired," "I had arm pump!" "It was freezing out" blah blah blah yet they continue to ride lap after lap, burning up tires, fuel and equipment, and all the while going slower each lap.

Do less laps, do more "BETTER" laps, your trackdays will be cheaper, you'll crash less, you won't be as tired and you'll go a hell of a lot faster.

I've seen guys win races at the pro level on tires novices were throwing away.

The tires are not the problem.


There should be a fightclub-esque rule for trackdays,,,

FIRST RULE OF TRACKDAYS!!!!!


IT'S NOT THE TIRES!!!!!!!!!!!!

I never said it were tires - I just prefer to rule out any technicalities with the bike and make sure it is sorted.
As for scrubs - even if I buy them from rider who purchased them new:
- no guarantee they are not on their last breath
- they were made for the track and not for the street. If person looking for track tires to increase grip in the city - perhaps time to book some track days (which OP is lready thinking about)
 
Why? Please help me understand why they would be any different than a similar tread patterned street tire,

Most race scrubs aren't wet tires, so they are nice and smooth and sticky for nice hot days. But on rainy days, the tires are going to be cold and depending on the scrubs you get, might not have rain channels, and you will find your rear slowly slipping.

That doesn't mean you cant ride it at all, but I'm no fan of slippage, specially when its pouring.

If you are more of a sunshine rider, you should be fine. But since you ride through rain/snow/wind/fog like me , I'd stick to road tires.
 
Most race scrubs aren't wet tires, so they are nice and smooth and sticky for nice hot days. But on rainy days, the tires are going to be cold and depending on the scrubs you get, might not have rain channels, and you will find your rear slowly slipping.

That doesn't mean you cant ride it at all, but I'm no fan of slippage, specially when its pouring.

If you are more of a sunshine rider, you should be fine. But since you ride through rain/snow/wind/fog like me , I'd stick to road tires.

lol

Sent from my SGH-I896 using Tapatalk 2
 
I see - now that's a post worthy of FZ6 forum, I see old Corsara all over it! After reading it only things I can think of:
- perhaps look for another brand or model with stickier copmpound
- try and run for an hour with 30 front and 30 rear (just don't run it for hours and with excessive speeds) and see how it feels

And as for the way you steer - I obviously never observe you but you should provide minimum input to the bars, bike will do the rest. If you are downtown Toronto - let's meet up (next week), I can show what I mean (hard to explain - I'd rather show)

Haha, glad to hear that my posts at the fz6 forum still linger around :)

mongol777, would love to meet you and hear the sweet sound of the dual Leo's on your FZ6, it will be a sweet reminder of my own when I had it :) unfortunately, I can't meet you downtown, not with the bike anyway. Not long ago I decided the GO transit makes for a much better commute than riding. Maybe we can meet during the weekend, if you swing by Hamilton, I'll take you around some decent routes (check my "keep your license" thread in Rides & Hookups).

As for the steering, been getting already some input by more experienced riders, overall line of thought is that I'm building good habits, but would love to see what you have to say too. For this thread, my main concern is coming out of the corner, past the apex when I already see my exit--this is where I wish I could step on it harder earlier as am standing it up, and this is where I need more grip as lean as possible. Grip is fine up to the apex at full lean (and bare feathering of the knee for gauging how far I've gone down).

Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk 2
 
Most race scrubs aren't wet tires, so they are nice and smooth and sticky for nice hot days. But on rainy days, the tires are going to be cold and depending on the scrubs you get, might not have rain channels, and you will find your rear slowly slipping.

That doesn't mean you cant ride it at all, but I'm no fan of slippage, specially when its pouring.

If you are more of a sunshine rider, you should be fine. But since you ride through rain/snow/wind/fog like me , I'd stick to road tires.

I think you're confusing the terms slicks and scrubs.

Slicks are track only tires without any tread pattern. They isn't a market for used slicks (for street use).

Scrubs are DOT tires with full tread that can be used track or street. There's a market for these because most street riders spend the majority of their time straight up and down wearing the centre of the tire which is barely touched in track use.
 

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