| Author | Message | ||
     Buewulf |
I am going to sign up for a track day at the end of this month. This is new territory for me as I typically point the Uly (and most other bikes I have owned) down unpaved roads rather than pristine pavement and have historically made tire choices to suit. I am not a rookie on curvy roads and have lived among some of the curviest you'll find in the US, but I have never truly pushed the limits either, especially at the speeds I'll have an opportunity to hit on the track. What tire choice do you recommend? I would like a tire that will also be pretty usable in normal commuter conditions (including wet roads) as whatever tire I shod is what I will be stuck with for a while when the track day is done. I am not Valentino Rossi and have no illusions that my skills can outmatch the limits of the bike, so I don't think I need the stickiest tire out there. But then I don't really know. I hope you guys have some advice. | ||
| Mikef5000 |
Any on-road tire will be just fine with smooth inputs and not literally riding at the edge of what the bike is capable of. All I've ever run on the track and in the mountains was sport-touring tires, and I never had a scare... even while dragging a knee at WOT; no issues at all. I'd go Pilot Road 2 or 3's. The stickier tires have more room for error, but for the mere mortals out here, Sport-Touring tires really do provide plenty of traction. (Message edited by Mikef5000 on October 15, 2012) | ||
| Griffmeister |
Also check the track regulations. Some of them require a "track day" participant to use your regular street tires and NOT a sticky track oriented compound. | ||
| Thejosh |
+1 on the PR3's | ||
| Buewulf |
Thanks, guys. I'll look into the PR3s. Griff, tires need to be DOT, but I didn't want to get an all out hyper-sport tire unless some of you with some track experience thought it might be prudent to do so. | ||
| Uly_man |
Buewulf - "I'd go Pilot Road 2 or 3's." I would as well since they suit the bike REAL WELL for the bendy stuff. I would advise you get them "scrubbed in" right to the edge on the rear, get your suspension settings right for this (fast road work is ok) and get a bit of practice in if you can before you get there. All of this will save you time and money on the day. You do not want to be spending time "fiddling with the bike" as the day is running out. Also if you have not done it you might want to do something about the dive of the bike as it is a little soft for a track. Have fun. | ||
| Mhevezi |
I've had good luck with the Bridgestone Battlax Tires. Very good grip on my old M2, and they lasted 5k miles. I went with the BT-014 on the front (softer) and the BT-020 on the rear, so the tires wore evenly. Guess I was too hard on the gas. Uh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh.... I said, "hard on." |
