Limit of road tyres v slicks

[pac man]

roughly what times do you need to be doing around barbs before you warrent slicks/race tyres, road tyres (pirelli diablo/dunlop qualifiers etc)

[speed3]

Supersport 600's are good for sub 60's on homologated tyres (power race/one, diablo/dragon supercorsas) no idea how far below 60 though.

[96]

pirelli diablo supercorsa SC's (note, SP is the same tread pattern, but are a harder road based compound) are road legal, but very soft, so dont go riding to Victoria on them. they will go to 57's if you have the skill.

i'd say at 66 some sticky tires would be a good idea, but not a necesity. i had crappy 2nd hand supercorsas to start out, and 64 was easily acheivable, then discovered the grip in a new tire and never went back.

[OneEighty]

I'd say ~64's, the problem with road tires is that they may be fine lapping quite quickly under normal conditions, but should you make a mistake and need to push the tire more you will want the safety factor of the sticky rubber. And as 96 said, the confidence new tires give is excelent as you can focus 100% on riding with that the worry of dodgy tires in the back of your mind.

In saying that though i'd love to let stoner loose at barbs on my R6 with some old Pilot Road's and see whats times he puts down.

[Grin]

I'd say ~64's, the problem with road tires is that they may be fine lapping quite quickly under normal conditions, but should you make a mistake and need to push the tire more you will want the safety factor of the sticky rubber. And as 96 said, the confidence new tires give is excelent as you can focus 100% on riding with that the worry of dodgy tires in the back of your mind.

In saying that though i'd love to let stoner loose at barbs on my R6 with some old Pilot Road's and see whats times he puts down.

I'm figuring it might be a time that makes us all want to hang up our helmets Remember what happened when Jonny Rea came out here for the "Kings"!

[Mex]

Don't forget pirelli do those track day slicks (no tyre warmers needed), I think they are basically the Super Corsas without the tread. Might be worth a try.

[ninjaa]

Pirelli Superbike Pros ^^

I got them used. Have done 2 full days without warmers. They aren't the same though, harder compound than the corsas
Do you wanna race or just get to some decent times?

[GD66]

The fastest lap at the Isle of Man this year was Bruce Anstey's 1000cc Padgett's Honda superbike (slicks) at 131.431 mph. The quickest superstock lap (treaded tyres) was the Kawasaki 1000 of Michael Dunlop at 130.024 mph. The difference, as Grin has correctly alluded to with his reference to the amazing Johnny Rea, is bugger-all, apart from the cojones of the rider. For club punters on road bikes, forget it....only reason you can justify slicks is that they're often cheaper.

[Al_86]

How is it that slicks are cheaper? I just noticed this today.

I would have thought that slicks were a specialty item that would attract a premium price. Do treaded "road" tyres like Supercorsas have to pass some sort of quality control that track only tyres don't?

[96]

probably... add to that that they are the same tire, and im sure its harder to have moulds with treads....

HAVING SAID THAT, i'm certain that treadeds are cheaper as slicks are a 'premium' product

[ninjaa]

Seems they are though ^^

Quoted $500 fitted for Superbike Pros. Quoted $580 fitted for Supercorsas & Superbikes. Not really the treaded vs slick. Moreso the soft compound vs really soft compound

[96]

Well why don't you price a real slick and see what you get.

I'm gonna go on a limb and say the treated would be faster, but that 'pro' would last longer.

[ninjaa]

The superbike slicks is the same price as the corsa. Something about 2% bigger something. Google fu is failing me

[thro]

Slicks are probably cheaper as they don't need to be DPI/DOT/etc approved for road use - and there is less R&D in them - road tyres need thought put into the tread pattern, slicks don't.

Not to say no R&D is put into high end race slicks for motogp, etc - but they don't need to deal with ALL conditions like a road tyre. Making something to deal with variable conditions is likely a trickier proposition to get right. To deal with rain, different temperature, etc you just fit a different slick - a road tyre has to handle all that shit in the SAME tyre.


Unless you're spinning up the rear out of corners and sliding the front under brakes/turn in - you're not at the limit of your tyres. AS others have said above, however - more stable/grippier tyres will increase your confidence to push harder as the limit is so much further away

[96]

Pretty much spot on at the end there thro. But the bike needs to move before you change tires. If your Comfy with the bike moving, you will find that movement again, on faster tires. If it's not moving at all, a better tire won't help.

[speed3]

So what tyres are you going to put on the postie bike then Aaid?

[96]

In this weather, FULL WETS! it's pissing down.

[pac man]

thanks for the feedback guys, was in a group of street and track riders on champs day and we had a mixture of decent road tyres and some had slicks tyre warmers etc, the guys doing low to mid 60's(not me unfortunately) had a few close ones and were looking for more/consistant grip and were looking to go with slicks next time

[g0zer]

i know its a generalisation but i think street tyres (proper street tyres not supercorsa pros power race ect) get cooked easier, they dont withstand continuous punishment high speed high lean angle hard braking. i dont trust them one moment they are sticking then hard braking and squirmy squirmy NOO NOT THE SAND FARRKK.