What tires do you run on your track/racing SV?

AI

Good question. I just bought a race SV, it came with a new set of Bridgestone slicks, but I'll probably get another tire for trackdays. I know there isn't a huge selection but good tires are available. Michelin has a few...Pilot Power. Pilot Power 2ct, and a new Power One in SV sizes. I can get somewhat of a deal on Pirelli tires, but they only have 1 tire...Dragon Supercorsa Pro...(race tire) I know Bridgestone has tire sizes also but I'm not very familiar with Bridgestone. I will be getting warmers soon. Any help would be great....thanks, Bill

I think im going with the pilot 2ct's for now, but looking into race tires, but i dont have tire warmers yet.

anyone using these michelin dot's?

http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=1219

i currently have pirelli supercorsa (the $400/set tires). but i'd like to have something a bit cheaper.

Those look nice, alot of people use em. Thing is for those i need the tire warmers, but those are the perfect trackday tires.

What brand tire warmers for our size tires do you recommend? chickenhawk, woodcraft?

Pirelli makes the Diablo Supercorsa in the 120 front 160 rear, in addition to the previously mentioned Dragon Supercorsa Pro. Both are excellent tires with the newer technology going into the Diablo. I have raced two years on the Dragons but am switching to the Diablo's this year as I no longer have to run a spec tire. Having said that, I have no complaints about the Dragons.

I ran the PP 2ct's for my three trackdays last summer. I was amazed at the grip and warmup time. I was knee down within three laps from fully cold tires. They also have an amazing amount of grip when cold which is useful for panic stops right out of the driveway. The only problem I found with them is that my rear didnt give me any sort of indication that it was going to slip until I was sliding down the track on my back when I really started pushing hard. I felt like they are an on/off switch. Anyone have experience with BT-016's on the track?

I've heard trhe only Bridgestones for the track are slicks....everything else stay away from....at least in the SV sizes.

So any info on these

Michelin Power Race Dual Compound Tires 120/70/17 or 120/60/17 front & 160/60/17 medium rear?

I run BT003 front and BT016 rear, and that has been working great for me. Only time I have gotten the rear to slip was when I initially get back on the gas. But this is only when I'm leaned all the way over. It gives me a small slide and hooks up again very quickly. I haven't gotten the front to slip yet.

Anyone tried the new Michelin Power One DOT's yet? It looks like they are making them in SV sizes.

I'll take whatever you guys are done with. Send all take offs this way! Makes the occasional track day or race do-able for me financially. For what it's worth, I got some take-offs from an Sv and ran a bunch of street miles and a trackday at Jennings on them. Pirelli Supercorsas. Blue front and green rear. Extremely predictable, they are the old design but I do have a set of the new Pirelli's that I picked up used that I'll try out next time. Great tires, I haven't tried anything else on an SV though so I can't give any comparisons.

636Tony said:

anyone using these michelin dot's?

http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/Detail.bok?no=1219

i currently have pirelli supercorsa (the $400/set tires). but i'd like to have something a bit cheaper.

Click to expand...

+1 - I liked the Supercorsa's alot

I normally run the Bridgestone slicks with good results even on the stock rims. I also tried the Supercorsa Pros last fall and really liked how they felt, but I'll be sticking with the 'Stones because they are a good price (about $350 this year) and I'll have a nice contact patch at full lean with my new 5.5" rear wheel.

Tire warmers will help you make your tires last longer and boost your confidence on those first few laps, but are not absolutely necessary for any tire. Highly recommended, but not necessary. I like my Chickenhawk warmers. They are made well and easy to use. I have the model with the three position temperature switch.

A slowly increasing pace for the first few laps without warmers and you are normally good to go.

i'm kind of partial to pirellis.

Well what ever tires you pick, race tires you will need to bring warmers pilot powers you wont have to.

Top-SV said:

Well what ever tires you pick, race tires you will need to bring warmers pilot powers you wont have to.

Click to expand...

I disagree that tire warmers are necessary. I've been in racing since 1985 and I only started using them last year.
They are a very good idea for any tire that is used on a race track, but not necessary.

However, if you are not using warmers, I don't care what tire you are using, you can't go as fast on the first few laps as with tires that have been warmed. Any tire used on the track needs some warm-up to get its best grip. Its not magic. If a tire doesn't need warmup to reach peak grip, then its not going to have much grip compared to other tires.

I would agree with Timm. Warmers aren't absolutely necessary with race tires. What they do for you is allow for you to go harder right out of the pit lane. The other thing is help keep you from running as many heat cycles through the tire. I have used PowerRace without warmers, but it greatly reduced the life of them.

Does anybody run Dunlops at all? I'm shopping for track tires at the moment so I can go do Cornerspeed up at VIR. Last year I did my first few track days, and I ran Qualifiers. I was pretty happy with them except when they were cold. And I don't have warmers so they were cold a lot.

I'm not super fast yet. I just want a tire that's not going to throw me on my face as I get faster.

ceptorman said:

I've heard trhe only Bridgestones for the track are slicks....everything else stay away from....at least in the SV sizes.

Click to expand...

Anyone second opinion on this cause i was 1 day away from picking up a bt016 cuz im riding till may (insurance is up) then converting to a track bike.... got a PP2ct on the front with the 70 profile... should i be matching the rear or just see what the bridgestone has in it. oh and my front is 90% tread left...