Time for tire warmers.

[SV88]

What should I buy?  what's the best price point/value for these things and where can I get best pricing?  This from a poor SV (34000miles) racer with 3 kids and a wife who works occasionally for peanuts!

Steve.

[tstruyk]

maybe a good question to ask yourself is whats in your budget?

$100 used Sox

$200-$300 used hawks/new sox

$300 + anything new pending whistles and bells...

[HAWK]

http://www.ccsforum.com/index.php/topic,14693.0.html

New Chicken Hawks are going to cost you almost $400 for their bottom of the line. Be careful about buying used, I understand they are only supposed to last a few seasons then the heating elements start to deteriorate.

[Jeff]

Check out the Sportsbike tire warmers I just reviewed:

http://www.cbr600rr.com/forum/index.php?page=80

If nothing else, contact Peter to see what he can do for you.  I know he had a bunch of 120v sets made up for US customers and is really trying to break into the US market.  It's a decent product and he is wonderful about support on them.

[EX_#76]

What should I buy?  what's the best price point/value for these things and where can I get best pricing?  This from a poor SV (34000miles) racer with 3 kids and a wife who works occasionally for peanuts!

Steve.

The tire warmers are less than 1/2 of your consideration.  The generator to run the warmers will cost more than the warmers.  Tyr Sox have the lowest power requirements, allowing you to get away with the minimum expendature on the generator.  If you are realy poor, don't buy them at all.  I have been racing for over 3 years without warmers on Pireli tires.  I can have my tires ready to go on the warm up lap, and I get through turn 1 in the lead very often.  I have heard all the rant about they are a must, and you will crash without them.  That is just bullshit.  Cold tires do not crash riders, riders crash cold tires!!  A second benifit of not having tire warmers is, when a red flag stops a race you will know exactly what to do.

[HAWK]

Guy,

As much as I have fallen for the hype about you have to have warmers I have to agree with at least to some degree. I did the Autobahn CC trackday with STT a week before the CCS event and while I was diligent about getting my warmers on when I came off track and powering them up 20 min before last call seems I had to sit on the false grid for about 20 min while they cleaned up the aftermath of the previous session. End result I went out on cold Bridgestone slicks for about half my sessions and by lap 2 was up to full speed. I have to agree that if you ride smart you can do just fine on a lightweight bike without warmers but they do give a nice confidance factor.

[tstruyk]

heat cycles?? some agree some dont.  if I am going to risk anything its not going to be on traction... I hate running without em... my hawks (bought used) have been through 4 total seasons.

[r1owner]

I'd be careful buying from a company that hasn't been in business a while.  I have a set of PD warmers that are very nice, but if they stop working, I'll have a nice set of can cozys since PD is out of business.

I'll back Timmay on this... it will help with the heat cycles.

If you run Pirellis, I believe you can get away without using warmers on a warm day.  On a cold day, all bets are off.

[SV88]

Thanks for the input.  I do believe the tire cycle argument - I'm a chemical engineer and having worked in materials, this makes sense.  Any feeling whether the digital are worth the money as opposed to the plain janes?  I have heard the argument about the Pirellis not needing warmers on warm day - heard the same about Michelin Pilot Powers.  Apparently full out race tire do need the tire warmers.  The reality is that this weekend will be wet but not cold.  Our last weekend at Gingerman will undoubtably be cold.  So generators cost more than tire warmers. I should design a transformer to run off a car/truck engine

[PJ]

Buy a new set of warmers. Then mooch power off a buddy. Gas money for the genny goes a long way.

[r1owner]

325 bucks for the 3000W generator that Stickboy sells on the WERA board.  I have one and it's been great.

[loc_dogg]

Tyre sox burn through and start to grill the tire, is there a remedy besides new warmers? I dont want to ride on waffles!