Tire Worn Out?

[MudDawg]

I go with replacing tires every weekend on my SV superbike.  (92 to 98 hp)  That's 2 practices Sat & Sunday, 1 gt race, and 3-4 sprints.  By the last 2 sprints I can tell a marked difference in the traction levels and will generally be struggling for good laptimes.

For my SS SV650...every other weekend depending on the number of practices/sprints I do.  It's got 77 hp.....but I also use it less frequently.

JMO.

Also...once I've ridden on a tire...it's going to get replaced by the end of the next race weekend....no matter the number of laps.  Once the tire sealant is off...they age and harden. 

And I'm using Pirelli's currently.  I haven't noticed significantly different usage with Bridgestones or Dunlops.

[r1owner]

Is everyone here typically replacing 2 rears for 1 front?

+1 on whoever said talk to your vendor...

[Spooner]

I can get two rears to one front with michelins.  The prc never seems to wear out!

[ipscer]

Well, it's a feel thing.

On a new rear, I expect that it will hold a certain amount of traction leaned over at full throttle on my 600.  When it begins to spin a little, not really going sideways at all, I know that I've used up the best part of the tire or that there might be a traction issue on the track surface.

It's pretty subjective. 

How much feedback you get is based on your chassis set up.  I've ridden bikes, mine and others, that have felt more like a wet sponge that didn't give me the feedback that allowed me to recognize that I, or the owner, was spinning up.  Usually, it was more of an indication that an event had happened and that now I was just receiving information that it was here and gone.

Regardless, you're only going to get a certain amount of "great" traction.  Then deteriorating from there.

Personally, I haven't liked the PR1 style carcasses on 600's.  The Power Race medium  isn't a race distribution tire, but, maybe someone knows, is the PR Medium harder than the PR5 from the race distribution line up?

Thanks Dave.

I think I am starting to get the picture.


1) Tires start declining in performance after 12 or so laps.

2) Heat cycles facilitate that decline.

3) After the first use, time facilitates performance decline.

4) Determining how much a tire has declined is hard to determine, but the decline is real.

5) One or two weekends is the best to expect from a set of tires.

6) Tire indicators mean nothing.

I think I will replace every weekend of racing. Practice on older tires, race on new ones.

Thanks for all the advice!

P.S. I use Kinsey for my tires and he says a lot of SV racers use the power races versus the PR 4 or 5s.

[Sobottka]

Is everyone here typically replacing 2 rears for 1 front?

2- pr5's to 1- prc at least! no telling how many pr3's

[Super Dave]

Thanks Dave.

I think I am starting to get the picture.

I think I will replace every weekend of racing. Practice on older tires, race on new ones.

Thanks for all the advice!

P.S. I use Kinsey for my tires and he says a lot of SV racers use the power races versus the PR 4 or 5s.

You're totally getting it.  Yeah, race on new, then practice on them.  Exactly.

Frank's a good guy.  He'll have good advice for you.