question about racing in the rain

[MELK-MAN]

What kind of life can you (or I, being much slower) expect from a set of rains? 1, 2, 3 wet weekends?

provided the track is always wet (to the point of spray flying up) the tires could be used for many races..potentially 5-6?? The tires wear only a little bit if run on fully wet tracks.

[Johnny B]

Rain can be your friend!  Learn to love it.

\
Last June at the Penguin Two Day School, we had a lot of rain on the first day. That threw a wrench in the works, so Eric Wood held several class sessions at once and we opened the track to all comers who wanted to go out in the rain and come to grips with it. Open session lasted for about three hours, during which a dozen or so riders went out. They pitted and re-entered as they saw fit during the session. By the time the rain stopped and we resumed normal rotation of rider groups, I had a dozen riders with big smiles on their faces because they actually felt they had fun out there as soon as they were comfortable with the conditions.

[Dr. Evil]

I think alot of questions about racing in the rain was answered yesterday at Summit Point.

[Guthrie]

Ok, so, I was out there at CMP on Saturday.  It rained.  I only had DOTs.  (and race rain tires were not in the budget)

Here's the question:

I came in last place anyway, but wanted the points--  Could I have just completed one lap and still received points for 12th place? 

At the time, I wasn't sure, so I just went ahead and completed all of the laps.  Needless to say, I tiptoed around the track, as I was not very confident at all in the wet.  I kinda felt like I was wasting everyone's time on the victory lap because it took me several minutes to get back around to the pit! 

Thanks in advance!
--Justin

When your running in practice or the race, twist the throttle on the straights and find out where the limit is (when the tire spins).  You'd be surprised how well the DOT's do in the rain.  Slow in fast out is the MO of rain races.  The straights and braking are the critical parts of the race, as soon as you can get the bike pointed in the right direction, pin it (according to the limit).  Most people are ciked out and like everyone else has said, rain can be your friend....  Furthermore, most with rains don't not their characteristics, from lack of experience, and are scared just as much.  I only run rains in the endurance races, otherwise everyone is scrambling and isn't sure, not worth the money...

[weggieman]

It's old school but you can buy a tire groover and cut your own rains from DOTs.

[Helmsman]

I ran on full rains once last year..the warm up lap was the first time i had EVER been on full rains.  One of my teamates said, "they do real good when they are strait up and down, and most people chicken out on the starts, the worst that will happen is it will spin up on you." boy is that true.  you can launch full rains amazingly hard of the line, and most people do kind of chicken out.  (at least in AM)  I was blown away by the grip of them.  My best finishes ever are in the rain....so even though i hate it, i kind of have to like it.  lol.

[karls]

As Hamurobby said, you have to trust the rain tires as the grip is incredible in the wet.  My first time out on rains was the Jennings race 4/6 and I was very impressed with the grip and performance.  I found that the tire life is very dependent on track conditions.  I have a front that is pretty much useless after three races.  The first two races were fairly wet, the third race the track was starting to dry.  I was hitting the puddles when ever possible, but as the track dried, the tire heated up and wore very quickly.

[tug296]

 1983 at Roebling Road, I was racing a Honda 900-F in heavy rain. I had new Metzler ME-88's, supposed to be a good soft rain tire. Pat O'Leary was on a Yamaha 250 GP bike with slicks, he passed me on the inside going into the fast left turn 3.
He was hydroplaning a bit, but well controlled on the brakes and through turns 4 and 5 etc.
I was sliding and was amazed that he could be that fast on slicks, no doubt the weight of the bike and rider was an important factor, mine being well over 450 pounds, and I weighed maybe 30 pounds more than Pat.

Modern era.
2002, or 03 or so, racing the 1999 Superhawk, raining hard at Daytona during practice, mounted the new Michelin rains and went out, it was incredible the amount of grip and dispersion of even puddled water, like the exit of new chicane.
Never much chance of doing well in Super Twins or F-40, especially at Daytona, but the great liquid equalizer was there.
I was passing people I had not been able to even keep up with in the dry.
It was great, then the sun came out, the wind picked up, and the track dried completely 5 minutes before my first race, no time to change tires, so started the race and had to pull in on second lap.

I came to trust those tires completely after 1 lap and had some great fun.

Colin Edwards in World Superbike at Assen a few years ago, one of the best wet races ever! He showed what rain tires are capable of.
 

[tug296]

Also learned that day.
  I was entered in F-40 and Super Twins, they were always back to back during the season, I think that day also.
The 2nd. race started, I wanted the points so started and eased around, pulled in at the end of that lap, but was not credited with a full lap as I did not cross finish line on the track.

[cbr600_mj]

I just bough some Dunlop rain tires this Summer.

I have not had a chance to try them yet.

Do you still put on tire warmers on rain tires?

Thanks in Advance!

[roadracer162]

Rain always makes me nervous. Then i race and win, and then I love it.

Won several races on full on slicks when I didn't have any other choice. Full wet conditions at Jennings in the LW F40 race and passed everyone except one person. Thankfully he was in the F40 and not lightweight.

Mark

[MELK-MAN]

I just bough some Dunlop rain tires this Summer.

I have not had a chance to try them yet.

Do you still put on tire warmers on rain tires?

Thanks in Advance!

many will tell you "NO" .. but I put my 3 temp warmes on low about 15 min before i go out. Rain tires have to get warm to work properly. Going out on cold rain tires is.. well.. going out on cold tires. Say all you want about "the water cools them".. Not if you get going pretty good. Check the temp on the surface when you come in from a rain race some time. Steam is commin off and they are 150degF or more. Once rain tires are up to temp, you can do some amazin stuff.