so..just how good are the Michelin PowerCUP race tires?

[MELK-MAN]

this was from morning practice on Sunday. it was still fairly cool (9am) and the track surface was not hot.. Had the clouds rolled in for the races later that day, who knows. Now, no way would these incredible riders stayed at that pace, they would have and DID drop lap times for races. But "just sayin".. what the "F" is a 40-something guy on that "funny French tire" doing running lap times in this kind of company? LOL.. the bike was simply on a rail Sunday morning. It was awesome. Sadly, the races are held later in the day and the track temps went up. That is when the Daytona specific dunlops worked better, and the Michelin would have an issue just left of the center of the tire as the heat just killed it. Again, it was practice.. they don't hand out the trophy for practice. Just sayin, this new michelin tire is fuggin AWESOME.

Date: 10/21/12
Time: 09:03AM
DIS ROC 2012 SUN GRP 4 RD 1 Practice

LAPTIMES - No: 6 - Greg Melka
Index    Lap    Laptime
1    1    02:14.499
2    2    01:54.919
3    3    01:53.020
4    4    01:54.402
5    5    01:53.142


Date: 10/21/12
Time: 09:03AM
DIS ROC 2012 SUN GRP 4 RD 1 Practice

LAPTIMES - No: 5 - Dane Westby
Index    Lap    Laptime
1    1    02:02.919
2    2    01:53.966
3    3    01:53.490
4    4    01:53.790
5    5    01:54.009

Date: 10/21/12
Time: 09:03AM
DIS ROC 2012 SUN GRP 4 RD 1 Practice

LAPTIMES - No: 98 - Jake Zemke
Index    Lap    Laptime
1    1    02:14.820
2    2    01:57.048
3    3    01:58.571
4    4    01:53.392
5    5    01:53.264




Date: 10/21/12
Time: 09:03AM
DIS ROC 2012 SUN GRP 4 RD 1 Practice

LAPTIMES - No: 37 - Stefano Mesa
Index    Lap    Laptime
1    1    02:17.344
2    2    01:56.749
3    3    01:53.905
4    4    01:54.543
5    5    01:53.858

[MELK-MAN]

Mark rode awesome, and won a few national championships.. If the Michelin tires work as good at a track that is just crazy hard on tires, how good can they work elsewhere?

Date: 10/21/12
Time: 09:03AM
DIS ROC 2012 SUN GRP 4 RD 1 Practice

LAPTIMES - No: 777 - Mark Miller Jr.   
Index    Lap    Laptime
1    1    02:08.708
2    2    01:53.533
3    3    01:54.319
4    4    02:06.936
5    5    01:53.823

[MELK-MAN]

keep in mind everyone on the Michelin running lap times in the 1:56 or slower range had NO issues, and even used em for multiple races. David Grey used a "B" compound for the entire 44 laps in the team challenge if not mistaken.

[Kadius]

I ran them at Daytona as well, and they worked great for me. Got me a 2:01 lap, which is a little more than 2 sec faster than my previous best. Ran 4 full sessions of practice as well as 4 races and they still look nearly new, heh.

[MELK-MAN]

I ran them at Daytona as well, and they worked great for me. Got me a 2:01 lap, which is a little more than 2 sec faster than my previous best. Ran 4 full sessions of practice as well as 4 races and they still look nearly new, heh.

sweet. glad to have someone confirm the data .. :) WHich compound did you run ? VB front B rear? 180 or 190?

[Kadius]

sweet. glad to have someone confirm the data .. :) WHich compound did you run ? VB front B rear? 180 or 190?

I ran the VB front and B rear. I asked Walt if I should consider the A, but he said there was no need.

[MELK-MAN]

I ran the VB front and B rear. I asked Walt if I should consider the A, but he said there was no need.

yea, those were the right call. It it had been 15F cooler or more, then i think the B would have been a possible choice for more. I just used it as i wanted to go as hard as i could right from the drop of the flag. The B tire may have given a bit more but it was pretty warm there this weekend. 

[Derrick Cantrell]

keep in mind everyone on the Michelin running lap times in the 1:56 or slower range had NO issues, and even used em for multiple races. David Grey used a "B" compound for the entire 44 laps in the team challenge if not mistaken.

David and I did run the entire 44 laps of the Team Challange on a single "B" rear.  We had another tire mounted and ready to change, but the tire was performing very well throughout the race and we didn't need to change it.  Our fastest laps were mid 1:57 for the Race.  David actually used the tire the following morning during practice.  The Cups are awesome!

[MELK-MAN]

David and I did run the entire 44 laps of the Team Challange on a single "B" rear.  We had another tire mounted and ready to change, but the tire was performing very well throughout the race and we didn't need to change it.  Our fastest laps were mid 1:57 for the Race.  David actually used the tire the following morning during practice.  The Cups are awesome!

that is pretty cool to hear! i wasn't positive if you guys used one tire for all 44 laps of the TC, but to then go on an use it in practice the next day?? lol.. outstanding.

[onlyjames]

Does anyone know if Michelin will have a contingency program for CCS races next year?

[MELK-MAN]

Does anyone know if Michelin will have a contingency program for CCS races next year?

nobody knows for sure. rumor is there will be one, but NOTHING concrete yet.

[ekraft84]

Greg, you're worse over here than you are on that other forum.  :D

[MELK-MAN]

Greg, you're worse over here than you are on that other forum.  :D

it started here Eddie.. :) the posts over there came after people asked "what about... " ;) and yea, they are THAT good. One reason i'm pounding the drum for these tires is michelin may have gotten a bad rap over the past few seasons..maybe for good reason. And we both know the dunlops and pirelli tires are very good (b-stone and continental may be too, i just don't see as many on them yet). But the new michelin tires are very very good, and should be considered among the best on the grid for good reason.

[ekraft84]

 

[banzai1]

Too bad they don't make 'em for the 16.5". I'll just stay on the previous generation tire until they are all used up.

[MELK-MAN]

Too bad they don't make 'em for the 16.5". I'll just stay on the previous generation tire until they are all used up.

if you have some 16.5" left Bob, totally understand, but i am not going faster on a 16.5" front. They do have em, the fronts are single compound, the rears are aysimetrical (sp) with a hard middle, and one side is harder than the other side, so like at JGP you could put the soft side on the right. Those rears only come in 6" wide though. I ran all last year (2011) with a 16.5" front slick on the sb whenever possible. it was much better than the V front dot, and similar but maybe better than some 17" slicks (there was one 17" slick that friggin ROCKED though). But now the better tires are 17" .. but ya have to buy new tires :) so yea, once the 16.5" stockpile is used up, don't be afraid to go 17" cause they are better than the 16.5" stuff.

[Knedragon]

 I'm just happy with not dealing with Brubaker and his stupidity :-) ... had the balls to tell me whats wrong with a tire from 2007 at the begining of the this year,I said nothing when you can get rubber that was made from late 11 or early 12 ,sell em to ever wants to buy them :-)

[MELK-MAN]

I'm just happy with not dealing with Brubaker and his stupidity :-) ... had the balls to tell me whats wrong with a tire from 2007 at the begining of the this year,I said nothing when you can get rubber that was made from late 11 or early 12 ,sell em to ever wants to buy them :-)

he's not SO bad Steve .. Michelin had a blowout on some 16.5" slicks a few years ago. Mike Roulou and I used em. they were like $35 per tire! and they were 10 years old. LOL They were a soft compound, on the 1000 they would barley do 1 race, but hey . who cares for 35$ :) If stored right, i'm just not so sure 5 years is that big a deal. But will not dispute i would rather have "new-ish" vs. old if paying full price.

[Knedragon]

 Yeah Greg that would be no problem if he wanted to let them go cheap,he pretty much wanted the full amount  ,these were 125 tires @$225 a set was the discount from like $250    .... $30 a tire and I would have bought a dozen sets 

[banzai1]

he's not SO bad Steve .. Michelin had a blowout on some 16.5" slicks a few years ago. Mike Roulou and I used em. they were like $35 per tire! and they were 10 years old. LOL They were a soft compound, on the 1000 they would barley do 1 race, but hey . who cares for 35$ :) If stored right, i'm just not so sure 5 years is that big a deal. But will not dispute i would rather have "new-ish" vs. old if paying full price.

I'm getting the power 1 16.5" slicks from that same guy for $140 each. That's for a rear, the fronts are $110.
Just don't go buying all of the fronts so I can buy a few, will ya?

Yeah I used those old tires for two races, changed 'em. I felt like a factory racer going out on new tires every two races. Oddly enough, that's when I was going the fastest I've gone on the 750.