Tires

[H-man]

Okay.  I've done a search and haven't seem an answer.  I don't quite see this fitting into either the Tips & Tricks or Wrenching sections.  But if I'm wrong, feel free to move this thread.

Anywho, what are the Bridgestone equivalents to the Pirelli Super Corsas and Diablo Corsas?   And what are your opinopms of them?

If it's a separate issue, pls chime in on the Bridgestone BT-001 & BT-002.

TIA

  H-man

[H-man]

Sooo....  Who's gonna chime in with a reply.

Make that a helpful reply ;)

[Super Dave]

Yeah, well, lets be honest...

Bridgestone is not a player in the market for racing as Dunlop, Michelin, or Pirelli.

I don't think you'll make up in what you get in cost vs the consistency, traction, and availability of decent rubber for a bike that you might end up at the track with.

Each manufacturere has different physical sizes in diamater and contour when comparing tires of the same stated size.  So, you use one tire, switch to another, you will affect the overall geometry and handling of your motorcycle.

Yeah, you can affect it in a good way, but do you know which way you want to go, and would you recognize those differences in feedback from the motorcycle?

[H-man]

Thanks for the comeback SD.

Yeah, Brigdestone is huge in F1 racing but isn't a player in motorcycle racing (other than Tamada's GP results this past year).

And I'm still too new at this to think I'd really have the sensitivity to notice sublte changes in characteristics from one tire to another.  To use one of Keith Code's analogies, a lot of my $10 of attention is spent on things that may be second nature for others.  So I don't think I'd pick up on subtle differences.

Since I don't exactly push tires to their limits, what I'm after is information about grip and durability.  I noticed a world of difference in grip when I went from the Metzeler M-1 to the Pirelli Super Corsas.  due to Bridgestone's contingency offer, I'm just wondering if they are equivalent to the Super Corsas.

[r1owner]

Anyone have any news on the new Michelin Pilot Power Race's?

[H-man]

Hey! No fair threadjacking before I even get an answer >:(  ;)

[STT-GUY]

Sorry - Thi sdidn't make the original post:

One of our sub distrinutors is also a Bridgestone sub. He's a pretty sharp dude and can answer all of your questions. Email me for his addy.

H-Man - Why don't you contact you local MICHLIN DISTRIBUTOR. We are now a full fledged Distributor (not a sub-distributor).

The Pilot Power Race:
 
The Power Race relies heavily on technology developed for MotoGP racing, where Michelin dominates the world championship. The new Power Race series includes the first ever commercially available dual-compound DOT racing tires.

A new semi-slick tread pattern gives the Power Race exceptional grip, particularly at full lean, while the tread grooves are oriented to evacuate water from the contact patch in damp track conditions. New front and rear profiles actually help shift the bikes weight bias toward the front, for better feedback under braking.

Unlike some ultra high-performance tires, which are down-rated to V or W speed indices, all Power Race tires carry the (W) index for speeds in excess of 168mph. This not only simplifies tire selection, but also confirms that the Power Race meets the highest certification standards.

• Power Race Medium: intermediate compound in the center, soft compound on the shoulders.

• Power Race Medium Soft: intermediate compound in the center, extra-soft compound on the shoulders.

• Power Race Soft: soft compound overall; no dual-compound.

This is the technology that basically got Michelin banned from WSB.

Monte
www.sportbiketracktime.com

[r1owner]

Hey! No fair threadjacking before I even get an answer >:(  ;)

Hey, the title says tires!!! ;)  :P

Sorry bout that.

[H-man]

No worries R1.  My comment was really tongue in cheek.  Threads get highjacked all the time.

To tell you the truth.  The thread was originally titles "Bridgestone tires".  It had a lot of hits but no comments, so I antered the title.

No harm, no foul.

[H-man]

I know two guys who are very good riders who used the Power Race for both TDs and 2 of Fasttrax's 3 hour endurance races.

They loved the performance of the Powers and what you don't read in all of Monte's blah, blah, blah above ;) is that unlike all the previous Michelins, the Powers reach operating temp. very quickly.  The Powers held up fir an entire endurance race at a pretty good pace on a GSX-R 750.

  H.  

[H-man]

Anywho....  Can anyone share information about Bridgestones that's along the line of:

Michelins: Stick like a mother f*cker but give little feedback at the limit and let go in a big catastrophic manner.

Dunlops: Stick good, slide early & talkative, wear fast, wobbly rear at high speeds

Pirellis: Stick good, wear well, slide progressively, "talk to you" before they set you on the floor, cost a lot.

Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?  Bueller?

[Super Dave]

Pilot Power Sport - I tested some in August.

Yes, they were designed to be tire warmer optional

I was about 1.5 seconds off my fastest times at Blackhawk with them.  I was running 1.13's or so with them.  They weren't as good as the Pilot Race tires...H2 rear, S2 front, etc., but I was kind of shocked.

Michelin's and sliding.

Ok, this might have been really true a long time ago, but when I returned to production 600's in 1999 after riding vintage bikes for owners for a few years, the Michelin toss thing was quite a bit different.  Changes every year.  

Michelin's have high grip.  That means more traction.  Would you like less traction?  Draw yourself a graph with a curve on it.  The Michelin has higher grip.  When it runs out of traction, yeah, it's gonna slip.  The older tires would spin more abruptly.  If you were paying attention, you would get to the high grip point, then the tiire would begin to spin but drive forward rather than drive sideways.  

Pirelli's - Raced on them during the 2001 season.  Dramatically shorter tire life.  Decent feel, but when the tires are worn, they drive sideways a lot.  The grip on the Michelin's was higher and the tire would continue to dirve forward rather than sideways a lot longer.

Bridgestone.  Raced on them a bit in 1993.  Haven't since.  There was one guy racing on them toward the front at local CCS events.  He switched to Michelins.  I know stuff about the feel of them, but I won't elaborate on them as I don't have the first hand knowledge.  I don't think the race tires are BT001's and 2's anymore either.

Dunlop's...haven't really been on any for quite a while.  Years ago, they were "more predictable" like the Pirelli.  

H, if you were going to do track days and maybe a few races, I'd probably recommend the Michelin Pilot Power Sports.  Durability, good traction, better siping (Lonny Michaels proved that the weekend I tested them by winning GTO on them), durability (I was impressed), and all.  

On the other side of the coin, I see no reason to race or track ride on anything other than Dunlop, Michelin, or Pirelli.  You can bet that you'll get support on these tires at almost anywhere you go.