Tomahawk Tires

[Chris760]

I saw an ad in RRW, anyone ever try them?

[cornercamping]

No thanks. Them are those "recycled" tires.  

[tshowrench]

They work pretty damn good...

Its the same company that makes Aircraft retreads... that spin to about... ohhhhh.. 300 mph.. so I guess they know what they are doin...

Garth Dillon races for them, in AMA, CCS and WERA, AFM and WSMC...  So....

Ask him...

Garth... How do they work???

[brian213]

A friend of mine put them on his Aprilia RS250 (not a tire punisher for sure) but he loves them!  He dropped a couple of seconds at the WSIR big track over using branded DOTs.

I'd give them a try out at least if they made little tiny tires.  :)

-Brian

[Bad_Matt]

I race them in a couple of round this season.  Made for some interesting changes in my riding style.  I also undestand they have lightened the tires significantly from the one I rode last spring.  They seemed to have a fly wheel effect since they were a bit heavier than the tires i normally run.  I loved the feel under braking.  Felt incredibly stable.

[Shady]

I'd give em a try....in orange of course  ;)

[davegsxrold929r]

i like my life way too much to even try them...


retreads are fine for planes and trucks., nto for bikes..

[Protein Filled]

retreads are fine for planes and trucks., nto for bikes..

Yeah, if a plane blows one of the 16 tires, I don't think the consequences would be as steep as the ones for a motorcycle. Also, a plane tire is used under stress for only a minute or so, not for 30 minutes or more...

FYI, I think in the near future we will see rain tires available in multiple colors...except for red. Nobody likes Honda red!  ;D

[tzracer]

Yeah, if a plane blows one of the 16 tires, I don't think the consequences would be as steep as the ones for a motorcycle. Also, a plane tire is used under stress for only a minute or so, not for 30 minutes or more...

Tell that to the families of the passengers of the Concorde that crashed. Airplane tires have huge stresses applied to them, much more than a motorcycle even though it might only be for a short period of time. An airplane tire is not a good thing, they do not happen very often due to the tire standards for planes.

The reason I would not use the retreads would have nothing to do with the retread it self, but with the carcass. When I order a tire to I get the same carcass every time or do I get Michelin one time, Dunlop next, then Pirelli the next.

[PJ]

The reason I would not use the retreads would have nothing to do with the retread it self, but with the carcass. When I order a tire to I get the same carcass every time or do I get Michelin one time, Dunlop next, then Pirelli the next.

Excellent point. And what about different brand carcasses front vs. rear?

[LMsports]

What is this dig on Honda Red Edgar...You sure looked good on those 600rr's at Freddies school. I thought I overheard you cussing at yourself for not buying one of those instead of the gixxer. It's ok, you can ride mine at track days for now.

[Protein Filled]

Hey, I got a rash on my legs and hands from riding those Honda's at FSS. Hmm, now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't from the bike! Hey, wait a second, I just realized I own 2 Honda's...

FYI, Regarding the carcass, I have felt a couple of Tomahawk tires. One was a Pirelli carcass and the other a Dunlop carcass and they both were incredibly stiff and very very heavy. I don't know why they are so heavy or the reason for the stiffness, but even though they had different original tires, they felt about the same in stiffness and weight.

Now Brian, would you run the Tomahawk tires if you were guaranteed to always get the exact same carcass? I still wouldn't...

[tzracer]

Now Brian, would you run the Tomahawk tires if you were guaranteed to always get the exact same carcass? I still wouldn't...

I would give them a try at least. I would not be worried about the retread delaminating.

It is a moot point for me as long as I have a tire sponsor.

[cornercamping]

It is a moot point for me as long as I have a tire sponsor.

I don't get what you are trying to say.  ???  As long as they are "free" or "discounted" because of sponsorship, you'd be willing to use them  ???  So, if Fulmer Helmets offered you a sponsorship, would you wear one of those helmets  ???  Hmmm..... each to his own I guess.   :-/  Ya wouldn't catch me on a set of those tires, that's for sure.  Free or not, I like my life  ;)

[cornercamping]

Keep in mind, that Fulmer does have a SNELL and DOT certified helmet.  Still wear it  ???

[Spooner]

Keep in mind, that Fulmer does have a SNELL and DOT certified helmet.  Still wear it  ???

I beleive he meant he HAS a tire sponsorship, so he won't be trying any other tires anyways...

-Nick

[Bad_Matt]

Excellent point. And what about different brand carcasses front vs. rear?

They will ship you tires with the specific carcass of your choosing.  I run Pirellis, I get a Pirelli carcas.  Also, I had an Orange colored side wall made special for me.  Very trick...

[PJ721]

I had an Orange colored side wall made special for me.  Very trick...

interesting...any pics of them? run these on the track?
still... not something I think I would be able to  trust...all I can picture are those truck retreads flying all over the highway...
 :o

[cornercamping]

They will ship you tires with the specific carcass of your choosing.  I run Pirellis, I get a Pirelli carcas.  Also, I had an Orange colored side wall made special for me.  Very trick...

So.. lemme get this straight.  They take "shot" tires, and do some magic, and all of a sudden the tires are "good" again  ???  How  ???   I don't get how they can replace the rubber that's worn away.  ???  Is there some kind of test they do on the tires before they decide which one's to refurb  ???  Can they actually take a "smoked" tire and make it "new" again  ???  I don't get it, not that it matters because I still wouldn't use them, but hey, if it works, it works.  Just find it weird and also amazing.

[wilsav]

Tomahawk will be at our LVMS classic course date on Sunday Feb. 20.  Come give them a try. You may actually win a set. Tomahawk will give away one set of tires at each of our events. ;D

www.dialitintracktime.com

[Zac]

Now the real question is:

How do I get Tomahawk to buy my take-offs from me?
 ;D

-z.

[Chris_s]

i really want to try em out.  but i cant seem to bite the bullet and buy em.   someone try em and tell me how they were.  :P

cant beat 220 for a set of slicks though :o

[tzracer]

I don't get what you are trying to say. Ê??? ÊAs long as they are "free" or "discounted" because of sponsorship, you'd be willing to use them Ê??? ÊSo, if Fulmer Helmets offered you a sponsorship, would you wear one of those helmets Ê??? ÊHmmm..... each to his own I guess. Ê :-/ ÊYa wouldn't catch me on a set of those tires, that's for sure. ÊFree or not, I like my life Ê;)

I have a tire sponsor (Dunlop). Therefore my using Tomahawk tires is a moot point.

I will not take a product for free or at a discount unless I were willing to pay full price for it.

[Bad_Matt]

So.. lemme get this straight.  They take "shot" tires, and do some magic, and all of a sudden the tires are "good" again  ???  How  ???   quote]

The old tires are milled down to the carcass.  They literally cut the surfacec rubber off of the tire.  The surface rubber is all that is worn.  They spool on a new layer and vulcanize it to the carcass just like it was originally done at the factory in the first place.  

A tire ages by heat pushing the oils out of the rubber.  The carcass is fine.  Think about it:  You run a set of tire on the track for 2 days.  You run the same set of tires for 4 thousand miles.   Tomahawk is looking at how many times they can actually remanufacture a tire.

As far as testing-  each tire must pass laser shearography before it is sent out.  If it fails-  the tire is scrapped.

I ran a set of the DOTs for three weekend before they started to give up.  The surface rubber was hardly worn.  I have never seen longevity out of another set of tires like this.

[Bad_Matt]

interesting...any pics of them? run these on the track?
still... not something I think I would be able to  trust...all I can picture are those truck retreads flying all over the highway...
 :o

I have a half orange and half blue side walled rear in the shop.  Give me some time, I'll take a photo of it.  And yes-  I raced on them.  Got the very first win they ever had.

as far as truck tires-  they are capped retreads.  they only have the tread replaced.  They are built entirely differantly.  The Tomahark tires are milled down to the bead and replaced.  Check their web site.  pretty cool process.

they are also in the works to make a set of inexpensive tire warmers too.  check it out.

[Bad_Matt]

Now the real question is:

How do I get Tomahawk to buy my take-offs from me?
 ;D

-z.

Buy a set from them.  :P

[Bad_Matt]

i really want to try em out.  but i cant seem to bite the bullet and buy em.   someone try em and tell me how they were.  :P

cant beat 220 for a set of slicks though :o

I loved the way they felt under hard braking.  The front was increadibly stable.  

The tires were a bit on the heavy side-  therfore, you get a greater fly wheel effect from the tire you normally run.  I understand they have reduced the weight since I ran them.  It changed my brake markers and the way I rode slightly.  A differance in turn in speed as well.

The grip was comparable to other big named brand tires I have run on my SV or my Hawk.

The surface wear was far superior to anything I have ever run.  There was no cold tears or chunking of any kind.

The longevity was equivilant to other tires.

Talk to Garth Dillon if you want specific numbers, but, to date there have been no "delaminations" of the tire.  They just are not made that way.    Just like every other tire manufacturer out there, Tomahawk have been a couple of blistering tires.  The blisters formed and never popped.  I saw one in person.  The result was a leak in the original carcass from a flaw that was unrelated to Tomahak.  I believe their rubber is better in this regard to the "big" names.  You hear about Dunlop having all these problems at Daytona-  yet there are guys still running Dunlops.  Same with Michelin, Pirelli, and Brigestone...

I would still be running them if I did not have a sponsor.

[LMsports]

What is everyone scared of...tires flying apart...hey people still run Dunlops! :o

Just kidding. Can't believe noone else said it first.

[Bad_Matt]

You hear about Dunlop having all these problems at Daytona-  yet there are guys still running Dunlops.

>
What is everyone scared of...tires flying apart...hey people still run Dunlops!  
 
Just kidding. Can't believe noone else said it first.

Thought I did..  ;)

[L8brake731]

Hey Matt:
 
When you post a picture, show us the pink ones you ran at Firebird last season ;D

[ekraft84]

Buy a set from them.  :P

Hey Matt, you spelled Suomy wrong.  :D

[Mongo]

LOL - why am I not surprised Mr. Automotive Industry doesn't know how a retread works....

Tomahawks are not made like truck re-caps.  They are made like aircraft tire recaps, totally different process and quality.

[Bad_Matt]

Hey Matt, you spelled Suomy wrong.  :D

Thanks...  Doh!