Dunlop GP or Slicks Tire Life

All depends on track rider and bike.. No real answer but slicks do tend to last a little longer when kept on Warner's and flipped accordingly..

 

4 full days out of a q2 on a liter? That's all I get on my 600. I get about 5 days out of power ones.

 

Personally, I have been using the Dunlop UK Ntecs (I am about to swap to the GPA spec tires, to get used to them in hopes of making an AMA round this year though).

But they last forever. I know of 1 guy who went a whole season (and im talking about a racer) on 1 front Ntec Slick. While I wouldnt advise doing so, he did it for an experiment. I think he said it ended up seeing like 600-700 laps or something like that.

I know that Brian Stokes and Taylor Knapp won the 4hr Endurance race at the WERA GNF in 2010 and only used 1 Ntec front for the whole 4hrs...and they were running an AMA pace.

With all of that being said, they are expensive, to the tune of about $560 a set. So how will the cost vs durability work out for you personally, that is something only you can answer.

If you are getting that kind of life out of a Q2, then personally I think going to the Ntecs is probably overkill.

IMO, if you want a little more performance/grip while still maintaining durability, I would look at something like the Michelin Power Pure's.

 

I read that Dunlop is not going to sell NTEC UK spec tires in the US in 2012 although I still see RTS selling them.

I tried the Pirelli Trackday slicks last year; although they wore much better than the Q2, I don't think they gripped as well and I'm not going to try them again.

I've got a AMA Spec GPA D209 front and a D211 rear that I'm going to try out this year.

 

I am not sure what kind of pace you run or anything like that, but I can tell you that nobody was happy with the D209. The new spec tires are LIGHT YEARS ahead of the 209. I mean, if you just want to burn some laps on it instead of throwing it away, I don't blame you. But I wouldn't go out there and try to set your personal best on it...especially if you "ride the front end" like I do.

The whole US vs UK Ntec thing has been going on for a while now and they are trying like hell to get ride of the UK Ntec. But the fact is, the US Ntec just isnt as good. I am not saying it isn't good, because it is, it is a great tire...but it is not as good as the UK version. It has to do with the limitatations/restrictions on materials they/we can use in the US versus what they can use in the UK.

The US tire has improved alot, but it doesnt offer the same grip, for as long, as the UK version.

 

The the new Michelin Power Cup tires may be worth looking into. I've heard reports of performance comparable to the UK Ntec tires in terms of grip and longevity at a much more reasonable price.

 

I was going to ask somebody about those. They are pretty new huh?

Are they a replacement to the Power One Competition tire?

(excuse my ignorance, I haven't kept up to speed on the Michelin's)

From what I gather, Michelin pays pretty good contingency.

 

yes, they're replacing the Power One Competition. They haven't been officially released in the states, although I heard that Walt had them at the GNF last fall due to the Power One allotment being sold out. Dave Grey has been absolutely gushing about them- granted, he may be a little biased. I might be going to Jennings at the end of the month to test them, I hope. If not, I'll have to wait until march. I'm stoked;IIRC, the've got some of the best contingency around, too, not to mention excellent trackside service.

 

Thanks for the info Lance

I'll talk to Dave and see what he has to say (and do some other research...seeing how Dave is a little biased )

 

talk to Greg Melka, maybe.
Staff pricing is pretty good, too

 

Tire life is directly proportional to your pace. If you are aiming to improve, get more tire. As has been said, if you are getting 4 track days out of Q2's without noticeable greasiness you will likely not find any gains through a tire change alone. The Dunlops (AMA spec slicks) love heat, so you have to ride them hard to get their best grip. I recall my last set of Q2's being pretty greasy once fully heated. YMMV.
I raced on both the slick (UK) and the GPA (U.S.). The slick was notably better, but the DOT tire was pretty good too.

 

Q2s

Two huge thumbs up for Q2s.
I run "A" group with Q2s. I am usually middle to the slower end of the pack, as determined by who shows up.
The Q2s stick awesome for a street tire. They heat up quickly. And are very easy and predictable to slide when they are done.
I run them on the wife's cbr6rr, my track day gsxr750, and the mostly street/sometimes track days cbr1000rr.
A huge plus is that you can get a set for a bit over $200.
If I wanted to run a half second quicker, I would find stickier rubber, that didn't last very long, needed tire warmers, and cost at least twice as much.
Hmmmmmmmm......

 

Re: Q2s

warmers and Q2's?! Bad, bad idea.

 

Re: Q2s

Because?

 

Re: Q2s

They're purely street tires, with a high silica content for grip. They're not designed for the same amount of heat that a race compound tire is, temps that can reach 230° or more. By using warmers, starting them off at 180°, you will quickly overheat the tire, making them dangerously greasy and slick. The Q2s are street tires and less than ideal for the track, particularly on a large displacement bike. A tire like the Michelin power pure is a step up from that and doesn't require warmers and the Power One Commercial is better yet, particularly for a faster intermediate rider up to advanced. It is also warmer optional, although warmers can be used with them.
For the op, whom I presume is a novice or intermediate rider, if you want more tire life, consider a smaller displacement bike. I get 8a days from a set of power pures, coaching 14at or more sessions per day.