Tires: What do you run and Why.

I have been running Pilot Power 2CT's. Fantastic grip and the turn in seems sharper than others I have tried on my ZRX. Obviously, I have not tried too many brands, so comparisons would be limited.

 

Michelin Pilot Power 2ct front 32 psi, and standard Pilot Power rear 31 psi. Sticky, sticky. The front seems to melt a bit.

 

RC51 slow tire tester:
Bridgestone BT002ST: I get them real cheap and they come in 190/55 31/31 I like them for cost and the feel is nice and soft on release. I destroy these in 3/4 days but my pace has increased vs those below

Dunlop Qualifier 190/50: Heat up slow and life is mediocre. Not a bad tire but not on my A list. Decent grip in the rain.

Dunlop D209 (SportMax GP) 190/55: Nice tire probably my second favorite after the Bridgestone. 5 days and they were shagged.

Dunlop 208GPa 180/55: nice tire but I prefer the 190

Pirelli Diablo Corsa 190/50: heats up quick and I got good life though this was when I started so it is hard to tell.

Sorry I cannot remember the pressures for the later ones. Since I now have spare rims I might go to slicks and am leaning toward Bridgestone

 

Is that 5 days with or without tire warmers?

 

I was running Pilot powers on the track a couple years ago, but I have a nice set of Pirellis Supercorsas on the bike I just got.(Literally almost new)It also has a few sets of takeoffs. There's Supercorsas for the other fronts and Dunlops on the other rears. The fronts are still soft and don't look blued bad at all. I'll probably run new Supercorsa rears with the old fronts for now. (Seems like quite a bit of wear left on those fronts.) This will be my first time in Pirellis, but I heard these ones heat up quick. Any suggestions on tirepressures for these tires by the way. :wink: :mrgreen:

 

Without, and when I say shagged I mean no rubber not burned out. I tend to wear about half way out real hard (probably if I started on the throttle a bit earlier it would improve) and these were down to zero on sipes and starting to slide. Also that is on a RC51 which I have heard is a bit harder on tires.

 

I'm more worried about heat cycles, I'm on an SV650. I've always used Pilot Powers, They last forever on the SV and I'm on a budget. I was thinking about selling the new 209s that came with the bike and picking up a set of PPs.

 

+1 on the Pilot Powers, they last a long time.

 

I'm currently running Pilot Powers on the street bike. They wear well but take too long to warm up (imo). Dunlop Sportmax preceded the Michelins and lasted about 2200 miles, but had great gription. Planning on trying the Bridgestone 002 next.
For the track bike, I've only ever had Power Race PR1, PR4/5. Trying the PRC this year.

 

SInce I started doing trackdays I've run the PP2CT's F-30 psi R-30~28 psi.

They wear well for me 6-8 trackdays then I change them, I could get another weekend or 2 out of them but would rather have one less thing to think of. After 8 days they are still perfectly fine for the street. Now I just need a street bike.

 

Pirelli Supercorsa DOT and Superbike slicks. I like the SC1 compound for the front and SC2 for the rear(longer life). I think I like the pirellis because that's what i started on and have the most knowledge of. Set-up is always a key to getting good life/feel out of a set of tires.

 

I've run various Michelin racing non-DOT but approved for DOT racing classes (that is the tire has voids for water and WERA, CCS, AMA allow the tire to be raced but is not DOT labeled and you would very likely crash with it on the street because it would never achieve its operating temperature) like the H2. I’ve used Pirelli SuperCorsa Pro and the Metzler Race Tecs (SC-1 and SC-2) they are the same tire with different tread designs. I’ve used Dunlop D207GP’s, D208 GP and GP* and the D209GPs. I also use a set of Michelin rains.

The Pirelli/Metzlers and Dunlops (recall these are only the DOT race tires); I like these because I can use them on the road and track. These tires are stickier cold than any street tire will be when heated and only get better as they warm up. {Example: Dunlop D208GP on a 40 ̊F morning, the tires pick up 3/4" gravel off my driveway when going to work in the morning.} The problem some people have with these on the street (and at a track day if they don’t use tire warmers) is the they get used to the available traction when they’re warm and then go out on cold tires and try to ride that hard before the tire comes in. The Michelins, as mentioned above, can’t be used on the street (remember I was using the race tire and this was before Michelin came out with their recent line of tires). BTW Roadracing World did a test of street tires and Dunlop submitted for the test the D208GP*. In that test they out performed all the other tires. Realize that this test was for street use and all the other manufacturers submitted street only tires, Pirelli could have submitted the SuperCorsaPro but didn’t. I only mention this because some people think the Dunlop GP while marked DOT isn’t actually safe on the street.

In general, the Michelins offer excellent traction but when pushed to the sliding point they break traction fast (snap lose). The Pirelli/Metzler tires have excellent traction too and when they slide they do so more progressively than the Michelins and concerning this behavior they fall in between the Michelin and Dunlop, but closer to the Dunlop. The Dunlops offer excellent traction and when pushed to sliding will do so a little more progressively than the Pirelli/Metzler.

In combination street/track use I have achieved 8,000 miles of use on one set of Dunlop D207GP*s. I’m not ham fisted with the throttle, I basically do the speed limit and don’t slow for the turns. Most of that milage was street miles in between track days. If I only do track days then I wear out a set of Dunlops in two (2) days (~ 300 miles) and a set of Pirelli/Metzlers in three (3) days (~ 450 miles). The sides of the tires get worn on the track and the center on the street. Heat cycling isn’t a concern when street riding because they will never get over 140 ̊F on the street and I park the bike in my garage or under an over hand at work so the motorcycle and tires are not sitting out in the sun. I have never had any problem with the Pirelli/Metzler SC-1 or SC-2 or the Dunlop GPS when on the street. I have not used any Michelin street tire or street/track day/race tire so I can’t speak for them but I can’t imagine having any concerns with their PP2CT line. Roadracing World gave that tire an excellent review (I believe it was last year).

Sorry to be long winded, but you asked.

 

Don't forget, this is on the "older" H2 tire. Likely not what you have now or are riding. I haven't ridden on the current Michelins. I believe these also had a narrowing temperature range, use it outside that range and your struggling for grip.

And, I agree with your comment about the feeling of snapping lose and set up, because they grip and grip and grip and only finally "let go". From my experience they can be ridder harder before they begin to slide when compared the Pirelli and Dunlops.

 

Brian....
What kind of increase do you see when you come off track? I've read that the PR rear should be run at 24; have you tried 24(cold) and just found that the lower 19/21 area works better? Thanks

 

When was the last time you rode on a Michelin Race tire or Slick?? The 1200 and 1800 rears are the most progressive easy to ride tires I have ever used.

The Pilot Power Front is possibly the most forgiving front tire ever... If you wind up on you head via losing the front while riding a regular Pilot Power or 2CT.. you did something dumb. Rear Pilot Powers will get slippery in very hot conditions but so will any street/track tire.

The old Race 2 and late 90's slicks were a bit abrubt but the new stuff... is extremely predictible. I can understand why you wouldn't like those older models.

 

MICH Slicks on one set of rims and MICH Rains on the second set of rims

slicks last a little longer than the PR's and the profile is different too.

Rains are for....well, rain

 

I was wondering when the slick guys/gals were going to pipe in. I started on PP and they worked great. Im on Power races now with great grip but you feel everyting and at first it bother me but now ive learned to be smoother and I love the tires. Ill be trying slicks next. I have no neg feedbacks on any of the tires ive tried. In General the Michs have allways been a tire with alot of grip that talk to you if you are listening.

 

This was in 2000. i.e. "older" H2.