Tire Warmers
- Thread starter bcrunk11
- Start date
JGardy_781
Member
Slicks are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.
I've run KR106/108 Dunlop slicks for two years now (last year the old-tech expanding KR108 rears; this year the NTec KR108 rear), both with warmers, and I'd have a hard time going back, even at $500 a set. I'm pretty certain that Moon thinks I'm an idiot for buying $300 rear tires instead of buying a set of 209s for $300.
You certainly don't need them to ride in A, nor do you need warmers, but a hot set of slicks stick in a way that DOT race tires (heated or not), and fast street/trackday tires simply don't. I really the reserve of grip they offer at both ends. I can push the front really hard in corners with a substantial amount of trail braking, and movement out of the front is minimal to non-existent. Rear grip exiting corners is amazing, too - on my bike, with moderately aggressive throttle application on exit, the rear tire will easily lift the front off the ground before it starts to spins up. As a bonus, the rear slides more progressively than a treaded DOT tire when they start to go off, which makes riding on older rears, if you are used to the feeling, a whole lot of fun.
In my case, my most familiar/fastest track is Summit JC - believe you me, I'm not all that fast, but the slicks give me the ability to roll through the fishhook at a pretty decent clip, and then trailbrake way late up to the busstop in a way that sets me up to roll around people on the outside of the corner with a reasonable amount of confidence.
They won't make you faster just by putting them on - you have to be able to push them hard entering and exiting corners in a way that can feel somewhat foreign coming directly from treaded tires. To make the warmers work, you actually have to get out and on the first lap, be on pretty much pace to keep the tire carcasses flexing and generating heat - any slower, and the tires just cool down and you waste the effort of heating them in the first place.
No one needs slicks, but everyone should try them once... they feel that good...
/j
Meat
Member
Blindfolded and riding?
Yes, I really can tell a difference. I know I am only an I-group rider but I have ridden on AMA take off slicks since I was a beginner. I used to get them for $50 per set! It took forever to wear down the first set of them, but I was just on the cheapest tire I could get (they just happened to be slicks). Then this year the team I used to get them from now runs the Daytona thingy and they now run GPA's and charge A LOT more for their tires (not making it worth buying tires from them anymore).
So, with the exception of riding a DOT race tire at a motorcycle school last year, this year is the first time I have ridden a DOT race tire at a track day. I assumed that I would not feel a difference, but I could right away. I have been on the BT003's and GPA's this year and can instantly tell the difference from a slick.
I do believe the placebo affect can be strong, and think anyone can be susceptible to it. But, in this case I was expecting to not feel a difference, other than maybe in traction. I was proved wrong when I was on the BT003's so I then tried the AMA spec GPA's with the same general result (other than I like the GPA's much better than the BT003's).
sobottka
New Member
Maybe I said it wrong... sitting on the grid for a few minutes does not sufficiently cool your tires to heat cycle them and running your warmers @ below the reccomended temp setting before any session does not protect against heat cycling. I would advise not to be very concerned with heat cycles, with todays race tires it isnt an issue. Run your warmers at the proper temp setting for 45-60 min before every session to maximize grip and air pressure for a consistant "feel". Feel your rim, when its warm to the touch you have a fully heat soaked tire.
there isnt a ton of difference in todays slicks and dots, a little better grip and feel to slicks but not a ton
Meat
Member
I got them at 1/10th the cost of them new. They are now $500/set. Even though it is not recommended I am still looking around for a quality take offs (one race) supplier. Tires just cost too much. If I can't find one, I will run the AMA spec Medium/Hard GPA's as they seem to last long and feel pretty good.
I ran warmers soon as I got my first set of slicks, so I don't have any experience in not running warmers on them.
JGardy_781
Member
I expect to get 8-10 days out of a medium or hard front, and I like to get 4-5 days out of a hard rear; depending upon the track - that's with some flipping of the rear going on, typically after the 3rd day. That said, I just shredded a medium or medium hard NTec KR108 in a day, flipping it at lunch at my last day on JC. Combo between a hot track and shit suspension setup, I think.
JGardy_781
Member
Both Race Tire Service and Moon sell them for the same price - roughly $500 a set; I replace rears at $317 per, I think.
T
THE MUFFIN MAN
someone explain "soaking" for me, thanx
T
THE MUFFIN MAN
so when guys say they let them soak, how is that done? getting them up to temp and then what?
JGardy_781
Member
You just leave the warmers on for a while. Basic method is as follows: the warmer heats the carcass and shuts off. The heat leeches from the hot tread area to the cooler carcass, and and then to the still cooler wheel (and, eventually is lost to the atmosphere, I assume). Warmer kicks back on and heats the tread, heat leeches to carcass and wheel - repeats indefinitely. The end goal is for the tire to be more or less uniformly heated through (not just the outer rubber surface). You can tell they're heated well because the wheels themselves will be relatively warm to the touch.
I put warmers on in the morning after I tech (0745 or so) to be ready to go out at 0900. I personally like an hour or thereabouts to heat the tires in the morning; Race Tire Service recommends setting hot pressure on Dunlop tires after 45 to 60 minutes on warmers set at 160-165 degrees F (http://www.dunlopracing.com/fitment-2009.html - look at the bottom right of the page - they also have a detailed procedural document to instruct how to use warmers with their tires).
/j
Landshark
Control Rider
Soaking means (as I understand it) letting the warmer cycle for about an hour or whatever time they say soak for. This ensures the entire tire is at temp and not just the surface or in some cases the warmer and not the tire at all. It is very important to make sure the warmer is snug and even over the surface. Air gaps a bunching up of the warmer usually create uneven temp on the tire. Also make certain the tire surface is clean allowing the warmer to touch the tire.
T
THE MUFFIN MAN
good info, looking at getting a set for next year, and i have a gazzillion ?'s.