Track tires for a newb?

J

JeremyGSU

New Member
Hey guys, I just joined this club and I'm going to try to do a track day before the end of the year and I was wondering what the minimal tire I can get away with will be? I'm currently running Michelin Pilot Roads on my '04 F4i. I don't want to do a track day on those but as a street/track tire I was hoping to get something that got a little bit of mileage out of them and still be able to do a track day. Would Pilot Road 2's hold up? Or are they strictly a street tire?

I did read another forum where a guy said he did 6 track days with the regular roads and that surprised me. Or would you recommend something like Pilot Power 2CT's? I would imagine I'm not going to be going that fast my first time out.


Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks.
 
HondaGalToo

HondaGalToo

Control Rider
Welcome! I don't know enough about the Pilot Roads to know how they'd be for the track, but if they're fairly new and have good tread left, they should be ok for your first day.

Tires that are good on both street and track are: Pirelli Diablo Corsa III, Michelin Pilot Powers and Power 2CT, Dunlop Qualifiers, and the Bridgestone BT002 R/S. Can't go wrong with any of those.
 
J

JeremyGSU

New Member
Thanks! Well, the Pilot Roads are relatively hard compound. I have 6,000 miles on them arleady and I don't plan on tracking those although they still have 6/32's of tread on them. I plan on getting new tires sometime this summer and I was trying to find a tire I could get some mileage out of but track as well. I know there's a fine line between but since I live in Florida and mostly ride straight I was hoping Pilot Road 2's could see some track time. If not I'll settle for Power 2ct's.

I'll price out the other tires mentioned too! Thanks!
 
darth nater

darth nater

Staff member
Control Rider
N2
If you like Michelin, then run the Pilot Powers. They are good for the track and you can get 4500 road miles out of them (minus whatever track time you do).

I think the Pirelli DCIIIs are a better tire personally, but I have never run them on the street.
 
stephenjpauls

stephenjpauls

New Member
I have run DCIIIs on the street and track and like them for both. I did my first track day on newer Diablo Stradas (1000 miles on them) and they did well for my pace, but I was also the slowest guy on the track. If I were you I would look for a street / track tire if you’re planning on doing a few track days. If you have stands and can remove your own wheels, why not go to the track and get a set of tires from Derek Leslie? I think he is your regions vendor and probably has as good or better prices than you are going to get from somewhere else. It might also come with free mounting and balancing at the track. Contact him at Derek.Leslie@nesba.com and see what he has to offer. If you buy from him, you should also be able to use your $10 coupon that is in your membership packet.
 
kd83

kd83

New Member
I agree with Honda Gal, i doubt you will push the tire to its limits and you should be fine for your first outing or two
 
S

Sklossmonster

New Member
Hondagal and Steve Pauls broke it down pretty well for you, one thing I would add is that unless the tires on your bike are brand new, I would replace them before you hit the track.

These days aggressive street sport tires are good enough for your first day at the track BUT not if they're years old.

My first crash on the track was because of that exact situation. "It's your first time on the track, you'll be fine with those tires" is what I was told by people who should know.

Then the two or three year old tires that had chicken strips that were as hard as a bowling ball, let go.

I'd been getting faster all day, with the help of the CRs I was learning how to lean the bike over and go faster through the corners, ... right up until the shitty old street tires got to the part that had never been used before and I wadded up my new-to-me bike and roached a new helmet.

I had new tires sitting in my garage waiting for me when it happened.

Moral of the story: When in doubt, change them out. AKA If you have any question about whether you should change your tires, then there is no question about whether you should change your tires.

I was trying to save a little money, and I wound up spending thousands - WITHOUT going to the hospital!

All the hybrid track/street tires Hondagal listed will work for you. Go with whatever tires your trusty trackside vendor sells and supports.

Have fun, and welcome to the most exciting thing you may ever do.
 
HondaGalToo

HondaGalToo

Control Rider
Ah, didn't know about the 6000 mile part, yeah, change 'em! And be prepared to have the most fun you can have on two wheels!!! :D
 
J

JeremyGSU

New Member
Thanks for the replies everyone. Haha, I had no intention of tracking the tires I have on there now. Haha, they are pretty worn out but still have 6/32's of tread left. I was simply asking if going with a new tire would Pilot Roads 2 hold up but I think I am going to price out the Bridgestone's mentioned and some Power 2CT's and one of the two. I got to thinking about it and I would rather have a tire that sticks some more than lose it in the corner because of my tire choice.
 
rk97

rk97

Member
if you like Michelins, don't feel like you have to immediately jump to a Pilot Power 2CT. the "regular" Pilot Power is a pretty amazing tire for the price. The 2CT is definitely better - but probably more than you need for yoru first track set.

My bike's less powerful than yours, but I manage to get 6-8 days out of a Pilot Power rear at a faster "B" and recently slower "I" pace. You'll even find guys who run a Pilot Race or 2CT front, and still mount up a 'regular' PP rear because they replace it so often.

if you want to buy from NESBA, the Qualifiers would also suit you well. that's probably what my next set will be.
 
J

JeremyGSU

New Member
rk97;50463 wrote: if you like Michelins, don't feel like you have to immediately jump to a Pilot Power 2CT. the "regular" Pilot Power is a pretty amazing tire for the price. The 2CT is definitely better - but probably more than you need for yoru first track set.

My bike's less powerful than yours, but I manage to get 6-8 days out of a Pilot Power rear at a faster "B" and recently slower "I" pace. You'll even find guys who run a Pilot Race or 2CT front, and still mount up a 'regular' PP rear because they replace it so often.

if you want to buy from NESBA, the Qualifiers would also suit you well. that's probably what my next set will be.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input. I don't feel like I have to jump to anything because I realize I'm going to be slower on the track compared to someone who's been doing it a long time. I just figured I'd get the 2CT's for the price difference. The 2CT's are only like $25-30 more for the set at my local dealer and I figured if I'm going to spend close to $300 for a set of tires I might as well spend $30 more and get the better tire but maybe I'll try Pilot Powers first of the Bridgestones. Thanks for the input!
 
HondaGalToo

HondaGalToo

Control Rider
rk97;50463 wrote: if you like Michelins, don't feel like you have to immediately jump to a Pilot Power 2CT. the "regular" Pilot Power is a pretty amazing tire for the price. The 2CT is definitely better - but probably more than you need for yoru first track set.
Click to expand...
:agree: The regular Pilot Powers are a great tire, and for more than your first trackday.

You're gonna have a blast!!
 
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