Quote:
Originally Posted by fxclm5
trust me, save your $$$ on "track tires" and just get whatever you would get for the street and run them, dont worry about the tires, if you talk 2 any motorcycle instructor or any knowledgeable motorcycles parts guy - they will tell you whatever tires you have right now will do just fine on the track. (21st century tires are FAR SUPERIOR then tires made even 5-10 years ago) No matter how fast you think you are on the street the track is totally different, 1/2 of my 1st track day i was just getting accustomed to what the track offered, different lines, early late apexes, smooth parts/lines on the track. There is no way your gonna go on a track and rail it like a MotoGP rider. At first you will probably be in tow behind a instructor who teaches you a "race line" its completely wacko and makes no sense when your trailing the instructor going 50-70ish, the race line they show you really only works if your hauling it... and slowly afterward you have picked up your pace later in the day do you start realizing "wow this line actually works far better to get me setup for the next corner"
i didnt tell you but my buddy with the ex500 was dusting me left and right and he had dinosaur lego tread pattern blocks for tires  ... again its not the tires. its you, just take the complete thought of "track tires is a necessity" out of your mind, its not required, if it was, your bike wouldnt pass tech inspection. |
I gotta agree, while the tires are important to a point, it is what you can do with the available traction that determines how quick the bike will go around a corner.
I did a track day yesterday with the Cycle Gear Diablo $179.95 specials and had no problems at all. Even down at peg grinding angles they worked great, held the back end during roll-ons and braked very consistantly.
When I started roading 25 years ago my first instructor told me to buy good sport-touring tires for rider schools because they slide evenly, and they allow you to play with the edge of traction easier than a DOT race tire or a slick. Once you can do that a race tire or a slick will allow you to really rail on the track.
Back then the hot tire was the Hi-Sport, the Diablos I ran yesterday were much, much better, heck even my stock 020's were a very nice tire and better than my Hi-Sports.
Regardless, 99.9% of it is rider. Yesterday a 14 year old kid on an older NSR125 was putting to expert riders on 1098s, and CBR1000s. It's the rider, not the equipment.