[HiSpeed48]

It's a great read!

2009 DOT Race Motorcycle Tire Shootout - Street Tires Review - Motorcycle USA

Tires Tested:
-Dunlop Sportmax GP-A
-Michelin Power ONE
-Bridgestone 003
-Pirelli DSC
-Avon Extreme

I really want to try the Dunlop GP-A next season. Seems like a really good tire.

 

[stamford]

Good review, though i wish they had several riders per tire and on different bikes. Out of the ones they reviewed I have been looking at the Power one, bt 003. Seems like both got good reviews.

I wish they tested Conti race attack comp.

 

[motochad]

I will stick with Bridgestones!!!

 

[kneedeepinit]

I will stick with my GP-A's!!!

 

[binx_19]

i guess i know what i want for tires if i ever get a slightly modded GSXR-1000

 

[OreoGaborio]

Good article! Musta missed this the first time around.

I seem to get along quite well with my Pirellis so I'm gonna stick w/ them for now.

 

[inpayne]

I'll continue to run what ever I can for cheaply as possible

 

[OreoGaborio]

Well don't go too cheap, it might end up costing you a lot more!

Pirellis have been a great bang-for-the-buck for me.

 

[Tripped1]

I got DSC SPs OEM on my Daytona. They are outstanding thus far.

 

[inpayne]

Well don't go too cheap, it might end up costing you a lot more!

Pirellis have been a great bang-for-the-buck for me.

Yup, Have yet to crash on track tires yet though. WAYYY more close calls, but hey it is what it is. Maybe i'm just getting better... who knows

 

[Twizted-Rider07]

Great article, that really helps with the question of what tires are best on the track. I plan on putting my bike through alot of track time after Iraq and tires are one of my biggest concerns, I want the best set up possible. Also hope to buy a 2007 Yamaha R1 soon, which will be my primary track bike.

 

[OreoGaborio]

Cool, bro. Have you ridden on the track much yet?

If pure acceleration is all you're after though, by all means, go for the R1.
But if you want to really learn the craft and hone your skills, an SV650 or something like that will make a much better learning tool.

That's assuming you haven't got much track time under your belt yet. If you do, forgive me. Either way, it's your call... just trying to pass on some experienced wisdom.

 

[Twizted-Rider07]

Cool, bro. Have you ridden on the track much yet?

If pure acceleration is all you're after though, by all means, go for the R1.
But if you want to really learn the craft and hone your skills, an SV650 or something like that will make a much better learning tool.

That's assuming you haven't got much track time under your belt yet. If you do, forgive me. Either way, it's your call... just trying to pass on some experienced wisdom.

I have been riding for years, but I do got to admit, I dont have much track time just alot of street riding. I did get some track time in on a buddies R1 though and my FZ1 and got it down good (not an expert by any means though). I will look into your advice and appreciate it. How much track time do you usually get, just wondering? Any advice you or anyone that rides the track alot wants to give please feel free, it would be appreciated, I really want to get into the track.

 

[OreoGaborio]

I do about 10-12 track days plus 8 race weekends per year, been racing & instructing since '06.

But getting back to bike selection, I've ridden EX500's, Motards, 600's, Ducati's, even an MV Agusta F4 on the track... The big bikes were definitely a thrill, no doubt about it, but a smaller bikes inspire so much more confidence and teach you so much so fast. The feeling you get when you start learning to ride a lightweight near its limit & you're passing other riders on superbikes... you just can't be beat it.

Not only that, but the lightweights are a lot cheaper, too. You can get a race ready SV650 for under 4 grand & your tires will last two or three times as long as they would on an R1, plus a 160 rear is cheaper than a 180 or 190... at upwards of 200-250 bucks each, that's a significant savings. You can buy a lot more track time with the money you save just on tires alone.

So yeah, the R1 would be a rush and the lightweights aren't as fast or as glamorous, but something like an SV is far more economical, a better learning tool and is quite possibly more satisfying to ride.

But ultimately, the choice is yours.

 

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

+1

I agree with Oreo, riding/racing a lower Hp bike will teach you much more quickly about corner speed - and for ALOT less cost! For a lesser experienced rider/racer on the track riding a higher Hp bike is almost always more about accelerating on the straights and parking it in the turns (as compared to a lower Hp bike), it might be exciting to be able to accelerate hard - but don't you already get that thrill on the street? Being on a road course is more about developing corner speed and consistency, higher Hp (for lesser experienced riders) is more about straight line acceleration, not developing corner speed, so why not go to a Drag Strip instead?

I understand that many people at Track Days just want to take their street bike out on a race track, and that's why their riding a GSXR 1000 when they start out doing Track Day's, but it's difficult to offer advice to people in that situation. I've definitely reached a point where I now look at people as either serious about wanting to learn to go fast on a race track (in other words their willing to do whatever is required to get fast on the track - even if that means getting a different and/or devoted track bike), or they just want to go out on the track and have some fun. Why does it matter? Because the advice myself and others give may vary based on which group we interpret them as being in - the more serious group, or the fun group. That situation sucks because if myself or someone like Oreo gives advice in a thread to someone just looking to have fun we can often be questioned as to that advice by those who are truely interested in going really fast (because the advice can be different). Of course the opposite situation can be true as well, where advice to someone looking to go racing could be somewhat different and questioned by someone just looking to have fun. An example would be the Power to Weight Ratio thread I created in the Track Time 101 section, that's aimed more at those looking to push really hard on a race track and use the upper capability of their bike. Of course most people can back off the throttle and survive on the track with excessive power, but that's alot different of a situation than actually squeezing as much as you can out of your bikes capability.

Best of luck with what ever you choose to do.

 

[HiSpeed48]

sportbiketrackgear has a great deal on Michelin slicks, two sets of f&r for $500, probably going to go that route for this season. Just need warmers and a generator now