Stock tires vs. the track

[beazy411]

I'm looking at doing a track day/weekend this coming summer and while I still have to get the gear for it, what are ya'll opinion's on using the stock IRC tires? I figure that I'm going to be spending ~$1000 on suit, gloves, boots and probably a new helmet and didn't want to add another $300 in tires since this is my daily.

[csmith12]

lol

Buy some take-offs for < $100 and enjoy, simple as that.

Enjoy the track yo! I expect a full report.

[Trailerboy531]

Poor baby doesn't want to spend $300 on tires and would rather spend $600 on repairs..

Get new tires. Those stock tires aren't even good enough for the street let alone the track.

Which tires?

Bridgestone S20s will give you lots of street life and will do well for your first few track days.
BT003s are stickier but give you less street life.

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IIs are made by track riding jesus. Street life is meh.

[Havok]

Originally Posted by beazy411

I'm looking at doing a track day/weekend this coming summer and while I still have to get the gear for it, what are ya'll opinion's on using the stock IRC tires? I figure that I'm going to be spending ~$1000 on suit, gloves, boots and probably a new helmet and didn't want to add another $300 in tires since this is my daily.

I agree, spend 1500 bucks for gear then crash the new gear and piece of **** tires that are not worth the rubber used to make them. Good plan!

[Havok]

Originally Posted by Trailerboy531

Poor baby doesn't want to spend $300 on tires and would rather spend $600 on repairs..

Get new tires. Those stock tires aren't even good enough for the street let alone the track.

Which tires?

Bridgestone S20s will give you lots of street life and will do well for your first few track days.
BT003s are stickier but give you less street life.

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IIs are made by track riding jesus. Street life is meh.

Come on they are fun as hell on the street you will eat through them pretty fast but they are fun lol.

[Trailerboy531]

I meant the life expectancy on the street is meh, i still will run only Rosso IIs on this bike forever. Unless I get slicks.

[Havok]

Originally Posted by Trailerboy531

I meant the life expectancy on the street is meh, i still will run only Rosso IIs on this bike forever. Unless I get slicks.

I remember the first day we ran those tires at chuckwalla. I plan on getting a set for the fazer when i have to replace the tires.

[Jiggles]

Originally Posted by Trailerboy531

Poor baby doesn't want to spend $300 on tires and would rather spend $600 on repairs..

Get new tires. Those stock tires aren't even good enough for the street let alone the track.

Lies. Many riders won't even come close to the limits of a ****** tire like the IRC's

Now for sure you should get a new set of tires for the track, sportbiketrackgear.com has rosso 2s for a total of a little over $200. But the IRC's are more than capable for whatever you're doing on the street

[Havok]

Originally Posted by Jiggles

Lies. Many riders won't even come close to the limits of a ****** tire like the IRC's

Now for sure you should get a new set of tires for the track, sportbiketrackgear.com has rosso 2s for a total of a little over $200. But the IRC's are more than capable for whatever you're doing on the street

IRCs suck so bad. Even on the street, sure they are capable but so damn ******, just replace them when you get a new 250/300 and call it a day.

[beazy411]

So, what I am hearing is eat ramen for a few weeks and get some DR II's or BT003's?

[Alex]

Saving on tires for the track is not really saving. Confidence in the rubber on your bike is a key part of enjoying yourself that day. Will you exceed the limits of the IRC's, perhaps not. But as you approach those limits, the suggested tires will feel better and behave more predictably.

[nycsteve]

It's all about confidence!

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by beazy411

So, what I am hearing is eat ramen for a few weeks and get some DR II's or BT003's?

I have a set of bt003 take-offs I will sell you for $25 + shipping. Problem solved?

[Peanut_EOD]

I use my race tires for 1 race weekend and then sell them for $150 shipped.

[csmith12]

What tires you running Peanut? I may be interested in a set just to try something new without paying full retail. Everyone is still pretty set on BT003's out here.

[dfox]

I'd also suggest looking around for a track day with local clubs/organizations.

I have been looking into it myself for this coming summer, and for 80 bucks a day, I can rent a very nice, fully padded dainese leather suit. Sure, it's used, but they clean them. They also rent boots, gloves, and helmets, even though I'm covered there.

[csmith12]

Ah yea Fox, rental gear. I should write up a nice article on going to the track on the cheap.

Here is what you can do to save some coin.

Find a local bike night in your area and go. Make some new friends and know who the track rats are. Track riders are a different kinda of animal. They will do just about anything to get you to the track. Just tell em where you stand. Even if it means hauling you to the track or letting you use the gear off their own back. Some will even offer to let you ride one of their bikes.

Ask me how I know...

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by beazy411

So, what I am hearing is eat ramen for a few weeks and get some DR II's or BT003's?

takeoffs. buy takeoffs. you will spend $50 for a $150 tire that you won't know any difference about. like others have said, its not the tire that crashes the bike, its the rider. and chances are you wont be putting down times fast enough to slide even IRCs around (if you were doing it right, i mean) but you dont want to get scared by the tire slipping a little bit and have it cause you to freak out leading to a crash now do you?

i'm of the mindset work with the least to become the best but for your first track day maybe just work with fresh rubber on getting to know that big wonderful ribbon of black tarmac we call home.

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Track riders are a different kinda of animal. They will do just about anything to get you to the track. Just tell em where you stand. Even if it means hauling you to the track or letting you use the gear off their own back. Some will even offer to let you ride one of their bikes.

sooooooo trueeeeeee.

[beazy411]

Originally Posted by dfox

I'd also suggest looking around for a track day with local clubs/organizations.

I have been looking into it myself for this coming summer, and for 80 bucks a day, I can rent a very nice, fully padded dainese leather suit. Sure, it's used, but they clean them. They also rent boots, gloves, and helmets, even though I'm covered there.

TTRNO, our local Triumph/Ducati dealer rents out boots, gloves and suits for pretty cheap and they let you used any money on rentals towards purchase of new gear from them. I'll probably end up renting the suit but I want my own gloves and boots. Maybe next week when I do the MSF sport bike course I'll learn more about what I need for the bike other than frame sliders.

[csmith12]

alex.s has a fine point indeed but here is the other side of that coin.

Crashing hurts.... Bike & tire tech has come so far, that it can compensate for a lot of rider error. So when your new, why not take advantage of that? If you can up the tech (stickier tires in this case) on your bike to increase your margin of error, then I say do it. I am not saying let the bike and tires be your crutch or substitute for skills but it doesn't have to hurt so much while learning, if you know what I mean. Once you got the basic's down, then going with the minimum kinda happens all by itself most of the time to further the addiction. hahahahahahah

[choneofakind]

Originally Posted by csmith12

Even if it means hauling you to the track or letting you use the gear off their own back. Some will even offer to let you ride one of their bikes.

Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!

[dfox]

Originally Posted by beazy411

TTRNO, our local Triumph/Ducati dealer rents out boots, gloves and suits for pretty cheap and they let you used any money on rentals towards purchase of new gear from them. I'll probably end up renting the suit but I want my own gloves and boots. Maybe next week when I do the MSF sport bike course I'll learn more about what I need for the bike other than frame sliders.

Yea, owning good gloves and boots is a good idea, I use race boots and gloves on the street, and have a snell helmet, usually needed for track riding. It was just a suggestion to cut the cost on the gear so you can put it towards tires.

Not going to beat a dead horse, but read up about frame sliders before you get them, they can cause more harm than good on a track, Id prefer to replace fairings than have my bike flip over and self destruct when the frame slider gets caught up on the edge of the track.

[alex.s]

Originally Posted by csmith12

alex.s has a fine point indeed but here is the other side of that coin.

Crashing hurts.... Bike & tire tech has come so far, that it can compensate for a lot of rider error. So when your new, why not take advantage of that? If you can up the tech (stickier tires in this case) on your bike to increase your margin of error, then I say do it. I am not saying let the bike and tires be your crutch or substitute for skills but it doesn't have to hurt so much while learning, if you know what I mean. Once you got the basic's down, then going with the minimum kinda happens all by itself most of the time to further the addiction. hahahahahahah

i learned on some extremely questionable hardware... i think it helped me tremendously in the long run... knowing early on what questionable traction feels like, both caused by the road/tire traction limits and caused by the rider doing things incorrectly... it leads you down a path. a very smooth, paved running path. a path much easier to run down vs. running down that gravel and sand path of fixing bad habits you picked up from assuming you are doing things correctly because you can't feel your mistakes because you are running tires and hardware that can take forces well above your level. trying to stay within your comfort zone is the best way not to learn. but you're absolutely right, going way outside your comfort zone, so much so that you crash, really ****ing sucks. but again at the same time, the most i've learned in motorcycling happened during the 2 or 3 seconds during my crashes.


just go have fun. don't crash.

[bfpower]

Originally Posted by Peanut_EOD

I use my race tires for 1 race weekend and then sell them for $150 shipped.

+1 for Peanut's tires. The ones I got saw a good workout but had lots of life left in them.

[ally99]

Originally Posted by csmith12

They will do just about anything to get you to the track. Just tell em where you stand. Even if it means hauling you to the track or letting you use the gear off their own back. Some will even offer to let you ride one of their bikes.

Ask me how I know...

Completely, 100% agree. Kinda cool, isn't it?

[Aufitt]

If its your first (or even 3rd) I highly doubt many ppl will be better than their tyres.
You'll crash on a first track day because your riding is ****, not because of your tyres.
Its actually a good learning curve to ride on tyres with feel.

[sharky nrk]

I tracked on the stockers, not my first track day, and I put the bike down. Now just IMHO but:

The tires did not make me crash, nor will tracking them make you crash. I put the bike down because I pushed too hard trying to get past faster straight line bikes in frustration - my mistake no doubt. They will do just fine on the track as long as your keep them within their limits.

Now that being said, they suck. If you have the time and money get some take offs, not because you have to but because it will allow you to have more fun. The stock tires just didn't have great feel or grip and while they will wear like iron; they limit the experience.