TIRE INFORMATION CENTER
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Tire Types and Proper Use
Slicks, have no tread on the tire and are legal for track use only. If you purchase slicks and use them on a public road, they are dangerous because they won't be warm enough, nor will they have water dispersion if you get caught in the rain. DOT's, are street legal, but read the product description. Some DOT's are intended for track use because they do not last long, and act like slicks in all other aspects. Rain Tires are also illegal on public roads. They melt and desintegrate very quickly on dry pavement, under even the slowest of riders. They must be bathed in water to survive, and are only for track use.
Compounds
Many people consider this the soft science of tireology and Q has built a reputable business off of his understanding of this very sophisticated issue. It's impossible to condense 30 years of racing into a blurb on a website, but the basics sound something like this. Each tire company has rubber variances to accomate for the differences in speed, traction level, asphalt, and temperature. In general, and I do mean in general because this isn't always the case, newer riders who are going slower benefit from softer tires. This is so they can "sheen" off the top layer of rubber, and expose fresh meat as they ride. Faster riders need firmer rubber, so that it stays put underneath the contact patch and can survive the extra frictional heat the pro is throwing at it. Really cold days need harder rubber to prevent "cold tearing" and then from 65 to 85 degrees the soft stuff works great. Then, over 90 degrees you need to go hard again, for temperature mitigation.
Pressures
Ok, another book could be written here. Trust us, we thought about writing it. But the basics are as follows. Pressures recommended by the manufacturers for street use have nothing to do with accentuating grip. OEM pressures are to protect the tire, (and the wheel believe it or not) from damage when used over long distances, while hitting pot holes and bridge joints. Track pressures, given by us for use on race tracks, are much more agressive. Tire protection takes a back seat to performance, not only because we're going faster, but also because the tire isn't expected to last 5,000 miles. It's expected to last for a weekend, if that. Most race tires (not rains) need to be warmed up with tire warmers before use and the pressures are quoted Front to Back, off the warmers. So for example, if we say, "35-19 hot", then you would start your warmers about 45 minutes before you ride, and at 2nd call right after you put your helmet on, set your front tire to 35 psi and your rear to 19. Then you may put your gloves on and ride. The idea is to have a nice hot tire, set at the last moment, so that you know exactly what you have when you hit the track.
A word about brands
This little blurb is going to get us in trouble with the tire executives, buy hey, integrity is how we got here so we're not turning back now. Each tire brand would love us to explain to you that their tire is the only one that can win a race, and that it's the only one that offers value, etc etc etc. Here's the truth. Q has won not only individual races, but class championships, on every brand of tire made. He has also, wrecked his brains out on every brand of tire made. So how to pick? Each manufacturer offers different compounds in their serious racing products to allow for differences in asphalt, weather, etc. We've seen races where top riders have traded places in the top four spots all throughout the race, finishing only tenths apart at the end, because performance wise, it's not as important which brand you choose, as it is getting the proper compound for your intended useage. If you're fast enough to absolutely need the fastest tire made, then you're probably on a professional grid and your tires will be allocated to you. If you're not in the factory ranks, then trust us, this is absolutely true, you show us how fast you can go, and we'll show you someone on a different brand that can best your times. Some clubs offer contingency programs, some tire companies offer rebates, some are known to be extremely fast for 16 laps but then not last so long, others are known to last for a full endurance race but not set many track records. If you're not sure what you want, that's ok. Give us a call, we'll ask you a few questions, and can then offer you information so that you, the customer, can make an informed decision.
Tire Warmers
Tire warmers became all the rage in motorcycle racing about 30 years ago. Without taking you through a history lesson on Dave's first designs, all the way up through what the pro teams use today, We'll give you the information you need to know to use yours properly. Most warmer companies recommend a turn on time around 45 minutes before you need to ride. This gives ample time for the filaments to heat up the internal blankets, transfer to the tire, and gently start to warm the rims and the air underneath the rubber. This is why pressures shouldn't be checked until right before you ride when you take the warmers off. Hot tires make warm air, warm air expands, and pressures increase. Things to consider while using warmers are:
Make sure they are wrapped around the tire completely, if the filaments bunch up it not only causes hot and cold spots on your rubber, it can also damage the filaments if they are heated up while coiled and lapped over. When you remove them, hang them from one end off of your canopy so they don't fall on the ground and get bunched up while hot. Be mindful of the cords, and you should actually read the directions. Like, really. Read them. Don't take your warmers off until the last minute before you ride so your tires don't cool too much on pit road, and likewise, put them back on your tires when you come back in to reduce heat cycling. If it's your last ride for the day, leave them unplugged, but put them on and let the tire cool slowly when it comes off of the track. Generally speaking, yeah I know your buddies uncle can pick this information apart because last time he finished 12th in a race he did something different, but generally speaking most race tires like to be warmed up for at least 45 min, at at least 175 degrees F, and that will solve most of your problems. If you own a big bike, and if you run Dunlop slicks, and if you ride in cooler weather, you may find it beneficial to invest in a set of warmers that can go to 200 degrees F. If the weather is warm, or you're on other brands, or you're on any DOT's, 175 is fine. And lastly, we at Mize Mobile do not recommend using warmers at all on rain tires. We sell one brand that does have a world superbike rain that can be heated to lower temperatures for short durations, if we sell you this we'll let your know, but generally, heat is the enemy of a tire that was designed to roll around in coolant.
Heat Cycling and Tire Care
Ok, let's have this talk. It's not what your ego wants to hear, but it's what you need to know. If you are as fast as our friend Blake Davis, or your R3 front goes as fast as the one Q put on Jake Gagne's wheel when he won Pittsburgh, then you will never heat cycle out your tires. They'll wear out before they have a chance to cycle out. If this is you, you already know it, and I'm not teaching you anything new. But, if you're new to track days or racing, (WELCOME BY THE WAY!) then you'll need to understand heat cycling. The rubber compounds used by any of the tire companies have a limited amount of times that they can be heated up, and cooled down, before they start to lose their maximum grip. Typically, a super fast guy can get four sessions of cycling, but the tire usually doesn't last that long anyway. A new rider, should expect an absolute maximum of 15 to 16 sessions before their track tires start to go down in performance. This is why we sell newer riders softer rubber, we want the tire to "sheen" rubber off of the top layer because fresh rubber mitigates the effects of cycling. If you hear a new rider bragging about how he got 5 whole track days out of a racing tire, you should explain to them that the tire in question will now, after it's cycled so many times, never wear out. It's a brick. The new guy gets away with it because they are going slower anyway, and that's fine, but as speeds increase that tire is no longer functional. A newer rider who's learning on a steep learning curve, can ride right into a crash if they are also trying to save too much money on their rubbers. So, if you're new, buy soft, and go 3 days max. If you're a club level novice, buy appropriate compounds and work with the tire guy on site to evaluate wear, but expect about 10 to 12 sessions depending on bike size and power. Once you turn expert, you'll worry much less about cycling because you'll be lucky to get 6 good sessions. And after that, we hope you're sponsored because your tire bill gets nuts. For real... it can be bad. Q was spending $1200 a month in the 90's, that's like two mortgages in todays money. And lastly, yes keeping your warmers on your tires all day between sessions at a track day when you're 20 min on, 40 min off, etc is a great idea to prevent cycling. However, if you're sprint racing and you practice, then go in race 6, then in race 17, that unfortunately should be treated as three separate cycles, because leaving warmers on all day and not riding, is like leaving brownies in the oven all day at 200 degrees. Yes there's no heat cycling, but it's not good to roast them all day for no reason either.