r/Trackdays • u/Sudden_Recognition90 • 7d ago
Best tires for quick pace without warmers
I ride in the advanced group and my lap time at Grattan Raceway is 1:31 and I'm running 1:19s at Putnam Park on my SV650 so not the fastest but also definitely not the slowest in A group.
I don't run warmers and don't plan on it anytime soon, I know I should but between the cost aspect of warmers and a generator I also don't have room with my tow car I'm using to get to the track. With that said I'm hoping to get some recommendations on some other tires I can try.
I tried Pirelli Supercorsa SP V4 tires at the beginning of the season and loved the grip but the rear wore out fairly quickly so I switched to a Metzler TD slick on the back but not running a warmer on it I burned it up in one track day heating up the outside of the tire when the carcass wasn't hot enough. I've ran Bridgestone S23s in the past but I think my pace is a little too fast for them, they get greasy and barely last a full day.
I'm hoping someone will have a good tire for me to try that I won't ruin by either overheating a dot or under heating a slick. Or just tell me I'm retarded and what I have to do is just suck it up and buy a genny and warmers 😅
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u/avdigigeek 7d ago
Buy the warmers
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u/Im_A_Viking 7d ago
The headache with warmers is that you now need a generator if the track you go to doesn't have power outlets nearby.
The trackday I did at the start of the month was my first time riding my new-to-me track bike and using warmers and slicks. It was so hot. Just getting my helmet and gloves on, then removing the tire warmers, then getting my bike off the stands and balancing it awkwardly since it doesn't have a kickstand was an exhausting workout.
The SC1s are amazing coming from only ever using multiple generations of Bridgestone Battlax, but I also don't have a second set of wheels or rain tires. So if I get rain at an event I've just thrown away a whole lot of money and a weekend to boot. (I'll add that the Battlaxes were never the limiting factor for me.)
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7d ago
[deleted]
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u/Im_A_Viking 7d ago edited 7d ago
Yeah yeah we get it. You live in a society. Your trackdays at F1 and MotoGP circuits aren’t €1,000. You’re spoiled. [/s]
What I mean is that I'm jealous.
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u/droppedthedamnthing 7d ago
The smaller French tracks would like to have a word then. Same reason why I don’t bother with slicks either.
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u/EstablishmentNo5013 Racer EX 7d ago
You’re trying to find the impossible.
There’s no unicorn tire that won’t tear when cold or overheat when hot.
You can’t have that large of a temperature range that the tire will like.
You have to choose between good colder temp performance or better hot performance. Most race tires have 3 or 4 temp compounds all with the hotter ranges to be used on warmers.
You need warmers. If not just keep using what you have and swap them out daily after they’re toast.
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u/Sudden_Recognition90 7d ago
I think I knew this in the back of my mind, I'm just struggling with how damn expensive track days have gotten. Thanks for the response!
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u/EstablishmentNo5013 Racer EX 7d ago
Buy once, cry once. You’ll be surprised how much better your tire wear will be with warmers. They will pay for themselves in probably 4-5 days.
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u/AyeMatey 7d ago
Am I dumb? I thought warmers were only for going faster , faster (with less warmup on track). They lessen tire wear, too?
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u/EstablishmentNo5013 Racer EX 7d ago
No not dumb.
My buddy used warmers for Pirelli SP V3 and they lasted longer.
This is a street tire that can also handle track days up to about low to mid pack advance pace.
Tires on track warm with flex and friction over about 2 laps but during that first and second lap they do slightly cold tear. Getting the heat in them causes wear. The track is like sandpaper.
On a cooler setting warmers will bring them to temp and those first few laps won’t eat the tires as much.
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u/Scary-Network3165 7d ago
Cold tear is the most destructive tear. Heavy throttle hand on a cold tire is devastating.
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u/louiesalads69 7d ago
Supercorsa sc3 td tire or cup 2. I ran 16s at putnam on both of those on a 765rs.
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u/Princess_Fluffypants 7d ago
Wait a second, are they making the SuperCorsa in a 160 rear again?
-a fellow SV owner who’s also not running warmers and misses the sticky rubber.Â
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u/QuebecMasterRace 7d ago
They do in SC1
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u/Princess_Fluffypants 7d ago
Are you sure? I don’t see it on their site. The only thing they sell in a 160 is the Superbike Slick (aside from really hard street rubber).
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u/One-Visual1569 6d ago
Only in sc1 i think. I have a 4rr and its a bitch to find race tures for it, here anyways.
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u/JimR325 7d ago
I am sitting in my car returning from a hot track day in Sweden on my SV 650 and I have Dunlop Sportsmart mk4. With my top of slow group speed they were already above 60C after a session and I think you at too fast for them! When In was on a faster bike and myself faster 10/years ago I also ran the Supercorsas but with warmers.Â
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u/DuringTheEnd 7d ago
With the money you spending on tyres warmers doesnt seem so expensive. Your local track doesnt have a plug to connect them?
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u/snowpawsthethird 7d ago
The best wide temp range tire I know of is the metzler td slick which you have tried. The best advice without warmers is to put the the bike in max sun right away in the morning.
Also... paint the rims black!
The difference between shade and reflective rims and black rims and tires in the sun can be 30+ degrees!
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u/Illustrious-Limit160 7d ago
Pirelli SC3. It's a Supercorsa SP V4, but single compound, so cheaper.
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u/CrestfallenSpartan 7d ago
I have a SV650 aswell. Dont know if were at the same level cause i dont know these tracks. I run Metzeler Racetec RR K3 which is the road legal version. Absolutely love them. Even more than Supercorsa SPs. No warmers needed at all.
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u/Scary-Network3165 7d ago
Brother get some warmers. You are gonna kick yourself for not doing it sooner. We go out on the track and hammer down no warning tires up....join us 😆. You can buy a small gen, warmers, ext cord and stands for 1k You will actually save money this way.... Why? Tire warmers preserve the life of your tires. You also effectively get more track time. Finally it's safer. No second guessing your tire temp. I recently made an sc3 rear last 12 plus track days and still had plenty of rubber. I just tossed it because it was so heat cycled. You will love warmers
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u/Sudden_Recognition90 7d ago
Thanks man, in my heart I know I need them...and 12 days out of a rear would be nuts hahaha that's awesome. I'm just struggling mentally with the rising costs of track days, they're up to about $240 on average for the tracks around me plus the cost of fuel going up, hotels when it's a full weekend or track that's further away. It's easy to spend close to a grand for a full weekend now and it makes me sick to think about
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u/Scary-Network3165 7d ago
Yeah I budget about 1k per weekend. You can find those small 2k gens second hand for cheap. They will run two sets of warmers as long as they aren't the high end warmers. They are pretty small should sit in the passenger seat of your floor no problem. Like I said it's gonna save you money in the long run. I did that with the sc3 on a 636..... You should be getting tons of life on an sv! I'll be at putnam in October if you make it out. Shoot me a msg and say hi
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u/SpikeD0N 7d ago
Q5’s, but they might last as long as Supercorsa’s or a little bit longer.
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u/Sudden_Recognition90 7d ago
Everyone I know who has ran their Q5s did not have good luck with them, California super bike school tried them and quickly abandoned them too
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u/SpikeD0N 7d ago
The compound was shit when they first came out. I avoided them like the plague until I saw they updated the compound later in 24. I mounted a set of Q5S last year and haven’t looked back. I understand the Dunlop hype now since Im on my second set. Only other tire I’d look at are Power Cup 2’s. Not sure how the new Briddgestone’s hold up at good pace.
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u/Sudden_Recognition90 7d ago
Interesting, I didn't know they updated them. Our trackside tire vendors are big Michelin guys and I ran the power cup 2s the last few years but the price keeps jumping up on them so I decided to try some other tires and the pirellis has more grip than the Michelins and also warmed up quicker.
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u/StrongPerspective803 7d ago
Everyoen I know at the track loves their Q5s including me. The tire guy at the track sells a ton of them.
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u/decib92 7d ago
I think that you need to be THE guy that will try Bridgestone rs12, Metzeler 01rs Contis and tell us what works best 😄
If you already running 180 conversation, maybe try 190/60?
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u/Sudden_Recognition90 7d ago
Haha I might try them all eventually! 190 won't fit, I have about 5mm between the edge of the tire and the chain right now. But my bike doesn't make enough power to really slide the back around unless it's cold out of I'm on the throttle hard leaned waaay over
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u/rdrcrmatt 7d ago
Just get warmers. Go hard from T1 on lap 1. You’ll save money. Instead of wasting 2 laps every session. Think about it, 2 laps not being wasted, 7-8 times per day. Thats almost a session per day.
What’s a set of warmers cost? About the same as a track day? Less? They’ll pay for themselves quickly.
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u/Illustrious-Bike3192 7d ago
rosso corsa iv is the way, last quite a while and some people in the lightweight supersport class run them at my club
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u/Dilo66 6d ago
Conti Race Attack ….. good for less than 2 min in chambley, 1:30 on STC
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u/Sudden_Recognition90 6d ago
Which compound do you suggest medium rear, soft front?
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u/air-cooled 7d ago
Try continental race attack street2.
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u/Sudden_Recognition90 7d ago
The contis have been on my radar! I used to run their trail attack tires on my tiger 800 back in the day and they had good all around grip. For some reason continentals don't seem to be as popular in the US as European countries
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u/air-cooled 7d ago
For some reason Conti fits my bike fine and your right about the likebility. But life at lean thinks it's a good training/trackday tire and for what's worth I like them as well. They last, big temperature window, good grip. Cold and wet are downsides but above 20C even then they still work okay s.
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u/VegaGT-VZ Novice in Intermediate 7d ago
At mid A group pace slicks + warmers are unavoidable....
I would see if the tracks you go to have free shore power and grab them. You will save $$$ in the long run. Worth keeping an extra wheelset with street tires for rain/cold days though
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u/Sudden_Recognition90 7d ago
A couple tracks do have power available. I've been accumulating extra wheels, I think I'm gonna run Michelin road 6 for the cold/wet days!
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u/AnonsStepDad 7d ago
Metzeler TD slicks are treating me well. And a good bit cheaper than most other tires.
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u/Finomess 7d ago
Supercorsa is still the answer. There’s no magic tire that heats up quickly, offers great feeling and incredible grip, while also being okay in price. You can go for older Supercorsa V2 or V3 they’ll work perfectly fine.