Track Tire Input
 

I'm going to the track on the 25th. Need some opinions on some tires.

My shinko contact told me to run the 010 APEX instead of the 003. I can get a set for $189 delivered.

I found a set of Michelin Power Pures on ebay for $250 delivered.

cheaper is better, but I want to be able to trust the tires too. I currently have a Power One/Power Race combo and completely trusted them. They only lasted two track days.

Any input?

honestly, i cant comment on shinkos--ive never found myself able to give them a run.

003RS' from bridgestone are my pick for a very high value track tire...q2's i hear are really good too. i've gone through a few sets of both 003RS and its predecessor the 002RS.

what brands have you run, just michelin so far?

I did a track day on power pures and they worked for me, although I can't compare them to anything else on the track. They are getting good mileage on the road also if that matters to you. I'll be doing another track day with them most likely, before I change them out. They've been on the bike for almost a year now (about 3000 miles plus a track day), and still have a ton of tread left.

Dunlop Q2's have received rave reviews as track tires and can be had for just over $200 for a pair.

Here's what the Shinko guy told me when asked to compare the 010 to Michelins:

The 010 has a much improved profile on the rear tire for cornering compared to the 003.
The rubber compounds are similar (intermediate).
They area single compound so I would compare them to an original Pilot Power (single compound also).The Power 1 and Pure will handle better due to the dual compound and a little softer rubber.
I have had some good feedback on the 010 on the track.

nice to see shinko is working with track day enthusiasts!

yeah, i posted some info in the other tire thread about the 003RS...very neutral profile. makes for a very controlled and predictable turn in. not pointy like the michelins or most DOT race rubber, which make turn in very sharp and fast (you will be used to this since the michelins have a rather pointy profile).

the 003RS are extremely well priced though, a hair over 200/set and they are a slightly softer carcass than the dunlops, which translates to smoother feedback (some guys dont like the dunlop ultra responsive feedback, i on the other hand actually do though). ive used them alot on both my rc51 and 600rr. the 003RS is dual compound front and rear i believe (not sure off the top of my head), but thats not that big of a deal on a track.

the power pures, like the 2ct and bt016, *may* get greasy due to them being primarily street tires. they're designed for much lower temps and will go off once you stress the tire to a certain point. that point is much higher on the 003RS (this one from personal experience), Q2, power one street, etc. the dual compounding on those tires is a product of this imo, super soft edges for extra grip at street pace/temps, but also the reason they can go off when stressed on a track.

then again, the tracks i ride are typically in high heat environments, and typically hard on tires.

ultimately its up to your preference :) id like to hear some feedback on the shinkos if you decide to go that route! but hopefully ive been able to provide some good detail about the bridgestones to help you make the best decision for you.

i also have experience with dunlop d211gpa's in A group pace, but those are way outta price range--$425/set. if you'd like to know about those, i'd be glad to share.

hope this helps!

[QUOTE=thefauxnarchist;305263]nice to see shinko is working with track day enthusiasts!

the 003RS are extremely well priced though, a hair over 200/set and they are a slightly softer carcass than the dunlops,


Can I ask where you getting BT003rs for that price? My fav tires a few years back were the BT002rs. Was just about to buy some Pilot pures to try, but at that price I love to try the Bridgestones.

i wouldnt get caught up on whats better, any higher en street or "track day" tire would be good. your not going to out ride any of them

[quote=speedkelly@aol.com;305268]jcmotors.com has been where ive gotten my 003rs and 002rs (i LOVED that tire btw!) i see you're in the LA area. these guys are in irvine, so it MAY be a little far to do a pickup. im in OC so its not too bad of a drive for me. save on shipping

100.48
133.20
233.68 for a 120/70 and 180/55...my bad looks like prices went up a smidge, they were a bit lower when i got my last set (i paid about this much for a 190/55 rear, and 180/55 are cheaper)

i know of another shop thats on my local forum thats doing about the same price, but will do mount and balance for you if you bring just the wheels. they're in lake forest, down the road. you'd have to say you were referred by the local forum, ocmoto, though.

Just finished 3 days on a set of Michelin Power One's at Mosport. They wore extremely well and stuck like glue. In fact I could easily do 1 more day on them. I've used 003 for the last few years and trashed them in 1.5 days from what looked like cold tears. To be fair to Bridgestone, it could have been caused by other issues such as a too tight chain not allowing the suspension to travel fully or improper tire pressure.
The Power One's have a very triangular front, so turn is very quick. However it is difficult to compare to the 003 or other tires I've used in the past since I changed from standard front suspension to a 954 USD fork. What is surprising is the low pressure Michelin recommends i.e. 22 rear and 30 front. There were some other issues but I don't want to hijack the thread.

I put power pures on last year, and took my Hawk to two trackdays last year, summit main and NJ Thunderbolt. I thought that they worked great, but I've not ridden anything else on with the Hawk on the track so I can't compare them with anything else

that said, If you go with the Power Pures on the track, I've heard someone here (i think) said the Michellin Rep recommended fairly high tire pressure (above 30) because of how thin the carcass is. They flex too much with typical track day pressures and don't perform as well as at lower pressures

I would not recommended Shinkos for the track 1, it flatens out and becomes a flat contact patch (2) while it sticks fairly well (and I'm being nice) it doesn't like heat too much and becomes oily....not a very predictable tire.

I run the Q2's on the track....much higher pitched tire and much better contact patch. Holds and sticks....Nothing sticks better than the Powers, but too much money for my taste... just my .02

Where did you find the 003RS set at that price. A quick check looks like around 260 including shipping. still looking, but not seeing particularly good prices yet. thx!

Never mind. saw the other post about it. I found a set of 003RSs at cycle sector for 230 shipped. Not too bad....

Strike that...they want 40 bucks shipping.

I saw that link but could not get the entire article. I figured you had to subscribe or something. :confused:

No subscription necessary. The entire article is accessible.

figured it out....crappy IE6 version still in use here at my company.

dang thats whackkkk im thinking prices went up cuz shipping from japan was strained a few months ago. either way, ive always bought them at local shops, found it on their website and walked in and paid the same low price, minus shipping. :\ are there any local shops near you worth giving a shout to?

if i run across anything with free/cheap shipping ill repost here.

sourcing from ebay at two different locations gave me a combined price of 240 including shipping costs. that's not so bad for the quality of tire. Dunlop Q2s are the same price. Given the writeup in the link posted above, seems that either would be a great intermediate track day choice.

They didn't have bad things to say about shinko given the price, and my shinko guy said the 010 is improved from the 003, but I also know how important tire confidence is at the track.

glad to hear man! yeah ive run intermediate for over a year (i do >12 track days per year) with the 002RS and 003RS. they worked great and i didnt really have any slippage until i got way up in pace on a really high wearing track on a really hot day, after a ton of days on the set of tires anyways. cant remember exactly how many, but way more than 1.5. then again im not stupendously fast or anything, but im decent.

yeah, well, my first two track days in novice were on a triumph TT600 running shinko 005s. by the second track day my little old 600 was sliding the rear tire out of turns. :o

I also love the Qualifiers for both the street and track. I've had decent luck with Bridgestone BT016's, but you have to get them really hot to work at all. Though some claim good results, Pilot 2CT's have really sucked for me. For those people I would suggest trying some Qualifiers and I think you'd be surprised!

For reference, I found a shop in ebay and went to their web site instead of buying through ebay. Bargeron Powersports: BARGERON POWERSPORTS JESUP, GA (912) 427-8475

I got a set of BT-003 RS for about $207 shipped. They also have Sportmax Q2s for about $216 a set. I went with the bridgestones, but both are really good prices.

Hmmm. I can't find that tire on their website? can you post a link. Thats an awesome deal.

front:
Bridgestone Battlax BT-003 Ultra High Performance Motorcycle Front Tire

rear:
Bridgestone Battlax BT-003 Ultra High Performance Rear Tire

for cycle city, you'd have to maybe call or pm the guy on ocmoto for the private pricing (you're in socal so technically ocmoto isnt out of the question for you :) ).

try this one:
Bridgestone BRIDGESTONE BATTLAX BT-003 RACING STREET from BARGERON POWERSPORTS

if you put Bridgestone 003 in their search box it will find them. Same for the Dunlop Q2s.

Thanks
 

Thanks Old Yeller. Just ordered them. $206.97!! that's a great deal shipped to my door. Always wanted to try the new version of the BT-002rs.

Thanks for the hook up. Guess I have try the Pure's some other time.

holy crikies thats a good deal!

Tires turned up today. Can't wait to try these out. If I have time will try and get them installed this weekend. There is a track day I'm eyeing up the following weekend.

Mine are supposed to arrive today. I should be able to get the front on tonight.

Speed, are you going to Carolina Motorsports Park next weekend too? ;)