street riding & tire race compounds
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Using race compound tires on the street!
This is serious stuff – your well being could depend upon it!
Unfortunately over the years I have heard the following comment far too often,”I put race compound tires on my street bike for more traction”
I do not profess to be a tire expert and I am not connected with any tire supplier..... But I do have many years of involvement with race tracks and street riding.
In the hope to educate/help even a few folk I pass on a little of my self acclaimed wisdom concerning the use race compound DOT tires on the street
Using race compound DOT tires <even soft> on the street gives you significantly LESS grip/traction than street optimized compounds…. As the air/road temp drops the lack of traction compounds.
So what’s the different between race compounds and street compounds, why the big delta in potential grip level….?
Basically it's pretty simple... heat builts up in tires by the flexing of the tire sidewalls/carcass -flexing mainly occurs during acceleration and braking (this is how you get heat into tires-the harder and more consistent the acceleration and braking the quicker and higher the heat build up). Obviously acceleration and braking occurs more often on a race track.
All Race tire compounds have a narrow range of optimum operating temperature and need to withstand more heat. Therefore the optimum temp range for maximum grip/traction for race tires (typically around 170oF) is much higher then with street compounds… Changing tire pressures (allowing more or less flex) for a given rider after a few “hot” laps looking for the 170oF is one way racers find the optimum grip level.
On the other hand street tire compounds are optimized for max grip level well below race compounds and reach optimum temperature quickly and designed to maintain that temp.
Now use “race” compound tires on the street and it’s very unlikely at ANY time they will get even near their optimum grip level and NEVER stay there.
Spirited street riding, race compound, and anything except the hottest of days (surface temp over100oF) is just asking for trouble… Now normal riding on a cool or wet day/night just amplifies the lack of traction (as compares the street optimized tires).
Note: even soft compound race tires working temp is well above street compound tires.
Concerning track day riding
This is not to say you can’t use street compounds on track days, at least initially. As your performance level increases the tire compound will “melt” quicker and then go well beyond their optimum grip ability.
Many tire manufacturers now make track/street tire compounds, while a bit of a compromise for both track and street- the design realizes the typically fast(est) track day rider is not loading the tires the same way a racer does.
These are the tires of choice of many track day attendees once their performance level exceeds street tires (after quite a few track days). Obviously the grip level for the street is also compromised a little and caution on those far too many cool damp days needs to take this into account.
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Originally Posted by 97BladeRider
