Rain (and cheap sunsabitchez)

[Tricky Mike]

so, what do you cheap sunsabitchez do for rains? If you have a spare wheelset with mounted rains this is not a question for you as you are not a cheap sonofabitch.
CheapBastids®©™ can reply.

I have Michelin PP race tires that seemed to do OK in what little rain they saw at a Penguin day last summer, but I really didn't push them much at all. There isn't much in the way of grooves. None at all on the edges.

Do you guys with slicks have race rains that you swap out? Tire irons and cursing? Waiting in line for a vendor?
What do you do if it's not really raining... just wet/misty?
Does anyone run regular powers for rains?
If this has been discussed ad infinitum I apologize.

[BLACK SQUIRREL]

My ideal is to bring my rains mounted/as well as my street wheels (off my street SV) and use those for intermiendits (sp?) but since I broke my collarbone last week in the wet I will no longer ride the track in the Rain. For me and my level of craziness i Always keep pushing and pushing till I land on my ass. If its a race forget about it once i get passed I forget about the rain until i am sliding down the track on my ass.

So i think i have a set of rains I will not be using Michelin ones 160's Theye are yours for price of mounting

[Tricky Mike]

Wow, Dan... that's fanfuckingtastic. PM-ed

[Honclfibr]

All us cheap bastids have extra wheelsets because you get EX500 wheels free with every happy meal

Seriously though, consider that wheelsets are like tire warmers in that you can usually purchase them on ebay, use them, then resell them for what you paid for them.

[Doc]

My ideal is to bring my rains mounted/as well as my street wheels (off my street SV) and use those for intermiendits (sp?) but since I broke my collarbone last week in the wet I will no longer ride the track in the Rain. For me and my level of craziness i Always keep pushing and pushing till I land on my ass. If its a race forget about it once i get passed I forget about the rain until i am sliding down the track on my ass.

So i think i have a set of rains I will not be using Michelin ones 160's Theye are yours for price of mounting

WHAT!! You broke your collarbone? When? How? What did I miss?!

[BLACK SQUIRREL]

WHAT!! You broke your collarbone? When? How? What did I miss?!

VIR turn 1 Cold wet track, Cold wet Dots With a fool at the throttle

[Tricky Mike]

All us cheap bastids have extra wheelsets because you get EX500 wheels free with every happy meal

Seriously though, consider that wheelsets are like tire warmers in that you can usually purchase them on ebay, use them, then resell them for what you paid for them.

Wheels for the KTM seem fewer and further between.
I should just re-lace my dirty wheels with motard rims... they're useless anyway since my recent suspension changes have likely made the bike completely un-rideable off-road.

[Paul_E_D]

It's not a disaster to have one set of wheels. Just make your decision early, have the vendor swap the tires, and stick with it. It's probably less stress in the end. You won't have the option of agonizing over which set to use until the last second. When in doubt, mount the rains. DOTs and slicks are NOT for racing on a wet track. or even a damp track for that matter. Although, motards are easier to ride in the wet...

[Tricky Mike]

If I were to run rains in damp conditions should I expect to trash them in short order? My pace is pretty mild.

[Evil_Weasel]

when i started racing on the buell i ran quite a few races in the rain/damp on DOTs. deffinatly not ideal but the slow reving twin made it easy. there was usually 2 or 3 of us out there on DOTs...the trick was to be the first guy home on DOTs, cause the guys on wets would have cleared the fuck off by turn 3 after the green flag.

i tried the same thing on the NSR last april and promplety broke my elbow. in hind sight, not my brightest moment.

[Paul_E_D]

No, you won't burn them up at a mild pace. Running sub 27s in the dry will burn them up. If it's damp, they will survive that pace and a little more.

Anyway, a set of rains is cheaper than a broken collarbone...

[TheIglu]

Don't run race tires in the rain. I nearly got run over by KB that way in turn 3.

[SVRACER01]

when i ran DOTs (dunlops) i ran them in the rain. but that was a different tire then (207/208RR) they had alot of grooves. the 209s dont. rains are you friend. you will be amazed at the grip. i need a set of wheels. SV6 rear and a GSXR front.

[Tricky Mike]

Don't run race tires in the rain. I nearly got run over by KB that way in turn 3.

sure he wasn't TRYING to hit you?

[KB]

I remember that race. Those EX's make alot of sparks even in the wet.

I also have a set of rains that I can give to you for free. They're a little used but they will work.
Soooooooooooooooo you going to take the plunge Mr Trick?

KB

[Tricky Mike]

Thanks KB!
Still on the fence, man.
Right now, I'm just looking for some sort of a rain contingency so I don't find myself sitting out a trackday.

[KB]

Thanks KB!
Still on the fence, man.
Right now, I'm just looking for some sort of a rain contingency so I don't find myself sitting out a trackday.

In that case there are about 10 or so guys on here that I'm sure would loan you their spare set of rain wheels and tires in the event that it does actually rain. Even if you can get just the rims from em and then swing by my house say on the way up and I'll mount my tires to them. Then your in like butta.

Word guy!

KB