Slicks with no warmers...

[Manny]

I know I have heard you need to run warmers with slicks. Any truth to this?

I am probably going to try a set at the next track day but have no warmers and really would rather not bother.

Does it make a difference?

Thanks.

You know I love the feedback denno, so verify it baby!

[hammadown]

I think you'll still be ok. You just have to be take it easy for a lap or two to warm them up so you dont cold tare them. I ran slicks w/o tire warmers last year and it was fine.

[Pittenger5]

Im under the impression that slicks are more prone to heat cycles though. I could be wrong, I dont run em

[OreoGaborio]

Ask Degsy about the tires that were on his blue 600RR


Slicks are no different than any other tire. Let it come up to temp & you're good to go. Yes, some people use them, but there's no such thing as a NEED for tire warmers at a track day as long as you ride accordingly in the first couple of laps each session.

You can go on all day about "heat cycles" but it all boils down to this... tire warmers were designed for one thing & one thing only... to give you hot tires going into turn 1.

[brewmaster]

My experience with Michelin slicks is the following:

You can certainly use them without tire warmers. Just make sure and give them a couple of laps to warm up before pushing to hard. They will cold tare as has been said already if you hammer them before the whole carcase is throughly to temp. Note- this will also happen if the tyre is completely to temp (maybe even to warm) BUT the track is cold, you see this allot in the early season due to a cold track.

My personal view is that the slicks wear better than DOT's. I can't say if it is due to better tolerance to heat cycling or tread wear. In fact it could be a little of both. Either way I'll stick with the slicks.

Hope this helps, probably will just confuse you more.

[Manny]

In general though is it safe to say they take longer to get to temp than a DOT or a track oriented street tire?

[CEO]

You can go on all day about "heat cycles" but it all boils down to this... tire warmers were designed for one thing & one thing only... to give you hot tires going into turn 1.

Preface: I know very little about slicks and warmers and have never ridden/used either.

However....

If a tire is sensitive to heat cycles... running warmers at a track day would allow you to heat cycle the tires once (9am to 5pm) as opposed to 8 times... right?

[brewmaster]

Just something to think about. The cocktail of plastisizers, elastimers etc. in the compound of a modern tyre differ for every brand. Some of these components deteriorate and/or volatilize FASTER at higher temps. This means they will be removed or altered more by holding them at a higher temp for a longer amount of time. This will of course change the characteristics of the tyre compound. How that affects a specific tyre depends on the original blend or I prefer cocktail chosen by the manufacture.

That said you should ask the tyre manufacture what they recommend.

[OreoGaborio]

what he said... some tires are heat cycle sensitive, some aren't. The tires on my race bike have gone through literally hundreds of heat cycles & they still grip as much as I need them to.

Other tires... not so much.

So talk to your tire rep if you're that worried about it... but like I said... when you boil it all down, tire warmers were designed for ONE thing & one thing only... hot tires in turn 1. Any other fringe benefit is just that... a fringe benefit.

[Pittenger5]

The tires on my race bike have gone through literally hundreds of heat cycles & they still grip as much as I need them to.

EXs can NEVER be used as an example for anything.

[ssg]

In general though is it safe to say they take longer to get to temp than a DOT or a track oriented street tire?

Generally speaking, yes.

[OreoGaborio]

EXs can NEVER be used as an example for anything.

The number of heat cycles I've put in my tires has nothing to do with what bike they're on other than the fact that it's a lightweight.... which is what Manny will be riding.

[Pittenger5]

Pete, you need to stop making good points when Im trying to bash EXs.
Thank you

[wingerdor]

This is the the other reason that you should never run anything but street tires on the street. Race tires will NEVER warm up enough to give you traction on the street even with spirited riding.

I agree with the "Ask the manufacturer" plan. They know how many heat cycles the tires are good for. 2 trackdays is alot of heat cycles to put your tires through. Make sure they are designed for it, or you will be going through expensive tires way too fast (making warmers suddenly become cheap)

[Paul_E_D]

Manny, you can run slicks without warmers, but the first few laps will feel strange. Cold slicks don't offer much feedback for some reason.

On a similar note, I don't think you'll get them up to full operating temp. Street tires may prove grippier for you.

There is NOTHING better than the feeling of a slick tire coming in, though. so you may want to give it a go...

braking and accelerating are what put heat in the tire, so I brake hard and accelerate hard on my first lap, just not while leaned over much. Most people do the opposite, lean over, but don't brake/accelerate. That's why it takes 2 laps for them to warm the tires and maybe why they cold tear them, too. My slicks are fully warm by T12, even without warmers.

[TheIglu]

Run warmers for the first session.

Don't risk being "that guy" who crashes in turn 3 doing 15mph nearly upright on the first lap.

-That guy

[Tricky Mike]

Now that's funny right there...

[Crash Dummy Denno]

MR FUCKING FEEDBACK... you already know the answer you choad

[TheIglu]

Really.

Just toss them on in the morning. I was leaned less than having the bike on the kickstand with no brakes and it just washed.

Don't take the chance, especially with such a nice pretty bike!

[Manny]

On a similar note, I don't think you'll get them up to full operating temp. Street tires may prove grippier for you.

Can you elaborate on this a little bit please? Because of my non-aggressive riding style?

These tires would be on my 749R, not the motard. Basically, the folks at BCM are setting the chasis adjustments to what they have found works best for the bike, like steering head angle etc etc. He runs this setup on his race bike with a 195 rear and thinks that I would be best served trying it as a package as the tires have a particular shape that suits the other adjustments.

I don't feel like I need slicks, cause I'm slow, and I kind of feel like ill look like an ass running warmers since im so slow! Seriously.

[Paul_E_D]

Yes, at a moderate trackday pace I find slicks are at least 40 degrees under operating temp. The good thing is, they may just last forever. the bad thing is, they may just cold tear...

Certain bikes do handle alot better with a specific tire, but I think tires are changing at least once a year at this point. Meaning you great set-up has a short window. I mean, you have nothing to lose by trying it.

[OreoGaborio]

Paul is it true that cold tearing is more likely to occurr when the outter carcas is warmer than the inner carcas?

If so then you should be ok as long as you warm the tire evenly, even though it's not getting all the way up to optimal temp, correct?

[SVRACER01]

you do what i do at trackdays. turn warmers on in the AM, do a session and come in and put them back on unplugged. they will hold the heat and not cool as fast thus reducing heat cycles and maintaining a good temp for when you go back out.
even after my last race of the day the warmers go back on until they cool.

[Manny]

I still feel like Ill look like an ass....


A tire that is not in its operating temp range seems to be a bad idea.....

[SVRACER01]

anyone tell you that you look like an ass with "the orthodontist" on your back?