Post by Jerico on Aug 26, 2009 22:54:51 GMT -5
I wanted to make a thread dedicated to tires, the reason being is that I don't think everybody fully understands just how important and complex sport bike tires are. I know that everybody has heard terms like "Heat Cycles", "Carcass Construction", "Compound" and "Tire Profile" and might be wondering EXACTLY what these things might be.
So allow me to explain:
-Heat Cycles: I remember when I first got into motorcycles, I heard this term used quite often, and it took me the longest time to fully understand it because there were so many different ideas about it. So first, some background information to help you further understand this concept; sport bike tires are not comprised of just a bunch of random recycled rubber thrown into a mold, they are extremely complex chemicals and rubbers combined in order to produce the optimum balance between traction, stability and durability. Every tire has its own combination, some tires are known as 'road tires' because they have created a ultra durable and hard tire that can last thousands upon thousands of miles but lacks drastically in the traction grip department, other tires like 'high performance' DOT race tires are made specifically for grip and stability at speed, so naturally, the combinations are more complex and advanced (hence the higher price tag). If you heat up a DOT race tire and let it cool back down all the way over and over and over again, these chemicals and rubbers will begin to degrade and break down, causing that ultra sticky tire to become ultra slippery and washy... now you should be starting to understand heat cycles, some tires can stand being heated and cooled hundreds of times without a problem, others can only stand it a dozen before they start slipping. In a nutshell 'Heat cycles are the amount of times a tire has been heated up (through riding) and cooled down completely (through not riding or sitting in a hot garage)'. So remember, just because you still have tread on your 2 year old DOT race tires, does not mean they will grip when you use them at the track, its extremely important that you realize that.
-Carcass Construction: This is an easy one, its simply the construction method used by the manufacturer of the tire. Most tire manufacturers have their own"special" method of constructing tires, thats one of the reasons a lot of riders have brand loyalty, because they like the way the tire feels under their bike, this feeling typically comes from construction of the tire. For example, Many of the Pirelli riders love Pirelli's because they have a very unique feel, they have a very soft carcass and squirm around on you under the bike almost as if you have a little extra suspension travel. Dunlop's have a very hard carcass that I personally don't like, they feel very firm and strong under the bike giving you a sense of security if you don't like the squirmy feel of the Pirelli's. Michelin's seem to be a combination of the two, soft at times, firm at others. I won't personally comment of Birdgestones because I have only ever used one set before, but they seemed relatively sturdy to me.
-Compound: The compound refers again to the chemical make-up of the tire, if you buy a hard compound, the manufacturer specifically combined the chemicals in order to create a 'firm' yet 'sticky' tire that will last a good amount of laps on the track. If the compound is soft, they created a 'squishy', 'ultra sticky' tire that won't last as many laps on the track. For example, if you watch MotoGP qualifying, you will notice that they seem to do just totally ridiculous lap times, this is because the qualifying tires are a specifically created super soft compound that is meant to last just a few laps yet provide absolutely insane amounts of grip.
-Tire Profile: Ok, this is one of my favorite attributes, and I only ever really realized it after low-siding on a set of Dunlop 208 GP-A's doing my normal lean angle. Basically, each tire has its own profile, and this profile can have a DRASTIC effect on your riding style, if you like going for super low lean angles, don't buy a tire with a flat profile that doesn't curve very far down the side of the tire. If you look at different tires from different manufacturer's enough, you will notice that each has its own unique profile, for example, a Michelin PR-C front tire resembles a triangle more then it does a half circle, because its specifically made to provide ultimate traction while you are leaning the bike at super low lean angles.
Needless to say, you need to read up on your tires and evaluate your personal style in order to pick a tire that is the most efficient for you, don't just buy what everybody else is buying and DON'T keep riding on a set of slippery heat cycled tires just because they still have a lot of tread left, fresh tires are the best insurance you can ever buy for you, and your bike. Don't cheap out on tires to save money, you might end up paying even more with a wrecked motorcycle, or worst... with your life.
Note: This info is copied from another forum member and I thought it was interesting to share.
So allow me to explain:
-Heat Cycles: I remember when I first got into motorcycles, I heard this term used quite often, and it took me the longest time to fully understand it because there were so many different ideas about it. So first, some background information to help you further understand this concept; sport bike tires are not comprised of just a bunch of random recycled rubber thrown into a mold, they are extremely complex chemicals and rubbers combined in order to produce the optimum balance between traction, stability and durability. Every tire has its own combination, some tires are known as 'road tires' because they have created a ultra durable and hard tire that can last thousands upon thousands of miles but lacks drastically in the traction grip department, other tires like 'high performance' DOT race tires are made specifically for grip and stability at speed, so naturally, the combinations are more complex and advanced (hence the higher price tag). If you heat up a DOT race tire and let it cool back down all the way over and over and over again, these chemicals and rubbers will begin to degrade and break down, causing that ultra sticky tire to become ultra slippery and washy... now you should be starting to understand heat cycles, some tires can stand being heated and cooled hundreds of times without a problem, others can only stand it a dozen before they start slipping. In a nutshell 'Heat cycles are the amount of times a tire has been heated up (through riding) and cooled down completely (through not riding or sitting in a hot garage)'. So remember, just because you still have tread on your 2 year old DOT race tires, does not mean they will grip when you use them at the track, its extremely important that you realize that.
-Carcass Construction: This is an easy one, its simply the construction method used by the manufacturer of the tire. Most tire manufacturers have their own"special" method of constructing tires, thats one of the reasons a lot of riders have brand loyalty, because they like the way the tire feels under their bike, this feeling typically comes from construction of the tire. For example, Many of the Pirelli riders love Pirelli's because they have a very unique feel, they have a very soft carcass and squirm around on you under the bike almost as if you have a little extra suspension travel. Dunlop's have a very hard carcass that I personally don't like, they feel very firm and strong under the bike giving you a sense of security if you don't like the squirmy feel of the Pirelli's. Michelin's seem to be a combination of the two, soft at times, firm at others. I won't personally comment of Birdgestones because I have only ever used one set before, but they seemed relatively sturdy to me.
-Compound: The compound refers again to the chemical make-up of the tire, if you buy a hard compound, the manufacturer specifically combined the chemicals in order to create a 'firm' yet 'sticky' tire that will last a good amount of laps on the track. If the compound is soft, they created a 'squishy', 'ultra sticky' tire that won't last as many laps on the track. For example, if you watch MotoGP qualifying, you will notice that they seem to do just totally ridiculous lap times, this is because the qualifying tires are a specifically created super soft compound that is meant to last just a few laps yet provide absolutely insane amounts of grip.
-Tire Profile: Ok, this is one of my favorite attributes, and I only ever really realized it after low-siding on a set of Dunlop 208 GP-A's doing my normal lean angle. Basically, each tire has its own profile, and this profile can have a DRASTIC effect on your riding style, if you like going for super low lean angles, don't buy a tire with a flat profile that doesn't curve very far down the side of the tire. If you look at different tires from different manufacturer's enough, you will notice that each has its own unique profile, for example, a Michelin PR-C front tire resembles a triangle more then it does a half circle, because its specifically made to provide ultimate traction while you are leaning the bike at super low lean angles.
Needless to say, you need to read up on your tires and evaluate your personal style in order to pick a tire that is the most efficient for you, don't just buy what everybody else is buying and DON'T keep riding on a set of slippery heat cycled tires just because they still have a lot of tread left, fresh tires are the best insurance you can ever buy for you, and your bike. Don't cheap out on tires to save money, you might end up paying even more with a wrecked motorcycle, or worst... with your life.
Note: This info is copied from another forum member and I thought it was interesting to share.