| Author | Message | ||
     Doz |
I did a trackday last weekend and went down (softly). I don't want to end the season on a crash so I'm trying to get one more in. Was thinking of getting tire warmers for two reasons: 1. My crash was most likely due to cold tires. 2. it's getting cold and don't want to spend two laps waiting for them to warm up. So, single temp? adjustable temp? and what temp should they be at anyway? using Q3's Thanks. | ||
| 99buellx1 |
While they aren't a necessity, they are a nice peace of mind item, but they are also a bit of a hassle. You need power, time, etc. With a Q3, I don't think you would really need warmers, they are an everything sport tire. I would focus more on tire pressure that is adjusted for the track temp. If you feel that you really need to be at full speed on the first turn, the entry level Chicken Hawk wraps are of nice quality, and a US company. That's what I have, been quite happy with them, they are just a single temp. I've seen a lot of people lately running the D-Moto warmers, but I have no experience with them. | ||
| Skntpig |
I have cheapo chicken Hawks I bought used 5 years ago. They work fine and you'll get more runs out of a tire. | ||
| Nm5150 |
Cheap Chicken Hawks here.175 degrees,no heat cycles for the day and a piece of mind,No good for street tires IMHO but love them for slicks. | ||
| Redponcho |
Q3s are good tires and warmers wont help all that much. Plain and simple if you run DOT tires then you need a warmup lap. If you cant wait to warm your tires up I dont want to be on the track with you. Not trying to be a jerk but you may need to slow down to go faster. | ||
| Doz |
Apparently your missing my point Red. I see many riders go down mostly because they don't let the tires warm up. If I can avoid a crash (and potentially taking someone else out) by using warmers, then I think it would be a good idea. Sure I can be patient and spend a lap or two but I'd prefer to take advantage of my time spent learning technique while having the confidence that the tires are good to go. I hope to be at NYST this sunday, intermediate group.don't be there. | ||
| Damnut |
Saying that tire warmers do not help that much is dumb statement. It helps with slicks, DOTs and everything in between. Not having to wait till you get off the track to check your tire pressures is another benefit. I won't ride on the track unless I have warmers on my tires. And it takes more than a lap to get your tires up to temp. | ||
| Nobuell |
If you are riding on the track then do not approach it like street riding. DOT tires must reach the proper operating temperature to provide the designed traction. Using tire warmers is a good idea for all track applications if riding in intermediate or above levels, in my opinion. During colder track conditions, your tires may never reach design temperature without using warmers. If using warmers on DOT tires, check the temperature recommended for the tires. Most DOT tires should be warmed to approximately 135 deg F not the 175 deg F used on race rubber. I have seen many riders go down because of tire temperature issues. I have had tire slips on warm up laps if the pace is to slow and my tires loss heat. If using cold DOT Tires, take at least 2 laps to bring the temperature up, keeping in mind that turning does not add much heat to the tires. Hard braking and accelerations that deform the tire will introduce stresses that generate the heat. I will do hard accelerations and hard braking during race warm up laps to keep the tire temperatures up after sitting on the grid. We are very susceptible to cold tire issues this time of year in the Chicago area. Less sunlight on the track along with lower ambient temperatures and wind can be an issue that will sneak up on you. Track days are similar to racing practice. One cannot win practice however, you can lose. | ||
| Slaughter |
Need to be clear here - if we're talking RACE DOTs or street tires that are speed rated. Race DOTs have race compounds but "DOT-legal" construction - sidewalls are beefier than slicks. You can still barely get 200 miles from what are referred to as "DOTs" That being said, if you're running street tires at a track day, you can run harder sooner with warmers than without but as Nobuell said, you can't win a track day. Talk to the tire vendors at the track that day. I'd attempt to go to track days that have the tire vendors in attendance so you can ask them the questions. Ride your own ride, never go to a track without a notebook to record tire pressures, suspension settings and gearing if you're intending to go faster. Notebook is the MOST IMPORTANT TOOL you can take to the track. More important than warmers I'd say. (Message edited by slaughter on October 08, 2015) | ||
| Nobuell |
Great clarification, I always lump race DOTs in as race tires. The are essentially slicks with minimal grooves. My reference to DOTs was intended to be street tires. |
