Poor man's tire warmer = Low tire pressure. Creates heat. One reason they run low pressure it to keep the heat in. Upright, you are off the sides. The sides cool off down the straights. Therefore, the low pressure kills those two birds being one, the foot print, two, the heat created by the low pressure.

I prefer 44 rear 45 front. I roll backwards out the driveway a lot easier. I can tell when the roll is not effortless like a racing skate. It steers needle sharp is the front end. I neglect the pressure under 42, I wanna how much coast is slowing me down.

Hub, I used to be a straight, by the book, mfgs' recommended tire pressure kind of guy. It worked fine in my early riding days but the harder I started pushing the tires the more compromises I started uncovering. Too much slip on both ends under load or when dialing in throttle coming off a corner. If you think about it, the universal tire pressure setting for most sport bikes, (36F/42R) is that one size fits all pressure that will work for the widest set of conditions, including two up riding. If 42 psi rear is optimal or near optimal for average two up riding, then it can't be optimal for solo riding, if you get where I'm going with this. After a little research, I'm zoning in on around 33/33 or 34/34 as optimal for solo riding at an aggressive street pace on the literbikes and supersport. ZX-14 is a different anmimal, needs more pressure, especially up front but I like the 38/38 I tried yesterday afternoon. 42/42 is my preferred pressure for long trips, good balance of grip and mileage.

On the subject of track tires used on the street.... fagehedaboudit! I've heard way too many stories that track tires will not develop enough heat on the street to get up to optimal temp and grip levels. One magazine article I read said that a sport-touring tire they tested had more grip than a top spec racing tire on the street due to it's silica rich chemistry which allows the tire to warm up rapidly under light loads. Down side, take that sport-touring tire to the track and subject it too high loads and it will quickly overheat, turn greasy and grip goes to zero.

I hear you loud and clear on the heat exchange. That's why you see them pull the warmers off at the last possible moment before they start cooling off too soon. There was no grip at Daytona's shitcan those bikes that were thrown away there. If those thrown away were first or second lap warmups, silica sand is [slipping] on glass, no? Throw sand on a smooth surface and the question is, would you grip over it with the hand full of sand over that patch? If a square tile was to stop on a dime, I could stop on that tile. Spread a sprinkle of sand over it, I'd have the dime under the tire and we be both off the plate.

I need not worry about tire grip when I'm a straight up kind of rider these days. I'm wearing me new K-skids. Just dodging traffic with the weapon of choice. If I want extended mileage, 60/60 and the speed limit is fine buy me. My tires, my air, my ass. Those clownsuits in their town of tents can powwow around their size red nose in their closet is what size they want to wear when they go out riding.

Kruz, you be going 2x4'inn, you be careful now.

Hubster, the Dunlop Answer Man was the most creditable I could find on the pressure question. For The Dunlop Q2 Qualifier, which is a Street/Trackday tire similiar to my BT-016s, 85% Street, 15% track typical useage, he recommended 32F/32R as a good starting point FOR THE TRACK. He would not make a recommendation for street, referring back to owners manual specs as it opens Dunlop up to legal liability issues. He did say look at the recommended trackday pressures and read between the lines as to what will work for agressive twisties. Trom that commment I'm thinking maybe 34F/34R should be ball park on liters or Supersports, I'll stick with the 38/38 on my 14.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 4/29/2013 @ 1:25 PM *

Thanks for the education, Hub, Kruz.

Hub used those metaphors, walking the stress up from the pavement, up the fork, and I could follow the entire thought process. You made it simple enough even I could understand it.

Nice work...

Bob

Sweet I habe 38/38 in mine, but the metzler sport I'm running give me 0 feedback. Angel gt's or pilot 3's are definately over the horizon!!!

Sweet I habe 38/38 in mine, but the metzler sport I'm running give me 0 feedback. Angel gt's or pilot 3's are definately over the horizon!!!

38/38 works great with 85/15
You'd have to push it more than you supposed to in the street to enjoy 34/34 or something like that.

On the Pilot Road 3 I'm running 34F/36R, the steering isn't optimal though... let me try 36/36/
I tried 38/40 on my way to the dyno this weekend and with my stiff suspension, this is too much.

I have a Michelin Pilot Power 3 on the nose of the CBR now with a BT-016 in the rear. I'm running 34 lbs up front and 36 rear and I like the way it handles, feels very sticky. So far I'm impressed with the Michelin, always been a Bridgestone guy with the exception of trying a set of Dunlop Qualifiers on the 14 once.....

Yes, 38/38 is good all around performance for a 14, turn in is better with 42/42 but feels a touch skittish if you lean it hard into a turn. Your mileage may vary.

Kruz,
Thanks for the Pilot 3 summary. I am looking at those tires in about 3 months. What they set you back south of the border?

Hey Meb,
Sliders are on route!

Kruz,
Thanks for the Pilot 3 summary. I am looking at those tires in about 3 months. What they set you back south of the border?

Wofman, I'm embarassed to say how much I paid for the Pilot Power 3, remember I bought it from the Honda dealer and had them install it while I waited, I wasn't going to ride that bike home with a cut in the sidewall. $139 for the 120/70R17 front, you can probably save at least $25 by ordering off the internet.

I only have one Pilot 3, on the front of the CBR1000RR, they didn't have a BT-016 to match my rear so I took the Michelin. So far I'm really liking the way the front feels.

Druz do not feel embarrassed if you knew what we pay here for tires here in Igloo Nation, you would swallow your head. It's like 500 plus beans for a front and rear combo...
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