A short and good read for tires
- Thread starter Low rider
- Start date
Grooves or more correctly - sipes in the tread do most of the water channelling, and also contain the remaining moisture to prevent it from laying on top of the contact patch.
So sipes, not the compound would be the main reason for tire's performance in wet conditions.
Therefore, the statement in the article is incorrect.
Pressure listed on the motorcycle or in the manual is NOT for the maximum load capacity - it is the average recommended cold pressure which can be optimized based on the weight of the rider and his/hers riding style. Quite often there will be pressure listed for maximum load as well but if only one number is listed it will be the recommended pressure not the maximum load pressure.
Pressure listed on the tire itself IS the cold maximum pressure so that bit is correct.
Other than that, it's a good article.
So sipes, not the compound would be the main reason for tire's performance in wet conditions.
Therefore, the statement in the article is incorrect.
Pressure listed on the motorcycle or in the manual is NOT for the maximum load capacity - it is the average recommended cold pressure which can be optimized based on the weight of the rider and his/hers riding style. Quite often there will be pressure listed for maximum load as well but if only one number is listed it will be the recommended pressure not the maximum load pressure.
Pressure listed on the tire itself IS the cold maximum pressure so that bit is correct.
Other than that, it's a good article.
vrus
Well-known member
"We have all heard the stories about Ricky Racer crashing his bike cause he was running race tires on the street & couldn't keep them warm enough etc & while there is some validity to those stories because the rubber compounds are designed to work in certain heat ranges, the overall statement is false & usually nothing more than an excuse for rider error. Cold race tires still stick better than a cold street tire."
Is this true?
Is this true?
Matthew.Tremayne
Well-known member
It all depends on how nice the surface of the road is and how "cold" the tires are. I'm thinking that race tires would be better warm and on a nice smooth track.
N3WMAN
Well-known member
I'd say so. I went out on stone cold Dunlop slicks onto a wet track and was still able to ride at a decent clip. I was surprised.
I have crashed on cold street tires before. Ask goldie lol
But softer compounds engage the tarmac better at the roll onto the contact patch at the cooler temperatures, which also helps displace water.
This is why racing wets are so soft, and good road wet tires typically wear faster. Both sipes and compound matter.
