Has anyone used these tyres for trackdays, especially on a 748. I need a new pair of tyres for an upcoming trackday and I have read good reviews of these tyres. I was thinking of K1 front and K2 rear as it seems to be a common combination. Up to now I have always used Michelin tyres of some sort, the last pair being 2CT's which seemed fine. Any feedback appreciated.
I always used the metzeler racetecs on my gixxer thou both track and road. Soft front and intermediate rear. In my opinion they are cracking tyres. When my diablo supercorsas square off I shall be replacing them with metzelers.
I used racetecs in that exact combo a the start of last season on my RC8 race bike. Even though it was a 190 rear I kept two sets of scrubs that were worn on the edges. I have still got a set on my 749r for the road and they are great. Even in the wet on the less powerful duc they offer loads of grip and seem to be lasting well. You'll not go far wrong with a set. Edit, if you are using them on the track only and don't plan on riding in the wet then the racetec slicks are just the same but will last you a lot longer. Tyre blokes will turn a slick too so you can get more out of it. I have turned the treaded tyres with no issues but some tyre fitters won't do it for you. You will need warmers with the slicks to get the best out of them. Otherwise it takes a good few laps to get a bit of heat in them.
Racetecs sticky, and really progressive edge to edge. However, they feel heavy and less responsive compared to SuperCorsas. SCs offer the same stickiness, but are a livelier tyre offering better feel. All imho.
Guys thanks for the valuable information. Can anyone tell me how they would feel compared to Michelin 2CT's. More livelier or not? I have some ancient Supercorsa's on at the moment on the wheels that I want use, they seem fine on the road but I know they are finished for the track. In which case would the Metzler's seem to give a slower turn? I do use the bike on the road but only really to check it is going OK.
fwiw : Perfomance bikes tested there is to test... the differences are huge.. i keep a close look at tires as well and frankly, i haven't heard anything yet to change from the Pirelli SC2 's ... grip is something you can't get enough off..
true , but 20/20 track and 29,5 total seems like pritty damn good and bloody hard to beat... and the a 15% gap with nr2 Dunlop is also impressive. reads a bit like game, set and match...
Thanks guys, I thought I read somewhere that Metzler Racetecs and Supercorsa's come out of the same factory, is that true?
Metzeler and Pirelli are the same company, Racetec Interacts and Supercorsa SC compound tyres are so similar there wouldn't be many people who could really tell the difference (aside from the placebo effect). I used Supercorsa SC1 front SC2 rear and Metzeler K1 front and K2 Rear and found no difference on my old K2 GSXR600
All those tyres are sports road tyres. Good as they are (I really rate the DRCs), SCs and Racetecs are in a different league when used on track.
The compounds may be similar, but the construction of the tyres are different. There is a noticeable difference between the SCs and K3s, although both are similar in terms of grip.
Interesting bike related thread..:wink: Excuse my dumb arsedness, but you guys that run track only bikes, do you run slicks or just a track biased road tyre? Cheers
me slick or rain ( if i really have to ) only .. there are great non slick tires though and many "track-only" run them. they allow you to run a while longer in damp conditions or with a slight drizzle... avoid a second pair of wheels .. heat up faster.. lots of advantages but still no well heated and pressured slick...
I have just compared the prices, out of interest for the Metzlers and Pirellis. The Metzler's work out at £278 per pair and the Pirelli's at £308. This is from FWR Ltd my local tyre dealer in London. A bit of a difference then.
Mt experience is SC are better than the Pirelli slicks I tried, simply because they are rock solid and predictable and grip as well at my pace. But think if I got used to slicks I'd stick with them, its the way they squirm under power, which they are meant to do! As the tyres deforms and grips and that felt to me like the rear was letting go (altho it was first real ride after injuries from losing the rear)
I love SC / Interacts, if they are good enough for Superstock racers then I'm not going to be worrying the grip levels on them! I have given serious thought to trying the Metzeler comp k slicks though, they are a trackday slick designed for less outright grip than a race slick (but still more than a SC / Interact) but will last much longer, they aren't as bothered by heat cycles either so they will be better suited to occasional use.
the K3 is what they call an endurance compound but in reality is a road compound (I believe its standard fitment on the S1000RR), its the same as the SC BSB compound. the carcasses of the 2 tyres come of the same blank in the same factory and the compounds are very similar, some may be able to tell the difference but I certainly can't. Superstock lap times haven't changed that much since the change from Pirelli to Metzler either. for anyone who is interested the compounds you can get are: SC0 and K0 compound tyres are supersoft qualifying tyres, they are good for one session then they go off SC1 and K1 compound tyres are soft tyres, more grip but less life. SC2 and K2 compound tyres are medium, a balance of grip and life SC BSB and K3 compound tyres are hard (relatively), more life at the expense of ultimate grip
The comp K slicks are cheap at £210-£218 for a set at FWR, which is good money I think. If I didn't use the bike on the road just to test it or get it MOT'd etc. I would go for them although at that price a spare set of wheels with them on might be the answer for track days.
