Diablo III's vs Pilot Powers

[mister.koz]

Greetings,

I just got a new zx10r and it has pilot powers. My last bike(s) had the Pirelli diablo III's and i loved them.

These powers are brand new, i have only just managed to scrub them in (still got a little chicken strip) but they just don't seem to have the same sort of feedback.

At first i had doubts and then i checked and set the tire pressures (38f 40r) and that made them allot better but still they don't seem to have the same feel, i don't feel as well planted on the road. I am running out of ideas beyond the tires actually being less grippy (which has been suggested a couple of times). So many people seem to love the powers so i am guessing they are a sticky tire!

I am tempted to run the pressures another 2psi down until i get the same stick.. But my experience tells me that i do not have allot of experience and should ask first :innocent:

Any ideas?

Cheerz

[Quasievil]

mmmm pressures seem high, whats the recommendations for those tyres and your bike ?

[Sidewinder]

just run what they say if ya dont know. and yes they arnt as good!
dunlops are the best

[mister.koz]

mmmm pressures seem high, whats the recommendations for those tyres and your bike ?

I thought those were the recommendations... i will ask around :)

[Quasievil]

just run what they say if ya dont know. and yes they arnt as good!
dunlops are the best

Well no they arent cause they are so fuckin expensive

[Cajun]

pressures seam high especially in the rear

michelin normal say for the 1000cc bikes


2.5bar front (36 psi)
2.9bar rear (42 psi)

but use those as a starting point and play with them until you feel it suits you, only move 2psi or so at a time.
and i guess try not run under 30psi front & rear on the road.

Or put your Diablo's on and on sell the Powers

[OutForADuck]

The pilot's take a little getting used to as they don't give much feed back they are just grippy. I'm a Dunlop fan myself and found it hard on 2CT's at first because you just didn't know how much you had left at any time. But they stick, last and hold their shape well throughout their life.

P.S. Went back to a Dunlop in the end though :shutup:

[mister.koz]

pressures seam high
michelin normal say for the 1000cc bikes those are normally to high espially in the rear. but use those as a starting point and play with them until you feel nice.

2.5bar front (36 psi)
2.9bar rear (42 psi)

Or put your Diablo's on and on sell the Powers

Yeah i am tempted to sell them, probably wont get allot for them though which will suck because the diablo's aren't cheap at all!

There's a "setting your tires to you" thread from ages ago that basically says:

Set to recommended pressures
get the tires hot & check pressure
hot they should be 10% - 15% higher psi
if they are less that 10-15 reduce by 1 or 2 psi from cold
if they are more, increase by 1 or 2 psi from cold


This sounds like the best plan possible but its a right pain in the ass to do because it could take all day.

Still i guess a morning or a day of working out the tire pressures isn't a bad thing.. Just need to find 2 towns that are 20km of twisties away with a gas station each :) waihi-whanga???

I like the sound of this...

[Quasievil]

If you wanted my tyre recommendation go for the Continentals Sport attack never let me down racing, Pirellis pfft three laps new tyre = crash

[mister.koz]

If you wanted my tyre recommendation go for the Continentals Sport attack never let me down racing, Pirellis pfft three laps new tyre = crash

Cool, i will look into those :)

I had the conti race attacks on my 6rr and liked those - i was allot more noob back then tho....

Quite different on the track to the road though, your pressures would be ALLOT lower.

[mossy1200]

I was running my pilot powers at 32,34 even two up on zx12r and they lasted well.The pilot powers go silky black when the pressures are correct and stay grey if they are not getting hot enough.If they go blue then to hot with not enough pressure.If fitted pilot 2ct as the replacement set and found them even better.

[mister.koz]

I was running my pilot powers at 32,34 even two up on zx12r and they lasted well.The pilot powers go silky black when the pressures are correct and stay grey if they are not getting hot enough.If they go blue then to hot with not enough pressure.If fitted pilot 2ct as the replacement set and found them even better.

Cool thanks man i will drop the pressures, how many km's were you getting?

I used to get about 4500 on the diablo's

Its looking like i keep them and wear them out :Punk:

[Sidewinder]

Well no they arent cause they are so fuckin expensive

not when ya get em for free tho

[Quasievil]

not when ya get em for free tho

yeah but we aint all tyre hoes............besides they aint new are they bro.........sloppy seconds never really interested me much

[mister.koz]

yeah but we aint all tyre hoes............besides they aint new are they bro.........sloppy seconds never really interested me much

:crazy: yeah with you on that one, totally baked in tires are a little less reliable.

[Sidewinder]

yeah but we aint all tyre hoes............besides they aint new are they bro.........sloppy seconds never really interested me much

yea but there better than any brand new tyre iv tryed and ive used them all

[Sidewinder]

:crazy: yeah with you on that one, totally baked in tires are a little less reliable.

the best part of the tyre is the 1st 20laps or less, but hey if 2nd hand ntecs are better than anything alse brand new thats saying something

[mossy1200]

Cool thanks man i will drop the pressures, how many km's were you getting?

I used to get about 4500 on the diablo's

Its looking like i keep them and wear them out :Punk:
I got 4thou out of standard pilot powers and had 4thou on 2cts when I traded bike and they were still warrantable at that stage.Alot of two up riding and hammering on the corners.Even wear across the tyre also.zx12 is heavy bike with lots of torque.You should get more perhaps.
Would buy them again but they dont fit on bonneville.
Your looking for pressure percentage difference from cold to hot of 10-15% if you have small pressure gauge to pile in your pocket.Under 10% and there was to much pressure and over 15% and there was to little.Test after hard blast for 5minutes on some twisty roads.

[mister.koz]

the best part of the tyre is the 1st 20laps or less, but hey if 2nd hand ntecs are better than anything alse brand new thats saying something

A good point, getting tires that aren't burned out are cool, i have had a couple of sets from sloan & speedtech and i didn't have to worry about scrubbing them in.

I don't get them for free though (yet) :Punk:

[mister.koz]

I got 4thou out of standard pilot powers and had 4thou on 2cts when I traded bike and they were still warrantable at that stage.Alot of two up riding and hammering on the corners.Even wear across the tyre also.
Would buy them again but they dont fit on bonneville.
Your looking for pressure percentage difference from cold to hot of 10-15% if you have small pressure gauge to pile in your pocket.Under 10% and there was to much pressure and over 15% and there was to little.Test after hard blast for 5minutes on some twisty roads.

Sweet, yeah i will do the pressure test :)

[Quasievil]

yea but there better than any brand new tyre iv tryed and ive used them all

ah ha, so much road/race experience in all I forget........
:shifty:

[mossy1200]

If you wanted my tyre recommendation go for the Continentals Sport attack never let me down racing, Pirellis pfft three laps new tyre = crash
good choice also.
Race attacks are great but more designed for less heat cycles than the sport attacks.Not sure they would be as good after first 500kms on the road.
I would say after 1000km there wouldnt be much tyre left on race attacks.sport attack should do 3-4thou
Used race tyres dont last to well even if they have lots of tred showing.

[mister.koz]

good choice also.
Race attacks are great but more designed for less heat cycles than the sport attacks.Not sure they would be as good after first 500kms on the road.
I would say after 1000km there wouldnt be much tyre left on race attacks.sport attack should do 3-4thou

I got about 3500km in them but i was quite a noob at the time (hence the centre wore flat) then i was onto diablo's

[Nonbeliever]

34f 36r cold is a pretty good starting point on powers.

give them a fair shot before you take them off, as they're a pretty good sporting road tyre.

[Sidewinder]

ah ha, so much road/race experience in all I forget........
:shifty:

haha checky koont. seeing ya this weekend?

[mister.koz]

For anyone watching, i let the tires get hot (@38/40) and they gripped ok, almost removed the chicken strips which means i am getting close to as low as i was on the diablos (i.e. no chicken strips). I think they are good and grippy but the feedback is a nervous predicament.

A couple of times i pushed them and they lost grip a little but they were very consistent and they didn't slide out quickly, they just seemed to regain traction nicely. It's quite a weird feeling; having the grip but not feeling it :confused:.

Interestingly enough because of the lack of feedback on the road i felt like i wasn't going all that quick but judging by the wear i was pretty close...

I will set them to 34/36 and do the 15% test till i have it right. Take it for a good blast this weekend :Punk:

[ckai]

For anyone watching, i let the tires get hot (@38/40) and they gripped ok, almost removed the chicken strips which means i am getting close to as low as i was on the diablos (i.e. no chicken strips). I think they are good and grippy but the feedback is a nervous predicament.

A couple of times i pushed them and they lost grip a little but they were very consistent and they didn't slide out quickly, they just seemed to regain traction nicely. It's quite a weird feeling; having the grip but not feeling it :confused:.

Interestingly enough because of the lack of feedback on the road i felt like i wasn't going all that quick but judging by the wear i was pretty close...

I will set them to 34/36 and do the 15% test till i have it right. Take it for a good blast this weekend :Punk:

Pity they won't fit the Daytona I could have taken them off your hands :). I've had a crazy run with my Supercorsa's (5,500km) but they suck big time in the wet. I've heard the PP's are a good tyre with good wet traction. In saying that, I'm so used to the feedback with the Super's going to something without maybe a backwards step.

[mister.koz]

Pity they won't fit the Daytona I could have taken them off your hands :). I've had a crazy run with my Supercorsa's (5,500km) but they suck big time in the wet. I've heard the PP's are a good tyre with good wet traction. In saying that, I'm so used to the feedback with the Super's going to something without maybe a backwards step.

I am pretty sure they would fit :)
Your bike has:
120/70 zr17 * 180/55 zr17
These ones are:
120/70 zr17 & 190/50 zx17

Same rimsize just a different profile. had the 180/55 on the rear on the 6rr and put 190/50's on it and preferred the lean profile.

From what i have been told the diablo corsa III's are exactly the same as the supercorsa's but they have a better tread pattern for the wet.