Grooved slicks: Road legal or not? [Archive]

idleidolidyll

14th February 2007, 17:00

Motu

14th February 2007, 17:03

Are they DOT or other approved standard? If so then that's fine - if they are not approved for road use then they are not approved for road use.....

idleidolidyll

14th February 2007, 17:06

Are they DOT or other approved standard? If so then that's fine - if they are not approved for road use then they are not approved for road use.....

That might answer the legality question but not the insurance one.
I'd suggest that insurance companies couldn't argue that they are unsafe but if there is someone out there who has had an accident wearing grooved slicks on the road; please tell me what your insurance company thought about it.

Frankly I don't give a rats arse about the cops; they usually only check the tread depth anyway.

The COST (RAPE?) question is still unanswered too.

Kickaha

14th February 2007, 17:19

That might answer the legality question but not the insurance one.
.

If you're using a tyre that doesn't meet an approved standard for on road use what do you think the chances of a insurance company paying out are?

svs

14th February 2007, 18:40

no, they're not legal. slicks are specifically stamped NHS (not for highway service)

your insurance company won't buy it. just get DOT legal tyres. the pirelli supercorsa pro are as sticky as slicks anyway - and DOT approved. ask andew stroud.

Toaster

14th February 2007, 18:41

mmmmm grooved slick.......

Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)

14th February 2007, 19:02

That might answer the legality question but not the insurance one.
I'd suggest that insurance companies couldn't argue that they are unsafe but if there is someone out there who has had an accident wearing grooved slicks on the road; please tell me what your insurance company thought about it.

Frankly I don't give a rats arse about the cops; they usually only check the tread depth anyway.

The COST (RAPE?) question is still unanswered too.

I had grooved slicks on my bike - and they had "not for highway use" I had an accident, no-one picked it up - admittedly I had totally forgotten about it. Now the bike got assessed by the Insurance co. and by the bike shop - it was only when I got it revinned and re-registered that I was told they would not pass.

(my bike was written off and I bought it back from the ins. co.)

When pulled up by a copy - they have never noticed either - as long as the tread is good.

Clivoris

14th February 2007, 19:08

Wouldn't slicks cost more than road tyres to start with? I'd also be worried about maintaining good temperature on the road too.

idleidolidyll

14th February 2007, 19:11

I had grooved slicks on my bike - and they had "not for highway use" I had an accident, no-one picked it up - admittedly I had totally forgotten about it. Now the bike got assessed by the Insurance co. and by the bike shop - it was only when I got it revinned and re-registered that I was told they would not pass.

(my bike was written off and I bought it back from the ins. co.)

When pulled up by a copy - they have never noticed either - as long as the tread is good.

Cheers, that's about what I thought.
I reckon there are also some shops and assessors who KNOW that it's actually safer (if the slicks are cut well).

idleidolidyll

14th February 2007, 19:13

Wouldn't slicks cost more than road tyres to start with? I'd also be worried about maintaining good temperature on the road too.

Used slicks so no

i don't think temperature is a problem; just run the right pressure for the day/ride. i pretty much do that anyway, i check my pressures (and change them if needed) almost every ride.

Mr. Peanut

14th February 2007, 19:58

Have you seen the Shinko 003? It's a Yokohama clone, fairly sticky, cheap ($300 for a set), but the profiles a bit flat.

Spyked

14th February 2007, 20:01

What sort of life could you expect? Soft compound and already used, the frequency of tyre changes would likely be a pain in the ass.

scumdog

14th February 2007, 20:19

What sort of life could you expect? Soft compound and already used, the frequency of tyre changes would likely be a pain in the ass.

And... and.. would you REALLY notice the difference in performance?

Compared to the Corsas mentioned above?

Ixion

14th February 2007, 21:20

From the WoF VIR manual

Sect 10-1
Reasons for rejection
...
12. A tyre not identified as designed for regrooving has
had its tread depth increased by regrooving.
..

And as putting a groove where none was would certainly be increasing tread depth, a fail

Though whether any inspector would ever notice is another matter.

Mr. Peanut

14th February 2007, 21:26

Back in your day you were allowed to do everything weren't you?

Bastards.

scumdog

14th February 2007, 22:13

Back in your day you were allowed to do everything weren't you?

Bastards.

Back in MY day we didn't need tread..or helmets..or indicators...

boomer

14th February 2007, 22:41

Back in MY day we didn't need tread..or helmets..or indicators...

why can i hear the flintstones tune?

scumdog

14th February 2007, 22:51

why can i hear the flintstones tune?

'Cos you're old too and can remember them? -- in black and white?

Ixion

14th February 2007, 23:06

Back in MY day we didn't have to worry about tyres, cos the wheel hadn't been invented. A right pain it was and very hard on the chains. And the forks.

Fooman

15th February 2007, 08:56

I reckon there are also some shops and assessors who KNOW that it's actually safer (if the slicks are cut well).

Race slicks are of a lighter construction than road tires, so can be damaged more easily, e.g. punctures, splits and cuts. They are built for racing on a relatively smooth and clean surface compared to a normal road - this has some impact on their safety on public roads...

Cheers,
FM

sizzlingbadger

15th February 2007, 11:42

idleidolidyll

15th February 2007, 12:02

Racing slicks on the road is a big no no. They are not designed for road use and don't like many heat cycles. You are unlikely to get them to a decent working temperature off the track either (despite what you might think about your riding skills)

This question comes up on many websites and the opinion is always that you just shouldn't do it. There have been soo many accidents with people using slicks expecting them to grip more on the road and they won't.

Tyre manufactureres know a lot more about tyres then we do, so leave it to them to build the tyres and use the right ones. Slicks don't look very cool from an intensive care bed.

so then, what's the answer to the great rip off of tyre costs in NZ?

I can buy a good quality rear tyre in the UK for 100 quid ($282.72 at todays exchange rate) that costs $400 here. An extra $100 just for freight or is some importer just ripping us off? (100% markup plus a retail markup?)

k14

15th February 2007, 12:08

so then, what's the answer to the great rip off of tyre costs in NZ?

I can buy a good quality rear tyre in the UK for 100 quid ($282.72 at todays exchange rate) that costs $400 here. An extra $100 just for freight or is some importer just ripping us off? (100% markup plus a retail markup?)
Its probably the freight.

But really, $100? Come on, how much is your bike worth? If you think its so great in the UK why don't you go and live there.

idleidolidyll

15th February 2007, 12:12

Its probably the freight.

But really, $100? Come on, how much is your bike worth? If you think its so great in the UK why don't you go and live there.

$100 per tyre for freight? I doubt it.

Who says I like the UK? All I'm noting is that compared to the UK we are ripped off. I could have chosen the USA as a comparison but that wouldn't mean I had any inclination to live in the capital of fascism.

BTW: I've actually lived in Pomgolia on a number of occassions and even married a POME but live there permanently? I'd rather chew off my own leg

kiwifruit

15th February 2007, 12:12

RRP for bike tyres in nz is a joke. Ive never paid RRP

SPman

15th February 2007, 13:26

Tyre prices in Oz are slightly cheaper than NZ, but it still averages $460-500 for a pair of decent tyres.
Be buggered if I'd use grooved slicks, or any sort of pure race tyre on the road. Not worth the hassle for the miniscule amount of extra grip you might get compared to a good road tyre designed for the job.

idleidolidyll

15th February 2007, 14:02

Racing slicks on the road is a big no no. They are not designed for road use and don't like many heat cycles. You are unlikely to get them to a decent working temperature off the track either (despite what you might think about your riding skills)

This question comes up on many websites and the opinion is always that you just shouldn't do it. There have been soo many accidents with people using slicks expecting them to grip more on the road and they won't.

Tyre manufactureres know a lot more about tyres then we do, so leave it to them to build the tyres and use the right ones. Slicks don't look very cool from an intensive care bed.

interesting, i reckon the best way to really KNOW is to try them.
an old friend has used slicks on his ducati for years, one up and two up. He's a fast rider and looking at his tyres, he seems to have little problem getting them hot enough to stick.

lets see: $50-100 for a rear slick with 20 laps vs $350-500 for a new road tyre...........yep, i reckon it's worth a test. If I get a safe 2000km from the slick it'd still be better value than the road tyre (I usually get 4000km from a new tyre)

imdying

15th February 2007, 17:23

I can buy a good quality rear tyre in the UK for 100 quid ($282.72 at todays exchange rate) that costs $400 here. An extra $100 just for freight or is some importer just ripping us off? (100% markup plus a retail markup?)Was told today by Pitlane that my 180/55/17 would cost me $300 for a Michelin Pilot whatever suits me, fitted. Quality seems ok... I've always paid about $500 a set fitted, so the price of tyres has never seemed to bad to me?

I've seen the question asked a few times in magazines... apparently slicks have sidewalls not designed for road bumps etc, which makes them bump steer funny (badly?), they don't heat up properly making them worse than good road rubber, and they're more susceptible to road crap damaging them. Apparently. As far as legality goes, Not For Highway use tells you all you need to know :yes:

Motu

15th February 2007, 17:31

As far as legality goes, Not For Highway use tells you all you need to know :yes:

That was the original question,and it has been answered several times in this thread - however,it appears this is not the answer he wants to hear,so he is now building a good set of excuses to justify running illegal tyres on the road.

idleidolidyll

15th February 2007, 17:54

That was the original question,and it has been answered several times in this thread - however,it appears this is not the answer he wants to hear,so he is now building a good set of excuses to justify running illegal tyres on the road.

go back and read the first post before making bullshit proclamations about it.

i asked a bunch of questions and the main point was NOT the lagality but the motivation for looking at slicks: that we seem to be getting ripped off

Mr. Peanut

15th February 2007, 18:05

Shinkos aren't expensive.

nsrpaul

15th February 2007, 19:07

I'm interested in using slicks on my road bike grooved to the same pattern as a mainstream tyre manufacturer's road tyres.

Is this illegal and if so why?

Does this affect insurance policies? Given that a well grooved slick would be stickier than a road tyre, can they argue safety?

Tryes are just too bloody expensive in NZ. In the UK I can buy tyres for about 30% less than in NZ (same tyre).

I see no reason for that except gouging and that's why I'm interested in grooving up slicks.

Are there any other options? (group imports etc)

jeez , with all your racing experience i thought you would know

slicks have less grip than road biased tyres when not up to temp, a fair portion of the time on the road
are more prone to punctures
and groving tread into a tyre designed to have none will affect its stucture and therefore behaviour

whats more, if you are so bloody fast that you can complain about the milage out of a set of pilot powers or the grip of a set of supercorsers then you better get your ass down to nelson, come for a ride and show me what a slow pathetic rider I am, as I was quite happy with the grip from my supercorsers and always considered myself a god among men

and no, groved slicks are not legal, prob never find a copper sharp enough to catch ya, but if your bikes insured and ya biff it cause of your grip on cold slicks, when it goes to the shop to be assesed I dont fancy ya chances

Clivoris

15th February 2007, 19:10

I seem to be able to get sports tyres for around $500 a pair depending on flavour. There always seem to be deals available. But maybe my tyre geezer is a GC.

nsrpaul

15th February 2007, 19:13

lets see: $50-100 for a rear slick with 20 laps vs $350-500 for a new road tyre...........yep, i reckon it's worth a test. If I get a safe 2000km from the slick it'd still be better value than the road tyre (I usually get 4000km from a new tyre)

but by the time you get it, they have done enough heat cycles to be, well, rooted!!

Motu

15th February 2007, 19:44

we seem to be getting ripped off

I think the answer to that one is pretty simple too - become a tyre importer and give us in this country tyres at a good price.If you aren't prepared to do it yourself you will just have to pay the rip off prices like the rest of us.

Spyked

15th February 2007, 20:31

He does have a point, while I accept that there will be a difference in price compared to the UK, it does seem a bit over the top.

idleidolidyll

16th February 2007, 06:11

I think the answer to that one is pretty simple too - become a tyre importer and give us in this country tyres at a good price.If you aren't prepared to do it yourself you will just have to pay the rip off prices like the rest of us.

there, wasn't that easy

glad you agree abt rip off prices but it disappoints me that so many Kiwis are so goddamned apathetic and won't even lift a finger to make things better for themselves (not just this thread, lots of others from many people suggesting valid action to make riding safer/cheaper)

yes, as long as we follow the other sheep and never complain, everything will stay the same or get worse

steved

16th February 2007, 08:01

it disappoints me that so many Kiwis are so goddamned apathetic and won't even lift a finger to make things better for themselves (not just this thread, lots of others from many people suggesting valid action to make riding safer/cheaper)

yes, as long as we follow the other sheep and never complain, everything will stay the same or get worse
What's the name of your new tyre importing business going to be?

gav

17th February 2007, 00:39

scracha

17th February 2007, 01:12

Its probably the freight.

But really, $100? Come on, how much is your bike worth? If you think its so great in the UK why don't you go and live there.

Standard kiwi wimpout answer. "If country X is so great then fark off and live there". He never said the UK is great, he just said tyres are cheaper.

scracha

17th February 2007, 01:24

i asked a bunch of questions and the main point was NOT the lagality but the motivation for looking at slicks: that we seem to be getting ripped off

AFAIK slicks dissapate heat differently and they'll start shedding nice chunks of rubber if you stay on the centre tread along straight roads like SH1 at 120kmph for a few hundred K's. Of course this is only what I've read so be sure to give it a try and tell us all the results.

Yeah we get ripped off about lots of things in this country but "she'll be right". The nice politicians and multinational corporations who've setup here will act in our best interests if we don't make too much of a fuss.

----BEGIN RANT ----
Ps. I'm still awake as the other neighbours don't want to make a fuss about the loud hoons living around the corner. Wouldn't want to impose any social responsibility or consequences on today's youth would we.
---END RANT ----

sizzlingbadger

17th February 2007, 11:01

I personally feel my life is worth a $100 and would not use slicks. I have used them in the past and crashed and it was the slicks that caused the crash - you do what you feel want to it's still a free country (just).

I think the tyre prices here are a rip off. Back in the UK tyres used to be very expensive up until a few years ago when they suddenly seemed to come down to around 100 - 120 quid. In 1999 I was paying around 170 quid for back tyres for TLR1000 and they only lasted 6 weeks commuting to work every day. When I left the UK in 2005 I was getting Corsa's for about 95 quid.
(its still seems fucking weired not having a £ symbol on my keyboard anymore)

As for freight, thats bollocks.... they have to be freighted to the UK as well, most tyres are made in ASIA somwhere.

sizzlingbadger

17th February 2007, 11:06

And before someone else says anything......

no I want go back there just cos tyres are cheap it's shit now :rockon:

idleidolidyll

17th February 2007, 11:13

Why not support your local racer and buy a treaded race tyre rather than a slick, your motard would run same tyres as say a GSXR600? You can pick up a good rear race tyre for under $150, that has prob done one race meet, that will perform better and last longer than a slick anyway.
Proof in the putting I reckon. I have a set of slightly used slicks on the way and a groover to go with em. I'll post my comments based on a real world test later.
Are you going to adjust your suspension to suit the slick? No? Didnt think so....
Yes, I am constantly adjusting suspension and tyre pressures to suit my riding style on the day, temperature, 1 up or 2 up etc. Presuming to know what I do is quite ridiculous.
Trade Me has plenty of good deals for ex race tyres, they'll suit you and hey someone might actually believe that you mananged to put that wear on those tyres......:innocent:
Again, don't presume. If anyone can find a chicken strip on my rear tyre after the first ride I'll give em $20. By the time replacement comes around the tread near the edge is always twisted and stressed and often the bloke in the tyre shop says "shit mate, you ride fucken hard don't ya"

No, I'm not blowing my own trumpet, just pointing out that assumption is silly.
I only ever raced on slicks once; mainly I raced proddy bikes. I'm interested in finding out whether the facts in a real road test support or negate the general feedback I got when I asked the question.
Yes, I understand they are technically illegal on the road; no, I don't care much.

idleidolidyll

17th February 2007, 11:17

AFAIK slicks dissapate heat differently and they'll start shedding nice chunks of rubber if you stay on the centre tread along straight roads like SH1 at 120kmph for a few hundred K's. Of course this is only what I've read so be sure to give it a try and tell us all the results.

no problem. i'm not a bike commuter, i ride for fun and mainly hard if not fast (elapsed time versus outright speed)

Yeah we get ripped off about lots of things in this country but "she'll be right". The nice politicians and multinational corporations who've setup here will act in our best interests if we don't make too much of a fuss.

rotflmfao!

----BEGIN RANT ----
Ps. I'm still awake as the other neighbours don't want to make a fuss about the loud hoons living around the corner. Wouldn't want to impose any social responsibility or consequences on today's youth would we.
---END RANT ----

well when i was a roudy youth i thought "fuck em all" and turned it up real loud. Now i'm a grumpy old grandad I find myself complaining about those noisy fucken youths.

Aint growing up a bitch!?

nsrpaul

17th February 2007, 16:45

please stop , the red letters and tales of your own greatness are scaring me and making me feel like I have a small willy(compared to yours)

Two Smoker

17th February 2007, 17:15

Again, don't presume. If anyone can find a chicken strip on my rear tyre after the first ride I'll give em $20. By the time replacement comes around the tread near the edge is always twisted and stressed and often the bloke in the tyre shop says "shit mate, you ride fucken hard don't ya"

No, I'm not blowing my own trumpet, just pointing out that assumption is silly.
I only ever raced on slicks once; mainly I raced proddy bikes. I'm interested in finding out whether the facts in a real road test support or negate the general feedback I got when I asked the question.
Yes, I understand they are technically illegal on the road; no, I don't care much.

Chicken strips on there rear??? I can get rid of those on my way commuting to work... Getting rid of the front ones sorts the men from the boys... :bleh: hehehe

Anyway... Alot of my mates (that being racers and hooligans on the road) dont like using slicks on the road as they dont get upto temperature and slide too much/unstable (ever watched Ray Clee sometimes on a set of dunlops down the front straight of manfield... WOOOOOHOOOOOO slapper central)... Used to ride with a few quick guys on the road... They all used racetechs or supercorsas... Bruce came along and wasted them on a set of Pilot Powers... PP's are the best tyre to use fast on the road, as they handle the wet well, get good milage (2000kms hard riding on a 1000 with WP or Ohlins) and only cost about $500 for a set if you shop around and fit them yourself... Cant ever brag about your riding till someone else can vouch for it on KB... And when they do, people dont blab on about it...

gav

17th February 2007, 17:21

idleidolidyll

17th February 2007, 18:50

So is it true that a South Islander who had never seen the road you were on proceeded to ride away from you on a 1/4 tonne 83hp sports tourer?

rotflmfao! well, that might be his perception of it, go back and read my response to him. BTW: dangerous is a good kiwi bloke, he doesn't seem to live a lie
doesn't mean we won't take the piss outta each other though, i wouldn't get too upset if we have a snipe from time to time; dangerous is quite witty too

So are you going to test them back to back? ie one run on slicks, and one run on proddy tyres? I think modern tyres are so good, theres no real advantage in running slicks, is there? Especially if you can source racer take offs.

well hell, i reckon i've ridden so many different road tyres i don't need a scientific test.
i think a good subjective test; there are just too many variable for an objective one

a few of the bike shops will sell you ex race slicks. if you tell them their for the road though, they'll probably refuse to sell em

that's just smart business sense

idleidolidyll

17th February 2007, 19:15

Chicken strips on there rear??? I can get rid of those on my way commuting to work... Getting rid of the front ones sorts the men from the boys... :bleh: hehehe

now there's a smart rider. on the supermotos you don't (I don't?) seem to get near the edge of the front tyre on the road. partly because of rear wheel steering i suppose
lots of riders go into corners hotter than me but i usually get better drive out. i drag the rear wheel down with the gearlever going in and try not to touch the front brake as i tap the rear to drag it around.
for me that may be a little slower in but gives me better passing options around and out of the corner since i'm a more level platform.
on the road i'd rather give myself time to look for oncoming traffic going into a corner, and as soon as the way is clear; gas it up

BUT: sometimes, when a rider comes past you on the road, you just gasp at the size of their cojones

Anyway... Alot of my mates (that being racers and hooligans on the road) dont like using slicks on the road as they dont get upto temperature and slide too much/unstable (ever watched Ray Clee sometimes on a set of dunlops down the front straight of manfield... WOOOOOHOOOOOO slapper central)... Used to ride with a few quick guys on the road... They all used racetechs or supercorsas... Bruce came along and wasted them on a set of Pilot Powers... PP's are the best tyre to use fast on the road, as they handle the wet well, get good milage (2000kms hard riding on a 1000 with WP or Ohlins) and only cost about $500 for a set if you shop around and fit them yourself...

there's lots of good riders about; NZ IS special
ya see i love experimenting, i test the quality and limits of lots of the things i do. my favourite competitor is myself
i reckon a supercorse front and a regular corsa rear was the best for my last KTM but the 950 is different.

Cant ever brag about your riding till someone else can vouch for it on KB... And when they do, people dont blab on about it...

well some say that but i say fuck it, i know what i can and have done, and i don't give a damn if that upsets people.
sure sean, simon, chris and tony, andrew and paul are all better riders than me, they had more commitment and worked hard at it.
when i was riding well though, i'd usually be near the front somewhere and i've given some of those guys a hard go or a beating on occassion.

i mentioned speaking to shaun years ago at taupo when he was a stroppy youth. he had the right attitude and he had that commitment.
like a few other kiwis he never quite made it to the top but to be up there with the best kiwi riders ever is no mean achievement

i reckon we've consistently had superbly talented riders in NZ, it's usually been money and distance that screwed them

idleidolidyll

17th February 2007, 19:25

So is it true that a South Islander who had never seen the road you were on proceeded to ride away from you on a 1/4 tonne 83hp sports tourer?

So are you going to test them back to back? ie one run on slicks, and one run on proddy tyres? I think modern tyres are so good, theres no real advantage in running slicks, is there? Especially if you can source racer take offs.

sigh

I'M a south islander too, makarewa, southland, irish labourers and farmers...........and revolutionaries too. my bro's more in the know abt that stuff. there's a guy called danny breen who was a real shit stirrer in the early 1900's; the english hated him.
he made the news by killing some english policemen because he didn't like their politics

maybe that's the belligerent gene we all seem have

if i'd stayed in southland i'd probably still be driving a kingswood and drinking scooners

as for the dago whale, guzzis are nice bikes, i've owned a few
it aint about hp, it's about torque and chassis on the road.

i don't need to do 200 to have fun, i don't need to do 150

Two Smoker

17th February 2007, 19:47

"Words"

Fair enough :niceone: Not saying dont try them, but have seen alot of guys go down at the track recently on slicks with hardly any braking/lean go down due to cold slicks and no warmers... Havent heard anything great about slicks on the road at all... But as Gav says... 600 proddie tyres... nice and cheap, generally lots of life left...

DEATH_INC.

17th February 2007, 19:49

I don't think you'd keep 'em warm enough.....I have trouble with the 209gp's when I'm not going hard......they get too cold too fast.....
One of my mates ran slicks on the road for a bit (he was too slack to change 'em) and reckoned they were bloody dangerous, and he's no slouch.....no grooves though....I guess if ya groove 'em enough you could get 'em to stay warm....:mellow:

idleidolidyll

17th February 2007, 19:50

I guess if ya groove 'em enough you could get 'em to stay warm....:mellow:

now there's a good thought
more grooves will make em move a lot more and heat up

Two Smoker

17th February 2007, 19:57

One of my mates ran slicks on the road for a bit (he was too slack to change 'em) and reckoned they were bloody dangerous, and he's no slouch.....no grooves though....

hehehe old sam... I told him about you thrashing your poor SRAD too...

NordieBoy

17th February 2007, 20:30

Have you seen the Shinko 003? It's a Yokohama clone, fairly sticky, cheap ($300 for a set), but the profiles a bit flat.

Shinko bought Yokohama.

sizzlingbadger

17th February 2007, 20:40

Chicken Strips ! how quaint :laugh: when you understand bike handling, tyre profiles and riding properly you may finally realize that they don't mean shit on a road bike.

ride on the road like you do on the track and only one person will win.... he wears a long black cloak and holds an old farm implement in his hands.

Madmax

17th February 2007, 20:51

remember to sand off the not for hiway use otherwise they will fail you
on a WOF! ran some cut slicks for a while they were bloody dangerouse
when cold and used to pick up all sorts of stuff off the road (bits of glass ETC) and lots of the front wound up plasterd on the radiator as well

NordieBoy

17th February 2007, 21:07

ride on the road like you do on the track and only one person will win.... he wears a long black cloak and holds an old farm implement in his hands.

Dave from over the Moutere?

You know him too?

Small world.

idleidolidyll

18th February 2007, 09:37

please stop , the red letters and tales of your own greatness are scaring me and making me feel like I have a small willy(compared to yours)

sorry, in the contest of the biggest dick, i'm always prepared to allow others to claim the prize

you can be the biggest dick if you want

idleidolidyll

18th February 2007, 09:40

idleidolidyll

18th February 2007, 09:52

it's amusing that people are so challenged by a simple thing such as using red text.

as for people talking of their own experiences: ya don't have to read it, ya don't have to believe it, ya don't have to give it any credit at all.

in fact if it annoys you that much, just use the ignore button

am i gonna stop? nope, my experience is all i've got

scracha

18th February 2007, 10:53

well when i was a roudy youth i thought "fuck em all" and turned it up real loud. Now i'm a grumpy old grandad I find myself complaining about those noisy fucken youths.

Aint growing up a bitch!?

I knew when to draw the line. Coming in pissed once in a blue moon and having the stereo up for the odd party is fine. Doing it on average 4 nights a week cos
a) you're a lazy wee cunt who doesn't work
b) mummy and daddy pay for everything
c) your other friends mummies and daddies tell them to fuck off so they come to your "doss house" to party

Just isn't on. These little pricks are gonna kill someone in their chav'd up $hitboxes. Sooner they raise the driving age the better.

nsrpaul

18th February 2007, 16:57

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 06:37

Well the slicks are on the bike and I must say they are at least 3 grades better than the tyres that came off the bike.
The steering is faster and more stable and the grip is excellent.

I grooved them very minimally so I'm mindful that I them hot before going hard: that's not a problem though since I always do that anyway.

I'm running 35lb in the front tyre and 38lb in the rear tyre. Haven't had any slides yet but I might run them at slightly lower pressures to help them heat up faster although there's a balance between low pressure and the tyre lasting any length of time.

Note: A friend who runs slicks on his Ducati told me on the weekend that he'd got up to 8000km from a slick.
He's not slow either.

kickingzebra

26th February 2007, 07:55

my brief experience of testing race bikes on the roads would seem to indicate that they tear up on the road, the coarse chip seal slicing the tyre longitudinally. also, heat cycles make a huge difference to tyre feel, few of my used slicks are worn past the wear marks, but none of them grip worth a shit anymore.
I have a garage full of 40 lap supercorsas and various other tires, will happily onsell at a fair rate to any who can't afford nice shinies.

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 08:51

: "my brief experience of testing race bikes on the roads would seem to indicate that they tear up on the road, the coarse chip seal slicing the tyre longitudinally."
I've done about 400km so far and on mainly chipseal roads south of Auckland. The tyres have not cut up at all and I've been deliberately driving them pretty hard out of corners to try and find their limits.
They have a nice sticky feel and are reasonably hot when I stop and check em.

also, heat cycles make a huge difference to tyre feel,

the heat cycle argument does carry water but in my opinion it really applies mainly to seriously overheated tyres that have gone blue and crusty (those of you who have picked up an overheated blue slick will know what i mean).
It's also probably more of an indication of tyre grip compared to other race tyres rather than to road tyres. The tyres I've fitted are from one of the country's better riders and are in great condition, still sticky and soft to the fingernail. Less grip is demanded from a road tyre in most cases and a little fall off in maximum racing grip is OK by me.

few of my used slicks are worn past the wear marks, but none of them grip worth a shit anymore.

the tyres I have are nowhere near the wear indicators (still about 5mm left). Compared to the totally crap Bridgestone BT020 that was fitted to the rear, they are light years grippier. They also seem better than the Diablo and Diablo Corsa that I had fitted to my old supermoto but without a side by side 'test', that is of course purely subjective.
perhaps, as suggested above, they ARE past their use by date for the track but are fine for the roads.

I have a garage full of 40 lap supercorsas and various other tires, will happily onsell at a fair rate to any who can't afford nice shinies.

depends on how hard they've been used, are they blued? are they worn out on one side (ie, used at one track for many laps)?
the tyres i have are 18-20 lappers and are about 30% 'worn' judging by the wear guages. If yours have done twice that distance they might be 60% worn and for me anyway, not worth buying.

i reckon buying used slicks is OK but probably best if you know the seller and can see/touch the tyre before forking over the $$$$

kickingzebra

26th February 2007, 09:05

some still have casting marks in the middle of the tyres. Stand firmly by the supposition that if you are losing chicken strips on the road, you are or soon will be a statistic of some sort or other.

I run my race take offs on my road bike, a thousand, so far 3000 kms out of a set of supercorsas that i pillaged on the 600 for 60 odd laps of taupo.

Got a super soft michelin pilot rear that still has 4 or 5 mm in the wear dots, but I gave up on it after it tried to highside me 5 times in one day, the last time was at 200 kmph, and resulted in scary grass tracking manouvre. They have never been blued though. 6 race meets out of that tyre, but as I say, grip not worth a shit anymore.

Suppose it depends on compounds as to how they hold up on the road, and as they age/are worn, it drives water out of the carcass, which hardens the compound, so maybe in some respects the over heated tyres will last longer on the roads.

I think any tyre will do for the road, you just need to adjust your riding to suit. If you want to ride really hard, I would spend the money, or look at bulk buying and importing a bunch of them for personal use.

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 09:20

some still have casting marks in the middle of the tyres.

that's irrelevant if the sides are flogged out of course

Stand firmly by the supposition that if you are losing chicken strips on the road, you are or soon will be a statistic of some sort or other.

can you explain more what you mean by this?
I'm nearly 50 and have been riding hard for about 35 years
My tyres almost never have chicken strips left after even the first few decent rides.
In the old days as a youthful hoon, I did have a number of accidents on the road, some because of inexperience and some because of road obstacles (plus a few just plain dumb ones). That was a long time ago though, last road accident was in about 1986 when a car did a U turn in front of me on the open road.
I reckon it's not about the chicken strips but about experience

I run my race take offs on my road bike, a thousand, so far 3000 kms out of a set of supercorsas that i pillaged on the 600 for 60 odd laps of taupo.

i see, so you're doing just what i am. I don't doubt that a really good set of road tyres will be exceptional on the road. What this whole thing is about is that those tyres would maybe last 3000km on my bike the way i ride (i had a set of soft Avons last just 1500km's a few years ago, never used em since).
replacing my tyres every 6-8 rides and buying the expensive rubber when i do so, is beyond my humble means.

Got a super soft michelin pilot rear that still has 4 or 5 mm in the wear dots, but I gave up on it after it tried to highside me 5 times in one day, the last time was at 200 kmph, and resulted in scary grass tracking manouvre.

I'm not into speeds like that on the road, i'm more of a go hard in the corners and slow down for the straights kinda guy. In fact, my new KTM has never seen 200 and probably never will.

They have never been blued though. 6 race meets out of that tyre, but as I say, grip not worth a shit anymore.
Suppose it depends on compounds as to how they hold up on the road, and as they age/are worn, it drives water out of the carcass, which hardens the compound, so maybe in some respects the over heated tyres will last longer on the roads.

sure, an overheated tyre may last longer but will probably be less grippy.
i'm interested in the comment that "it drives water out of the carcass", i wouldn't have thought there'd be any water in the carcass.

I think any tyre will do for the road, you just need to adjust your riding to suit. If you want to ride really hard, I would spend the money, or look at bulk buying and importing a bunch of them for personal use.

yeah, i think so too. in the end i reckon that being able to feel the tyre and know when it's starting to let go is more important than absolute grip. That's why I never use Michelins, I know some people love them but I just can't 'feel' them.

thanks for your input

Crasherfromwayback

26th February 2007, 09:47

and often the bloke in the tyre shop says "shit mate, you ride fucken hard don't ya"

No, I'm not blowing my own trumpet, just pointing out that assumption is silly.
I only ever raced on slicks once; mainly I raced proddy bikes.

Bollocks. You mention later in this thread that the slicks you've fitted are more 'stable' too.....more bollocks.

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 09:55

Bollocks. You mention later in this thread that the slicks you've fitted are more 'stable' too.....more bollocks.

the cut slicks i fitted are definitely faster steering and make the handling lighter.
they are also much more stable cranked over in a corner (they don't move around like the road tyres did).

both are facts

Crasherfromwayback

26th February 2007, 10:05

Tui...........

kiwifruit

26th February 2007, 10:07

interesting reading

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 11:28

Bollocks. You mention later in this thread that the slicks you've fitted are more 'stable' too.....more bollocks.

come on crasherfromwayback, i'm waiting.............

you've dived in dumped a 'bollocks' without any rationale, anyone can make a declarative statement and not back it up

please explain why you think my subjective testing is 'bollocks'

The tyres that came off were a BT020 rear and a Pirelli Scorpion Sync front (the matching rear punctured in the 1st week).

The BT020 never gave me any confidence, i'll never buy another. The std Scorpions were OK but the Pirelli Dragon slicks are better than both.

As I said, they steer better making the bike feel lighter and they are stickier and more stable in corners.

So please be specific, what exactly is 'bollocks'?

LilSel

26th February 2007, 11:37

:jerry: :corn: :jerry: :corn: .............

Crasherfromwayback

26th February 2007, 13:36

The steering is faster and more stable and the grip is excellent.

The first 'Bollocks' was for you stating you weren't 'blowing your own trumpet' when the people tell you how hard you must be riding!

No big deal if you are....as long as you admit it!

The second one was for that... Faster steering yes, more stable no.

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 13:50

The first 'Bollocks' was for you stating you weren't 'blowing your own trumpet' when the people tell you how hard you must be riding!

No big deal if you are....as long as you admit it!

The second one was for that... Faster steering yes, more stable no.

The reply re chickenstrips was in context not trumpet blowing.

The second, again more declarative statements without any rationale?

Faster steering yes, more stable while cornering: absolutely; the crap bridgestone was all over the place in corners and the front Pirelli was only OK.

So once more, do you have anything other than simplistic declarative statements?

Crasherfromwayback

26th February 2007, 15:00

The reply re chickenstrips was in context not trumpet blowing.

The second, again more declarative statements without any rationale?

Faster steering yes, more stable while cornering: absolutely; the crap bridgestone was all over the place in corners and the front Pirelli was only OK.

So once more, do you have anything other than simplistic declarative statements?

Sure. You first stated "Faster steering and more stable"....no mention of bike being on it's side......Slicks are (as you know) well triangular in shape....and far from 'stable'. Great grip on their 'sides'.....but a bit like riding onn a ball point pen when upright. Besides....the tyre mismatch you had before is hardly a good comparison by you. Listen to all those that HAVE raced on both slicks AND proddie tyres...they're all telling you the same thing.

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 15:11

Sure. You first stated "Faster steering and more stable"....no mention of bike being on it's side......Slicks are (as you know) well triangular in shape....and far from 'stable'. Great grip on their 'sides'.....but a bit like riding onn a ball point pen when upright. Besides....the tyre mismatch you had before is hardly a good comparison by you. Listen to all those that HAVE raced on both slicks AND proddie tyres...they're all telling you the same thing.

indeed, and noting your ahem, 'misunderstanding' i clarified and used 'in corners' from then on which was in fact my point the whole time.
i do note that you continued to ignore that though.
Now as for slicks being 'triangular': ROTFLMFAO! They are curved and quite similar in fact to many sport style road tyres in profile. They are nowhere near triangular.
As for the 'mismatch', have you ridden such a combination? If not, you're once more merely making a declarative statement based on nothing at all.

Once more though, the current grooved slicks are a better ride than the original tyres on the SM and feel better too than Pirelli Diablo/Corsa's on my old supermoto.

"Listen to all those that HAVE raced on both slicks AND proddie tyres...they're all telling you the same thing."

and i'm telling you that ON THE ROAD, these slicks are better than anything I've had on my bikes for the past 5 years. That's not a simple declarative statement, it's based on actual ride time as described in previous posts.

but do go on, i'd expect nothing less

Crasherfromwayback

26th February 2007, 15:25

Now as for slicks being 'triangular': ROTFLMFAO! They are curved and quite similar in fact to many sport style road tyres in profile. They are nowhere near triangular.

[/COLOR][/COLOR]

No need for me to go on mate......slicks are indeed VERY TRIANGULAR.
Not nearly as round as your average road tyre (although a lot of road legal race tyres are also now quite 'triangular').....so you've just shown us all what you know about tyres.

They are like this so that once on their 'side' they have a far bigger footprint than a 'round' tyre. Race bikes tend to get thrown on their sides a lot harder and more agressively than riders would want to do on the roads....they like smoother 'tip in'....hence the nicer less agressive 'rounder' shape.

^ vs ) see? Understand? Didn't think so.....
FA. No wonder you were nowhere to be seen on the race tracks.

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 15:33

No need for me to go on mate......slicks are indeed VERY TRIANGULAR.
Not nearly as round as your average road tyre (although a lot of road legal race tyres are also now quite 'triangular').....so you've just shown us all what you know about tyres.

They are like this so that once on their 'side' they have a far bigger footprint than a 'round' tyre. Race bikes tend to get thrown on their sides a lot harder and more agressively than riders would want to do on the roads....they like smoother 'tip in'....hence the nicer less agressive 'rounder' shape.

^ vs ) see? Understand? Didn't think so.....
FA. No wonder you were nowhere to be seen on the race tracks.

that's so funny
should i post a photo of these so called 'triangular' tyres?
As I said, many sports tyres are virtually the same in profile and not at all triangular.
Those old triangular tyres seem to have disappeared in the 80's.
Modern tyres are not at all triangular, they merely have a taller profile but remain quite nicely curved.

"They are like this so that once on their 'side' they have a far bigger footprint than a 'round' tyre. Race bikes tend to get thrown on their sides a lot harder and more agressively than riders would want to do on the roads....they like smoother 'tip in'....hence the nicer less agressive 'rounder' shape."

I see, so even though you say the slicks I have are triangular, you then go on about how they are nice and 'round' because the riders like that profile so they can tip them in fast.....
do you read your posts before you push enter?

BTW: I've never argued that slicks don't have a nice fat footprint tipped over, that's part of the reason they are so stable in corners: rotflmfao!

tell ya what, i'll go take a photo of the so called 'triangular' Pirelli slicks on my bike and post it here. We'll let the members decide whether round is actually triangular.

kiwifruit

26th February 2007, 15:38

would you mind posting a pic of the said tyres idleidolidyll?
im keen on a sqiz

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 15:43

pics of the Dragon slick profiles front and rear as fitted to the bike in discussion:

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 15:46

would you mind posting a pic of the said tyres idleidolidyll?
im keen on a sqiz

just posted a profile shot but it doesn't actually show the tyre up well (although it shows the profile perfectly).

I'll go take a couple more for ya and post them here.

I should also note that these are fitted to the standard wheels on the SM. The rear wheel is a 5.5 and I understand that most big bikes will have 6" rear wheels (no, i'm not certain and may stand corrected).
Fitting a 190 to the rear of my bike would therefore make the profile more agressive than on a 6" rim which would tend to flatten the profile out even more (LESS of a 'triangle')

watch this space for the next photos

kiwifruit

26th February 2007, 15:54

its tempting.... wonder what slicks would be like on the 10r on the road.....

might just stick to the pp

Crasherfromwayback

26th February 2007, 15:58

pics of the Dragon slick profiles front and rear as fitted to the bike in discussion:

Cool.....you saved me having to do it!
Please note just how much rubber is practically 'flat' on the side....
for maximum 'foot print' when on it's side. Then have a look at a tennis ball or something that is 'round'??? do the nice wee round balls have an almost flat surface anywhere on them? No? Dind't think so...you see, it's round, not 'triangular'. I think you have taken the use of the word 'triangular' out of context.....but thanks for the pics!

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 16:17

Here ya go

Tyres have done 18 laps plus 450km on the road now. Pics attached:

One shot shows that there is still plenty of clearance with the fatter rear fitted.

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 16:21

Cool.....you saved me having to do it!
Please note just how much rubber is practically 'flat' on the side....
for maximum 'foot print' when on it's side. Then have a look at a tennis ball or something that is 'round'??? do the nice wee round balls have an almost flat surface anywhere on them? No? Dind't think so...you see, it's round, not 'triangular'. I think you have taken the use of the word 'triangular' out of context.....but thanks for the pics!

Oh I see, it's 'practically flat' now NOT a triangle!
In fact it's nowhere near a triangle and a very shapely curve.
Who EVER said 'round' mate, that's your spin. I said curved.
Looking even closer, they are even nice and curved where craher says the6y are 'flat'.
The pic he's grabbing shows the tyres edge out of focus merged with the profile making it look like a flat surface when in fact it isn't.
The front is sharper but quite curved, the rear could continue on and make a VERY nice 'round' tennis ball shape.

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 16:24

I think you have taken the use of the word 'triangular' out of context.....but thanks for the pics!

uh..........YOU were the one using the term mate, I said they were curved.
In fact quite nicely curved at that

if ya wanna talk 'in context', find a shot of one of those real early slicks, you now, the triangular ones. These modern ones are about as 'triangular' as a soccer ball

kiwifruit

26th February 2007, 16:32

i think you guys are just misunderstanding each other, but anyway....
nice bike and nice groove job!

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 16:43

i think you guys are just misunderstanding each other, but anyway....
nice bike and nice groove job!

actually i'm not misunderstanding him at all, i think crasher gets a bit carried away and emotional when posting to me and i was just helping with transport

:yes:

giz a kiss crasher

Mom

26th February 2007, 16:48

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 17:36

I just looked at the thread starter for this...........

Grooved slicks: Road legal or not?

Surely by know you have had that answered time and time again.

Good luck mate if you ride with them is all I have to add.

Yep, that's for sure. My destiny is my own. So far I'm more than happy.
Read between the lines a bit though and you'll see that although that was the title, the thread was about the high prices we pay for tyres in NZ.

Mom

26th February 2007, 17:38

Yep, that's for sure. My destiny is my own. So far I'm more than happy.
Read between the lines a bit though and you'll see that although that was the title, the thread was about the high prices we pay for tyres in NZ.

Reading between the lines is not a strong point with some it seems, not even the direct comments made seem to sink in.......like I said mate....good luck!!

DEATH_INC.

26th February 2007, 17:57

ride on the road like you do on the track and only one person will win.... he wears a long black cloak and holds an old farm implement in his hands.
That'd be me then......
:dodge:

FROSTY

26th February 2007, 19:00

idleidolidyll

26th February 2007, 19:07

-Back to the origonal question.
Slicks simply because of the lil bit of wrighting on the side -NOT for highway use arent legal on our goat tracks.
back though to SHOULD you use slicks.
Good question --
On one hand I've talked to the guys at both Metzler and Pirelli and in both cases they tell me that the difference in COMPOUND between a race slick and the eqivilent road tyre-eg race tec is ZERO --yep they use the same rubber in both.
Where I'd be a lil worried is that Im told the slicks have a diffferent CARCASE construction -I understand the ancle of the plies is different.

now that is an intelligent reply.

Yes, i'm a bit concerned about the carcass too and particularly when 2 up. That's why I'm testing it all out.

but your comments do bear out what i've posted from actual experience: that Dragon Slicks are fucking excellent on the road..........................until the next bloody puncture eh!

onearmedbandit

26th February 2007, 22:44

Okay lets try to keep it civil here folks.

idleidolidyll

28th February 2007, 08:17

Should have gone here to start with: the Pirelli website

much better photos showing the nice sticky curved profile slicks (not a triangle to be seen)

the rear is almost a constant radius curve (as in part of a circle). the front has sides that are somewhat steeper than the curve of the centre/off centre

http://www.pirellityre.com/web/catalog/moto/moto_catalogo_schedaDescription.page?categoria=/catalog/moto/racing/racing_NHS&vehicleType=MOTO&product_id=1781&uri=/pirellityre/en_IT/browser/xml/catalog/moto/MOTO_MV_DIABLOSUPERBIKE_RAC.xml

idleidolidyll

23rd March 2007, 10:56

The $90 used race slicks i bought and grooved have now done 2500km.
In that time they have been awesome and all the cries of "danger, danger, they need to get hot or you'll die" have been rendered ridiculous.

The tires feel much the same as street tyres except better.
I never went hard on std street tyres until my tyres were a little warm anyway.
I run the tyres at 32psi rear and 30 psi front cold. When warm i've checked em and found 36 psi rear and 34 psi front.

Looking at the wear dimples, I still have maybe another 2000km left!
4500km! pretty damn good for $90 per end

Come Winter i might just try using race wets and run them at higher pressures to make em last a bit longer.

The upshot is I see no reason so far not to use slicks except the legality/insurance thing. However, it seems to me that these may be based on ignorance rather than informed objectivity. The slicks are MUCH stickier (hence safer) than the goddamn awful Bridgestone I had on the back prior to fitting the slicks.
I even had a ride in the rain back from Coromandel the other day and had no problems whatsoever riding within their limits and while doing so, easily kept up with a (skilled) friend on his bike with sticky road tyres. Another mate was left way back on his road tyres.

I wonder if the reason for the "not for highway use" thing is protection of a lucrative rip off for road tyres?

FROSTY

25th March 2007, 21:42

Come Winter i might just try using race wets and run them at higher pressures to make em last a bit longer.
My advice there dude--Dont do it.Have you seen what happens to cages running snow tyres.
Wets need to be used in the WET -as in puddles of running water. They become slippery as all heck if they get hot.Eventually its like riding on ball bearings -I found this out at both Invercargill and ruapuna when the track dried out --I just wore my wets down--The fast guys had destroyed em --In 10 laps or 40km

FzerozeroT

25th March 2007, 22:39

I'll second that comment about the wets, intermediates are for what we would regard as rain, race wets are for dragging knee in an inch of water on a track that has no crown

***rumour time*** I heard that the construction of a PIRELLI SLICK is such that it is only designed for accelleration and decelleration, constant speeds may cause the tyre to start delaminating, in effect the tread may separate from the carcass and if this happens in a large enough area at a high enough velocity then the tread could be litterally ripped off the carcass, this is specifically why the PIRELLIS make good race tyres, but poor road tyres.

I hadn't heard anything about the different construction between supercorsas and slicks, in fact the discussion involved that a supercorsa is a poor road tyre as it IS a grooved slick and may suffer from the same issues, bear in mind that this is not any official word from any manufacturer, maybe Frostys contacts would like to supply some hard evidence?

Again the moral of the story is that a race slick is designed for a specific purpose (dry racetracks), and with those design parameters in mind come limitations in other environments (road, rain)

idleidolidyll

26th March 2007, 12:23

My advice there dude--Dont do it.Have you seen what happens to cages running snow tyres.
Wets need to be used in the WET -as in puddles of running water. They become slippery as all heck if they get hot.Eventually its like riding on ball bearings -I found this out at both Invercargill and ruapuna when the track dried out --I just wore my wets down--The fast guys had destroyed em --In 10 laps or 40km

Frosty, that was a flippant comment. Of course I'm not gonna use wets. I may not have used slicks when I was racing but I did use wets and know what to expect.
What I will likely do is use ex race proddy tyres; soft ones.

idleidolidyll

26th March 2007, 12:29

***rumour time*** I heard that the construction of a PIRELLI SLICK is such that it is only designed for accelleration and decelleration, constant speeds may cause the tyre to start delaminating, in effect the tread may separate from the carcass and if this happens in a large enough area at a high enough velocity then the tread could be litterally ripped off the carcass, this is specifically why the PIRELLIS make good race tyres, but poor road tyres.

I hadn't heard anything about the different construction between supercorsas and slicks, in fact the discussion involved that a supercorsa is a poor road tyre as it IS a grooved slick and may suffer from the same issues, bear in mind that this is not any official word from any manufacturer, maybe Frostys contacts would like to supply some hard evidence?

Again the moral of the story is that a race slick is designed for a specific purpose (dry racetracks), and with those design parameters in mind come limitations in other environments (road, rain)

Please read my comments above. I almost never use my bike for short runs; usual minimum is 200 kilometres.
As for these test tyres, they did a return trip to Whakatene from Auckland and were running at pretty much constant speeds for hours. They have also done a number of 200-400 kilometer road rides.
Frankly I can't see any validity in the delamination argument. The most arduous condition would be the most likely to delaminate the tyre and that is not constant speeds on NZ roads (90-120 kph). Very few to no road riders are likely to maintain constant speeds of 160+ etc so even considering that range is pointless.

There is no sign whatsoever that the tyres are delamniating or otherwise destroying themselves except for ordinary wear.

I'd have to say "Myth Busted" by the reality test frankly.

Korumba

26th March 2007, 12:54

Please read my comments above. I almost never use my bike for short runs; usual minimum is 200 kilometres.
As for these test tyres, they did a return trip to Whakatene from Auckland and were running at pretty much constant speeds for hours. They have also done a number of 200-400 kilometer road rides.
Frankly I can't see any validity in the delamination argument. The most arduous condition would be the most likely to delaminate the tyre and that is not constant speeds on NZ roads (90-120 kph). Very few to no road riders are likely to maintain constant speeds of 160+ etc so even considering that range is pointless.

There is no sign whatsoever that the tyres are delamniating or otherwise destroying themselves except for ordinary wear.

I'd have to say "Myth Busted" by the reality test frankly.

Not quite busted.... I find that after many high speed sustained runs I may have a bit of delamination but fixed this easy with a trip to Dick Smith http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/46071816005abc86273fc0a87f33064a/Product/View/F1318
but make sure you take all the air out of your tyre before the relamination process as results may vary.

idleidolidyll

26th March 2007, 13:09

Not quite busted.... I find that after many high speed sustained runs I may have a bit of delamination but fixed this easy with a trip to Dick Smith http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/46071816005abc86273fc0a87f33064a/Product/View/F1318
but make sure you take all the air out of your tyre before the relamination process as results may vary.

as i said, i don't sit on high speeds for long periods so this is not really valid for me and i suspect for most others on NZ roads.

Oscar

26th March 2007, 17:50

If you're using a tyre that doesn't meet an approved standard for on road use what do you think the chances of a insurance company paying out are?

The insurer could go down the "unroadworthy" track.
However, under current legislation, they would have to prove that the tyres contributed to the accident.

So the answer is "maybe"...

Back Fire

26th March 2007, 18:37

race hoops being triangular... I believe the term he was looking for was elliptical... which is a somewhat triangulated circle...

orange dog

26th March 2007, 23:53

The insurer could go down the "unroadworthy" track.
However, under current legislation, they would have to prove that the tyres contributed to the accident.

So the answer is "maybe"...

I've found insurance companies will find any reason to refuse a claim, leaving it up to you to prove them wrong (expensive and long winded).

I used to use cut slicks as they were cheap, looked cool and went around corners. Not the best though for a young immortal who had the stupidity to go looking for the limits, without the skill to know when he's found them ! :shit:
Also, balancing seemed more of an issue.

FROSTY

27th March 2007, 08:28

Frosty, that was a flippant comment. Of course I'm not gonna use wets. I may not have used slicks when I was racing but I did use wets and know what to expect.
What I will likely do is use ex race proddy tyres; soft ones.
Bro--I was directly quoting you --and don't know you well enough to be sure of your experience level

FzerozeroT

13th April 2007, 08:29

I'd have to say "Myth Busted" by the reality test frankly.

Thats why I said **rumour**

idleidolidyll

2nd October 2007, 14:22

8000+km later and the jury is in: slicks on a road bike are fabulous!
I never felt safer and even in the rain they were fine (hand cut).

best of all I paid $150 per set including fitting and balancing for a set of tryres that got 8000km out of the front and 4000 plus out of the rear.

will i keep using them? probably not. Only because Mr Plod is a mindless automaton and will throw the book at me regardless of logic and common sense.

Mr Merde

2nd October 2007, 14:25

Nice one.

Just as a moot point, how long do a set of road tyres last you?

idleidolidyll

2nd October 2007, 14:38

less kms than the slicks actually

of course the slicks were a little used but if they were new i know i'd have got about 6000+km from the rear and 8000km from the front.

Pirelli Corsa fronts last me about 6000km and Pirelli Dragons for the rear would last no more than 5000km

idleidolidyll

2nd October 2007, 14:39

of course if i ride with you or some others i know, my tyres would never need changing.................

Mr Merde

2nd October 2007, 15:56

of course if i ride with you or some others i know, my tyres would never need changing.................

I know I'm slow. Please dont rub it in.

scumdog

5th October 2007, 07:41

Frankly I don't give a rats arse about the cops; they usually only check the tread depth anyway.

The COST (RAPE?) question is still unanswered too.

Note to self: Check tyres on ALL sprotsbikes I stop from now on and tell mates to do same.

idleidolidyll

5th October 2007, 07:43

yep, that's the kind of vindictive asshole we have come to know as NZ Police

thanks for the confirmation scum

Grahameeboy

5th October 2007, 07:48

If you're using a tyre that doesn't meet an approved standard for on road use what do you think the chances of a insurance company paying out are?

The can only decline a claim if the tyre was the cause of the accident, no different to a legal tyre that is say bald.

scumdog

5th October 2007, 07:48

Hmmm, two minutes - not TOO bad a reaction time.........:whistle:

idleidolidyll

5th October 2007, 08:05

sure, you quoted me and the pop up immediately alerted me to your typically vindictive post

scumdog

5th October 2007, 08:12

sure, you quoted me and the pop up immediately alerted me to your typically vindictive post

No shit Sherlock?

The pop up alerted you, immediately?

Well, who'd have thunk it!!

It was the response time to which I referred.

jrandom

5th October 2007, 08:19

yep, that's the kind of vindictive asshole we have come to know as NZ Police

YHBT. YHL. HAND.

idleidolidyll

5th October 2007, 08:22

Yawn, i'm completely underwhelmed

SimJen

5th October 2007, 08:37

Why bother with slicks man, not really worth the effort. Any bike shop with a brain will pick them up and not give you a wof. A decent insurance company should pick em up too.
Slicks aren't meant for the road as they don't get hot enough, do your tires get so hot you can't touch them? I seriously doubt it! If they do and you ride as hard as you say you do, then this whole point will be moot, as no doubt you aren't long for this world. :)
Tyres are so expensive in NZ because of the basic fact that we have very few motorcyclists compared to somewhere like the UK! The numbers just aren't in it for mass importation and large savings.
Still If you have a good relationship with your local dealer they will often look after you on price.....I get my tyres considerably cheaper because of this.
Just do it, if they blow out or fail or spit you off when cold...thats your problem and your decision led to it........good luck.
A real man would just use uncut slicks! in all weathers.