Grooved slicks: Road legal or not?

[Mr. Peanut]

Shinkos aren't expensive.

[nsrpaul]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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. Are you going to adjust your suspension to suit the slick? No? Didnt think so.... 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......

[scracha]

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]

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]

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]

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

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

[idleidolidyll]

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......

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]

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!?