Tyres for the Nurburgring?

[kb45]

Guys

I am going on a trip to the Nurburgring at the end of July.
I rode it last year on Tourances and got a 9:40 lap. I found them REALLY slippery on the second lap if I rode two straight off. I am looking to put a more road oriented tyre for this years trip to shave off a few seconds and possibly have some faith in two laps without going super-moto stylie into the kitty litter (if I can find some).

I know I am limited on choice, but has anyone got any feedback on suitable tyres? Especially if you have track day or "ring" experience of them?

I have heard that street pilot 2's are meant to be good, but I am not sure what the "good" bit applied to - good for general riding/longevity - or good for scraping the crap out ya' pegs!!!

Any feedback appreciated

Kev

 

[Wizard]

Lot of guys on here swear by Bridgestone BT-020's. When I was ragging sports bikes around the backroads of Ireland, I swore by BT-014's. The new BT-021 has, aparently, 020 compound in the middle, and 014 compound on the edges. And having used BT-092's on my 400 (same type of dual compound sports/tour tyre, but for smaller bikes), I know the dual compound tyres work damn well. So I'd try the 021's

 

[Micky]

Do two good laps back to back and the Tourances will be waving a white flag at ya... they'll start to slide

Did a couple of laps on my 1200GSA, shod with Anakee's, and they were just fine. No signs of overheating, never twitched...



www.adventure.gs

 

[allthegearnoidea]

This thread is scaring me. I'm going to the Ring for three days in early August. My Tourances are in good nick with only 5000 miles on them.

I am a reasonably fast rider (fast group in track days) and have done several days recently without slipping.

Am I missing something about the Ring or in reality will I be alright on my Tourances? Is there a whiff of derring do about the slipping tyres?

If not what do I need to replace them with?

Dave

 

[Micky]

This thread is scaring me. I'm going to the Ring for three days in early August. My Tourances are in good nick with only 5000 miles on them.

I am a reasonably fast rider (fast group in track days) and have done several days recently without slipping.

Am I missing something about the Ring or in reality will I be alright on my Tourances? Is there a whiff of derring do about the slipping tyres?

If not what do I need to replace them with?

Dave

You'll be fine with theTourances

If you don't know the place you'll not be doing nine minute laps!
In good nick with 5,000 miles on 'em? Mine only ever lasted 5,000 miles at best

The beauty about Tourances, in my book, is that when they get hot they start to squirm and remind you that you are mortal after all... but they'll not throw you off unless you do something daft

Go and enjoy... ride it like you stole it



www.adventure.gs
www.advancedridingtechniques.info

 

[davedyer]

This thread is scaring me. I'm going to the Ring for three days in early August.

Be afraid, very afraid. And watch out for the buses!!

 

[Schtum]

Bike Magazine recently did a test on big trailie tyres. For road and track use the Continental Road Attacks were the overall winners, if only because the Avons which might have beaten them fell to pieces.

My only personal experience on the track with the GS was doing Knockhill on Tourances and they coped fine. However, I do have the very pair of Road Attacks which Bike rated so highly sitting in my garage awaiting my next foray onto the track.....

 

[timeandtide]

This thread is scaring me. I'm going to the Ring for three days in early August. My Tourances are in good nick with only 5000 miles on them.

I am a reasonably fast rider (fast group in track days) and have done several days recently without slipping.

Am I missing something about the Ring or in reality will I be alright on my Tourances? Is there a whiff of derring do about the slipping tyres?

If not what do I need to replace them with?

Dave

How can they be in good nick with that mileage on? I'd be expecting another thou tops.

 

[terayon]

Personally to do the Ring, I would put Conti Road Attacks on. They come in a GS fitment at about £150 a set depending on where you get them from.

They are a great tyre for track days

 

[Wapping]

Guys

I am going on a trip to the Nurburgring at the end of July.
I rode it last year on Tourances and got a 9:40 lap. I found them REALLY slippery on the second lap if I rode two straight off. I am looking to put a more road oriented tyre for this years trip to shave off a few seconds and possibly have some faith in two laps without going super-moto stylie into the kitty litter (if I can find some).

I know I am limited on choice, but has anyone got any feedback on suitable tyres? Especially if you have track day or "ring" experience of them?

I have heard that street pilot 2's are meant to be good, but I am not sure what the "good" bit applied to - good for general riding/longevity - or good for scraping the crap out ya' pegs!!!

Any feedback appreciated

Kev

I did fine on 020's (or whatever the number is now) on 1200. Plenty of scraping of footpegs. Never missed a beat.

 

[steveh]

road attacks

did 4 days at the ring from last friday and the RA's were execellent. They did overheat after 2 consec laps but when they did let go were really progresive. It was the first time on the bike (I've done about 100 laps in total in the car) and was doing about 9 min BTG. The main limiting factor was the ground clearance at breidscheid, aremberg etc etc otherwise really impressed. Enjoy just watch out for fluids, guy dumped oil in front of me at schwedenkreuz which was a very sphinctor tightening moment, bad enough in the car bloody teffifying on the bike.

 

[22Yellow]

Last time I took the GS I was on Anakee's which held up for 5 consectative sub 10 min laps and they behaved very well, weather was cool though.

The main limiting factor was the ground clearance at breidscheid, aremberg etc etc otherwise really impressed.

Saw the aftermath of an RT binning it at Ex Muhle last Monday, right hander after Breidscheid, rider was OK but the bike's front wheel was hanging off, there's a compression through there and the cylinder head hit the tarmac taking the bike down which then collied with the armco.

 

[Gipsy]

Don't know the ring at all, but for your tourances to survive a few track days in the fast group, and still be OK, you must have spent a lot of time on the sides of your tyres! Chicken strips likely to be non existant. If you ride that quickly, and want to enjoy the ring my advice would be to get new road orientated rubber. My choice is the 020/021 from Bridgestone as I'm used to them. But there is plenty of choice. Make sure you get them fully warm before giving them the berries on the track.

 

[Deleted account 210609001]

I've never ridden the Nurburgring, nor done a track day (on my GS, anyway) but I have just done a tour of the Alps on Road Attacks. I appreciate the difference between road and track riding, but the RA's were superb throughout - very confidence inspiring and grippy, all weathers. Only downside is they are a little squared off after motorway miles.

On another website I read some fairly alarming comments about Bridgestone BT021's dry grip, to the extent that the guy swapped them before too long. He had previously used BT020s, and the 021's were less grippy in his view. It's always dangerous to take comments like these as gospel as one person's "lost grip when riding gently" could be another's "began to squirm slightly at max lean 140 mph corners." However, my friend has them on his Ducati ST4S and says they do slide around a bit (and he's no hero).

 

[steveh]

ouch

Last time I took the GS I was on Anakee's which held up for 5 consectative sub 10 min laps and they behaved very well, weather was cool though.


Saw the aftermath of an RT binning it at Ex Muhle last Monday, right hander after Breidscheid, rider was OK but the bike's front wheel was hanging off, there's a compression through there and the cylinder head hit the tarmac taking the bike down which then collied with the armco.

zero run off there too, glad the rider was ok.

 

[22Yellow]

zero run off there too, glad the rider was ok.

He was very lucky nothing broken we found out later, except the bike, saw a number of GS's there over the weekend and a HP2 which I wouldn't have minded a go on, were you running the modified seat ?

 

[KMD]

I recently removed a nearly new set of Tourance tyres because they had started to let go too often for my liking and my confidence in them was gone. Replaced with Conti Road Attacks on the back of that magazine article and have to say I like them very much. Took the bike (1150gs) to the Picos and ragged it from side to side without a hint of stepping out (all dry miles).

Having done the Ring for a number of years now I'd be very confident in them in the dry on the track.

 

[steveh]

yep

He was very lucky nothing broken we found out later, except the bike, saw a number of GS's there over the weekend and a HP2 which I wouldn't have minded a go on, were you running the modified seat ?

van went through me at 30 mph 5 hours before leaving (I was stopped at a junction, and white van man decided not to look). Luckily gaffa tape fixes everything

Saw the HP2, pretty good wheelie machine from what I could see.

 

[22Yellow]

van went through me at 30 mph 5 hours before leaving (I was stopped at a junction, and white van man decided not to look). Luckily gaffa tape fixes everything

Glad it didn't ruin your weekend

Saw the HP2, pretty good wheelie machine from what I could see.

That's why I wanted a go, more clearance as well on the HP2's.

This'll be you then ?

 

[steveh]

yep

Glad it didn't ruin your weekend


That's why I wanted a go, more clearance as well on the HP2's.

This'll be you then ?

bikes being fixed as we speak, made me realise I really want a track bike again. The track cars gone so looks like I'm off shopping , theres plenty more room in the garage for more bikes (why did I blow all that money on cars only to go slower ?)