Pirelli tire selection

Best source for Moto3 sets?

 

Last weekend if you were at COTA otherwise your local Pirelli vendor. But remember they aren't alot of Moto3 bikes here so call the peeps to make sure that they have them right?

 

Thanks. Just planning ahead, as I might have to have them shipped since they're for my mini-moto.

Do recommended pressures still apply? I'm getting a wide range of recommendations.

 

When we ran 17" tires on minis, we used lower pressures. They didn't have Pirelli's back then, we ran dunlop and bridegstones, and ran between 19-23. We ran tire warmers, but back then we didn't check temps when coming off the track, so I can't give you that info, but all of the riders were running lower pressures, versus what we ran once we went to the big tracks with a 125.

 

Can we get some insight on what changed to cause the recommended warmer temperature range from years past?

Also, from what I hear during the wsbk broadcasts, teams try to go as low as possible pressure wise in the rear to extract maximal performance. I think the minimum psi they allow is around the 23psi range. I understand the official Pirelli recommended range is to cover the wide range of riders that would potentially be using these tires.

 

So the big thing here is you're using Moto3 slicks on a bike that won't G load the tires (you're not cornering at a buck 20 are you?) so lower pressures of course can be used. Get with your vendor for pressures.

 

WSBK/WSS aka the fastest bikes with the fastest riders are experimenting with lower front pressures and to some extent rears too. When the rears have so much grip they can push the front around and it hurts lap times. So with a WSBK/WSS perfect setup a bit lower front pressure increases braking performance and helps settle the bike. A bunch of club racers around the US have tried to copy WSBK and the results are inconclusive but generally they aren't liking the feel. So they are sticking very close to recommended psi, and the multiple track records are proof of this.

Oscar does a ton of work at the track and is a engineer so I'm guessing he's modified the warmer temps to help you guys. And it might be related to carcass or compound changes too but I'm not sure. Check with your trackside vendor.

But the big thing to all of this is know that your warmers work CORRECTLY and check your gauge and hot psi and the pressures off the track, and check with your trackside vendor.

And check with your trackside vendor.
And check with your trackside vendor.

 

More like cornering at 20.

 

To your knowledge has there been much experimentation done on the 125/70 front paired with a 190/60 rear domestically?
If I recall an article I read, that tire option was opened up to WSSP bikes either last year or this year.

 

Yes quite a few riders around the US tried it. But the results were inconclusive and it wasn't a path to going faster than the 120/70.