Front Tire Life

I purchased a set of BT-002 Racing Street tires for my 06 GSXR-1000 last spring and did 4 novice track days plus about 400 street miles. Rear is toast but the front looks great, not shredded or blue whatsoever.

I bumping up to intermediate this year and cash is tight.

Can I keep using the front?

Thanks for any input.

 

how much tread left before waer bar is level with surface?

 

I usually do 2 rears for every front, so you're prob good for 1-2 more days. Check the wear bars, store them properly, and before you ever have a serious reason to doubt them, get new tires

 

crazy, with my last supercorsas i was doing 2 fronts to one rear and those were medium fronts and soft rears

 

maybe bad setup?how did bike handle?

 

A lot left. They have been stored in my cold garage on the bike all winter.

 

yeah i think those are fine. most of the guys i ride with run them till the pills are gone. if you feel the front pushing swap em out!!!

 

I have run those exact tires till the pills are gone(the small tread on the side) and the cords are almost visible they will stick as long as you dont have wires or cords starting to show. It all depends on how much of your bike's output do you notice. You may need to change them just as the pill is almost gone or you can wait till the cords are about to show. If your going to be out there among all of your fellow track dayers then you should always err on the side of caution. No matter how much tread is left if you dont feel safe on them,change em it will affect you mentally if your not comfortable on them.When you gauge the tire life dont use the middle of the tire use the pills on the side to determine the life of the tire.

Ohh yeah the tire you have the pics of are in perfect shape.

The best thing about doing track days you can take your tosted track day tire and use it for a perfectly good commuter tire.

 

would have to ask how many heat cycles the tires have been through?

After a year, I think I would swap them out. A new front tire is alot cheaper than putting the bike back together after a lowside because you were trying to stretch one more trackday on a tire....JMO

 

Thanks for the input so far. They have 4 novice track days so they really were not pushed except for the last 3-4 sessions of the day. Its a street tire so I doubt I have too many heat cycles in them.

I dont feel as they are unacceptable, they have just been on the bike for a year.

 

blue does not mean bad. big misconception. blue means oils came to the surface. all race tirest hat sit for a while after use turn blue. its ok. you will know if you need a new tire when you start sliding. you will feel it happen just a little bit. when you do pull off and change your tire. othorwise you will not be getting all you can out of your tires. a slower I rider can use their tires 4 times as long as a fast advanced rider.

 

Good to know. I guess people associate it with metal. If you have a blue engine bearing, you have a bad engine bearing.

After this thread, I am confident I can keep using the tire. I dont use warmers and I dont want to get into that yet. I err on the side of caution when allowing enough time for them to warm on the track. I have yet to slide the front in any condition.

 

I have a BT003 take off you can have for 50 shipped, should be good for a few track days at an intermediate pace!

 

I'll bet that tire is hard as a rock..........

 

Heat cycling is a lot more of a thing of the past than it used to be. Twenty years ago, tire heat cycyle out and started to slide suddenly and without warning. Today's tires are SO much better, they will push a bit, slide a bit, and let you know their life is coming to an end. I have yet to have a problem with an older front. I usually run them tlll I feel guilty.

 

Watch the tire closely by inspecting it after every session. Remember a tire goes from new to 50% slowly.. but it can go from 50% to "Holy shit, I just rode on THAT!!!" very quickly. You should be fine.

If in serious doubt about a front tires ability to perform.....I ask you this..... As a Novice/lower Intermediate rider how confident are you that if that front lets go that you have the skill and reaction time to get it back...? Nuff said.

 

That's an excellent perspective. I have felt a push once due to cold tires and I did nothing other than pucker. I can tell you I ain't saving a low side with my elbow.

I don't doubt this tire at all. I am looking for feedback on how age and heat cycles will affect the tire.

Will there be tire service at Bluegrass on 4-11??

 

Yes there will be.. BUT I don't want to sell you something you don't need. We will earn you business when it is time. To answer your original question....I would ride that front tire with no worries. A year is not "old" for a street performance tire, just replace it when it gets time. Preferably with a set of Michelins...:up:

 

I'm thinking bad setup as well. I was using one front (soft) for every two rears (mediums).