The Roadtec 01 is what Metzeler describe as their Sports Touring Tyre and we wouldn’t disagree. The name of the game here is fast and dependable performance. A Ducati Multistrada 1200 has 160 bhp on tap and we know how they’re ridden – their owners want a tire that can keep up when the throttle is pulled back and maximum power is applied as well as when the rain comes. This tyre excels at both.
While all tires are (hopefully) circular in shape, there are a lot of differences, most of which being differences in design. A tire has four main parts, tread, bead, carcass, and the sidewall. The tread is the part that meets the road and has a lot of impact on the tire. Tires with smooth treads are best on dry and smooth surfaces. On the other hand, chunky treads, are best on off-road surfaces. There are other carefully designed treads, which make them great on variety of surfaces. The bead joins the tire to the wheel while the carcass is the backbone of the wheel.
For track day riders who want the highest performance in DOT-approved rubber, Pirelli is introducing a new compound for the Diablo Supercorsa tire. The Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa TD tire will be available from authorized trackside vendors at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway (March 29-31), MSR Houston (April 12-14) and Aprilia Racer Days at Circuit of the Americas (April 16).
Some people think that they need a dedicated track bike to do a track day. But, this simply isn’t true as long as you have a motorcycle that has a reasonable amount of cornering clearance. This includes most standard, sport, sport touring, adventure, and even touring machines. Cruiser motorcycles are probably the only machines that are not really appropriate for fast cornering and spirited riding.
Not precious- Many new track day riders suffer undue stress over the anxiety of crashing their beautiful, high-dollar, chrome and carbon laden street bike. Thankfully, it’s easy not to crash at a track day if you ride within your ability. So, if all you have is your pride and joy, go ahead and bring it to the track, but at some point when you start pushing harder, you may want a dedicated track bike that has less sentimental value.