What I did yesterday.

[Sid Squid]

Yesterday I was lucky enough to go to Silverstone at the invitation of Pirelli to try out some new tyres they will soon be putting into production. I went on the SV1000 and with me was Mick that some of you may know from Essential Rubber, early start - got to the circuit about 8:00am.
Silverstone can be configured into a number of different circuits and yesterday we were using the same circuit that is used by the BSB and WSB which is 3.2 miles long and consists of 17 corners. Everytime I go there it seems different.
First off a couple of sessions with the SV to familiarise myself with the track, and to find out that it maybe could do with a bit of stiffening up before it would be a proper track tool*, anyway it was fast enough to be fun, and by a coincidence was already wearing some Pirellis - Diablo Stradas - which may not be exactly the sportiest thing ever, but certainly had plenty enough grip to make it an enjoyable 10 or so laps.
SV1000 ready to go wobble around Silverstone:

SV1000 being considered porky and slow by Pirelli chaps who see spiffy race bikes day in day out - they're spoiled. Note Mick's Firestorm covered in tape, the chaps at Pirelli didn't see the funny side of his showing up on a bike covered in Continental logos so they 'fixed' it:

Previously it looked like this:

To do a test you need a benchmark, and they gave me this:

A race prepped R6 which they first fitted with the present version of the Diablo Super Corsa, these tyres are intended for racing in which the rules dictate that the tyres must be road legal, of course they may look like road tyres, but they're very soft and are only intended to last a race distance. These sort of tyres are commonly used in the 600 class. I did three sessions with these tyres, they are enormously sticky and in the conditions, (track temp about 40), have far more grip than I was able to use. I tried to concentrate on what they were like such that I'd be able to measure the new version against them.
Here's an after picture of the back tyre:

The new tyre will be produced in a number of different compounds, SC3 is hard**, SC2 medium, SC1 soft, SC0 super soft qualifier. It was hot, I'm not that quick, they gave me the SC2, which I thought was a generous choice frankly.
Diablo Super Corsa SC2:

These fitted I went off for another wobble around, three more sessions and it's clear that the new version scrubs in and warms up quicker than the older ones, I definately felt they steer easier but haven't lost any high speed or braking stability, initiating a turn and getting out again is certainly more precise. Braking while you roll it in is very easy on both tyres but I think the new ones allow this with greater precision as they lighten the steering slightly, I think they have perhaps lost a dab of the ride smoothness that the old ones have, but not by much. When on the throttle hard when leant over the rear tyre is very sensitive, there's a great deal of feeling from them. Altogether I found these easier to be confident about a bit earlier than the old tyre. They may be race tyres but it's still possible to get things amatuerishly wrong and overwhelm them, I know - I did, and whilst both old and new tyres certainly allow someone of my slight capabilities much room for error, the newer ones actually surprised me in that whilst being sensitive enough to inform insensitive me about what was happening, they didn't at any time feel nervous and are very confidence inspiring. I think you'd need to be very quick indeed to find their limits.

That was fun, fingers crossed they'll ask me again - if they ever find themselves in need of a bloke that can't ride very well and can't string together a coherent sentence about tyres perhaps they'll call.

*Not really on the menu, and it works great as a road bike so it's staying the way it is.
**It's relative - they're race tyres - SC3s are still bloody soft.

[Viney]

I think i speak for all of us when i say

You Lucky Lucky man

[fizzwheel]

What an ace day out. Lucky Barsteward.

Sid...despite me holding you in the highest regard, I can only summise that you were a little creative when you were composing your CV in order to get that gig! :P

Bloody ace mate,dead jealous I am.

Yep, bloody jealous here too although with my "king of the chicken strips" title I probably wouldn't be much help around that circuit

btw, congrats to Mick, that's what I call cheeky!

what a day out! lucky bugger! can you pick me 6 numbers for saturday?

As discussed earlier, it sounded like great fun, and I would think that the feedback you gave them was far better than most they receive.

And if anyone really believes that tosh about Sid Squid being slow, you can forget it now — he's one of the fastest (and really most competent) riders I know. Stringing a sentence together? Yawn, yeah right .


.

People, just rest assured that he's not as lucky as Mick, who gets to do this on a regularish basis. But then he does need to be able to recommend the right road-spec things to you regular punters and fit them on your bikes, so fair enuff.

And as for Mr Squid's riding skills, he is one of my favourite chauffeurs. Even comes with his own built-in love handles :P

[Spiderman]

Lucky git!

Lucky, lucky git.


Dunno why i'm jealous i'd probably drop that R6 on the first bend,

They only asked Ian cause I got sick of doing it and told them to bugger off and go bug someone else.