Quote:
Originally Posted by tranx
I used tyre warmers for the first time ever last Sunday so I think I'm quite qualified to answer this.
The difference is HUGE! For the sake of £100-£150 its the best thing you can buy for the bike. It prevented tearing in the cold, it meant I could tip it in at the first corner as if it was the 10th lap rather than the 1st. I could not beleive how much difference it made.
I had been a bit sceptical of the benefits before as well. If you want further then try to borrow a set for a day and see the difference they make on a trackday.
EDIT: read more of your post (doh!)
The main benefit of the tyre warmers is the whole carcass and wheel rims get warmed after an hour of use, this means that even if the tyres drop some temp in the holding area the rims will stay warm for ages. This will mean you can get them back up to temp in your warm up lap alone.
|
Thanks for that, an interesting perspective. I'll admit that in all the time I've raced (some 7 years now) I've never used tyre warmers for the main reason that the tyres cool so fast while hanging around. For a trackday I think you are MUCH more likely to get straight out on track and feel the benefit. For a race meet though the clubs tend to stack you up in order to keep the flow going.
So, I'm not qualified to compare and hence the reason I ask.
I wonder though (and I'm not arguing here) how much of the benefit is really technical grip and how much of it is your ability to trust in the tyres more because your confidence is higher.