Track day tyre pressures

[Chunk11]

Right guys I have decided after almost 3 years of riding I am going to do my first track day this year either at the Three Sisters (Wigan, Manchester) or Oulton Park as they are nearest me and I have been around both in a car before.

 

I am happy that my 03 plate gsxr 600 is in good condition after being fully serviced/mot’d at the end of summer.

Tyres are Michelin and have 3mm of tread so should be good for a track day.

 

My main question was I would check my tyre pressures the morning before setting off. You get to the track do a couple of warm up laps and then reduce the psi by 2-4 per tyre due to the excess heat is that correct?

When it gets to the end of the day you do a cool down lap and then come back to the garage. How long would you let the bike/tyres cool down for before adjusting back to normal road pressures to ride home? And what would you use to reinflate the tyres? A foot pump?

I do have a cig lighter plug in pump for the car but obviously that needs power from a cigarette lighter...

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Chunk

[fabiamk2SE]

Which michelins are they? 

 

Sports touring or a soft compound sports tyre? 

 

 

[Chunk11]

Hi mate,

 

They are Mitchelin Pilot Power 2CT which I believe are more a sports tyre than a touring tyre.

Having not been riding long/have experience of many other bikes I don’t know how they compare.

All I know is they have performed very well whilst on my bike.

[fabiamk2SE]

On 09/01/2019 at 16:14, Chunk11 said:

Hi mate,

 

They are Mitchelin Pilot Power 2CT which I believe are more a sports tyre than a touring tyre.

Having not been riding long/have experience of many other bikes I don’t know how they compare.

All I know is they have performed very well whilst on my bike.

 

Yeah theyre like, a sports road tyre. Not as daft as track tyres but perfect for what you want probably. 

 

Are you running 36/42 for the road then? Which im assuming is standard for that bike? 

 

Ive reduced them 3-4psi for the road (with other tyres, not those) and prefered it. Especially with a lighter bike. 

 

Certainly wouldnt worry about reinflating for 2psi but it depends how far the track is away from home i guess. 

 

Some people ive spoken to who track run theirs at as low as 28-30 with certain tyres. Id hazard a guess that around the mid 30’s to low 30’s for the track is prob what people run, but google the tyre and see if theres any forum posts on it, id imagine there would be. 

 

Dont get too hung up on it. Especially as a first track day. My mates a fast road rider, took his old cbr600 on track with sports touring rubber and loved it. Wasnt slow, knee down on every corner. Wasnt holding him up that much n the tyres didnt overheat in the handful of laps he got at a time