Looking for advice on rain tires for track days. Ive never been on the track in the rain and wet. Wanting the most confidence inspiring tire available. I'd rather put some good rain tires on my spare wheels and be able to ride on the wet days. I use Q3's otherwise, just not sure if I'd be safe on them or not. Rather spend money on tires that will give me the best grip and not new plastic etc. Doing searches on the forum and internet doesn't seem to give me track day rain tire advice.
I've put some pretty hard riding on Q3s in the wet with no surprises. I also get great grip in the wet with Michelin Pilot Road 3 and 4 tires on my sport touring bikes but I don't think the Q3s are so bad that I'd carry and extra set with me to the track for a track day.
Riding in the rain usually stops for most TD guys after about there 3rd crash in the wet. If you inspire to be a CR/Coach then get use to riding in the wet. If you are spoiled like most TD guys that get in about 20+ TD's a year then you will not care to ride in the wet. Hell, most leave early on Sunday or do not even make it out the first few sessions of each day. I have purchased rain tires and rims for about every bike that I have owned and I usually end up selling them both off - again - and saying "screw riding in the rain"......
I agree on the tires, pick one.
Riding in the wet is a great skill to know. And once you have learned the skill you probably won't anymore. BUT there are sick fucks that love to ride in the rain. LDH is one for sure. At Barber he would be the only fool out there railing in the rain lap after lap and loving it. Maybe he will chime in here, he has more wet time than anyone I know and over 10,000 laps at Barber alone.
If you are buying proper race rain tires then any of the brands will work, but be well advised of the following:
1. They do not last very long even if you don't use them and keep them stored in a cool dry, dark area they will go off much quicker than regular race tires in storage.
2. They must have standing water to work properly. If you ride them around in even a partially drying track they will tear themselves to shreds in a lap or two at an A-Group pace
3. The diameter of the tire will in many cases be different than a comparable brands dry weather tires which will mess up your geometry a bit. You also need to make damn sure you know the tire pressure range for whichever brand you are buying as they are all very different.
If you just want a street tire than can handle wet weather than go get some Michelin Pilot Powers, the old school ones not the 2CT version. They are awesome in the wet with the only caveat is that you have to get them scrubbed in before the track gets wet!!!! If you don't have them scrubbed before the water hits the asphalt they are like riding on greased ice and impossible to scrub properly. They can also go from dry to wet back to dry without changing pressure. I use them when instructing and back when I was teaching in the South about 50% of my trackdays were in the rain especially at Barber...
we even had a swimming hole at Turn 12 once
Pilot Powers at Buttonwillow before the repave, probably the gnarliest wet weather track I have ever ridden and they still got the job done
I rode both my bike shod with PP's and my wife's bike with full wets at Laguna Seca and the lap times were almost identical. Granted I was just control riding and not racing etc, but they are some damn good tires
Thanks for the awesome replies guys. As a new track day rider, I don't aspire to be a full blown rain day expert. But the last track day I signed up for at Barber, I didn't go because of the rain. So I thought I would put some better type of tires on my spare wheels that's more oriented for the wet. Now I know. LDH- you are definetly the rainday expert and your pictures are awesome!!
1. It's a great idea to have a set of spare rims with rain tires on them
2. While most TD guys won't ride in the rain, this means you a) have open track, and b) never have to worry about weather
3. Rain/wet riding is a very useful skill (smooooooooth throttle) and it's super fun - just something totally different
Do not use Q3's in the rain, or any other DOTs. Get yourself a set of used rain tires... I actually feel the Dunlop rains last quite a while in storage, and they wear gently unless you're racing hard.
One of my first mock races was in the wet.... Oh the good old days.
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