ARE YOU FAST?
If your tire looks like this, you are fast.
Billy Aller of Montrose Colorado
made his expensive new DOT race tires look like this in one day. Only 141 miles on the track at Pahrump, Nevada. Just a track day, not a race. And not on some torquey liter twin but on a stock CBR600RR. Billy is fast. But even marginally slower riders have tires looking somewhat like this and top AMA racers have tires that look even worse. No chicken strips here, that favorite telltale mark of the not-so-fast. If your tires have never looked like this... well, you are not so fast. On the other hand, if your tires look like this and you haven't been to the track, then you are a fool. It's noteworthy that Billy has never dropped a sport bike on street or track.
The center of this tire didn't get a whole lot of use.
The sides of tires can get like this from sliding, trail-braking and accelerating while leaned over or all of these forces together but never from bench racing.
Heat cycling can ruin tire rubber. Reg Pridmore insists that his CLASS students start the day with nearly new tires and no sign of heat cycling.
Jason Pridmore is more lenient. He has said in his STAR school classroom, that tires are probably alright on the track if they haven't turned blue [from heat]. I'm afraid Billy's tires are toast.
Your mileage may vary.
This web page assembled by someone not so fast but fast enough to appreciate how fast Billy is.
Verle Nelson
Cedaredge Colorado
