Motorcycle Racing Slicks (Racing and Track Day Only)
There are LOTS of motorcycle tires in the world. But among the most unique are that aggressive and highly competitive breed of MOTORCYCLE RACING SLICKS.
Racing slick tires are, as the name denotes, for racing (or for track days).
These tires are NOT made for street riding. Not only would they offer less traction (on the street), but they wouldn’t last as long, either.
Huh! If they offer less traction on the street, why the heck would racing motorbikes need them?
What’s the Advantage of Slick Tires?
Slick tires have no tread, which means they offer a larger contact patch on the pavement. So far, so good.
And the reason they have no tread is to maximize traction for any given tire of the same dimension (more rubber sticking to the asphalt).
But “maximum traction” is exactly what street riders need, too. So why not have the same advantage for my sport bike?
Why NOT use Slick Tires on the Street?
Slicks do provide a larger contact patch, and therefore potentially more traction, as long as the roads are dry, and the tires are hot enough.
But (here we go), street pavement is not always dry. (And even when it is, it can have oil, gas, and other grime and debris).
More importantly, add a little water to that pavement and the traction under those slicks is GREATLY diminished.
That’s what the heck those grooves are for in non-slick tires: Grooved tires allow water to escape from the contact area, which allows motorcycle tires (with good tread) to maintain traction on wet roads.
OK, that may be very obvious, but even on dry pavement (including dry and clean pavement), most street bikers are not riding so aggressively that they will put an adequate quantity of stress and friction on the tires to heat them up to an optimal tire temperature.
Motorcycle slicks need to be ridden VERY aggressively to get their internal temperatures hot enough!
Of course, the potential for adequately heated tires for street riding is further reduced when the environmental temperatures are cooler.
The Shape of Motorcycle Racing Slicks
Another advantage to slicks for racing (and disadvantage for street riding), is that slicks present more of a triangular form, compared to other motorcycle tires.
This design is to accommodate racing demands for tremendous turning and corner traction, which results in this triangulation offering an even larger contact patch while the bike is leaned over.
Conversely, the tire triangulation offers LESS contact patch in the center, which is a more utilized area for general street riding.
Compare Motorcycle Racing Slick Tires
Compare and review the following link to motorcycle slick tires for racing and track day.
By the way, even if you are thinking of using slicks for street riding, realize that full slicks are not DOT (Department of Transportation) approved, so are actually not legal on the street. (Of course, you would need to be pulled over AND the Police Officer would need to notice that you are riding on slicks…however, if you happen to be speeding on a sport bike when you get pulled over, it would not be too far a stretch for the Officer to notice your big fat racing slick as he approaches….)
On the other hand, there are some high-performance racing tires that are marketed as “slicks,” but actually do have a minimum tread requirement to receive the DOT certification.
