Roadracing World – April 2019

RW

By Michael Gougis

I

t's a trade-off. A wider operat-

ing temperature range for a tire

means less ultimate grip. Nar-

row the range, and the grip goes

up within that narrow window,

but gets worse outside of it.

If you've decided that you

want the ultimate grip of a racing

tire, you've got to pay the price.

And that means tire warmers.

They're basically electric blankets

that heat the tires to within their

optimal operating range while the

bike is sitting in the garage or pits.

That way, when the rider goes

onto the track, grip is immediately

available; while it's not absolutely

at the peak of its performance, the

tire is still hot enough to give the

rider the grip needed to push hard

enough to get the tire to peak op-

erating temperature.

You will need:

`Stands front and rear that will

lift the tires off the ground so that

the wheel can rotate. The warm-

ers attach by being fi xed into place

with a Velcro strap, then the wheel

is rotated into the warmer.

`Tire warmers. Top brands in the

American market include Chicken

Hawk Racing and Woodcraft.

`A power source. Literature in-

cluded with your tire warmers will

give you the electrical needs to

properly power them. If you're for-

tunate, you're pitting in a garage

with electricity provided. If you're

not, then it's generator time. In-

expensive generators tend to be

louder. Portable units by Honda

and Yamaha are so quiet that they

can be hard to hear at a racetrack.

It's nicer on your ears in the pits

and nicer for your neighbors.

`An extension cord with a

multi-outlet adapter at the end.

`A tire pressure gauge.

How to use the warmers:

`Lift the bike onto the stands, rear

wheel fi rst. Make sure the trans-

mission is in neutral.

`Strap the warmer onto the wheel,

then rotate the wheel all the way

around, feeding the warmer onto

the tire. Attach at the end, usually

with a second Velcro closure. If the

wheel and warmer touch the pave-

ment, the warmer will overheat.

`Plug the warmers in, turn them

on and make sure they are set to

the proper temperature if they are

adjustable.

`Leave them on for the period of

time recommended by the tire

manufacturer. Pirelli typically rec-

ommends that the tires stay on

the warmers for 50 minutes at 176

degrees Fahrenheit. Michelin rec-

ommends that its tires are heated

at 158 to 194 degrees Fahrenheit

for at least an hour. The correct

period of time is needed for heat

to fl ow through the entire tire car-

cass so that the sidewalls operate

as designed, and the heated sur-

face tread does not cold-tear away

from the cooler bottom layers of

rubber. The heat that soaks into

the rims helps keep the entire tire

at operating temperature.

`Check the tire pressure after the

specifi ed period on the warmers,

and set the pressure to the recom-

mended level. Pirelli and Dunlop

give riders a hot and cold pres-

sure, one before the warmers are

turned on, the other after the tire

is heated. Checking after the tire

is heated is more precise; check-

ing before the tire is heated is eas-

ier. It's one less thing to mess with

as you head out onto the track.

`Get the warmers back onto the

tires as quickly as you can after you

get back to the pits or into the ga-

rage. My routine: Hop off the bike,

put the rear up on the stand, spin

the tire and brush off rocks and

debris, put the rear tire warmer

on, plug it in and turn it on, check

the indicator light to make sure

the warmer is functioning, walk to

the front of the bike, put the front

up on the stand, spin and brush

off the tire, put the warmer on,

plug it in, check the indicator light.

Make sure that warmers are

turned off when they are not on

the tires and rolled up, or they will

overheat and burn out. And warm-

ers strewn all over the ground look

sloppy. I've been looking for a lit-

tle rack that will hold the warmers

when I am on the track.

Stands are an integral part

of using tire warmers. You want

solid, well-made stands that

match the width of the swingarm

spools and front forks. The spools

are small aluminum or hard ny-

lon protrusions that are notched

in the center and screwed into

mounting holes near the rear axle.

The blades from the rear stand go

into the spools before the rear end

is raised. If you don't get both in

place, only one side of the bike

goes up, and it crashes onto its

side. Make sure the stand is prop-

erly situated before lifting.

(Above) MotoAmerica Junior Cup Champion Alex Dumas waits to ride

a Supersport GSX-R600 that’s on tire warmers during a Sportbike Track

Time event at Barber Motorsports Park in November, 2018.

(Above) Engaging swingarm spools

with a stand. (Below) The stand in

place, the wheel off the ground.

(Above) Woodcraft tire warmers.

(Below) Overheating when rolled

up can cause warmer damage.

ƒ

38—Roadracing World, Trackday Directory 2019

TIRE WARMERS:

Why And How