RonniB

Going on ten years now, started out as mostly street riding, now it's track only. Don't do many miles a year, but the ones i do are very intense : ) But I think, breathe and fettle with my bike or others almost every day, had it in my blood all my life because of my uncle and father. Ronni

well, rims dictate how big a tire you can use, my 4.5" rim will take both 150, 160 and 165 wide tires. But the profile will be affected, I spoke to a very expirenced track rider, riding the bike as me, he said something interesting which I hadn't though of. When you go wider the edge profile gets rounder, this is bad since new tires are designed to have a platau/flat part when fully leaned over. So you will actually decrease the contact patch. But if you go fast enough, this will be negated be the carcass deforming a bit. So a bit wiser, but a bit more uncertain... Ronni

all tires have an optimum temp and pressure setting, ask an expirienced tire tech and he/she will be able to tell you. The bridgestone bt003rs I run, really like 34 psi hot and get about 50-55 degree celsius, which is good for road compound tires. But I found that it's the hot pressure setting that decides how the tire performs (and with that changes the tire temp)

tend to go out at a fair pace to warm up the tires quicker, just don't go beserk in the first couple of corners. I use two indicators for tire temp, one is feel from the front, when it starts to feel "solid/firm" then it's good and the second is pressure, which i measure after each session. I don't really concern myself with the rear, they always heat up faster than the front and slides are more controllable. Ronni

Hi, new on board, but have been lurking for some time. Have a question regarding tire sizes vs profile. I run Bridgestone bt003rs I run a Honda NC30 as a track bike, it's tire sizes is 120/60-17 and 150/60-18. The rear I have changed to a more modern 17" wheel and it's the same width (4.5") as the 18" and the recommended tire size is 150/60-17. Ride height is retained at rear by a modified linkage. But I have found that I have more tire left on the front than on the rear, I use up all the availible tire tread on the rear, but have aprox 8mm left on the sides of the front, when pushed hard the rear just slides, so I really are on the last tread. My idea is to put on a 160/60 tire, I guess that it will be a bit rounder in the profile on the same size rim as a the 150/60 tire, giving a bit more tread for heavy lean....., what do you guys think?? Ronni