when to replace tyres

my rear Q2 shows about 1/2mm from the tread wear mark. works fine around town and backroads, but i've got some track days in the coming months. I understand the tread mostly works to reduce hydroplaning and a tyre that is close to showing threads is dangerous, but i'd hate to toss 'em early if there's still life to them.

how far down do you guys run tyres on the track?

Im no expert, but having a flat spot changes the agility/handling, still perfectly usable no doubt, its more about heat cycles from tracksays that shags 'em.

Have they done any TD's? ability?

If it were me I like nice new(ish) tyres for TD's not something I have done 5k on, rather spend £££ on tyres than ££££££ on repairs after a tyre not up to task.

You'll wear them out of legal limits at your next track day. It's riding home that you have a problem if you're pulled up.

But most track really use the outside of the tread more so if it's a twisty track and you want to eek out a it more life then go for it. I have done when I'm broke. It seems a waste to me to throw away good outside tread when I could use it up on one last track session. I know you'll have the purists saying stuff about tyre profile and whatever but in the real world another six sessions at track speeds for free is too much to miss out on for me. It's not like you're racing is it? It's a track day. Also I've found that tracks are quite a good place to get some deals on a new set of tyres if they wear out - if there's a company there fitting tyres you can just use the old ones up and get a new set fitted there.

But the other side of the argument, if you are rich, is to pre-fit a good set of new tyres and then scrub them in during the morning sighting laps. Then have a great day and get rid of all the chicken strips, enjoy the confidence of new rubber and leave with thousands of miles left in the middle that look great and have the edges all scrubbed in. Depends how rich you are.

Either way.

I'm with Super Dan. (Edit- Not to say Bic's wrong, we were just typing at the same time. ) I like to have new / nearly new tyres on my bike when I do track days. Some of the track schools won't even let you on the track without new or new-ish (<500 easy street miles). Their stated policy was in line with what Dan said, its cheaper to put new tyres on than pay to fix a bike or, worse yet, the rider. Track day providers are more lenient, but you still may have issues if you show up with tyres nearing the wear bars. Plus, there is nothing better than getting off your bike after a session and smelling molten rubber.

I agree with the crotch.I always have new tyres for track days.It make me know that my tyres will not be the problem.When I raced a life time ago is was about getting the tyres to temp.You can have tyres that look good but have been at the correct tem then cold too many times

Then you get them hot again after a while they will not get to the right temp then they are no good.
I used to buy tyres that the venders took off race bikes and used them for street riding because they were not good for the track any more and the looked good.

I bought an extra set of rims just for track day. the tyres will never see the street just the track.I was told by my vender who know his stuff that I can get 3 track days from these diablo's then put them on my street only wheels and ride then till the wear out.

I would never ride the track with tyres that have more than 3-4 hundred street miles.I am not that fast but to me thats my life those tyres are protecting.
I know tyres are not cheap I just spent 275 bucks for my new corsa's for my RC8. Plus I have my duke that has one track day and a 100 street miles so this will be the last time for them.

tyres can be great for the street but not for the track if they don't get to temp you can have some problems when you use the them hard in a turn that needs all that grip.
This is just my 2 cents but I alway did it this way and never had problems with a tyre sliding or giving way when I did not want it to.

Half way to wear bar and not got a flat top, use them up. They are perfect track day tyres.
if you pull them and set them aside, they will never go back on the byke and will die a lonely life next to a drying slab of wood. My guess is that they have never seen a heat cycle that started the juice removing proccess.
You trust them now and they are dieing to show you what they can really do. Dont tease them, wear them out.

He said 1/2mm not 1/2 way.

The track day organization will not let you on the track with those tyres mouonted up...you will fail tech.

Get yourself a new set of Q2s. They are cheap enough and work extreemly well on the track....plus the steering characteristics, braking stability, throttle transitions....just taken the piss Bic.

1mm above the wear markers is only really good for maybe one or 2 more street rides, no way I would trust them on a track.

I have been changing my own tyres for more years than some of you guys are old. I cringe at some of the tyres I see on bikes, because they are so used up. I know used up tyres because I go thru my fare share and get caught out from time to time on a long hard ride, getting home with the cords showing. What a lot of you don't know, who don't change your own tyres, is how thin the rear tyres can get. I mean they can feel like a thick balloons in the center. All it takes to get a flat is a sharp rock. And I see these guys riding over the ton on these tyres. Freeky..Spend some time at your local bike shop looking and feeling the used tyres. Me lady gave me marching order to get rid of my old tyres...25 tyres. My bud also had about the same, a full size pick up full, between the two of us. Lot's of miles and smiles.

thx for the advice fellas. My bigger brain was suggesting that a change for a new one was the safest and wisest. My buddy had his tyre run to the cords after a ride and I was shocked to see just how paperthin the layer was at that point once we pulled it off the wheel

slight change of topic, but does the melting and cooling process post track rides affect the grip on the street?

dribble...that slab of wood, man i'll tell ya

I would say change them before you get this low luckily I didn't have an accident

Be carefuly what you post on the www Carleto. It may come back and bitch slap ya. Lawers who want to take your money to give to thier clients can build a case with what you post. I heard a guy at work telling his son him how it's not a good idea to smoke a bowl, film it, and post it on the www. I think Abe Lincon had a saying that goes sort of like " It's better to keep you mouth shut and look like a fool rather than to make a comment that would remove all doubt". BTW, your immage did not show up on my box, so it looks like someone is watching out for you.

Yea, carleto that's how my buds tyre looked too from putting off the change.
doug i'm so confused...lawyers sueing for overworn tyres? abe lincoln knew better?

I hope I wont get my tyre down that low next time.

Yeah not sure about these comments about lawyers...... (must be troubles with lawyers in the US)..........

It's called faulty equipment. Failure to maintain proper equipment. I 'bout soiled my shorts when the insurance man measured the tread depth of a bike I totaled. I told him these are top shelf tyres and they don't have much tread depth to begin with.

I have a ....problem of trying to be too helpful. So I am going on vacation to chill out. Over and out for a week, dirt bikkin' Mojave, Ca.....b think of ya all .........

^ enjoy dude! pics

there are chunks of treating not only showing but coming off the tyre in large amounts and i still rode to work on it today lol. i ordered a new tyre the other day just waiting on it to get here. really shouldnt be on the bike with a tyre like this but hey what choice do i have?

it even leaks air! and there is nooooo grip on thread just for ur info.

Just getting tyre's up to temp starting the 3rd lap,uphill right so no need for any braking and the front just tucked,it all happened that quick i was shocked to be laying in the grass I did'nt use any tyre warmers so was taking it carefull the first few laps i had a pack of SD's behined giving me some time to heat my tyres before they attacked. I'm just putting it down to old worn tyres,but it's also possible there may have been some debris from a racer that binned it in the same spot the session earlier.

It almost sounded like something was decking out before the front let go.

was in my car on the way back from dinner and a fellow on a duc monster pulled up next to me at a light. 1" wide stripe of cord around his entire rear tyre Couldn't bear to watch as he rode off, like having a timebomb strapped to the bike

I was coming up behind Ginge when he suffered that crash. The corner has a friendly camber and he didn't appear to anything wrong.

I have no idea why he crashed but fook did he hit the ground hard.
Luckily he has youth on his side and is a tough bugger.