Using Road Tyres on Track: Can You? And Best Road & Track Tyres 

I'm amazed how good my Road 5s have been at the track. They've done 7000km and 6 track days so far and they're still going strong.

PowerGP. They take a lap or two to warm up properly, but once warm they like a chewing gum and allowed me even put my elbow down, mostly by accident, but still. Super happy, recommend.

I’m on Bridgestone s22. Great tire at least for my level.

I run BT S21's on and off track and have been very happy. I realize that I am not quick enough to require slicks and it is so nice to do a track day and then commute to work the next day on the same tires.

I'm late to the game here, just got a used 2008 K1200R naked bike with 23,000 miles in 2021. Put new Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tires on it (not Corsa II). Amazing. Best tires I've ever had. I know those tires came out 7 or 8 years ago now, but man they're the best I've ever ridden.

Last year, I switched from (old) Dunlop Sportmax to Pirelli Diablo Rosso III's on my '96 Kawasaki ZX7R. It totally changed the character of the bike in a good way. It's amazing how it handles now. I can do things with it I thought were not possible. So much confidence, too. I might try the Corsa II's when this wonderful set has worn out.

Awesome video!!! I’ve been using Q3 plus and Q4s. I only do a few track days a year and have been thinking about switching to one of the tires you recommended, and I’m sure this is gonna be a better overal budget/performance situation for my ridding!!! Thank you

Before watching this video: I've been watching all your vids and hitting up the track... I LITERALLY just bought street tires for track use (Low A, High I group) and was stuck debating between Rosso 3's and SP v3s. Now I see this video come up and I'm like wow... the timing.

Dan Sir, in 2021 this is so up there👍🏻 You have been such great help to all of us keen to do it right. My latest bike (Aprilia RSV4) uses Pirelli Super Corsa SP2, on a warm summer day in 2021, with tyre warmers, suspension tweaked by the one and only Race Lab trackside at BH, R 26psi/F 29psi cold and all I can is they are absolutely fantastic with lots of grip and good wear. It really is about getting the right tyre temp for that 'sandy beach' appearance. I have the new Michelin Power Cup 2s for 2022 which are much more track focused and just about road legal. Cheers

Great advice! I "down graded" from Q3 to MT77RR. These where excellent tires and in med group on the track I could easily overtake those with slicks etc. They allowed me explore there limits before actually needing to upgrade.

I used to run Rosso III's and did 2 trackdays and a full riding season with them, roadtrip to the eiffel region included... they were pretty worn down after the second trackday though. last season i tried the S22's and absolutely love them. quick to warm, instant grip, long life and good feel

What a great video! I'm also glad to hear that Power RS will do a good job on tracks - I bought them for my Yamaha R3.

Just did my first ever track day on Michelin Power 5. Rain pooring down in the morning and slowly drying up through out the day. The thrust they gave me in the rain was amazing. I expect to get another 3 mild track day out of this set which for 200 euro's is amazing value. The only thing needing improvement is me, and this video helped me learn a lot.

S22's here. Had a great day at TT Assen

I went from using the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa tires to the Pirelli Rosso III on my 2014 Triumph Street Triple R because I don't do track days and only commute with it. Saved some money and felt no difference in grip levels when dry, with better wet weather performance. Love these hoops. Great video.

Ran S22 all the way into mid-Intermediate group at my local track. Amazing tire and took me 7 track days to get to the point where I began to overheat them. Throwing some Dunlop Q4's on now, can't wait to try them.

You are amazing man. Making it so easy for us. Love your videos

love the content... AND your approach Dan. Kudos.

Intermediate rider here. Using bike off and on track. Been on front Power RS and back Rosso3. Found the limit in traction, will upgrade to full Rosso Corsa 2, these will be perfect for my usage and riding skills.

I love your content. I have done more than a few track days and used dual a single compound tires , I prefer the single compound tires best.

I've only ever upgraded with rubber on the track but I was riding comfortable fast group pace on a 600 with Racetec Interact K3 road tyres. The front tyre is epic! The rear tyre lacked edge grip for driving out of the corners and would slide out mid corner too at high speed. I went into Supercorsa SC1/SC2 slicks and loved them but they didnt transform my lap time. I then bought D212GP tyres MS4/MS5 and instantly lapped 1 second faster than the supercorsa. I am now moving onto the D213GP to see where this takes me

I saw your review for diablo Corsa 2 and bought them and haven't had better tyres ever in my life highly recommend Great grip and they're ok in the wet too

Metz M9RR on my 2017 Superduke R. Did my second ever track day over a week ago in the intermediate fast group and the tyres were rock solid. Plenty of feedback and I never felt nervous at any time during the day and even got my knee down lol!

Life at lea always giving good advice. Learing a lot from you guys 👍

I bought a new Kawasaki ZX6R 2019 in June this year and first couple of track day WEs I have used stock Bridge S22 until they wore off. Very good tyre.

Love all your vids man keep up the hood work

I like to ride first couple track days of the summer with road tires. Especially with big bike like my 1290 Super Duke it takes couple days to get the speed back after the summer so I am going pretty slowly and carefully. The first days are also so cold that I would probably have different compound for those than I am using later on the summer resulting more tires and more money spent. Street tires that I have are Metzeler M7 RR and the front tire feels almost as good as track tires but the rear is bit helpless with 180 hp and 145Nm :D I think I am about 4 seconds slower with the street tire so not that much. But somebody bit more skill and softer riding style would be easily able to ride those on fastest group. I also would like to add that the most important thing is not to run too old tires. It's not good idea to try safe some money by using 5 years old tires no matter what type they are.

I’m currently running Super Corsa sc2 on my zx10r I’m very happy with it. I used to run Metzeller .

your videos are always very informative. great video as always.

Wow... so true. My factory tires are Pirelli Diablo's. Five tracks (first year)... ridden hard enough to use it all and I still got tread for next year. Aprilia RSV4 RF LE #14 makes the rider I am look good.

I use Pirelli Diablo Rosso 2 on my Honda CBR250R. It has been 10k kms and 8 track sessions with it and lap times still improving. I felt just a little bit of drifting on back at my last session of track but I think it was about tyre pressure. Tyres still has plenty of grip!

Another great video...glad I subscribed!!! That guy that lowsided was right in the middle of the seat

I'm using dunlop Q3+ - they are really great , they take a lap or 2 to warm up ...but once they are up to temperature , they stick and are very rewarding and predictable.

Last season I rode Pirelli Diablo Strada - cheap touring tyres with hard rubber that take long to warm up. However, once warmed up properly, I didn't find their limit on the track, and I was scraping hard parts of my bike a lot in corners. This is to say that lean itself was safe. As I'm still an amateur, I wasn't breaking that hard into corners or accelerating out of.

Great video, thinking what tyres to put on before the summer, I've chosen Bridgestone S22, i did 3 novice trackdays, sunday rides and commuting as well. Definitely will put another set before next season!.

If you’re going to do a track day here and there, look to pick up some Supercorsas. Even slightly used ones are good. They offer amazing grip for a decent price and are durable enough for track days.

After I've learned to ride the old Metzeler M3, I've changed to Rosso 3. I've got better at riding and now I'm running Supercorsa. Now I have to perfect my riding a lot to live up to the performance the Supercorsa gives.

I'm using V02 slicks for track. I find they last longer than sporty road/track tyres, are better on the brakes and definitely better getting on the gas coming out the corners. For road I'm using mich power rs for cold/wet and in the summer I'd use either supercorsa scrubs or rosso corsa 2. That setup works very well for me at my pace

Currently using Q3+ and have to say on track they are all I need. Novice and ride s1000r. Had metzeller m7 rr on a daytona 675 and was very happy with those - maybe more so especially on wet roads.

GSXR 750 with Pirellie SuperCorsa SP V2 ...perfect grip. But I use tire warmers ...you can crack the throttle from the first meter and the tires live longer

I love that they have a very balanced performance on the street. Very solid all rounder. There are probably other choices for purely dry grip out there. But out on the streets we face too much uncontrolled factors. Although I would love to try a set of Racetec RR one day.

I recently purchased a used Ninja 400 with tires that were worn flat enough in the middle to be of concern. I replaced them with the same tires that originally came on it (Dunlop Sportsmax GPR 300’s) and took it out for a track day. These tires were pleasantly inexpensive. I had read that the stock tires on that bike were pretty good, and my track experience is pretty light so I thought they’d work just fine. I was tentative at first but once I got them scrubbed in I was riding confidently at my maximum level with no traction concerns whatsoever. I’ve been riding for many years and remember the bad old days of bias ply tire technology, primitive suspensions, and terrifying “hinge in the middle” handling. My opinion is that todays tires and todays bikes are unbelievably better over what we had in the past, and even garden variety replacement tires are quite suitable for a track day for most riders.

Rode Pirelli’s rosso corsa II yesterday with a street triple rs on a hot trackday. They where grippy from the first corners till the last ones. Great tyres!

As I said before, I run a pair of 'old' Bridgestone BT 016's on my carburetted R6, they're perfectly fine for quick pace in the middle group on track. They're graining up nicely when they're up to temperature and the full width of the tyre is used. I saw a guy nearly highside in front of me with his 'race rubber' on the initial laps even though we were running similar pace.

Great video, thank you 👍 I run power RS on the rear and Power GP on the front of my R1 track bike and they work great.

Finally someone made topic like this. In my country, many rider using Pirelli Supercorsa just for city riding. Even using pirelli superbike for beginner track rider. Blow my mind.

I am using Dunlop Sportmax Q3+ more than ample grip that I will ever need. Most people just need to be real with themselves...

Always love the videos - Ive not done any track days yet and would love to know more! What tracks in the UK are great fun but also beginner friendly. Expanding on that what to expect / etiquette ect Thanks

Just started this year at track, I had Bridgestone S21 in my FZ09 and I am glad whit them. Now I have a YZF R6 to track and I put S22 for track and street

I use racetec k1/k2s cut and slick, a great tyre, I tried the racetec compK when it came out (I know it’s revised now), the compk was noticeably less grippy from the off and definitely not up to it for a faster pace track tyre. I did also try the compk on the road and it felt really good....ironically being a slick it was actually the best for road use I’ve tried....all be it a sneaky little hoon down the road on a race bike.

I'm using Dunlop 212 gp racer. Before this i have used Sportsmart TT. The TT are simply amazing it bring a lot of feedback when you are throttle too much. And makes you safe at your knowledge and technique limits. Anyway with 212gp you can use more throttle at the corner exit or just more breaking. But instead the 212 brings me less feedback at front wheel. I recommend so much the Sportsmart TT with a correct tire presure.

Another very informative video! Just a track day rider I’ve “downgraded” to road tyres from slicks, find them much more forgiving and allows me track time if the weather turns a bit damp.

Gotta love the supercorsa SP v3, I ride only on good weather and on track as intermediate. 4 track days and 4000km later it still has little rubber left. Bike is Speed Triple 1200.

Went with the Metz M7RR and was on track a week later..! No issues with these or the other fast road tyres - previous Michelis Power 3 and Power 2CT. Hope to get 2 or 3 trackdays in this year

Excellent vid👍🏻 Im using old gen Metzeler sportec 03. Excellent enough for road riding etc.

I ride on slicks, but went for a compound developed for endurance. Works well on a wide temperature range and last ages...

Did my 1st track day on Rosso II's. I currently run SC1 front SC2 rear ( Track depending ) On my street bike I run RS10's for the canyons.

i've not had as much experience as you, nor ever used road tyres on the track. the confidence i got though from slicks on eastern creek, phillip island then wakefield, was great. i touched my knee down at wakefield, while my legs were firmly holding the fairing. i'm not a knee dragger. you just lean and lean and lean and go. i'm probably a middle of the field guy on a track day. so in the 4 groups typically there, beginners, slow, medium and fast, i'm among the quickest of the slow, and not real quick (ok slow) in the medium group. the fast group were mostly racers. going to do a track day soon on my sport demons. it's a 1984 Kat so not a lot of tyre options, going to be interesting to see how it goes. i find your articles informative. your bar graph on the slicks vs road tyres is probably right. i was never going to find the limits of slicks, i was pretty happy about that though ;-)

I'm on Diablo SC SP V3, Diablo RC II, and Dunlop GPR-300. The GPR is very impressive and considering that tire to replace my SC SP V3 once that's worn. Dunlop has always been the top for bang for the buck.

I’m new to sport bikes (2 years) and super new to track days (2 months). I’ve just been running the Michelin Power GP and have not seen where I will be out running that tire by a loooong shot. Having come from 30 years of riding cruisers I am learning every time I sit on the bike and am loving it.

I used s21s on a gsxr600 srad and that handled pretty well. Got up to good temp even in damp conditions. Very grippy for a novice or inter

i have 675r i use q4 in the front and q3 i find its perfect combo for my level of riding

I use Dunlop TT's in a national 600 Rookie cup competition. I am upping toward Dunlop D213.

Diablo Rosso Corsa II, amazing grip and unbelievable durability so far!

I was dunlop all the way Q3s and Q4s. I was getting alot of cold tear.. I tried the Michelin Cup 2s and they are great. I also put a set of Michelin Power pilots on my GSXR1000R and they are great as well.. I still like my Dunlops bit these Michelins are good too.

Went for Rosso Corsa 2's for these same reasons, being fitted next week ahead of upcoming trackday so will see how they fair. It was between those or Supercorsa's but the Rosso's should warm up quicker, be able to go out on them if it rains (unike supercorsa) and if I experience movement on them going in or out of corners that's when I know it's time to upgrade

Been using pilot power 2CT on my R1 and have done a few track days, they are a bit sketchy in the wet and did low side (damp track) on them but super cheap tyres and great for knee sliding in the dry. S22 will be my next set

I used Michelin Pilot Power 2CTs on a 2007 CBR600RR. I got about 3000 miles out of them. Two track days at big tracks and about 25 times at a 1 mile go kart track. I would classify myself as a decent beginner. I had about 1/16 inch chicken strips on the front almost zero on rear. Didn't feel any reduction in performance till I hit the tread wear indicators. Great beginner tires.

im using S21s, my S1000R came out with it, and im quite happy with them....i still consider myself a novice rider, and im about 15 seconds off the guys who are race in the regionals with race bikes, and slicks...so the S21s are doing the job.

Very informative thanks.

I use S22s. Advanced track rider. M1000r. Some cold tearing but they last longer than slicks and get super sticky when at temp

S20 EVOs on R3 here. No issues at all pushing hard with them.

I'm currently running Bridgestone rs10's and they have done extremely well and I'm a fast intermediate to slow advanced rider currently. I won't be getting slicks and warmers till I'm more consistently in the advanced class.

Adding a vote for the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II. You can run them perfectly fine on the street (including in cold/wet/miserable due to the silica-biased mid-part), and they are more than good enough for intermediate track pace with their slick-like sidewalls. They also last very well, though I wouldn't go only by thread depth in judging wear. My view is 5 full days (6 x 20) of intermediate is enough (ask me how I know). This is w/o tyre warmers. Next season, I won't have any need to use my bike in cold/wet on the road anymore (other bike for that), and since I don't want to invest in rain track tyres I simply don't go if a booked trackday turns out to be a washout (it's money wasted but just no fun to go). As a result, I decided to "upgrade" to Supercorsa v3. I'm not expecting any additional grip leaned over (I believe that part is identical to the Corsa II), and likely couldn't exploit that anyway. But the one thing I'd discount the Corsa's for is that they do tend to 'wiggle' (and light up the TC which my bike has) in the transition from the slick side walls to the middle part. The SCs should fix that.

I have a 15 year old Avon tyre on the front and a 13 year old Bridgestone tyre on the rear saved alot of money getting old tyres, but I always check for dry rot and cracks before buying

I have been using Dunlop's Q3+ for my FZ1. It's what many of my fast group ride riders are using of which some of them do use them for track days. I've also used the Power RS. I just don't trust the power RS in the wet and I ride in the rain at times. Since my FZ1 doesn't have traction control or abs I prefer the confidence with using the Q3+ and some of the canyon rides I do would have dire consequences if I lost traction. I usually pace with riders on sportier bikes with corner entry and exit speeds.

Umpteen times I've seen guys buy track focus tyres, crash, then blame 'cold tyres'...

I use knobbies , never had a problem and it looks cool .

Great subject! I’m a low inters rider and my choice of rubber has always been the Michelin Pilot Power 2 CT, great level of grip and last quite a few miles. Cheers

Just started out on track, but Road smart 3s on a CBR600 at 30 psi front and rear. After 3000 miles including 10 track days, they're about 50% worn.

Used a set of Bridgestone touring tyres on my SV650 at Silverstone, was a blast i tell ya

1st track day last month on an MV Agusta Turismo Veloce with Dunlop Q3 + and it was more than enough grip (very close to what I expected riding canyons in SoCal). Technique Technique Technique just like you said.

Been riding for 7 years and tried many kind of tyres.. so far the Batlaxx S22 stands out the best.

I road with a Bridgestone R10s Evo Dot 2017, durability of 800km on road. But an amazing performance! Now I'm gonna try the Metzeler m9rr hopping that I can do a few more kms

I’m used to go on Dunlop KR 106/108 and my opinion is, top class tire. As Well as Pirelli SC1-3 . I then tryed the Metzeler Racetech TD . The rear was actually good , but the front tyre was shitty… Felt like i was driving in the wet, and could not hold my line… then i tried TD in the back and a SC3 ind the front…. That worked out fine for me 😁

Tried different ones and recently had Pirelli SC1, awesome grip, expensive and they don’t last a lot at all. I think SC2 Pirelli is the limit you should go for, slicks would be too much unless you are racing and they are permitted for a race day.

Supercorsas are great, I’ve actually raced on them as did quite a few other racers. Another worthy mention should go to Conti Race Attack, they are cheaper and last a long time whilst giving all the grip you need

On my track bike I am using conti race attacks, brilliant tyre, now done 5 Trackdays on them and they’re gripping well, for my road bike I have Michelin pilot power 2cts, I’m thinking of changing to the power rs or the rosso 2 for that though as it does do a few track days too

I use the new Michelin Power Cup 2, excellent tyre. I was using Metzler K3 on the rear and K2 front, to hard to get in Australia.

I started out on Bridgestones on my track bike and then went to a 3 compound dunlop. Loved the Dunlops right out of the gate. My biggest issue was running my tires too long on the track. I got to a point in speed groupings that I burning the life out of my tires in 3 or at best 4 track days. I did not have tire warmers. So , my tires had many heat cycles on them but still would look "ok" to run. I would run my tires until they "kicked" in the corners. That was a bad strategy. Also had a low-side before I could get them changed. The last crash made my wife say. "Okay. Too much money in this." And that was it.

I've just fitted some S21's on my 650 Bandit, and I think they're a much better than I need at the moment (2 track days - slow novice).

I am not a track rider, but my only ride is a 2017 gsxr 750. It came with Bridgestone battle axe tires and they wore out after 3000 miles. Since this bike is my daily commuter and motorcycle tires wear out quickly, I went with the cheapest shinko ravens I could find, just to see if the cheap tires make a difference. They bounce and ride alot rougher than my Bridgestone. The grip is way worse when it is cold out. I will not be buying more shinko ravens. However, I would not hesitate to put them on a 300 or maybe a sports tourer. My next set will be Michelin road 5.

I like the upgraded music! Much lighter and more positive

Im using Pirelli super corsa sp v3 on my gsxs1000 , to be honest it was a mistake to buy them and I did what you just spoke about ,thought I was buying the best but in truth iv not used these tyres to even half there ability . I'm only new to riding and am going to do my first track day soon so hopefully will get to push the super corsa a bit . I'm definitely going to choose some less sports focused next time . learner error on my part . great video .

Many thanks for the interesting video. I have the Diablo SC 2 as stock on my Panigale and I arm tremendously happy with them both on the road and track days. Quick question: in your opinion how important warmers are when using road tyres on track? Road three get nice temperature quicker than slicks, right? I have got some warmers anyway but just wondering.

Best tyres on the street and track Dunlop Gp racer D211 now 212 presure rear 1.9 front 2.0 .Im using this tyres for years.

Pirelli diablo supercosa sp v3..love it😊

Conti race attack endurance, tyres, good for road use but excellent on track, I'm ex racer, and used all good tyres in the past, I've used super Corsa's rensports etc. And these conti's. Are a great tyre, plenty of grip and feed back. I'm not saying there a must if your racing etc, as I now only do track days, but overall id defo recommend you try these, good in the wet too 😁

So I'm still a novice, but have friends that race and they suggested the Rosso Corsa 2s I now run. First day out on them I binned it. But as stated, it was my glaring errors that caused the front tyre to have no chance to save me. But, same set of tyres are still on the bike now and a few track days later I'm a little bit smarter and have had no problems. I think I will be within their limits for some time.

Defo learn on road tyres I did I think it’s made me better rider moving on to supercorsa