Another tyre thread...

I'm interested to hear how you get on with the F1's. Keep us posted.

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

 

I don't know how you got 19K out of them! I'm the same as andrewjeffs only got around 5K out of them. That was mainly just commuting to work too, no track days or anything on them!

Sent from my HTC Desire EYE using Tapatalk

 

I had the F1s on the GT86 but they were the 2 rather than the current 3. They were a very good all rounder indeed. I did track them though and obviously damaged the front outer shoulders...
To comment on the Contis, for me they normally hardly last half the mileage compared to similar UHPs. No wonder they win all the tests !!

 

shame, have just ditched my F1's as an emergency buy while abroad in favour of the the PS4 which are instantly a better tyre on all fronts, oh well, next time

 

My contis are close to 10k but pretty much done now. I'm getting ps4 next.

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

 

Just replaced my F1s today (9k miles and just over 2mm of tread left)
Definitely agree with previous posts about the F1s noticeably losing performance towards the end of their life - never known anything like it! Found them to be really good all rounder so gone with them again, shall be looking at Michelin next time for a couple of track days I hope.

 

Just to add to this. MPSS have soft sidewalls I also wore into the sides on mine after one hot track day. I can believe that seat driver rinsed the sides off them! They go off too quickly also, mine weren't great on track to be honest. Ok but not a spot on the cup 2's.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Yes they are a road tyre but they are fitted to all the high performance 'track day hot hatches' so I expected more I guess. I was impressed with PS2's I must say (had those before the cup 2's and PSS's). I wonder what the PS4's are like?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I wouldn't expect them to be significantly better for track use. Road tyres don't work on track. Wrong tool for the job.

 

Again I Know that, but pss are marketed as a sports tyre suitable for track use so I would've expected more that's all. Of course they'll never be as good as a track specific tyre I was just saying about the sidewalls which are probably softer than ps2's for example!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I don't think the Supersport has ever been marketed as suitable for track use by Michelin - and if they have, they lied !

 

Same applies to PS4, it's super good road tyre and will fall down after few hard laps any circuit, follow the code, road tyre for road, track for track, and with bit of understanding what's under you both can live in each other's domain to a limited degree.

 

Just to add, for the novice track dayer it's often best to run the car on its road tyres with road pressures first. Gets the driver up to speed a bit quicker without having to learn a new tyre setup.

The downside to this is the tyres will get chewed up quite quickly.

This was always the advice about 17 years ago when bookatrack first started doing track days.


RS 175 Lux

 

Going the other way, i've always run a variety of track-tyres on track days and kind of took them for granted until i took my golf R to a sprint day a few months ago. I thought it'd be absolutely fine with MPSS on it given they're considered such good "sport" road-tyres, and the lap is tiny, but i was stunned at how shite they were in comparison to even the cheaper track-day tyres.

On the flip-side i find track-tyres far better on the road in most conditions unless it's very wet, so i now tend to simply run 595RSR/NS2R on road/track and then switch to winter-tyres on the applicable car when the conditions turn crap over autumn/winter.

 

This pretty much sums up my thoughts above perfectly but perhaps I didn't explain it well enough! Thanks man.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Can I ask how long the semislicks last on the road with some track sessions or in comparison with PSS and what car they are on? Daily?

 

I put NS2Rs 180 when the Meg was new in May. I have done 30 laps at Spa, 40 at the Ring and about 200 miles at Bedford. My fronts were down to 3.5mm so I put them at the rear. The old rears still have 5/6mm so they're at the front now (obviously). I am hoping to finish them after 1 day at Silverstone and 1 at Snetterton. It's also my DD so 6,000 miles so far and will probably go up to 8,000 miles in total by the time they need binning. Amazing value at £360 for 4!

 

That's not too bad..
Are you on normal tyre pressures while on the road?

 

Good question. On the road I aim for 2.4 F and 2.3 R when warm (ie road warm). Which means varying cold pressures whether summer or winter or in-between. On track I aim to plateau at 2.6 F 2.4 R after a good few laps. If it eventually go up from there then it's time for a break. This does NOT optimise contact patch BUT if offers good shoulder protection.

 

I might give that a go myself, although I'm hesitant because I find the Conti's so good all round, especially in the wet.

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

 

I can attest to this...my 265 cup w/18s wearing PS4 loves doing this at Curborough sprint circuit with it's sharp corners in the damp/wet. Absolute hoonigan mode. Best £60 ever spent hiring that track.

 

Depends on how you drive

I've managed to do a set of 595RSR in 800 miles on the road (in spain) in my Golf R, but that was akin to 3 trackdays in a row. I also did a set of Carbotech brake pads in under 1500 miles. I've got a set of 595RSR on the R26 now which have lasted for 1 bedford GT day, 1 hard bedford evening, a round-trip to the ring with 6 fast laps, a weekend Wales hoon and 1 very hard silverstone day, half a day at Snetteron. There's plenty left on the rears, and enough on the fronts for another day.

In comparison i did a set of MPSS in 4k normal road miles and half a day at Curborough in the R. They basically turn to cheese and dissolve when you use them hard, but then they did last for about 4-5k miles hard road driving, which i was very impressed with. I previously did a set of Toyo T1R's which i used to rate as good road-tyres in under 1k miles on the road, that was in my Audi S2, but the MPSS is a better tyre in every way, as is the 595RSR apart from torrential conditions. The PS4 is probably the best all-round road tyres available at the moment IMO, and if you want to drive hard then get a semi-slick, even if it's a road car.

Basically semi-slick track day tyres will last longer than road-tyres when used on track, whilst providing higher peak grip, and will probably last about the same as a road-tyre when used on the road, but provide higher peak grip in dry conditions and lower grip and more tendency to aquaplane under wet running.

I tend to set normal for road and then adjust depending on conditions and driving. On the road for normal running i run 32psi F/R on the R26, which i'll drop to 30-32psi hot (about 24psi cold) for fast running. On track i'll run 26-28psi F/R hot which is about 23psi rear and 20psi front cold.

I was stunned by how good the 595RSR are in the wet, but then look at the massive grooves in them and it's no surprise really. It's only in really heavy standing water that i've ever had a problem, but that simply comes down to tread depth. My mate on his R888's was pulling over whereas i was good to continue!

I also found the Fed's far better in wet/slippy conditions than the T1R's mentioned above, but i think PS4 are the best all-rounders and cope with these conditions the best.

 

I was surprised how good they were in the wet. I left them on when made my way home from the Ring in July, thinking the weather would be hot like the day before.
After driving for 20 minutes the mother of all rain storms appeared. I crapped myself and stuck to the inside lane at 40 mph with all the juggernauts.

I gradually plucked up the courage and sped up. To my utter amazement the Federals were brilliant.

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk