i'd say you're playing with fire there, you'll soon get faster and push sooner then come a cropper to cold tyres, its a false economy not using warmer as even though a tyre may look physically fine its grip properties may have completely gone due to the amount of high temp heat cycles, you'll end up going through tyres a lot more often.

Also to gain your national licence you need to finish on the same lap and within 110% of the winners time, dependent on how quick the front boys are you may struggle to make this while waiting for you're tyres to warm up on the first few laps

Yea i see your point about the extra wear on the tyres, whats a half decent set of warmers go for, i havent even looked into the cost?

Bear in mind i havent even got a novice license or done a race yet the most important thing for me at the moment is to actually get out there and race, Results, wheels, tyres, warmers and lap times are something i want to worry about when ive actually got my clubman license and i need to put in decent results to progress onto my national.

I originally had the same idea as you Kieran but Tony's managed to persuade me that a 17" rear and tyre warmers are the way to go.

I know I won't be competitive and I have no illusions of ever winning anything but I want to come away from every meeting feeling I learnt something that will make me quicker at the next race. As long as I'm not last and actually get to race with someone I'll be happy.

You don 't need an RVF wheel either as the Bros wheels are a virtual straight fit with the benefit of being half the cost if not less. As for tyre warmers then I'm definitely getting a set as the advice of limiting the amount if heat cycles makes sense.

Anyway Sunday is going to be spent working on the race bike do expect some pictures. I'll pop them up in a seperate thread though.

I'll throw my tuppence in as a counterweight seeing as it was me that reckoned you can manage without!

My shout - I raced on diablo/dragon supercorsas on 17 inch tyres on 2 bikes - my NC30 and my FZR4/6 hybrid. I also used BT090s on 18s.

For me - it mattered not a lot. If you are not at the cutting edge then it makes fuck all difference - really.

I would say that laptimes are in your head - you are limited mainly by the brains you have rather than by the kit. If you can imagine that a tyre from a warmer goes and sits int he holding area and then onto the dummy grid, then rolls a warmup lap where it is getting cooler to sit on the grid.....and go.

I agree totally that warmers protect the tyres from too many heat cycles - but again, they are not pukka stressed race tyres being hammered by 150+hp at 20s a lap faster laptimes.

If you can afford it - get warmers, get a genny, get the 17s and run Dragon supercorsas (over diablo) - 500 quid spent..

or, run your BT090s and enjoy the fact they are H rated and will warm up fater than the ZR rated Pirellis...be confident that they work well on tracks and that if it is cold, damp or drying - you have loads more grip..we all know dragon supercorsa do not like the cold and damp.


I've not yet cleared it with the wife...but I have my eye test next thursday...:) I'll very likely riding on my 18 month old BT090s...and they'll be fine. (I reckon I'll get lapped first race...but perhaps by the next one I'll have got some balls adn brains back!)

@ Kieran/Zippy?DM - get thee onto an ACU trackday asap - you need to feel the desire to push and getting blasted by fast people helps!

Me and Tony have a Bemsee day at Brands on the 8th next month which is mainly for form filling and eye tests and I think the ACU day is in Feb sometime.

I'll probably still use BT090's as I know they grip well and I trust them. It tried the Supercorsa's on Tony's RVF and they gripped just as well but I didn't like the profile of them as much. It felt really nervous which I'm sure I'd get used to very quickly but for the first couple of races I'd rather go with the Bridgestones.

I'm going to look for a set of second hand tyre warmers in the new year just to keep the cost down.

As far as kit is concerned I have some really nice Arai's which I don't want to bugger up while racing so as I'm going to the bike show next week I thought I'd pick out a new lid. Hopefully an Arai if not something of similar quality. I'm also going to get a new back protector and a chest protector and a 1 piece undersuit.

Phoenix who distribute (or used to) Arais will give 33% off with an ACU licence...

Get your licence and then get your gear with discounts :)

Phoenix went to the wall early last year unfortunately.

You can tweet or contact @whyarai with your details and they will hook you up with discount..

could you use a 160-18? I've never tried but there seems to be loads a 'modern' tyres in 160

Can I give you my view on this topic,i've been racing 12 or so years on 30+ different bikes (400s mainly) and if your the next rossi 18inch bt090s are more than up to the job,if after 2 or 3 races you are running near the front,then yes you will need the latest carlos fandango super wheel and tyres to go forward,but if your not,buying them w'ont get you there. track time is the thing that will get you quicker (unless you are the next rossi) so I would spend your money on as much track/race time as you can get,it's much easier to add to a basic bike at the start and gain time,than it is to have all the best kit and try to gain time.
as for tyre warmers,for the £80 or so you can get 2nd hand ones for get them, seeing as every body around you will have them on and it would mess with your head if you've not,but I bet you I could give 95% of the people on the grid tyres that had done 7+ heat cycles,or 1 heat cycle and we wouldn't know the difference.(and yes if you are running at the front and need that last 10th you will) before I get slagged off for this,it's just my opinion
ps the best advice I could give you is,,for fuck sake keep away from from csmj1 on the track
how are you by the way mark,racing again at your age
cheers,steve.