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The Weight Of Tyres

Discussion in 'Tyres' started by Ash34, Feb 21, 2017.

  1. Do racing slicks weigh less than road tyres?

    I just weighed my rear wheel (Marchesini 5 spoke) which has a Diablo Superbike slick fitted and it actually weighs 1 kilo less than the half-carbon Dymag with Dunlop Sportmax fitted that I bought to save weight.

    I'm having a new slick fitted to the Dymags so that I can make a better comparison but are road tyres heavy?


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  2. Good question!
     
  3. All tyres do weigh differently and it's been know that someone has spent thousands on carbon wheels to then stick some heavy rubber on there. Search google, I have seen comparison charts in the past. :upyeah:
     
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  4. That's a good question and I've wondered that myself. We spend loads on super trick CF wheels then shove a whacking great tyre over them.
    I use Dunlop KR's (slicks) at the moment. It's a top drawer tyre (or it was last time I looked) but I don't think they're light. I wouldn't want a smack round the chops with one....
     
  5. I dunno whether they are still available but a mate of mine used to fit Michelin Pilot Pures, because he claims they are significantly lighter.
    The weight, and hence inertia, of a tyre will be significant because its mass rotates at max wheel diameter.
    That said, my Dymag carbons have PR3s on them.
     
  6. If you want light tyres then the easy solution is to buy part worn ones. Most of the outer layer of rubber will have been left on the road somewhere but you will have lighter tyres. I challenge any road biker to feel the difference in weight though.
    If you don't want to change tyres all the time then ignore this advice and buy new tyres. :)
     
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  7. still a benefit in using lighter wheels with the same tires though.
     
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  8. Sorry, I thought the thread was about tyres.
    In theory there is a benefit of less unsprung weight, and I suppose that if you fitted the heavy wheels off my BMW K100 onto the 848 it might feel a bit strange, but they would be twice the weight of the Ducati wheels. If you could reduce the standard wheel & tyre weight by 5% I very much doubt that anyone would actually feel the difference.
     
  9. Bob, as an aircraft engineer (you not me!), I'm always amazed at how frequently you decry peoples attempts to save weight on their bikes.
    Surely, any reduction in weight is a good thing, a large reduction is a better thing and a large reduction of rotating mass is a very good thing. Yes, filling up with fuel is likely to make a bigger difference than most attempts to save weight but I really don't see why it renders any attempt at weight-saving utterly futile.
    A light bike has to be better than a heavy bike but there is always going to be a problem with diminishing returns for money spent.
     
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  10. agree. People are often saying eating less pies is better than Tring to lighten you bike, but what if you want to do both? Or if , like @AirCon eating less pies is not an option
     
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  11. Less pies won't help it turn faster. Light wheels and tyres will :upyeah;
     
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  12. I use my bike for racing. It's underpowered compared to the modern bikes I'm competing against so losing weight to improve braking, turning and acceleration can only help.


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  13. Less pies will help with accelerating, the rest with the wheels :tearsofjoy:
     
  14. Less pies and goulash is also in progress [emoji3]


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  15. Ash, as a man who at his lightest was 16st (and mostly about 17st) when racing 50 and 65 hp bikes, I can categorically say that its aggression and 'its mine!' Attitude that does more for your race results in club racing than all the salad in the world. :upyeah:

    That and a distinct lack of self-preservation;)
     
  16. Indeed. It does more for your results, but not so much for personal relationships.
     
  17. On and off track are two different things. And other than one really harsh pass on @Jolley at Cadwell (sorry Ron) I never put anyone on the grass. I just never gave way either ;)

    I can say I have been put on the grass and taken out a few times tho, normally by really nice people :rolleyes:
     
  18. Once at Cadwell many years ago, a guy overtook me at the hairpin in spite of a waved yellow flag and a faller lying on the track in front of us. I must admit I was pretty annoyed about that!
     
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  19. Don't worry..... your photo is still on my dartboard! ;)
     
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  20. Don't know, presumably (if the rubber is the same thickness) slicks might weigh more than treaded tyres?

    I fitted a new Diablo Rosso III rear tyre to my 916 a couple of weeks back. Whilst they were off I weighed both the wheel & tyre out of curiosity, the tyre actually weighs more than the wheel - wheel = 4.7kg and tyre = 6.6kg.

    I also fitted new tyres to my old Guzzi and despite the skinny tyres being around half the width the wheel/tyre combo was over double the weight... :eek:
     
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