Motorcycle trackday tyres come in two main types. There are Slick tyres, that are designed for racing and aren’t road legal and there are treaded tyres, that can still be used in racing but are also road legal.
Motorcycle slicks offer the most amount of grip but they also tend to be stiffer and they aren’t for everyone. It’s worth noting that the lap time difference of a professional rider at a national circuit, riding a bike with slicks is only a second or two quicker than when using road-legal trackday tyres. A good example of a slick motorcycle tyre is a Bridgestone V02 or a Dunlop KR106 or KR108.
At the Isle of Man TT the lap records for the Senior TT (which is run on slick tyres) and the Superstock TT (which is run on road legal tyres) stands at 134mph. Again this shows how close a treaded motorcycle trackday tyre is to a slick tyre. A popular motorcycle trackday tyre is a Metzeler Racetec RR or a Bridgestone R11 or a Continental Race Attack 2.
Some riders like to run Trackday tyres on the road, thinking they have better grip than a Sports tyre. While some Trackday tyres will grip better than Sports tyres, they are designed to work best when hot and it’s not always possible to keep this heat in your tyres when on the road. So while the outright grip might be a touch better, there are more downsides to running a Trackday tyre on the road than a regular Road tyre.
There are popular motorcycle trackday tyres but there’s no such thing as the best motorcycle trackday tyre as different tyres suit different bikes and give different feedback. What works for your friend might not work so well for you. If you have a preferred brand on the road and you’re looking for a tyre for trackdays or racing, give us a call and we’ll advise on the best options for you.
