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Ever wonder what goes into manufacturing tires for world-class motorcycle racing. You're here, aren't you? That's why we asked Jim Allen to discuss the different tire options for Superbike racing, the challenges of the new chicane on tires, the manufacturing benefits of the new Dunlop plants in Japan and the USA, and the difference between testing Qualifiers and race tires. You read it here first!
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Jim Allen, Road Race Manager |
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No two riders are exactly alike in riding style; how do the riders' differing riding styles affect what you do with tire development? |
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At Daytona, the variables that riders introduce are not as significant as the extreme track conditions, so they have less influence on what we develop for this race. Basically, at every track we offer the Superbikes three choices: soft, medium and hard for the front and for the rear. From these choices, riders will usually find a combination that will work well for the speeds and loads they are imposing on the tires. For example, a slower rider might be able to use a softer tire that gives more traction because he isn't generating the kinds of speeds and loads that will cause a tire to overheat. Riders that are faster and/or more aggressive with the tires may need to use a harder compound that can withstand the heat that is generated.
Choosing the right tires becomes part of the strategy for racing, especially the Daytona 200. With tire two tire changes and two fuel stops, there are essentially three races within a race. Smart strategy for races -- especially at Daytona -- takes tire conservation into consideration; you can't win if you don't finish because you used up your tires too soon.
Obviously, tire compounds also change from track to track. Daytona is the fastest track; last year the fastest teams were closing in on 200 mph. But Elkhart Lake and Brainerd are also very fast tracks; riders spend a lot of time spinning the rear wheel while leaned over at Colorado, and at Virginia International Raceway, bikes spend a lot of time on the side of the tire as well. So there is always a whole slew of variables that go into tire selection.
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There are going to be new challenges for you this year at Daytona with the new chicane -- how will that affect what you are doing? |
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There is a strong indication that the new chicane will put more stress into the tires because the bikes will be at top speed for a longer period of time each lap. We'll have to wait until the test to confirm that situation. |
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How many tires do you bring to Daytona to test? |
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In 2001 we brought 39 different spec tires to the Daytona tire test. That includes both DOT-approved treaded tires and slick tires. Our total count for that testing session alone was 915 individual tires. This year we have more than that for testing. |
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What is the point of origin for these tires? Is this different from 2002? |
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This year, for Daytona we are seeing a cooperative effort between the Dunlop development teams from England, Japan and the USA. In recent years, the Daytona work has been largely done at Dunlop UK. The addition of Dunlop Japan to the Daytona development team reflects the worldwide importance being allotted to Superbike racing in the United States by Dunlop. It's plain to see World Superbike racing will not be very healthy this season, so we're placing more focus than ever this year on America. And this heightened level of support will continue for the entire AMA road race season. |
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Will you test Qualifiers, as well as race tires? Describe the difference between the two in terms of function and construction. |
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We may or may not test the Qualifiers during our testing sessions. Testing the Qs is a lower priority for everyone, since we're all interested in setting up racing baselines. In addition, testing Qualifiers is hard work; you have to be at the peak of bike setup and rider concentration, and it's hard to make that all come together in a testing session. You really have to be up to a full race pace to get the right kind of feedback on Qs.
In general, Qualifiers use a lighter casing since they won't be under the heavy loads for as long a time, and they are single compound rather than multi-compound tires. We ended up with some pretty good qualifiers last year; they were considerably better than the ones we had tried in past years. |
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