Pirelli slicks compound question

[easter bunny]

I've been running SC1 front and SC2 rear - because that was recommended to me by a fellow racer from his setup. So far I have no complaints and if it ain't broke don't fix it. I did spin up the rear and go down, but I think I was more to blame than the tires. Maybe - maybe not.

Wondering if maybe I should consider changing one or both compounds. I think I'm firm on the front. It's the softest compound and I'm not having adverse wear. I'd rather the security over the potential longevity.

Anyone that can give me a comparison of SC2 vs SC1 for the rear? Preferably on a liter bike. From the Pirelli charts the SC1 seems to be planted in the middle of the category and the SC2 is more for longevity. However I'm wondering if the trade up to a stickier compound might be worth it. From their (slightly older) literature that I could find:

SC1: The SC1 rear compound not only offers tremendous grip but has become very durable and resistant to heat cycling over the past two years. It is an ideal sprint racing tire and best used at track temperatures ranging from 20°C/68°F to 45°C/114°F.

SC2: The SC2 compound has a wider operating temperature range compared to the SC0 and SC1. The newest SC2 can be used at temperatures as low as 8°C/47°F and up to 55°C/122°F. The SC2 is a very good choice for club racers, longer sprint races, and endurance racing where tires changes are planned.

 

[jaybocc2]

The advice i received from a coach and race shop (on my 2011 zx10r trackbike) was SC2 is a little better longevity while sacrificing some grip. But may be a good choice for a slow turd like me, or a highly abrasive track like buttonwillow. SC1 has much more grip at the cost of longevity and is probably what you want to use when you're picking up the pace, need more grip and don't mind the higher tire wear.

just my $0.02 of hearsay.

 

[easter bunny]

Well I'm slow and on a ZX10 too. Thus the dilemma. I'm wondering what the difference in wear rate is between the two.

 

[pappy]

Not that my opinion really matters, but what the hell.
For the rear, I race SC1s at sonoma and BW and SC2s at T-hill.
SC1s on the front all the time.

For me it is based on the track. T-hill is abrasive

-fp

 

[twistybits]

 

[stangmx13]

u racing or just doing trackdays?

my philosophy:
- for racing and race practice, run the softest tires u can get away with (and can afford)
- for trackdays, run whatever is cheapest until the laptimes start to matter. if laptimes matter, its now "race practice" so follow that.

 

[EarlyApex]

Is the diablo superbike pro a harder compound than the sc3?

 

[ZXR400SP]

You should talk to the Pirelli vendor, Chris will help you.

 

[afm199]

Simply put:

SC1 on the front works great. Stick with it. You might get some cold tear on really cold days.

On liter bikes the SC1 has better traction most of the time than the SC2, and the SCO is even better.

However, on cold days, you may end up tearing the softer tires a lot. And they wear out fast. Guys race on the SC1 and SC0 for better traction. Not longevity.

I've gone through an SC1 rear on my 1000 in less than 2 days. (Now that is riding 170-200 miles a day). I run the SC2 on the rear for trackdays cause the SC1 just wears out so fast.

Spinning it up was on you, not the tire.

 

[easter bunny]

On liter bikes the SC1 has better traction most of the time than the SC2, and the SCO is even better.

Guys race on the SC1 and SC0 for better traction. Not longevity.

I ran morning warm up on the SC2 but I was slow as molasses trying to figure out the track in session 1 and lost almost all of session 2 with a brake issue.

Talked to Chris and he recommended the SC1 so I went with it. I found it sliding around on lap 6/7 in the races. I'm not sure if I was overheating it or that's the nature of the softer rubber. I did find the slides to be very controlled and predictable and was lifting the front wheel all over the place so I'll assume it was more the second one.

Ironically I turned my fastest lap of the weekend in my very last race when I was convinced the tires were totally shagged. Maybe I was finally figuring out the track (first time there, first time back on the bike this year). Maybe I was finally getting used to the rubber. We got red flagged which was a bummer because I'm wondering if I might have turned in something even better. Who knows. I'm still a total noob at this racing thing so I'll just keep collecting personal data.

 

[Lazerus]

I was having a late lap issue with rear traction. Kfg Jason Lauritzen mentioned that my starting pressure was one or two psi too high so the contact patch was shrinking as the tire reached race temp. Dropped a psi and the problem went away.

Not sure about 1ks, but on my 600, the sc1's of the last two years have been lasting me as long as the sc2's of the previous 8 years did. Not sure what they changed, but the info quoted above isn't just hype.

 

[MTechR1]

Do you guys take track temps into consideration? The tire data for the SC1 says max track temp of 104F. I know in the afternoon sessions at Thill the track gets way hotter than that in the summer months.