Ducati Monster Forum

Searched, but didn't find answer.  Is there a NOTICEABLE difference in cornering traction with dual compound versus singular compound tires?  The idea makes perfect sense but just wanted to know if anyone can speak from first hand experience.  Is dual compound marketing hype or not?  Anybody have anything bad to say about a particular dual compound tire?  Any recommendation for one brand over another??  I personally never ride in the rain and mostly just canyon carve.

 I run dual-compound Michelins (Power Race med-soft).... I mean yeah, it's noticable in the sense that when you're at full lean they have an awesome amount of sticky grip when warmed up; much more than regular compund tires IMO....

But it's not the kinda thing where you go into a turn and say: oooohhh!! there's the soft part!! 

You don't feel it per-se, but my dual compounds definitely have allowed me to rip corners at speeds I normally wouldn't, so I like 'em.... [thumbsup]

Yeah, no, thats not what I meant by noticeable.


COOL so then they actually work.  My next tire is going to be dual compound then.  Think I am going to go with the Diablo Corsa 3s. [thumbsup] 

i swapped to the pilot power 2ct's on the rear of the speed triple last time i changed
since its all superslab straight-up riding here...
no NOTICEABLE difference in handling, they work just fine....
have to see how the mileage stacks up....
but, no complaints here, they work fine, sticky in all conditions and no noticeable transition from center to side...

i think youd have to be a consistent rider, and test them on the track. But from the reviews they do help shave some time.

I guess what I really want to get out of them is confidence when carving it up in the canyons. 

thats only going to come with time, practice, classes, and etc. your tires already have an AMAZINIG amount of grip. THe fear comes from your skill.

I cannot speak for the corsa III but I know for a fact (I sell them) that the 2ct pilot powers have only an added inch at the outer edge that is a softer compound, unless you are scrubbing your tires to that edge it is mostly a waste of money.
That being said the 2ct power (rear) is constructed completely differently from the regular power As in carcass construction.

Power race tires vary where the second compound starts as well. I have tot read up on the 2ct roads yet to see where it begins but I just installed a set and they handle very nice ( too early to tell how they will wear or last).

I have been using dual compounds since the late 80's (bridgstone spitfires) It is a very good Idea that should improve with time.

Odd, most riders I know of think of dual compound tires in the opposite way. As in, how much harder is the center, so I can get some mileage out of it! The Diablo Corsa III rears are dual compound but not the front. The front is a medium compound all the way across. BUT, they both have steel belts! Suhweet. So far I don't see much difference in wear vs the Metzelers I usually run. Will prob end up with the same mileage on em. Stick is about the same as the Sportec M1. I'm itchin to try the new M3.  [moto]

I ran a Corsa III, and got 2k miles out of it.  Then I got a MUCH cheaper Conti Sport Attack, with DynaBeads to balance it, and it's got 2.5k miles, and still has a bit of rubber left.  The sport attack seems to be much stickier on the middle too, which is weird that it's lasting more than the Corsa.  I'll be sticking with the sport attacks for a while.

Any way to find out where the softer compound is on the Corsa III's?


What do steel belts do???

Are you running them on the street?

If so...how long before they heat cycle out?

Bump

The Metzelers M3 are outstanding. I found great cornering in all conditions, great for early season cool days. Never took them on the track. I had them on my Monster. I'm riding Pirelli DRAGON SUPERCORSA PRO.'s They are just ok for general riding around. They are really for the track. And prolly ONE track day at that. After 1300miles I can see wear, and flatting in the rear. After they get good and hot they corner like velcro but...The M3’s lasted WAY longer.

Have you run their M1's? If so, how would you rate the M3's compared to the M1's as far as extreme lean grip and wear? One would think they are better but ya never know what mfg's are thinking/doing these days...    :P

new release BT016 front= 2 compound, rear= 3 compound I sell bunch of those and also BT002 race DOT....and if you watched what Bridgestone did in racing, this is the best tire for the price...at this moment...

When you say "racing" are you referring to MotoGP?  I don't think production tires are the same as MotoGP; are they?

I do run them on the street, and was very careful to initially try and first heat-cycle them gently so they didn't scrub or risk getting prematurely "greasy" which soft tires can do when heated up, and not broken in properly...The compund breaks down, tire becomes mush, yadayadayada......bad things happen...

-I still try and warm them up gently by zig-zaggging a bit out of my neighborgood before I put any real stress on them, or I'll leave them exposed to the sun on warm days before riding (I don't have tire warmers, and would view myself as a tool if I did for street riding!!!   [laugh]  [roll] )

-I'm admittedly not too educated on detecting when a tire is sarting to cycle out... :-\  I have about 1700 miles on mine, and might go w/a pair of 2ct's next, as it seems like soft compund tires are almost impractical for the street unless you cycle them properly right of the bat.... :-\

I think you'll find the 2cts or even regular powers are a better choice for the street.

You won't get any warning on the power race when they're done. They just go away.

Of course NOT ......

moto4us rite, ...... BT tires the best value for money

& since you mentioned motoGP, ...... Malaysia will be holding the motoGP in Sepang on the 18th & 19th October this year ......... be there .... it'll be FUN

by the way, RW did a test ... they were able to prove that weaving actually cools the tires as compared to just going in a straight line. You can't actually weave a bike hard enough long enough to generate heat in the tires.

Gentle but increasing acceleration and braking forces are the best thing to do.

:) Chris

so the comopund just starts to break down and they lose their tractability?? Is there ANY thing I can look for?? They seem fine for now, but I don't want to find out the hard way that I waited too long!! I'm gonna go w/the 2ct's probably sooner than later I think, and save the Pow-Races as backups...
...
-I thought they'd be better simply because softer=stickier=more traction, but much like brakes should be properly bedded-in, soft-compund tires must be properly heat-cycled initially, and won't perform right otherwise...Is that a fair analogy??

What the tire companies learn in racing, trickles down to their production products.

I got Corsa III and so far best tyres I have used. The banding on the rear is actually quite visible. From memory I would say the center 3 inches is harder and 2 inches on each shoulder is softer.

Even with medium paced road riding you are still using that softer part. ;D

I haven't tried the M1's. I just believed the hype that the M3's were a huge improvement on the M1's for both traction/wet traction and longer wear. I found these qualities in them to be very good.
When my stock Pirelli Dragon's are done, I'm gong back to them.  [thumbsup]

I got the Road 2CTs because I commute on the bike also.  The center is supposed to be harder so it wont flatten as fast as the PPs.  After using these sport touring tires for about 3k miles now, Im pretty confident that you do not need a high proformance sport tire for the street.  They were a little more expenive than the PPs, but are supposed to last twice as long.   I have pushed these things as hard, if not harder than my old PPs and they have never slipped.  I couldnt not imagine replacing street tires every 2 or 3 thousand miles.  I guess if it provides confidence than that is a good thing, but as someone stated earlier any modern non-touring tire IS more than enough for the street. 

check this vid out 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alYYU4mTc-g

those PP 2CTs are some serious tires

Cool thanks. I'm gonna mount up a set just cuz I gotta try em. metz's have always been my fav tires. Depending on their wear and performance will determine wether I go back to the Pirelli's. One weird thing is I see the Diablo Rosso's are not dual compound on the rear like the Corsa III is. Makes me wonder about mileage on it.

Anyone running the Rosso's and have some serious mileage on them? Ot just wanna comment on them in general?

I was not impressed at all with the M1s when I tried them years ago. I thought the plain Pilot Powers were better at that time.

Here's my two bits:

I have run Pilot Roads, then Pilot Powers, then Diablo Corsa IIIs and I just ordered Power 2CTs. (I'm not even going to talk about the Dunlops that came on the bike :P)

I did track days on all three. My favorite has been the Powers. It's a combination of the traction and the profile. I also did some very aggressive touring on the Powers with no worries. I got over 9k out of the Roads and over 6k from the Powers. I'm closing on 6k on the Corsa IIIs and they're pretty much shagged. I ride a '99 M900S and while most of my miles are commuting (unfortunately) I get on 'em when I can.

I'd like a Power with a harder center but that's not what 2CTs are; they have the same center as the Power with a softer side. So there's no additional mileage to be gained from buying 2CTs. I just figured for $25, what the hell? That one track day or that one ass-puckering save on the tires will be worth $35 ;)

The rubber in race tires is compounded for just what you say....great traction.

It doesn't have the number of heat cycles compounded in to them like a street tire.

I was on a ride with a kid on a ZX-9 with a set of Michelin S2 (soft) race tires (predecessor to the Power). They were a 1/2 season old...looked brand new. It was a cool day, and those things were like grease. He couldn't lean the thing with out it sliding.

We tried everything to help him, but there was no way to get those things to stick. If it were me I'd keep my eyes open for a deal on Power street tires and change out the races before they go away on you.