I have to admit....

[ducpainter]

I've always run on Michelins.

They served me well on my Monster and the 750 SS on the track.

Now I have a 996...

I got 3 days out of a rear Power race...trackday carcass...which is different than the PR* series carcass.

I really like the PRC front, but I can't afford to replace a rear tire every three days. That's friggin ridiculous.

A bunch of local trackday guys are touting the Dunlop slicks.

I don't use warmers because I usually ride from a corner switching off with another volunteer.

I guess my question is what Dunlop matches the PRC profile and which tire would be the best choice if I don't use warmers?

[Speeddog]

My trackday/race junkie folks seem to really like the Qualifiers.

But there's folks here that regularly track their stuff, so their FHE is gonna be the best.

[gm2]

qualifiers are a good intermediate skill/speed tire.  they have a reputation for being ice skates when you start to go too fast.  it's basically a street tire. 

the dunlop 211 GP is the best thing you can get in a DOT... i just got 6 full days out of a set, including 1 day at big willow.  that track'll eat any tire in a day.  i used warmers about 50% of the time mainly because i did a bunch of days in august and it was damn hot.  unreal wear and durability.  guys i ride with have been through 2 sets of other tires in the same time.  i'm getting lean angles on them that seem to get me concerned looks rather than high-fives..  

go to http://www.dunlopracing.com/.  read jeff tigert's quote, left side of that page.  and there's an N-Tec pdf there, etc.

on paper they aren't cheap, but imo they are considering the wear i got out of them.  you can also get really good deals now on the 209 GPs.  i had a set of those before my 211s; also a really great tire.  they aren't N-Tec but they aint poop by a long stretch.  note that (while you probably can't find them anymore) you don't really want the 208s.  the dunlop GP series tires had a grow-too-much-when-hot problem before the 209s.  

after using some Pirellis and Michelins on the track the feel and predictability of Dunlops is night and day.  it's almost fun when they start to go off.  they give you tons of feedback and warning.  you don't just suddenly find yourself on your ass.

next friday i'll be trying out some N-Tec slicks.. i'll let you know how it goes.  which considering they're only $20 more than the 211s, you might want to consider..  

[ducpainter]

I'm by no means a fast guy...

but I'm not slow either.

I've graduated past street tires.

One of the issues I had with the 996 was the steering input required to get the thing turned with the 'round' profile Power race front. The PRC is pretty triangular and turning is almost effortless.

What are the Dunlops like?

[gm2]

i'm a pretty, uhh, instinctive rider.. =).  something either works for me or it doesn't; when it doesn't i have a hard time putting my finger on what the issue is.  i couldn't call a tire round vs. triangular...  so all i can tell you is i have no problem getting the bike turned in tight stuff and in high speed sweeping stuff.  maybe we can't compare trying to turn an R6 and a 996 anyway..?

[darylbowden]

I'm by no means a fast guy...

but I'm not slow either.

I've graduated past street tires.

One of the issues I had with the 996 was the steering input required to get the thing turned with the 'round' profile Power race front. The PRC is pretty triangular and turning is almost effortless.

What are the Dunlops like?

The Dunlop is pretty triangular.  You will need to reset your suspension, but it'll be worth it.  Once you've enjoyed the thrill of predictable gummy greatness, you'll never go back to that french rubber again.

[ducpainter]

The Dunlop is pretty triangular.  You will need to reset your suspension, but it'll be worth it.  Once you've enjoyed the thrill of predictable gummy greatness, you'll never go back to that french rubber again.

I'm still dialing the suspension as the bike is pretty new to me.

So...

do you think the slicks are the way to go...

or should I go with DOTs?

Like I said...

lots of guys are tellin' me slicks.

Many of them use warmers...some don't

[gm2]

slicks mean you get more rubber on the ground and they last longer.  why not?

[ducpainter]

slicks mean you get more rubber on the ground and they last longer.  why not?

point taken....

[fasterblkduc]

I am definitely a Dunlop fan on the track. I've run others but nothing compares to the predictability of the Dunlops when they start sliding. I raced both the UK slicks and the 209 DOTs this year. DOTs are required for supersport sprints and I ran the slicks for everything else because they are simply amazing. I got into scary situations countless times and they saved my butt everytime. I slid the front many times from braking hard on a pass in a tight turn, only to have it hook back up nicely and not lowside. When I say I slid the front I mean a good 2 foot slide! I had people come to me after races and say "wow, nice save on that front end!", more than once. Slicks are a different profile than the DOTs and they are made to work the best at full lean.
If you are using them without warmers, take a little more time to warm them up. They need a little more before you start pushing them. Once you get the temp up, you will stick like glue!
And a word of caution to everyone trying the NTecs...they will grow in size. A friend racing them on his 675 had the front grow a lot everytime he got over approx. 150mph. I was behind him in practice when this happened the first time. It created a smoke screen that could only be rivaled by the old video game Spy Hunter. People thought he blew his motor but it was just the tire being shredded by the front fender. It was fine for anything below 150mph. so he cut off part of the fender and ran it like that.
All slicks will grow but this is the worst case scenario event. My bike has a small hole in the front fender from this, and I've seen others. I just want to make you aware that this may occur so that you are prepared. If you are going to run NTecs, bring a Dremel just in case. 

I'm thinking about making some upgrades to my bike for next year that will take me out of SS legal status. This means that I will not run DOTs at all. Now...having said all that, and going back and reading what I typed in...there is nothing wrong with DOTs. Until you get a lot of track time on both, you may not even notice a difference so I think either way you will be fine with whatever you choose. It will handle differently as someone already mentioned so you may need to make some adjustments, or maybe not. Just try them out, then decide....good luck

[Ducatista]

You already know this, but you'll get more tire life if you reduce the number of heat cycles it endures.  That said, unless you're doing some really insane s***, you should be getting a little more than that out of them.  Suspension?  Can you post pics of your old tires?  Is it a cold tear issue, are they becoming bricks, or is it something else?

[ducpainter]

You already know this, but you'll get more tire life if you reduce the number of heat cycles it endures.  That said, unless you're doing some really insane s***, you should be getting a little more than that out of them.  Suspension?  Can you post pics of your old tires?  Is it a cold tear issue, are they becoming bricks, or is it something else?

It's cold tear.

I set pressures according to the current wisdom.

30F/28R

adjusted after lunch as the ambient had gone up.

Suspension isn't the problem.

Pressure probably was, but like I said I normally ride from a corner...

I could take a pressure guage with me and go through all that BS...

I just want a tire that will give me reasonable life.

I'm an old slow guy...

granted I'm on a 996 now, but the Michelins and this bike aren't getting along under the circumstances.

3 days isn't reasonable...

and if Michelins need their pressures adjusted after every session to give any life...

It will be Cheng Shins for this kid.   

Life was sooo much simpler on a 750 2V