Ducati Sporting Club UK > DesmoDue Race Series > DesmoDue - General Questions and Chat > tyre warmers yes or no ?

[baylissboy]

To be inkeeping with the spirit of the series,i would say NO! It sounds like the idea is to have cheap racing,tyre warmers are just another cost.If one person uses them,then everybody who wants to be competitive will have to use them!
All the bikes involved will have similar performance,so good riders will be able to "feel" what their tyres are doing on that first lap!

[couchcommando]

It's a yes without a doubt. Warmers and a genny cost a lot less than repairing a bike and ultimately repairing you.

if you think for one minute that those without will be taking it easy into the first corner you have never seen a club race have you ? The first corner is the most exciting bit, but also the most dangerous and you will have no time to think oh hang on my tyres aren't warm. Even if you did you may have to take avoiding action which is very likely and your colder tyres won't handle it. On a cold day the situation is even worse.

Don't compromise yours and others safety cos you can't afford to go racing properly. If someone took me out cos they were on cold tyres I would be very upset with them, there is enough risk without creating more.

I would like to see a control tyre in this series, altho warmers should be personal choice taking into account what's been said

[couchcommando]

Originally posted by STEVE M
From the club races I've seen recently there still seems to be as many first lap crashes now as there were before tyre warmers existed and I think the problem is still the same - it's the way the grid is formed, random or by ballot (ever noticed how there are less crashes when grid positions are decided by qualiying times or in finals where earlier finishing order determines the grid). This random nature of the grid means that a rider with a chance of finishing up front will have to make up positions quickly as club races just aren't long enough to wait a lap to start passing people, so there is always going to be some contact with 30 or so riders together with the faster ones deparate to get to the front.

Which clubs have you been watching this year ? DP do the first rows from championship position

[Steve M]

I've noticed that mate, but not all do and that can,t happen at the start of the season. Plus it stiil leaves the rest of the grid mixed up. It's a good idea though.

[uncledunnie]

I thought that grid positions were going to be determined by morning practice/ qualifying - hence the need for us to have transponders????

[WeeJohnyB]

New Era do grid positions by qualifying in the Superclub series. They did do some in the Club series by out of the hat - I know, cause one of my first races I was number 1 with 40 bikes behind me - frightened? oh yes!!! I believe they are now all done by transponder and therefore qualifying time, but I'll stand corrected.

Completely agree with CC on the tyre warmers and the mahem of first corner. I've said in another thread that if you seriously want to keep it cheap, then warmers are a fair expense when you add everything up, HOWEVER, I also said 'it wouldn't be me' as I agree with CC, if some muppet on cold tyres were to take me out, I'd not be impressed. Same applies to track days, despite me driving the point home in the briefing, most accidents happen in the first couple of laps on cold tyres, or when people think the sun is shining, therefore it must be warm.

By using warmers, you will reduce the liklihood of an incident early in the race. As CC says, if you've never watched a club race from the first corner or never raced, it's hard to describe.

It's a bit like the worn tyres argument - so you want to keep it cheap and think you'll get away with tyres that are past their best? Wrong! a), others around you will be quicker and b) you'll eventually crash!

One argument for cheap racing is to reduce the chances of crashing, so use warmers.

This could run and run, it's not going to effect me, but I wouldn't race without warm tyres - I might potter around the first lap waiting for the tyres to heat and that's one way to look at it if you're all in the same boat, but it's not racing.

WeeJohnyB

[paynep]

i've seem suitcase genny+ tyrewarmer packages for less than £200.

Losing the front (or rear) on cold tyres just once will cost at least that. (and I should know!)

One sighting lap plus a warm-up lap doesn't get enough heat up, especially on a short circuit.

Allow tyrewarmers, then people can make their own choice, but I personally would be a bit hacked off if I were taken out on the first lap by someone with cold tyres...........

Cheers, Paul

[Monty]

Grid positions WILL be decided by timed practice using transponders as I posted.

Since I am not competing I won't vote in the tyrewarmer debate-but as to it reducing first corner crashes i'm not so sure, there have been plenty of 'games of skittles' in MotoGP this year, and that lot are supposed to know what they are about................

John

[NBs996]

Not sure about the "first corner, cold tyres" thing gents. Having done a bit of marshalling this year, the only first corner incidents I've cleared up were just a case of too many bikes using the same bit of track and hitting each other.

I'd've thought with the volume of riders going on the first lap, we'll be holding each other up and therefor not able to go all out on lap one.

I think warmers would only be a benefit to those at the front of the grid who can make a good start and get clear track from the green light... not going to make a difference for me at the back.

[skidlids]

Originally posted by paynep
but I personally would be a bit hacked off if I were taken out on the first lap by someone with cold tyres...........
Cheers, Paul

As tyre warmers will not be compulsory even if they are allowed it could still well happen. And as I said in a earlier post there were less first corner mass pile ups in club racing in the days before tyre warmers, than there has been since. Maybe the reason for the increase is the speed differential going into the first corner between those that have tyre warmers and those that don't add into that a rider without them trying not to be beaten into the corner by the guy next to him that has used warmers, recipe for disaster.
So maybe the choice should be everybody has to have them or nobody does.

I'm not voting on this, I have my own views built up after a decade around the club scene as both a mechanic and a rider, helping out at the TT and National level.
I signed up under the current rules so am waiting to see how many of these rules are now going to be changed.