Author Topic: Flat tracker tyres  (Read 12830 times)

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Offline 52

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #15 on: July 25, 2014, 08:51:32 pm »
Having rode on Maxxis, Goodyear, Dunlop and Golden Tyres in the US, they offer a lot of grip. I have never used them on oiled tracks because I have never seen them over there. Limestone and clay are the most common surfaces. I have used our radial trials tyres over there and they don't work as well as the US flat track tyre. I really think all that it needs for them to take off here is for a good rider to set the bike up on 19's and prove that they work. To my knowledge Sammy Halbert made 'em work at Taree.

Offline SON

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #16 on: July 25, 2014, 10:28:54 pm »
Do these tyres actually work on our tracks other than the hard packed oil ones?
Yes they work on all our tracks with the right grooves
Clay to Pea gravel (marbles)
One day we will get smart enough to run 19s
They work and last
SURPRISINGLY since that's what they were designed to do
Not as TRIALS Tyres

Offline SON

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #17 on: July 25, 2014, 10:51:51 pm »
Having rode on Maxxis, Goodyear, Dunlop and Golden Tyres in the US, they offer a lot of grip. I have never used them on oiled tracks because I have never seen them over there. Limestone and clay are the most common surfaces. I have used our radial trials tyres over there and they don't work as well as the US flat track tyre. I really think all that it needs for them to take off here is for a good rider to set the bike up on 19's and prove that they work. To my knowledge Sammy Halbert made 'em work at Taree.
Firstly I have Sammy's and Masa's bikes for sale
Masa's is exactly as ridden with Sammy's Flattrack map
Sammy's is as ridden by Josh Pickering to win the Casey Stoner Cup
I have Sammy's 17"s and the 19" front that he used, the 19" rear was sold to a forum member
I tried to convince Sammy to use the 19 rear at the TBC later in the program but he was happy with the 17" Bridgestone Wets,
Henry Wiles also used the 19" front and he was happier with it as well
Lots of the Aussie young guns have 19"s for the West Wyalong Cup
I would like to see SOME of our Dirttrack run with 19"s and NO FRONT BRAKES
We would see much better racing because of it

Offline SlideRulz

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #18 on: July 25, 2014, 11:59:10 pm »
Why do we get caught up so much in what the Yanks are doing? Different tracks and diff surfaces.

Offline SON

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #19 on: July 26, 2014, 06:31:05 am »
If you want to see a few US Champion Flattrackers competing in OZ (and I do)
If you want to see a few OZ Champion Flattrackers competing in the US (and I do)
If you want to see AND hear Big Twins competing in OZ (and I do)
If you want to see it less expensive to compete
Then 19" wheels are the answer
No front brake will increase skill level, make tracks last all event,

Offline 52

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #20 on: July 28, 2014, 11:16:42 am »
It is hard not to buy into this discussion, I was in Sacremento last year at the Mile. 50,000 people, I purchased one of the cheaper seats, the good ones were gone. $55USD. The racing was worth double that. To hear and watch those big twins is something. 25 laps and I swear the lead changed every lap. Even twins on the Half-miles are good, real good.
I was never a pro-US style supporter, but having experienced it, it is something.
Will we ever see the days of 500cc sliders banging bars again, probably not. 450cc dirt-trackers banging bars, probably. The young blokes running the 450 dirt-tracker use the motorcycle as a dirt-tracker, not a MX bike. They are just as dedicated to racing their bikes on our dirt tracks as any rider I rode against in the past. The world has become a smaller place, these young Australian Dirt-trackers may have an opportunity to race overseas, the USA dirt track is a big scene,330 million people live there.
Most tracks here have a long-track circuit on the outside, ie Temora, Wyalong, Nepean,etc. Personally it is rare to get a go on 'em. How hard would it be to promote a US style event using our dirt-trackers without a front brake lever? The riders will love it.


Offline steve234

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #21 on: July 28, 2014, 01:42:54 pm »
I'm with you Graeme!

I watched the Sac Mile on Fanschoice.TV the lead changed heaps (between 5 riders) despite it being a single lane track (according to the riders). That move by Wiles on lap 5 was insane, 4 riders wide Wiles takes the inside line and pitch's it into the corner latest, bet if they had front brakes there would have been a massive pile up! I know there is allot of history and pride in Aussie Dirt Track and don't ever want to take any of that away from it but if dirt track wants to prosper change is required. Otherwise just start up another form of racing and let the riders and public decide. Also provides jobs for suspension tuners, or at least might make that section of the market more competitive with pricing haha.

Cheers,
Steve

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Offline SON

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #22 on: July 28, 2014, 05:59:54 pm »
Thank you
Troy Bayliss has helped raise the profile of the sport but it needs more than a few major events per year to justify the expense and investment
Talking of Investment that is one of the things that the US does so much better than us
Older Flattracker fans sponsor young gun Riders


Offline FireKwaka

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #23 on: July 28, 2014, 09:50:35 pm »
Mick Kirkness #87 ran the 19" Dunlops and no front brake at Coffs Harbour on the weekend.

Also had a good Pre 85 RM v YZ battle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0SZxCtJDFs&feature=youtu.be
83 KX500, 83 RM250D, Can Am MX2.

Offline Graeme M

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #24 on: July 28, 2014, 10:16:54 pm »
I'd love to try those 19s here at Canberra. Maybe if I can come up with the money one day I'll build a set for the YZF. But I am still wary, would they really work well on a track like Canberra? From what I've seen watching US racing, they use the 19s on all sorts of surfaces from hard slick blue groove to very very loose and rough tracks. I am no great shakes as a rider but the 19s I used on oiled tracks back in the 80s seemed to work pretty good.

I don't need to go to 19s to have fun, but I'd like to try them... 

Offline SON

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #25 on: July 28, 2014, 10:29:35 pm »
19"s will work at Canberra
They will last twice as long
And when we learn how to ride on them
We will be better off
Especially now there is several new players in this game
And a few more coming.

Offline steve234

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #26 on: July 28, 2014, 10:39:34 pm »
They use them in European dirt track which is predominantly held on tight loose granite based speedway tracks. They use R6 forks up front to accommodate the tight corners yada yada. As Paul Edwards says " you can't buy a start on them but if everyone was using them it doesn't matter". Horse power and straight line speed wont be a deciding factor as to who is out front.
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Offline Graeme M

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #27 on: July 29, 2014, 10:38:11 am »
This is such an interesting topic, to me at least. One drawback to going to 19s is the cost of doing that. Sure it's OK for the serious racer, but an obvious attraction of dirt track in Oz is that an average Joe can go racing with a simple rear tyre change and a sprocket. A very cheap way to get added mileage out of your MXer.

I haven't costed it, but I am guessing a good brand new 19" setup would be in the vicinity of $1500-2000 all up.

The other thing to consider is the mix of bikes and setups. There is no way you could run brakeless 19" setups against braked 21/18 combos, surely? So does that limit class structures, participation and club level involvement?

Offline matcho mick

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #28 on: July 29, 2014, 11:10:21 am »
gee,& i thought this was vintage track forum,silly me ::), :P
work,the curse of the racing class!!
if a hammer dosn't fix it,you have a electrical problem!!

Offline SlideRulz

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Re: Flat tracker tyres
« Reply #29 on: July 29, 2014, 11:12:32 am »
 ;D ;D ;D ;)