PR3 / PR4 in the wet

General Bike chat
Post Reply
User avatar
Miztaziggy
Posts: 2451
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 9:15 pm
Location: Tadcaster

PR3 / PR4 in the wet

Post by Miztaziggy »

So forecast at Snetterton for tomorrow looks totally gash. Showers all day.

My spare wheels are now PR3s and my brother's are PR4s.

My question is what are they like in the wet, how much grip do they have? Are they like knee down grippy?

Do they need warming up in wet weather?

Any idea on pressures?

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
Image
NZSpokes
Posts: 643
Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 10:50 am
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Re: PR3 / PR4 in the wet

Post by NZSpokes »

Not knee down grippy but very grippy in the wet. They will need a little warm up but being sport touring tyres they will heat up fast.
User avatar
lloydie
Posts: 20928
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:16 pm
Location: In the garage somewhere in Coventry

Re: PR3 / PR4 in the wet

Post by lloydie »

Not sure about the 3s&4s but the 2s are very good and gave lots of feedback on a wet track and I got a knee down in the wet but that was scary
User avatar
popkat
Posts: 2804
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 9:32 am
Location: Devon

Re: PR3 / PR4 in the wet

Post by popkat »

Don't let the pressures down too much as the tread will close up and you'll lose grip, as a starting point I would probably go with something like 33 front and 36 rear, and see what it's like, these are a road tyre and not designed to run at low track pressures but they should give reasonable wet grip, take your time getting a feel for them and No big throttle openings, weight the outside peg a lot.... smooth is fast :wink:
http://www.bidefordmotorcycles.co.uk
2014 CRMC Post classic Superbike champion.
2014 CRMC Post classic senior production champion. On a Suzuki Katana 1100
My bikes, Firestorm, Suzuki GSX-s1000 Katana, VFR800Fi. Projects, 1986 popup Katana, 3 XJ600’s
User avatar
Miztaziggy
Posts: 2451
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 9:15 pm
Location: Tadcaster

Re: PR3 / PR4 in the wet

Post by Miztaziggy »

Well to answer my own questions after today, and for my future reference next year on their pressures:

No very much grip on the back

They barely get warm in the wet

The tyre support said cold pressures of 32 front, 29 rear for PR3 and PR4.
PR2s would be slightly harder he said.
The tread doesn't compress on them.
Image
User avatar
popkat
Posts: 2804
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 9:32 am
Location: Devon

Re: PR3 / PR4 in the wet

Post by popkat »

I take it from that you've been out in the wet on them ?

Pressures I think are too low, how do you know the tread doesn't close up, you can't see it but you'll have less grip, I used to run wets at 33 front and rear, that was recommended by the manufacturers, I don't know what pressures the latest wets run but the principles still the same, you need clear tread to remove the water.

Did you back off compression damping and preload, if you have a good dry set up you need to back things off for the wet to get feel and grip.
http://www.bidefordmotorcycles.co.uk
2014 CRMC Post classic Superbike champion.
2014 CRMC Post classic senior production champion. On a Suzuki Katana 1100
My bikes, Firestorm, Suzuki GSX-s1000 Katana, VFR800Fi. Projects, 1986 popup Katana, 3 XJ600’s
User avatar
Miztaziggy
Posts: 2451
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 9:15 pm
Location: Tadcaster

Re: PR3 / PR4 in the wet

Post by Miztaziggy »

popkat wrote:I take it from that you've been out in the wet on them ?

Pressures I think are too low, how do you know the tread doesn't close up, you can't see it but you'll have less grip, I used to run wets at 33 front and rear, that was recommended by the manufacturers, I don't know what pressures the latest wets run but the principles still the same, you need clear tread to remove the water.

Did you back off compression damping and preload, if you have a good dry set up you need to back things off for the wet to get feel and grip.
Yeah, did a couple of wet sessions on them.

Maybe they are, I don't know. The tyre support guy and another track marshal stood by him both said 32 front 29 rear for that specific tyre. They seemed knowledgeable and specifically said they should be higher on PR2 than PR3.
I did specifically ask about the tread closing up too, and he said it wouldn't and that's why they needed. I don't know myself though.

I didn't do anything with suspension.

To be honest, I haven't done anything with it for the dry, I just leave it pretty much middle of the road set to the bog standard manufacturer settings. I don't think I am good enough to be able to tell the difference to be fair.

Maybe it might help, I don't know.

I found the front was good, no worrying moments. It was just the rear. It slid out on me 3 times overall and my brother twice, though once was because he down shifted as tipping in.
The worst was when banked over, maybe only 25-30 degrees, gently (and I mean actually quite gently) accelerating out of a corner, it kicked right out before getting grip back.

It could have been suspension, it could have been pressure, maybe even oil on the track, as both my brother and my worst slides were on the same corner.
Image
User avatar
popkat
Posts: 2804
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 9:32 am
Location: Devon

Re: PR3 / PR4 in the wet

Post by popkat »

Was it the bomb hole ? that gets pretty slippy in the wet..

I took my K4 on track that I had a few years ago, they have a firm (but good) rear shock, would benefit from a couple of clicks less comp for the wet, when on track in the wet I had Diablo corsa's on, far from an ideal tyre for the conditions, had a few big out of the seat slides but once I knew it was fairly predictable, that'll be a good chassis working too..

As long as you had fun out there that's all that matters :thumbup:
http://www.bidefordmotorcycles.co.uk
2014 CRMC Post classic Superbike champion.
2014 CRMC Post classic senior production champion. On a Suzuki Katana 1100
My bikes, Firestorm, Suzuki GSX-s1000 Katana, VFR800Fi. Projects, 1986 popup Katana, 3 XJ600’s
User avatar
Miztaziggy
Posts: 2451
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2011 9:15 pm
Location: Tadcaster

Re: PR3 / PR4 in the wet

Post by Miztaziggy »

No it was the corner before the back straight, Williams?? I think.

The bomb hole was ok, but I wasn't going very fast to be fair.

I had it snaking all over out the tight left after the long bomb hole right too. That one was quite scary.



Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
Image
Post Reply