Supercorsa V4 (or V3) SC3 DOT tread

Paul G said:

Im fast group trackday rider, pretty casual with it- ride to the local. Slicks are the next step but Im not there yet. I think the SP does what it says on the box, great for track days until you are really fast and you can get heat into them easily but they are very sensitive to pressure as in a few pounds over will have you digging trenches where you power on. The RC4's are a nod to economy and some cold wet weather but much prefer the feel of new SP's

This SP was all used up on a day that had a few showers
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Are your tires weeping haha?

Out of curiosity, would there be any difference between the slick SC3 and the DOT SC3, other than the obvious difference of the DOT tyres having tread. I guess maybe having tread would also make it easier to keep heat in the tyres to some degree? The slicks seem a bit cheaper.

My V4 SP tyres will need replacing very shortly and I am tempted to try the Supercorsa SC3 but I wondered what the difference would be between these and the slicks. I'm obviously keen to try slicks at some point but not if they are entirely unsuitable for some reason. I am fully aware that it's perfectly possible to go much faster than I do on tyres that are far less track-oriented.

I was watching an old Simon Crafar video from Motovudu and he was saying that they use track tyres (he seemed to be saying slicks from what I could gather, but certainly track-specific trees) for all levels of riders and said that choosing the right compound for the rider was how they approached it. The basis for this approach was that he wanted the rider to have full confidence that he had the stickiest tyres possible so he had confidence to follow him rather than being concerned about grip.

I’ll be that guy. Was a Pirelli loyalist for 10+ years until the last few when I jumped ship to the latest generation of Michelin Power Cup 2’s for track/street and GP’s for street/ track bias. My experience is ‘retired‘ WERA/CCS racer. Personal opinion but I believe Pirelli has taken advantage of their historical edge to quite frankly not progress as they should with regards to the V4/V3/ RC2/R4C. I’d save the $125-150 for a set of the SC3‘s over the V series or Rosso/corsa branded stuff because ultimately the wear is about the same if you’re a faster racer or mountain ripper IF you’re staying on the brand. Don’t let the Ducatisti/Dealer fanboys scare you, there is life outside of Pirelli…and it’s good.

Prospected said:

I’ll be that guy. Was a Pirelli loyalist for 10+ years until the last few when I jumped ship to the latest generation of Michelin Power Cup 2’s for track/street and GP’s for street/ track bias. My experience is ‘retired‘ WERA/CCS racer. Personal opinion but I believe Pirelli has taken advantage of their historical edge to quite frankly not progress as they should with regards to the V4/V3/ RC2/R4C. I’d save the $125-150 for a set of the SC3‘s over the V series or Rosso/corsa branded stuff because ultimately the wear is about the same if you’re a faster racer or mountain ripper IF you’re staying on the brand. Don’t let the Ducatisti/Dealer fanboys scare you, there is life outside of Pirelli…and it’s good.

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What you recommend for a novice track day rider?

If you’re novice to faster intermediate, the GP’s will work great and last a lot longer than the SC3/V4-3. The Power Cup 2 is good for intermediate to racer pace. A lot of guys even run them in the endurance races because they’re essentially a DOT legal slick with small sipings in the middle, just don’t get caught out in the rain with them. I’ve never been a fan of Bridgestone stuff for track riding although I hear their RS11/R11 series is good but I’ve never tried them. Dunlop q5s/q5 looks good although I’ve seen a lot of guys say they’re very pressure/suspension sensitive and will torch the throttle part of the tire more so than others.

I ran PowerCup 2's on the 1299 and rated them, they were really predictable, grippy and lasted well plus cheaper. Id run t them on again in summer on the street, my only reservation on the V4 is they they dont come in a 60 profile

Has anyone with a profile gauge compared the GP or Power Cup to the SC3/V4-3?

bp_SFV4 said:

Has anyone with a profile gauge compared the GP or Power Cup to the SC3/V4-3?

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You will need to drop the front or raise the rear slightly. Calibrate you bike down the street and it's ready to go, easy process and worth it.

Power cup 2 is less aggressive in profile vs sc3. It also is more suited to cooler temps down to 55 vs sc3. It's also a firmer carcass. With that in mind I use power cup 2 as my "winter" tire and sc3 as my summer tire( over 90f ambient temp. This is on the 1199 in the twisties. Track sees much higher temps and i would personally overheat the power cup 2 on track.

I'd love to see an overheated Cup 2. The liter endurance guys are using them with the Power Slick 2 with no issues.

Prospected said:

I'd love to see an overheated Cup 2. The liter endurance guys are using them with the Power Slick 2 with no issues.

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Let me state this another way. The sc3 operates at a higher temperature than power cup 2.

For the pace you are mentioning, I think you might benefit more from the SP especially at a place like Laguna with lower temps.
When I say benefit, I mean a faster warm up to the tire, better grip and better feel. As you get better, and your times get in mid 40s, TD would be the better choice.
SC3- TD operates better in a hotter pace. I do agree with others that there is life outside of Pirelli too. My "do it all" kind of tire of choice would be Dunlop Q5.
I spent a good amount on that tire and I found better grip over SP, maybe even close TD, great warm up and minimal wear. I never had a tire last me that long.