Converting street bike to track bike

[Hope2Ride]

I also need to get new tires. I read on the cbr forum pirelli sport demons are good. Who else has tried them and what did you think? I would like to do some BIR and DCTC track days. I will be riding to the track, riding on it, then riding home so I need a go all around tire.

[Jared]

Are they going to be track duty only or are you going to use them for street riding too?

[Hope2Ride]

I will be using them for the street more than anything but also using them on the track too.

[carlson_mn]

I ride my FJR fairly hard and I use fairly cheap 'sport touring' tires, Conti Motions, and I don't get any slip out of them riding up to their edges with 90lb/tq.  I wouldn't worry too much about tire type on a CBR250, IMHO.  Racers in the 70s and 80s would kill for the average street tire today I'm pretty sure.

[Chris]

I would recommend the Power Pilot or the Power Pilot 2CT.

[Hope2Ride]

I wouldn't worry too much about tire type on a CBR250, IMHO.

I get the "it doesn't matter it's just a 250" attitude a lot. Well it does matter to me. My bike matters a lot to me. I don't want to buy just any crap tire out there and it doesn't last or perform for shit. I may not ride it hard but I still want something decent. Do I need top of the line race tires? no. Do I need to cheapest crap money can buy? no. I just need a good all-around tire that will last.

[carlson_mn]

I never said it doesn't matter, I said don't worry.  I'm assuming you're going to get a sport tire obviously, there aren't any crap tires in that category for your usage.  Just sayin'...

Tire opinions are like ass holes.... you know the rest.  That's why I said don't sweat it too much.  One person will love a tire and the next will hate it.

[Hope2Ride]

I understand what you're saying but I'm coming into this as a newbie. I can go look for tires and there's a bazillion to choose from. It's nice to have a few names in mind, it at least gives me a place to start. Either that or I need to grab Vince or Lloyd and drag them to the store with me 

[Chris]

One person will love a tire and the next will hate it.

+1

there are a ton of variables with tires.
if you mostly ride on the track or street (you don't want a tire that is for the road, if your only using the bike on the street, and the opposite is true), Your mostly street riding with a few track days if I read your post right.
what part of the country you ride in. (Here in the mid west the roads are not as course as they are out west and Arkansas)
How you ride. (If you're one of these that rides as hard and as fast as the bike can go, you will not be happy with a harder tire)

Like I said I think the Power Pilot or the Power Pilot 2CT would be a good tire for you, the only down side is you might go through a couple of sets per year, I am not sure if that 250 will eat tires or not (your the only person I know with one).

[Aprilian]

I just levered on something like my 5th set of BT016's.  I have another set of wheels with worn out BT16's in the car which will be set 6.  I get about 5k of street/track use out of them and retire them before the wear bars get to feel the pavement.    I buy mine from Kyle at 2k in Richfield.   The dual compound is good in that I get lots of balling up rubber at the edges at track days, but decent mileage on the middle when riding the street.   I have had bad experiences with multiple Pirreli/Metzlers (same factory) and even though those may have been my fault, I just can't get comfortable riding those two manufacturer's tires past 3k miles on the fronts.

Since you know Lloyd, ask him what he has access to and recommends.   I know he won't have an opinion

 

about tires, but he may have a discount price since you helped him with his concrete project.

Front Tire 110/70-17 radial     
Rear Tire 140/70-17 radial 

Nope, rear BT016 not available in that size.   Here are the Bridgestone choices http://www.bridgestone.com/products/motorcycle_tires/products/size/index.html

[Hope2Ride]

Since you know Lloyd, ask him what he has access to and recommends.   I know he won't have an opionion
 

about tires, but he may have a discount price since you helped him with his concrete project.

  I think he prefers to keep his opinions to himself but, I'll try to get it out of him

[beedawg]

I also need to get new tires. I read on the cbr forum pirelli sport demons are good. Who else has tried them and what did you think? I would like to do some BIR and DCTC track days. I will be riding to the track, riding on it, then riding home so I need a go all around tire.

I've ridden about 15,000 miles on a 2000 250 Ninja, many of those miles at DCTC, but also in Wisconsin and South Dakota and Wyoming.  Pirelli Sport Demons are all I've ever put on that bike.  I like them a lot.  They don't last very long, but they don't cost as much as some other tires, so I don't care very much.

My Ninja has 16" wheels, so sport tire choices are pretty limited.  I'm guessing your CBR has 17" wheels, but the width of the wheels will determine which tires you can use.  I'd say if Pirelli Sport Demons are available in a size that fits, and I'll bet they are, give 'em a try.

Avoid the temptation to put on a wider tire because it looks cool.  Stay with the stock size, or at least stay with a size that fits your wheels.

Brent

[beedawg]

OK, I see the CBR250R tire sizes are 140/70 and 110/70.  It's good they're 17" wheels, but without looking, I'm gonna guess there aren't many radials made in sizes that narrow.  Not that that's a big problem.  Bias ply tires will work.

What tires did Honda put on it?

Brent

[Aprilian]

Google is your friend - besides I posted RADIAL above         Brent,  I think your green monster is still on bias tires.   I wouldn't recomend using bias on Hope's because the flex is different and the Honda designers planned the suspension to work with RADIALS.

[Aprilian]

"Will work"  (I always wanted to use the Lloyd Quote button!) leaves a lot to be desired.  we could set your R1 suspension to full hard and it still "Will work"  but it wouldn't be the best ride in town.