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So I have PDCIII's and my question is regarding wear. This tire has around 1000 street miles and three track days. If you look at the side of the tire you will see a blue section. What is that? Is there any rule of thumb regarding when to change tires? Ive been using 34psi for track and 36psi for street (recommended by dealer). Ive looked for a wear indicator with no luck. Any advice is welcome. Thanks

I've ran many sets of these tires for over 15 td's this year. First and foremost you need to be running 28 psi(cold) at the track or bad things will happen. This was recomended by 3 different pirelli vendors and has been an awesome set-up. Second the blue is normal wear and tear it is just a reaction in the softer compound on the sides(you can actually see where the tire goes to the softer stuff in your pic. You can run those tires until the "groves" run even with the rest of the tire...but give yourself a little room. Those tires are awesome.

I'm going to respectfully disagree w/ the cold set method of setting tires.

All tires, regardless of what the vendor is telling you, should be hot set.  Preferably hot off the track.  But a base line can be done hot off the warmers.  This is because tracks vary in temperature, materials, friction...the air temp varies depending on time of year, and all tires are designed to work within a range.  A core temperature and a pressure.  Hot off the track will give you the best indication of how the tires are heating and pressurizing on that particular day.

I don't run pirellis anymore...so I can't really tell you what you should be looking at, but I would talk to a CR or a resident fast guy who does run them and ask him.

Also, my most important piece of advice...is keep a journal.  Take notes.  What is the bike doing when.  Whats the tire pressure when its doing "x"?  hows it feel at the entry, middle and exit of turns.

To asnwer the orgianal post, tire blueing is normal.  Its an indication that the oils that keep the tire soft are leaching out.  After it happens, realize that the tire won't be as soft the next time.  If you're a noob, it shouldn't matter too much.  Hell, Matt H, a fast CR w/ nesba and member here, has a story about how he ran a set of DC3's down to the cords over the course of 50+ sessions.

Good point about hot temp..... I try to get 33psi hot.......I too have run a set down to the belt......I didn't notice until I was doing my normal lunchtime air/fuel stuff when I saw some silver

Thanks for the input guys

So if i understand this correctly bluing is ok....and i should be running lower psi. 28 at cold and then depending on track conditions adjust. Im a super noob and dont know the benifts of tire warmers at this point. I still commute to work with this bike, so would there be a plus side to getting a set ot warmers, or does riding the bike to work have nothing to do with trackdays.

Ive been told its not a good thing due to "heat cycles". Which i have no clue about.

would tire warmers extend the life of the tire so i am able to get many TD's out of them? Thanks for any advise im just tring to get my head around what i should and shouldnt do.

I wouldn't bother with tire warmers if you are new to the track.  These tires are designed with many heat cycles in mind, they are not "DOT race tires" like a supercorsa, etc. Just give them a lap or two to come up to temp before you push it.  Pushing it is also relative, in a beginer group you probably aren't demanding too much of the tire.

Tire wear is relative to pace also, as you get faster you will naturally get less mileage out of a tire.

MAWFAKA AM NOT READING WAT ERRYBOOTY SAY IT IN ZIS FRED

BUT DET TIRE LOOKS BRAND SPANIN NEW TO ME

SO QUIT IT BEING A  PUPUSSA

AND RIDE IT DET SHITF HARD

 

ALRIGHT I'LL GIVE YOU ANOTHER USEFULL PENNY

YOU SEE SAW SEEN THOSE GROVES IN ZE SIDE OF THE TIRE

WHEN YOU WEAR THOSE ALL THE WAY DOWN TILL IT STARTS TO LOOK LIKE A SLICK TIRE ON THE SIDE

THAN MAYBE THEN YOU CAN START THINKING ABOUT NEW TIRES

 

ALWAYS BE SMOOTH AND LISTEN TO YOUR TIRES,

BECAW THEY ARE ALWAYS TALKING TO YOU,

AND SOMETIMES THEY YELL AT YOU WHEN THEY START TO JUST SLIDE HERE AND THERE

THE PROBLEM IS DET SOME PEOPLE DON'T LISTEN TOO GOOD

UNTIL THEY CRASH AND TRY TO BLAME IT ON TIRES AND OTHER THINGS OTHER THEN THEIR ENABILITY TO RIDE AND COMUNICATE WITH THEIR BIKE

 

RF

CONCIDER THIS ADVICE MY GIFT TO YOU