What does it all mean in terms of laptimes ? The v4 tyres are worth 0.7s per lap on a typical track with a 2m lap time .
ON TRACK Anyone who ’ s ridden at Phillip Island will tell you it ’ s big , open and very , very fast . Scary fast on a 1000cc sports bike . We ’ re riding BMW ’ s new 2023 S1000RR ( look out for the track review in a coming issue ), which , thankfully , has an impressive array of traction control electronics . As well as the six-axis sensor IMU ( inertial measurement unit ) and wheel speed measurement , there ’ s a new sensor on the steering head , so it can measure steering angle and compare it to lean angle ( as well as wheel speed differential ), so you can literally dial in the amount of slide you want from the back tyre . That ’ s beyond my ability , but it can be used as a tool for seeing where a tyre gives up and the electronics take over . Perfect for when you ’ re attempting to get any idea about a tyre , especially a track tyre with huge amounts of grip . For the purpose of tyre evaluation , I left the S1000RR in the race mode mode and didn ’ t change any of the settings , so any differences in traction control intervention flashing up on the dash would be a function of tyre differences between the SP and SC tyres . Heading out onto the track with the S1000RR M-Sport snarling through its silencer and snapping instantly through its quick-shift driven gear changes , it ’ s easy to be intimidated . I ’ m thankful that I ’ m on fully scrubbed in and up to temperature tyres ( SC1 front and SC1 rear ), having taken the bike from another tester ( thanks buddy !). It takes a couple of laps to familiarise myself with the track and bike , but then I can concentrate just on the tyres . For race hoops , they ’ re easy to ride , with a turn in that ’ s consistent from upright to knee-down ; no sudden drop into the corner with a change of profile . It ’ s something I ’ ve always liked about Pirelli tyres – that consistent lean – and I ’ m glad it ’ s still there . Building up the pace , pushing faster bit by bit , the TC light on the dash rarely flickers , just a little through some of the full lean , accelerating corners . There ’ s huge grip , and the tyres are basically mocking me – able to take everything I can throw at them , and a lot more . It ’ s a great feeling that no matter what I do , there ’ s grip in spades and a big safety margin . Swapping the bike for one fitted with the SP tyres is interesting . It ’ s a tyre that ’ s designed to have good
36 KIWI RIDER