street manners , but also meant for the track with the sides of the tyre in the SC3 compound – good for multiple heat cycles and durability . Riding another S1000RR means I don ’ t have to think about changes in the bike affecting the feedback . On hot tyres once again , its easy to see the feel of the tyres is the same as the SC in terms of handling – progressive from upright to knee-down . Starting to push the tyres up to the same pace as the SC ’ s I ’ ve just jumped off shows a noticeable difference . Accelerating hard out of corners from big lean angles , the traction control light is flickering much more and I can feel the engine being held back from giving as much throttle as I ’ m asking for . This is a definite benefit of adjustable traction control – it ’ s letting me push the tyre and let the traction control tell me when its losing grip . I ’ d love to have an open pitlane and have the time to dial the traction control back level by level and feel the difference in the amount of slide it lets you have – and get a feel for sliding the rear . Sadly , there ’ s not the time for that . So , to me the SC1 and SP tyres feel the same , with identical handling characteristics ( at my level anyway ), but the ultimate grip difference between them is quite wide . Talking to Silvio back in the pits confirms what I ’ ve found , “ For sure , there is a big difference between the SC1 and SC3 compounds in terms of outright grip , but the SC3 , used in the SP tyres edges , can deal with multiple heat cycles , which is perfect for road riders who ’ ll use their tyres many times ”.
WHICH TYRE FOR YOU ? Pirelli has a slogan saying the tyres they race are the tyres you can buy . Silvio explained that the tyres which won the SBK race at Phillip Island the day before our test are the exact same tyres as you or I could buy ; there ’ s no difference . Yes , he ’ s talking about the Superbike slicks for the SBK race , but that little nugget is comforting all the same , especially when pushing your own limits . I ’ m a fan of riding to a trackday , spinning some laps and riding home again . I ’ d be very happy doing that on a set of SP tyres , so I didn ’ t have to buy extra tyres just for the track and get them changed when I got there . For the road rider who just wants to ride , the SP is a great option ; no faffing – just turn up and ride . For the racer and trackday junkie , the SC variants up the grip significantly , with a very nice 0.5s per lap advantage over the last generation . More grip , better durability and better handling . There ’ s nothing not to like .
38 KIWI RIDER