New-Old school flat track tires

[DixiePlowboy]

http://carlisletire.com/products/tur...rac/index.html


I figure it isn't a secret that these are still available, but I didn't find much in a search through past threads and thought I'd bring this up. I ran a set or three of these back in the '80s. I may have to grab a set in 18x10.50x10(actually 17.8x10.1") just for old times sake........and maybe a few new times.

A glance over the Jimmy White Replica Tecate manual lists these for "rough hard pack" race tires in addition to Hoosier's narrower 9.50" wide Tri-Trac.

[Dirtcrasher]

Ahh yes, the infamous golf cart tires

I bet they aren't expensive either.....

[aaron7]

Yah, I was just gonna say, they look like golf cart tires! haha

[DixiePlowboy]

Golf cart, mower, .....yeah either way they seem goofey by today's ideal of what a "racing tire" is or should be.

Back in the day(on a local level & around the country) there were a lot of races ran on mower tires. When it came to the bigger and national level events(later on) where there was more money being thrown around(& sponsorships), you'd find more of the expensive tires. I'd say I saw 8-10 sets of Armstrong Super Turfs, Goodyear Soft Tracs, and Carlisles for every set of Ohtsu H-Tracks or Hoosiers on old race wheelers around here.

And plenty of people won on them, too....sometimes even against more expensive tires. I just thought it was neat to see that the JW maunal actually mentioned/suggested them, that several old race machines found still wore them, and that they're still available. I wish the original Super Turf still was, though.

[Saul]

When the 81 250R came out one of the first things the guys did was swap out the balloons on the rear for golf cart tires.

[Yamaha_Rules69]

dixieplowboy, are you running the stock tecate rims then? will those 18x10.5-10 fit right on? I know the stock tire was 22x11-10 but does that 10.5 width make a difference when mounting it on the rim?

[Dammit!]

If you haven't ridden a trike with mower tires yet, you're missing out. It's a blast.

I can't really get away with out here but I ran them on my 200x back in Ohio. Not that same one but similar. Armstrong something or others.

[DixiePlowboy]

Yamaha_Rules69:

Stock ('85-newer)Tecate wheels will work just fine for the 18x10.5-10. It won't be a problem to mount.

!:

So true. There's nothing like being able to easily pitch it sideways(even on dry grass).

Back in about '85, a buddy and I put several tires to the test(on a lowered '85 R with 2 1/2" spacers) on the curvy(BAD curvy loop) gravel road I lived on. We compared times with a stop watch running each run 4 or 5 times to see which tires we wanted to run flattrack with.

We correctly guessed that the Goodyear Softtrac(identical to the Carlisle) wouldn't have much forward traction compared to stock and to the H-Tracks he had borrowed, but the loop-lap time for the Goodyear mower tires was real(!) close to the H-Track and much faster than the stockers....so I used the mower tires.

I distinctly remember beating machines that had H-Tracks and and at least one with Hoosiers at the local track, so they can work well.

Just don't race a knobbie tired LT 185 on wet grass with the mower tires on a 2-stroke unless you like looking bad .....learned that the hard way...lol

[brapp]

i wananget soem gusy together on my track with mower/ golf cart tires this year!

[trizilla]

i wananget soem gusy together on my track with mower/ golf cart tires this year!

give me a shout when you do..... i should have something going by then. and if you like those tires he showed, let me know. you know i can hook you up with any carlisle tire