Reaper tires
- Thread starter bullerman
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Moutaineer510
Member
Matt Williamson or Josh Haskins on FB, either one will get you going with them.
CarlsonMotorsports
Site Supporter
We've worked with them some and they not difficult, just different from Maxxis. I liken them to the ELs where you can internal them but you don't want to work the sidewalls at all. All the speed is in the sidewalls and they appear to break down quickly. Couple that with most guys killing them with harsh external preps, and they fall off pretty quickly over time. I think our prep program works better for guys that don't have deep pockets and an unlimited budget for new tires each time they hit the track.
Give us a call at the shop if we can be of any help.
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Lightning3
Member
I can't tell you about them but I can sell you a couple full sets. I got them in a buyout. They're brand new never mounted. $125/set.
racing promotor
Moderator
Prep them to where you think you need them when you hit the track because even if they fire off they will not pick up a significant amount of speed like choosing the right Burris would.
It will be a no prep class how ever far that goes. So are they supposed to be a tire to be prepped. I doubt if the track will have a sniffer or whatever they use. What do they durometer out of the box? They are going to run the Ducar motor which i don't have a problem with. I may try the class just wondering about the tires. At least they are pretty cheap.
mike97760
Site Supporter
I don't think they were ever intended to be a top-rated racing tire as are Maxxis, Burris, Vegas and Hoosier. They are meant, I think, to be an inexpensive bolt on and go economy tire designed to equal the playing field for racers at local tracks. That said, I am sure everybody and their dogs are scheming ways to dope them up to get an advantage. I can see a need for them for local racing, as was the EL tire. Sadly, the EL tire didn't last long, did it? Karting cannot afford tire sniffers etc. but maybe a duro check would address the doping to some degree.
JGR32
Member
They duro 55 new. The duro does drop during the run. A lot of people wipe black sand and acrysol.
SoCo Tire Treatments
Moderator
Actually sniffers were used in karting, WKA tried using them and failed horribly. This was the beginning of the down fall for the Dirt Series.
CarlsonMotorsports
Site Supporter
Trying to eliminate prep and impounding tires at the Daytona dirt nationals wiped out WKA dirt racing in one quick swoop. The following race in Tennessee had something like 59 entries (total!) That was back when winning a "national" event paid little to nothing and yet it held all the prestige in the world.
I have a sniffer in my tech box still. Occasionally I use it for oil additives. It won't catch everything that's being used in tires, so it doesn't get used for that at all.
A big difference in how you work Reapers (or any tire) is where you're located and what's the track surface like. Last year (with the limited availability of Burris,) several NY tracks allowed the Reaper tire to be run. Sounded like an affordable alternative at first. Once the tire guys got ahold of them and started working them every way but sideways, they became faster than 33s. At which point everyone was running out and buying sets of Reapers that were juiced up. (Oh yea, and at about the same price as other brands.) I have no idea what some of these tracks have decided for 2023 yet, but I know of a few in PA that went from Burris only to open tire rule where our Vega Yellows were killing them last year are staying open tire this year.
I've got customers in the south that are running Reapers and they're running them a night or two and pitching them because they fall off. Hitting the track with fresh tires each time out. This was the same problem we saw with the EL. The speed is in the sidewalls -- once that's broken down, it doesn't matter how you prep them or don't prep them, the roll speed is gone.
"Maybe" if your track has a way to detect (and enforce their no-prep rule) AND mark the tires so that you must run them all night long, or even all season long, it "might" work. I wouldn't count on "maybe" and "might," however.
I have a sniffer in my tech box still. Occasionally I use it for oil additives. It won't catch everything that's being used in tires, so it doesn't get used for that at all.
A big difference in how you work Reapers (or any tire) is where you're located and what's the track surface like. Last year (with the limited availability of Burris,) several NY tracks allowed the Reaper tire to be run. Sounded like an affordable alternative at first. Once the tire guys got ahold of them and started working them every way but sideways, they became faster than 33s. At which point everyone was running out and buying sets of Reapers that were juiced up. (Oh yea, and at about the same price as other brands.) I have no idea what some of these tracks have decided for 2023 yet, but I know of a few in PA that went from Burris only to open tire rule where our Vega Yellows were killing them last year are staying open tire this year.
I've got customers in the south that are running Reapers and they're running them a night or two and pitching them because they fall off. Hitting the track with fresh tires each time out. This was the same problem we saw with the EL. The speed is in the sidewalls -- once that's broken down, it doesn't matter how you prep them or don't prep them, the roll speed is gone.
"Maybe" if your track has a way to detect (and enforce their no-prep rule) AND mark the tires so that you must run them all night long, or even all season long, it "might" work. I wouldn't count on "maybe" and "might," however.
Good article Brian. I will say something to the track owner about marking and a duro on the tire. I was thinking about the class but I don't know. I kind of like the idea of the Ducar motor. Thanks for the comments.
BrendanFitz#73
Mohawk Dawg
Duro rules dont work. The only way for any tire rule to work is buy your tires at the track and they get marked and impounded.
But most really despise that kind of rule.
Thus is just a small local track and doubt if anybody here will go out and buy new tires every race. So what you are saying is the more you try to prep the tire the worse it will get.
If I buy a set for the class I should just leave them alone. I do good to race so I will run them for a while.
If I buy a set for the class I should just leave them alone. I do good to race so I will run them for a while.
FlatheadsForever87
Member
The tires definitely outlasted the tire program. I have a set that I ran on asphalt almost every Saturday for 2 whole seasons and I can still see the center seams on all four. That said all other aspects of the EL was complete trash, as well as dangerous.
We have two tracks that will be running Reaper tires. Reaper tires don't have the name on them like Vegas, Maxxis or Hossier tires do. Does the tech man or track official make sure that is what we are running. Do you have them marked before the race and then they check you at the scales to make sure that's what your running. Just wondering how Reaper tire tracks control it.
racing promotor
Moderator
Just because they don't have the bigger blocked colored letters doesn't mean you cannot identify them as Reapers
JGR32
Member
They can tell the difference I promise
I know what will happen here if they don't check them.
I have never ran them before so I don't know what to expect. You say you will be able to look at the kart on the track and tell the difference.
I thought maybe there is some type mark the track could use. I do don't know just thinking because I know someone is already trying to figure away around it. Hate to say that but it's true.
Haven't heard them say anything about prep. I heard the more you prep them the worse they get but it seems like guys are prepping them run them one race and get new ones. We will see how it works out.
I have never ran them before so I don't know what to expect. You say you will be able to look at the kart on the track and tell the difference.
I thought maybe there is some type mark the track could use. I do don't know just thinking because I know someone is already trying to figure away around it. Hate to say that but it's true.
Haven't heard them say anything about prep. I heard the more you prep them the worse they get but it seems like guys are prepping them run them one race and get new ones. We will see how it works out.
I asked one of the track owners Saturday at a trade show about the Reapers. He said he would check and make sure we are Running the Reaper tires the whole race. So far either track has not said you couldn't prep the tire so I guess you can do what you want to do them. I wish they would have said no prep even though people will probably do it anyway. Looking forward to trying them.
Both tracks low Bix Stock Predator or Ducar motors. I ordered a Ducar yesterday. Both tracks have a 5300 rpm rule. I think the Ducar is supposedly set for 5300. Hopefully I can adjust it with the throttle stop screw.
Both tracks low Bix Stock Predator or Ducar motors. I ordered a Ducar yesterday. Both tracks have a 5300 rpm rule. I think the Ducar is supposedly set for 5300. Hopefully I can adjust it with the throttle stop screw.