Scooter Cup 2023 with SIP PERFORMANCE tyres
In 2020, the Dortmund Motorsport Club (DMC) revived the regularity race at the Nürburgring. And this year, too, the "Scooter Cup 2023" took place on 10 and 11 June and Peter "Buchsenfuchs" Thoma took the opportunity to put our SIP PERFORMANCE tyres to the test with his Vespa GTS 300. But what exactly is a regularity race? We quote from the DMC regulations:
"All drivers, drive from the pit lane into the starting grid. The start is standing with the engine running. After the start, the 1st lap takes place. The following lap, i.e. the 2nd lap, is recorded by the timekeeping system, this lap time is the setting time! In the following two laps, this time must be confirmed, i.e. the same time must always be achieved. The deviations are determined, 1/1000 second deviation = 1 penalty point. The winner is the rider with the lowest number of penalty points. Only the driver who has passed the chequered flag will be scored
SIP PERFORMANCE tyres convince all along the line
We asked Peter how it went with the tyres.
SIP: This was the second time you competed in the "Scooter Cup". How did the first race go?
Peter: "The previous race went well, but the original Michelin City Grip tyres I was using at the start started to smear when the tyres got too warm. I slipped off the back several times in the corners but managed to catch the scooter again."
SIP: Why did you choose the SIP PERFORMANCE tyres this time?
Peter: "I found the SIP Performance appealing in terms of tread, the 180 km/h clearance gave confidence and the price in the set was unbeatable. I had to test that."
SIP: What kind of scooter did you start with? What tuning did you decide on?
Peter: "Vespa GTS 300 HPE, engine heavily modified: 77 mm Polini kit, highly compressed with Wössner forged pistons, long-stroke crankshaft, specially developed camshaft, 38 mm injection system and much more. With the conversion, the scooter pushes 32 hp at the wheel. This corresponds to about 36 hp at the crankshaft. Externally, however, it is rather inconspicuous and, with the conversion, completely roadworthy. I ride the scooter every day."
SIP: How did it go with the PERFORMANCE tyres?
Peter: "The GTS has an unladen weight of 160 kilograms. That goes heavily on the brakes and of course on the tyres when racing. I try to brake as late as possible, which heats up the tyres and the braking system. For this purpose, I have already equipped the brake system with an additional air guide plate to get a bit more cooling. Unfortunately, this is not possible with the tyres, but the SIP Performance tyres have done their job really well! No more smearing in the corners and I was able to brake a few metres later than with the City Grip. Also, the tyres didn't look as tattered as the City Grip after heavy use. The rubber compound seems to be optimal for sporty riding."
SIP: Are you satisfied overall with your weekend?
Peter: "The weekend was already a definite highlight of the year for me. We all had a lot of fun. All like-minded people and the experience of driving around the legendary Nürburgring on a scooter is simply indescribable. There is simply motorsport in the air. And what I found particularly nice was that the group was a colourful mix. Gear pulleys, automatics, two and four-strokes."
SIP: We thank you for your answers and wish you continued safe riding with SIP PERFORMANCE tyres.
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Video: SIP Highspeed Tyres for Vespa
