Motorcycle racing slicks are a distinct category of tire. They lack tread patterns entirely. They cannot be used on public roads. They exist for one purpose only: delivering maximum grip on a prepared racetrack surface.
The Kingtyre K00 is a full racing slick designed for this purpose, placing it at the top of the global motorcycle racing slicks market. It carries documented race pedigree from the Asia Road Racing Championship, FIM MiniGP Series, European Superbike Amateur Cup, China Superbike Championship, and Malaysian Super Series. Over 15 race teams across Asia, Europe, and South America campaign the K00.
This guide covers the K00 compound system, its 30+ size range, the pressure data that track engineers need, construction details, and the race series where it competes.
A treadless tire has 100% of its rubber in contact with the asphalt at all times. A road tire loses 30% to 50% of its contact patch to tread grooves. Full slicks therefore generate higher grip levels, but they also generate more heat. They require tire warmers to reach operating temperature safely. They have zero water evacuation capability.
This trade-off is acceptable on a racetrack. Racing slicks operate in a controlled environment. The surface is clean. The temperature range is known. The bike uses warmers between sessions. The rider accepts that wet conditions mean switching to rain tires.
For these reasons, the K00 is classified as track only motorcycle tires. It cannot be registered, insured, or legally ridden on public roads in any jurisdiction that follows ECE or DOT standards. This is not a limitation. It is a design requirement. A tire that must meet road-legal tread depth cannot deliver the same peak grip as a full slick.
Furthermore, the construction differs fundamentally from road tires. Racing slicks use softer compound families, lighter carcass materials, and optimized belt angles that sacrifice mileage for grip. A typical road tire lasts 8,000 to 15,000 km. A K00 Medium compound lasts 90 to 120 km under full race load. That is a deliberate trade-off.
The K00 ships in four distinct compounds. This compound range is rare among motorcycle racing slicks manufacturers. Each one targets a specific temperature window and race distance.
Peak grip window: 50 to 70 °C. Best use: sprint qualifying sessions, cool morning track conditions, and sub-15-minute races. Lap time advantage: fastest compound in the range. Wear rate: highest. During the 2024 Asia Track Series, Super Soft was the qualifying compound of choice for 78% of riders.
Peak grip window: 60 to 85 °C. Best use: club-level track days, 15 to 25 minute sessions, mixed ambient temperatures. Wear rate: approximately 50% longer than Super Soft. This is the most popular compound for amateur race weekends.
Peak grip window: 80 to 105 °C. Best use: endurance races, hot asphalt, all-day track days. For example, the Medium compound dominated endurance races in the 2024 Asia Track Series. Wear rate: 2 to 3 times longer than Soft. Expected race life: 90 to 120 km.
Peak grip window: 100 to 130 °C. Best use: extreme heat conditions, long endurance stints, aggressive rider weight loads. Wear rate: lowest in the range. Race life exceeds 120 km.
Race engineers frequently mix compounds front and rear. A common setup pairs a Soft front for steering feel with a Medium rear for drive traction. The K00 supports this because both compounds share the same carcass geometry and profile.
Consequently, a single team can cover an entire race weekend with the K00 range: Super Soft for qualifying, Soft or Medium for the race, and Medium or Hard for practice sessions that need to conserve tire life.
The K00 line spans 30 sizes across rim diameters from 6.5 inches to 17 inches. This covers everything from 250cc MiniGP machines to 1,000cc superbikes.
90/65R6.5, 90/90R10, 100/85R10, 100/90R12, 125/75R16.5, 95/75R17, 110/70R17, 120/70R17, 125/70R17
110/55R6.5, 100/90R10, 120/80R10, 115/75R17, 120/80R12, 120/70R17, 140/70R17, 160/60R17, 180/60R17, 190/60R17, 200/60R17, 200/65R17
The 120/70R17 front and 180/60R17 rear combination covers the middleweight sportbike segment. This includes the Yamaha YZF-R6, Kawasaki ZX-6R, Honda CBR600RR, Suzuki GSX-R750, and Ducati Panigale V2.
The 200/60R17 rear is the liter-class standard in the motorcycle racing slicks category. superbike standard. It fits the Yamaha YZF-R1, Kawasaki ZX-10R, Honda CBR1000RR, Suzuki GSX-R1000, and Ducati Panigale V4. A 200/60R17 racing slick delivers the largest contact patch in the range, measuring approximately 200 mm across at the tread surface.
The smaller sizes — 90/65R6.5, 90/90R10, 100/85R10, 100/90R12 — serve the MiniGP and junior racing categories. These are specified in the FIM MiniGP technical regulations.
All 17-inch sizes fit standard ETRTO-compliant rims. No wheel modification is required.
Cold tire pressure is set in the paddock before the bike goes on track. Hot pressure is measured immediately after a session. The difference, typically 4 to 6 psi, comes from heat expansion.
Die racing slick tire pressure chart below covers the most common K00 sizes:
| Größe | Cold PSI | Hot PSI |
|---|---|---|
| 140/70R17 (rear) | 26 | 30 |
| 160/60R17 (rear) | 26 | 31 |
| 180/60R17 (rear) | 25 | 30.5 |
| 200/60R17 (rear) | 24.5 | 30 |
| All front sizes | 28 | 32 |
Cold pressure drops by approximately 0.5 psi per 5 °C drop in ambient temperature. On a 15 °C morning, a tire set to 26 psi cold will read 25 to 25.5 psi by the time it reaches the track. Adjust accordingly.
Hot pressure is the more important number. A tire that reads above 33 psi hot is overheating. A tire below 28 psi hot is under-inflated and will flex excessively, causing edge wear and instability under braking.
Furthermore, the Super Soft compound is the most sensitive to pressure changes. A 1 psi deviation from the target costs approximately 0.2 seconds per lap. Medium and Hard compounds are more forgiving, tolerating a 2 psi window without significant lap-time loss.
Kingtyre conducted internal comparisons between the K00 and leading competitor racing slicks on the same bike, rider, and track surface. Results showed the K00 reducing lap times by up to 1.2 seconds per lap.
This improvement comes from three areas:
Contact patch optimization: The K00 carcass profile keeps a larger percentage of the tread surface in contact with the track at lean angles above 45 degrees. This directly translates to higher corner exit speed.
Compound consistency: The Medium compound maintains grip within 3% of its peak value from lap 5 through lap 20 of a typical 25-minute session. Competitor tires in the same test showed a 7% to 10% drop over the same window.
Dual-layered construction: The perimeter wear layer reduces edge degradation. Riders report consistent feel through the last 30% of a race stint.
For amateur and intermediate racers, the delta from switching to best racing slicks for track day setup like the K00 is typically 1.5 to 3 seconds per lap compared to road-legal hypersport tires.
The K00 has been campaigned in the following race series:
The FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) is the global governing body for motorcycle racing. Its technical regulations for racing tires specify dimensions, construction standards, and safety requirements. The K00 complies with FIM technical regulations for the classes in which it competes. FIM technical regulations govern tire specification for all sanctioned racing events.
Additionally, the ARRC (Asia Road Racing Championship) is the premier road racing series in Asia. The K00 has been used in ARRC support classes since 2023. The Asia Road Racing Championship provides the real-world race validation that feeds directly into compound and construction updates.
The K00 is manufactured at the Kingtyre facility in Tianjin, China. The factory covers 15,000 m² and operates under ISO 9001:2015 quality management certification, dedicated to motorcycle racing slicks production. certification. Annual production capacity exceeds 300,000 tires.
Key construction elements:
A further consideration: the K00 uses a dual-layered tread construction. This technology sets the K00 apart from other motorcycle racing slicks in its price segment. The base layer is harder than the surface layer. As the surface wears, the base layer slows further wear. This extends useful race life by approximately 20% compared to single-layer racing slicks.
Für soft compound racing slicks, the surface layer uses a higher carbon-black loading to reach peak grip faster. For Hard compound, the formulation shifts toward silica reinforcement for thermal stability at 120+ °C track temperatures.
A typical sprint race weekend uses 1 to 2 sets of tires. An endurance weekend uses 2 to 3 sets. The K00 compound range allows a team to optimize each session.
| Session | Verbindung | Expected Sets | Expected Life |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free practice | Medium or Hard | 1 set, used all day | 4 sessions |
| Qualifying | Super Soft | 1 fresh set | 2 flying laps peak |
| Sprint race | Weich | 1 fresh set | Full race distance |
| Endurance race | Mittel | 1 to 2 sets | 90 to 120 km each |
Tire warmers are strongly recommended for all compounds. This is standard practice for all motorcycle racing slicks at the professional level. Without warmers, Super Soft compound requires 3 to 5 laps to reach 50 °C surface temperature. During those warm-up laps, grip is approximately 40% below peak.
Unused K00 slicks should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place below 25 °C. Direct sunlight accelerates compound degradation. Ozone sources (electric motors, welding equipment) should be kept away from stored tires.
Shelf life is 3 years from the date of manufacture. After first heat cycling (exposure to track temperatures), the tire should be used within 6 months for peak performance. Heat-cycled tires that have not reached wear bars can still be used for practice sessions. Many teams sell heat-cycled practice tires at reduced prices.
No. The K00 is a track-only racing slick. It has no tread pattern and no ECE or DOT certification for road use.
Super Soft or Soft, depending on track temperature. Super Soft peaks at 50 to 70 °C and delivers the fastest single-lap grip.
Medium compound: 90 to 120 km under race load. Soft: 60 to 90 km. Super Soft: 30 to 60 km.
Strongly recommended. Super Soft and Soft compounds need 3 to 5 warm-up laps without warmers. During those laps, grip is 40% below peak.
Yes. A common combination is Soft front with Medium rear. This balances steering feel with rear drive traction.
Refer to the racing slick tire pressure chart above. For rear sizes, start at 24.5 to 26 psi cold. For fronts, start at 28 psi cold.
Yes. All 17-inch sizes follow ETRTO rim width standards. No wheel modification is required.
Store below 25 °C in a cool, dark, dry place. Keep away from direct sunlight and ozone sources.
Yes. Each tire has a designated rotation direction. Installing backward reduces grip and causes premature wear.
Sprint weekend: 1 to 2 sets. Endurance weekend: 2 to 3 sets.
The Kingtyre K00 is built for three groups.
Race teams competing in ARRC, FIM MiniGP, China Superbike, or regional championship series need a consistent, affordable slick with documented race pedigree. The 4-compound range covers all conditions from qualifying to endurance.
Track day riders who have moved past road-legal tires and want a full slick for the first time. The K00 predictable warm-up and consistent wear profile make it suitable for intermediate to advanced riders.
Importers and distributors supplying race teams in Asia, Europe, and South America. The K00 is already used by 15+ race teams in these regions. ISO 9001 manufacturing with Japanese laser balance inspection provides quality assurance. The 30+ size range covers the full market from MiniGP to superbike.
The K00 is not a tire for street riders, commuters, or casual weekend touring. It is a pure racing slick. Used within its design parameters, it delivers a combination of grip consistency, compound choice, and cost efficiency that makes it a legitimate option for club racing and professional track day use.
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