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Old 03-28-2016, 05:00 PM   #1
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Maxxis VR-1 (New 200TW tire)

I've been getting a lot of question on the Maxxis VR-1; here's my feedback.

I'll cover a few things here in this post.
- Grip
- Sidewall/Feedback
- Tread life
- Heat cycle life
- Heat capacity/Heat vs Grip
- Wet grip/cold grip
- Wear patterns/Setup
- Street driveability

Grip.
Grip is directly competitive to the current 200TW "non-cheater" tires, aka Z2 Star Spec, RS3, etc. If you are looking to compete against the RE71R or Rival-S, this tire will not do that. I believe the very FIRST heat cycle of the RS3 may be marginally faster than the VR1 (when it is faster than almost everything), but from there on, the VR1 will always hold a grip advantage.

Sidewall/Feedback
The VR1 has a strong sidewall that will not deform or deflect much. Steering feel is far superior to the RS3, and similar to the Z2SS and AD08R. Overall feedback level is close to that of an R-Compound like the NT01/RC1. Risk of bending a wheel with the VR1 will be lower than the RS3. The tire makes noise as you approach the limit in a progressive manner, much like the RC1. Some noise is good, and the tire will be screaming as you hit the peak amount of grip. Howling means you've gone past the limit. Between the auditory and sensory feedback, this tire will be very, very easy to drive. Auditory feedback is far superior to the AD08R/RS3, better than the Z2/Z2ss, but not as excessive as the RE11.

Tread life.
Expect to get about the same amount of life out of these tires as the Dunop Z2/Z2 Star spec. They will last longer than the RS3, but not as long as an AD08R. Remember, this is purely tread life, not heat cycle life.

Heat cycle life.
The tires heat cycle, as expected with a tire of this performance. However, the heat cycle drop is not as dramatic as most tires in this category, and that, I believe, will be the key point in these tires. They heat cycle slower than the RS3, and will still have great grip when you have 30+ heat cycle on them, provided that you do not damage the tire by completely cooking them in a session (remember, tire management is also a driving skill). Cycling is about on par with the AD08R, and substantially superior to the RS3/RE11. I have not driven the Z2SS extensively enough to comment against that in this regard.

Heat Capacity/Heat vs Grip
Relatively speaking, as a 200TW tire, these tires love heat. They do have a short warm-up time that will increase as the tire heat cycles; if you are at a track day, a brisk out-lap will be more than plenty. Toward the end of the tire's life, you will need to allow more time for the tire to warm up. They have a broad window of opportunity, before the tire compound overheats, and starts greasing out. They are far superior to the Z2 in this regard. In absolute heat capacity, they are a little bit better than the RS3, and do well in 20-25 minute lapping sessions. These are not 1 lap wonders like the RE71R or Rival-S. If you are Auto-Xing this tire, you will want a co-driver in colder weather.

Wet Grip/Cold Grip
Unfortunately, my wet experience, due to California weather, is limited to only damp surfaces. Damp surfaces will result in a cold tire, that takes more time to heat up. However once warmed up, the tire grip just as well as expected given the conditions. I do not yet have any hard rain experience, but based on the size of the siping tread pattern, I expect the tire to be superior to the RS3, and on part with the Z2SS and AD08R. It will be far superior to the RE71R.

Wear Patterns/Setup
The tire is not as forgiving as the RS3, which is driveable even with a bad setup. The sidewalls of the tire are fairly stiff, so use a pyrometer to dial in your camber based on temps. For street driven cars, I recommend dialing in a little less camber than usual. The tire pressure range is extremely forgiving, and you can expect similar performance in approximately a 4psi spread, instead of the usual 2.

Street driveability
I had hoped that these would be as quiet as the RC1 on the street, but unfortunately that is not the case. There is some road noise, and this originates primarily from the tread pattern. The noise can be described as a pink noise, rather than the white noise of the Dunlops. Overall perceived volume is higher than the RE11/AD08R, and approximately on par with the Z2. It is quieter than the RS3.

Price.
The tire is a BARGAIN. The tire is competitive with the Z2SS and AD08R in many ways, at a RS3 price. As with the RC1, the tire isn't a clear winner in every category, but based on a price/performance perspective, I expect the VR1 to become very popular very quickly.

The tire can be purchased at http://shop.maxxis.com/c/automotive_victra-vr-1

https://www.instagram.com/p/9pBmyBG4I4/
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Old 03-29-2016, 11:03 AM   #2
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Great write-up!!

Thanks as always CSG
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Old 04-07-2016, 09:23 AM   #3
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the size range isn't great, are they planning on expanding it later?
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Old 04-07-2016, 11:18 AM   #4
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Fantastic write-up!

I've been wondering about this tire and found it very interesting. I'd also like to see a similar review of the RE-71R and AD08's (unless it's been done and I missed it).
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Old 04-07-2016, 12:00 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by troek View Post
the size range isn't great, are they planning on expanding it later?
I emailed them to request 225/45 or 215/45, and got this response:

Quote:
Thank you for your request.

We understand that there are a lot of opportunities for more sizes in our VR-1 line. We hope to add more sizes as the year goes on. The sizes you suggested are on a list of possible sizes to add. Feel free to check back in a few months for updates.

Thank you,

Your Maxxis Support Team
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Old 04-12-2016, 08:10 PM   #6
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Toyo R1R on a Miata after 14 hrs at the Sebring ChumpCar race last Sept. We finished 3rd but we were close to being in the pits. We were doing 1hr 55min stints.

During an early stint I thought the tires were good but we found that, overall, our times were slower. The RS-3 is a great tire and we've used it and the Dunlop Direzza (1st Gen) several times. The Maxxis would be interesting to try as well. It would be great to try various sets of tires that had several heat cycles back to back to back on the same car on the same day.

I plan to avoid the R1R...



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Old 04-13-2016, 01:37 AM   #7
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That's looks more like a problem with brake application as opposed to a problem with the tire.
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Old 04-13-2016, 09:39 AM   #8
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Well this is def not a tire you want to autoX on according to your review.
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Old 04-13-2016, 10:15 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by BlaineWasHere View Post
Well this is def not a tire you want to autoX on according to your review.
The cheater tires are king for AutoX. If you want to be competitive, you have to be on a RE71R or Rival-S for the "street tire" classes. The two are basically slicks disguised as street tires. Both will overheat in a lap or two at the track aka "one lap wonder" or "time attack special".
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Old 04-13-2016, 11:04 AM   #10
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That's looks more like a problem with brake application as opposed to a problem with the tire.
During a 14hr race in a momentum car, flatspots happen when dicing in traffic and someone parks it. Flatspots on the RS-3 weren't as severe as shown here, but they happened as well.

The tread is smeared across the face of this "200 TW tire" and the tire doesn't appear to handle abuse as well as others we've used. Toyo "reclassified" this tire from 140 to a 200 TW rating. In our experience, the RS-3 fared far better. The picture is a good reminder that manufacturers set those numbers for their product.
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Old 04-13-2016, 01:35 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by jmimac351 View Post
During a 14hr race in a momentum car, flatspots happen when dicing in traffic and someone parks it. Flatspots on the RS-3 weren't as severe as shown here, but they happened as well.

The tread is smeared across the face of this "200 TW tire" and the tire doesn't appear to handle abuse as well as others we've used. Toyo "reclassified" this tire from 140 to a 200 TW rating. In our experience, the RS-3 fared far better. The picture is a good reminder that manufacturers set those numbers for their product.
Toyo possibly tweaked the compound when they did that (they will not confirm or deny). Their 195/50/15 size was a trick tire that seemed to work different than all the others, until after the treadwear change when it seemed to stop working as well.

I hear it's still a good rain tire - some experienced people have compared them favorably with Hoosier wets.
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Old 04-13-2016, 06:46 PM   #12
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Toyo possibly tweaked the compound when they did that (they will not confirm or deny). Their 195/50/15 size was a trick tire that seemed to work different than all the others, until after the treadwear change when it seemed to stop working as well.

I hear it's still a good rain tire - some experienced people have compared them favorably with Hoosier wets.
Based on the fact that it essentially melted, my money is on the same compound and either a "140" or "200" stamp. It wouldn't surprise me if they are good in the rain. When the UPS guy dropped them off on the driveway, they sure felt soft.

Here's another picture that might be interesting in comparison. This is an RS-3 that we ran in the 14hr race at Sebring in 2014. Brand new set at the start of the race. Obviously they held up much better than the R1R, yet it holds the same 200 TW rating.

If Mike has found the VR-1 to hold up as good or better than an RS-3, I'd certainly consider buying them - once they have a size I need.

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Old 04-13-2016, 07:34 PM   #13
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Whether there was a compound change or not doesn't really matter. TW ratings don't mean anything. A "200 TW" RE71R or Rival S is softer and doesn't last as long as any of the previously classified 140 TW tires such as the AD08R.
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Old 04-13-2016, 07:45 PM   #14
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I think it's pretty clear that compounds do matter, and TW ratings also mean very little. I think the pictures I posted make both points. The problem is we don't have much to rely on other than feedback from others like what Mike posted, and our own personal experience.

And then there's the pesky Michelin Pilot Super Sport, with it's "300 TW" rating, and grip...
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