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measuring with IR pyrometer - i'm getting 888's to 57-65C / 135-150F range.
not hot enough?
Actually, no it is not.

How many sessions do you get out of them before they heat cycle out? I’m guessing that even your trips to and from the track count as a “cycle” in your part of the world
 
measuring with IR pyrometer - i'm getting 888's to 57-65C / 135-150F range.
not hot enough?
What ambiental temperature and how do you measure:
  • how many fast laps
  • measured immediately without cooling the car
... Etc

They are a bit too cold if measured properly but they should get over 70 in one fast lap
 
measuring with IR pyrometer - i'm getting 888's to 57-65C / 135-150F range.
not hot enough?
I do not know what they should be. But one fellow 4C owner who is seriously(race modified quite heavy) quick said “I could not get them to work, could not enough temp”. He was happy with soft compound Zestino. They are cheap as well.
 
Clearly they're not working as i would expect giving lap times similar to Michelin Super Sport o_O
Reason's i've suspected:
1. Something doesn't work right on the light car. However Miatas and even Cateraham's run 888.
2. Not getting hot enough. Don't see how i can do much about this. Also tire surface does look like it is hot - but i'm not expert enough, so you take a look.
3. Rear 265 tires are too wide for the stock 19 rim - they definitely look bulge out more than i use to. Wider rims are on their way...
4. 888 are too heavy - the difference with PSS at the rear is 2 kg o_O
.

102226

102227
102228
 
Everything possible was done to make the 4C light. So what do people do? They degrade it by adding rotating mass. One of the three worst places for added weight; the others being anything that raises CG or moves CG forward or rearward. Every rotating pound is, in effect, a multiple of static weight, with the greatest multiple at the tire tread (the least at the hub).

The intent is to increase turning grip, but the effect is that the heavier tire/wheel assembly does not want to turn. It much prefers going straight. This is a physical law.

They start with a car that can pull 1+ Gs laterally with stock tires (at least until they get greasy). Then they handicap the car with added rotating weight. So any potential advantage of added grip must first exceed the weight handicap, which is a negative for ALL car dynamics. Repeat ALL. Even with lighter wheels, the big tires negate the wheel advantage. Or, even worse, they add heavier tires that are too big for the wheel, so the tread can't sit flat. Tires that are so massive, it is difficult to get them to the correct temperature on a hot day.

And a skilled driver in a stock 4C will beat them.

And, those 888s are ugly! :eek: :LOL:
 
What you CAN do to get the temperatures up to spec is not to use plus two (or three) sizing. That’s your problem, IMO.

After the PSS i've put 225/255 888's - they don't feel like a glue to me and lap times stayed the same o_O
Perhaps this is due to 255 is way too wide for the stock rim and i do see over the shoulder wear.
Stock size 205 & 235.
Knee-jerk reaction is to go wider. But as xcentric said, that’s also heavier (and the worst kind of heavier). 4C ethos is light. Grippy tires are available in smaller sizes to keep the car light and sticking better. To use them to their best effect, you need to get them hot. The more rubber you have, the longer that takes. On a light car, the harder it is to achieve.
 
And MPSS is not really a valid comparison to R888R’s.
The Cup 2 is the more appropriate Michelin o look at. Which is more expensive and will be faster.
 
i've got this set after trading around for the 888's from my previous car - so it was ether throw the money or just use them.
so it was a no brainer.
i won't buy them next time...
 
R888 R is a good tire when new. After some heat cycles it looses the grip.
I don't think it's such a bad tire even for our cars but it also depends on the track format. Alfa is a difficult car to be pushed and kept right on the limit. If the track has fast corners and long straights then for sure it will be difficult to put heat in some tires.
So not necessarily the tire is bad but maybe the track format and driving style was not in it's favour.

So far the best semislick for my car proved to be trofeo R. They have good grip and are quite light.
 
R888 R is a good tire when new. After some heat cycles it looses the grip.
I don't think it's such a bad tire even for our cars but it also depends on the track format. Alfa is a difficult car to be pushed and kept right on the limit. If the track has fast corners and long straights then for sure it will be difficult to put heat in some tires.
So not necessarily the tire is bad but maybe the track format and driving style was not in it's favour.

So far the best semislick for my car proved to be trofeo R. They have good grip and are quite light.
Agree.
But the Trofeo R also has a rather limited lifespan with respect to heat cycling.
How many sessions /cycles do you get out of them?
I’ve heard only 25 or so, compared to 35 on the triple-8’s. True?
 
With 265 on the rear i got considerably more laps than with 245. It's quite a big difference.
5-6 track days instead of 4.
So far I had no problem in putting heat in any tire. Actually each tire i tried so far was faster in the first lap than during the second.
I tried:
Oem pirelli
Cup 2 in different sizes
Nankang AR1
Trofeo R
Federal FZ 201
 
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