Winter tyres

[vpulsar]

Hi men I'm thinking of buying some winter tyres for pulsar when it's finished, Now I know quite a bit about what's good and bad in winter tyres and I normally Run Nokian WR3's on my cars, That's what my Saab is using in the correct tyre size for that car, But I want to try some different ones on my pulsar and I'm thinking about vredestein wintrac Xtreme S, But I've only been able to find them in 205-55-16 opposed to the 205-45-16 on the wheels at the moment I believe not having seen them yet of cause.

So apart from altering the gearing a little and making the speedo a little out would that size be OK ?, I'm thinking more side wall would actually be better for the winter months anyway.



Rob

 

[vss irvine]

no they wont fit, they will rub the inner arches on full lock and touch the wing lips.

ive tried them before and had to take them back off.

 

[PobodY]

If you could get 205/50/16s they should fit without rubbing.

 

[vpulsar]

no they wont fit, they will rub the inner arches on full lock and touch the wing lips.

ive tried them before and had to take them back off.

OK mate, I can get 205-50-16 in the old version of the tyres but I really wanted to try the new ones.


Rob

 

[campbellju]

I'm running the WR A3's on the BMW. Good tyres, It's warm up the moment so not a fair comparison to my summer tyres but my last set of Dunlop winters were horrible in the dry. Sadly no snow to test them properly with.

 

[lakeview]

is it really worth getting winter tyres now?i managed perfectly well using toyo t1s in the snow

 

[Jöördis]

go for 195-50

 

[vpulsar]

is it really worth getting winter tyres now?i managed perfectly well using toyo t1s in the snow

You wont understand the difference they make until you try them mate, It's not a matter on managing I can drive normally in all sorts of bad weather with the Nokians fitted to my Saab, It brakes like it was dry in the wet/snow and ice. You wouldn't be able to say that about the Toyo's yes you'll manage if you're careful but you wont need to with a good set winter tyres fitted it's like night and day performance wise, But it's up to you to spend your money on what you think is important, I transport my daughter 30 miles each way to school and back 4 days a week in some of the worst weather Scotland can throw at you so I've made my choice.


Rob

 

[vpulsar]

go for 195-50

Good tip thanks buddy

 

[MarkTurbo]

I can drive normally in all sorts of bad weather with the Nokians fitted to my Saab, It brakes like it was dry in the wet/snow and ice.

We're only a few days into 2014 and that must already be a contender for stupid statement of the year award :lol:

No winter tyre can manage that and people that think winter tyres have magical levels of grip are either deluded or just trying to justify all the extra expense of another set of wheels/tyres for a few weeks a year to themselves ;-)

I've got a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks for my daily driver (which outperform the Nokians in tyre tests) and although you notice the extra grip on ice/snow its not the night & day difference people go on about. I haven't even bothered using them this year, I know you're in Scotland and the comment about taking your daughter to school is fair enough but the average person in the uk would be better off with a lesson in car control in icy conditions than another set of tyres ;-)

 

[Jon Olds]

When the going gets slippy, the narrow tyre is king
Jon

 

[red reading]

When the going gets slippy, the narrow tyre is king
Jon

So true.

 

[vpulsar]

We're only a few days into 2014 and that must already be a contender for stupid statement of the year award :lol:

Actually I've had to make several emergency stops in the wet and slushy conditions and I haven't stopped much slower than I would with my normal tyres on a normal dry day, I wouldn't compare them to the stopping ability of my pilot sports on a hot day but they're bloody good, I don't really care what your tests say Mark I've used these tyres on all my cars over the last four years in some truly terrible weather conditions and they have saved me many times from having a bad off, Normally due to other stupid morons going to fast with there unsuitable summer tyres fitted.

I've driven on black ice quite a few times and hadn't realised it until I got out of the car and slipped up on the ice they're that good, With brand new pilot sports fitted you would turn out of our street get two feet then slide 200 yards back down the hill until you crashed into something like a curb, With the Nokians fitted not only could I pull out of the corner and up the hill on polished sheet ice I could even stop apply the hand brake then do a hill start with out any slipping what's so ever, So as I said like night and day performance wise in my humble opinion given what kind of weather I've experienced with them fitted.

http://www.mytyres.co.uk/cgi-bin/rs...port=P&dsco=110&sowigan=Wi&rsmFahrzeugart=PKW



You soft southern twats wouldn't know bad weather if it jumped up and kicked you in the teeth. :roll:


Oh and another thing the wet performance is outstanding, These things can really shift some water I've never aquaplaned with these things fitted. And the wet braking performance is also outstanding, But again that's just my opinion.


Rob

 

[campbellju]

I understand Mark and Rob’s points so will sidestep the arguments. For the R I’ve always run good wet weather tyres which were fine in the snow. For my daily driver M3 I have swapped over to winter tyres for the past few years. Though I enjoy drifting, the police take a dim view of it and when I’m carting family around its best not to. Last year the M3 was the family wagon when the snow dropped as the roads took a while to be cleared.

So far this year they’ve been pointless as the weather has barely dropped below 3degC.

I just changed the last lot which cost me about £150 per year, I don’t see the cost as a big deal.

I went for the Nokian A3, not because they were necessarily the best in snow but because they were the best snow tyres in the dry/wet. I run them for about 4 months a year, last year’s Dunlops I was glad to take off come spring. These Nokian A3’s I could happily leave on all year.

 

[PobodY]

the average person in the uk would be better off with a lesson in car control in icy conditions than another set of tyres ;-)

I think I learnt this living in Flintshire; you keep the tyres spinning until the ice melts and they find grip? :twisted:

The night and day difference I've noticed was between "standard" tyres and the studded type you get in the Scandinavian countries.

 

[Jon Olds]

I've rallied in snow and ice and my opinion is the GTIR with std diffs are pish
They plough straight on on corners regardless and are difficult to control in a straight line at full boost/full throttle
Jon

 

[vpulsar]

I've rallied in snow and ice and my opinion is the GTIR with std diffs are pish
They plough straight on on corners regardless and are difficult to control in a straight line at full boost/full throttle
Jon

I agree me second one with out a front diff was bloody awful in the snow, The first one with the diff was great. And is why this new one is having a front diff fitted this time.



Rob

 

[Jon Olds]

Think the centre and rear may be needed also, as the back end is a right handful in a straight line boosting on ice snow....
Jon

 

[vpulsar]

Think the centre and rear may be needed also, as the back end is a right handful in a straight line boosting on ice snow....
Jon

Just trying to track down a rear at the moment Jon, But I'm not interested in the centre diff for a road car I'm afraid,

 

[Jon Olds]

My pulsar used to lose drive through the second corner at Croft during the annual sprint. Nothing more annoying than it cocking a leg (about 2" air) through a long RH corner on slicks and the revs screaming up. And down and up and down. Must have lost me 1/2 sec minimum. Still won the class in it last time out
Jon