Winter Tyres for Honda S2000

[PFMRacing]

Hi all

New to PistonHeads

Does anyone have experience/advice please for choice of winter tyres for the Honda S2000 (1999 on a V-Reg) ? - as I'm intending on driving it through the winter

I'm running the OEM Bridgestone S02's - which in the dry/warm are fine - in other conditions - I would describe them as "interesting" !!

I've got a spare set of standard 16" S2000 wheels and want to fit some winter tyres - as although I enjoy my S2000 - I'd rather enjoy it facing the correct way, the right way up and not from in a ditch, in the armco or wrapped around a tree/lamp post ! - I don't want mine to become another CAT C or CAT D S2000 !

thanks

Paul - PFMRacing

[graham@reading]

Bridgestone RE050s

The standard tyres for the 04 onwards (albeit in 17 not 16)

Love my S02s in the dry but they're a tad slow to warm up in the winter, due a new set next month and I'll be going for the RE050s.

Have a wander over to www.s2ki.co.uk

Edited by graham@reading on Tuesday 28th November 00:05

Edited by graham@reading on Tuesday 28th November 20:55

[EddandSam1]

As above have a wonder over to www.s2ki.com (uk forums)

I have an 05 with the RE0's however they are 17" wheels and great in the wet. Not sure if you can get them for the 16"

On my MY00 I swapped the S02's for Toyo T1Rs. They had an awful run in period but after a week or so were far superior to the S02's in the wet. Also try some Eagle F1's if you can find them. S2k has millions of threads dedicated to tyres - have a search!

[havoc]

EddandSam1 said:

As above have a wander over to www.s2ki.com (uk forums)

I have an 05 with the RE0's however they are 17" wheels and great in the wet. Not sure if you can get them for the 16"

On my MY00 I swapped the S02's for Toyo T1Rs. They had an awful run in period but after a week or so were far superior to the S02's in the wet. Also try some Eagle F1's if you can find them. S2k has millions of threads dedicated to tyres - have a search!

RE050's not available for the 16"s. Eagle's only available for one axle.


I was looking at this a little over a month ago. By memory, your choices are:-
- Bridgestone S02's (NOT winter tyres)
- Toyo T1R's - as Edd said, terrible initially but get better. Soft sidewalls so you need to run at at least 34psi, and you lose a bit of steering feel and the 'planted' feeling the car always has. But the upside is a slightly more progressive rear.
- Continental ContiSports (1's I think, not 2's). Not tried on S2000, but run them on my Focus and they're VERY good, wet-or-dry, with moderately stiff sidewalls, and very hard-wearing (although that may reduce overall grip levels). One report I read on S2ki about them slated them though, so who knows.
- Falken something-or-anothers. Used in the US, not sure about how many S owners over here.


The other option is flog the spare 16" rims, buy some OEM 17" rims with RE050's on, then flog your original 16" rims. The two sets should more than pay for one set of 17"s, and the RE's are supposed to be good wet-and-dry!

[EddandSam1]

I think its all about what suits you are a person at the end of the day. We put some cheap Falkcan type tyres on ours once and they were great!

Unfortunately you cannot get "try before you buy" option!

[pjskel]

Toyo T1-Rs on the rear of my Accord - needed them badly, but made a big difference to the feel of the car. Much more connected to the rest of the chassis.
What about Yoko AVS Sports or dbS? Avon ZZ3's?
If you look here, you'll see which ones are softest, so they'll provide more grip - www.etyres.co.uk/tyres-ratings-nhtsa/tyre-wear-ratings.htm

Also, run tyres at max-10% psi, if you already don't. More info here - www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html

[havoc]

pjskel said:

What about Yoko AVS Sports or dbS? Avon ZZ3's?

Also, run tyres at max-10% psi, if you already don't. More info here - www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html

Those tyres don't come in both sizes.

I did a thorough hunt and found only the 4 types that I mention. It's the rears that are the pain, mainly because (just remembered) that the OEM 225/50/16's are actually pretty much the same size as most 245/45/16's...so if you're going for non-OEM you should get 245/45/16's unless you want to REDUCE rear contact patch, in winter, without traction control. Might need to let your ins. co. know too (I did and had a real faff, spoke to 3 different people to explain the concept of STATED tyre size just being a guide and in this case being misleading!).


As regards your 'max -10%' theory - that article is approaching it from a fuel-economy perspective, which makes sense as if you over-inflate the tyre then it will lose some contact patch as the centre of the tread 'bulges' out. And reduced contact patch = reduced friction = increased fuel economy.

What you WILL do is reduce both the grip available and the progression of the tyre under cornering, as modern low-profile tyres don't have a huge amount of sidewall flex anyway and overinflating will eliminate this, giving you very sudden break-away characteristics.

I WOULD NOT use that rule on a performance car (i.e. anything that'll be driven hard). What I would do is experiment with the pressures to see what FEELS best for the car. Which will be different for different tyres as well (something the sticker can't tell you!).

[AquilaEagle]

Try Toyo's

You need 245 on the rear if runnin non Bridgstone S02JZ's

[havoc]

AquilaEagle said:

Try Toyo's

You need 245 on the rear if runnin non Bridgstone S02JZ's

I just said that! Keep up!

[PFMRacing]

Thanks very much to all the replies - especially as I'm a newbie !

Here's what I've done - I guess time will tell if its correct or not ! - I will make another post with my observations after I've "run them in" and given them some miles - wet and dry

I checked the fronts and they were actually Bridgestone Turanza ER30's - I then checked the Bridgestone website - and it turns out they an alternative reccomended fit for the S2000 - So I got my Tyre place (Adams & Page in High Wycombe - very good chaps - ask for Stuart !) to order two in and they are now on the other set of rears

Looking at them there is WAY less rubber in contact with the Road - so dry weather performance will be reduced - BUT they look like they will displace loads of water - so hopefully will be ideal during the winter months

What was very confusing that RE050's are also reccomended - although some think they aren't available in 225/50/16 - they actually are - When I range Bridgestone technical I was told NOT to fit RE050's - only S02's - so figure that out !!!

See them here

www.bridgestone.co.uk/bfe/tyreSelectorController?page=NormalCarResultPage&dataToDisplay=result1&hiddenCountry=Great%20Britain&hiddenMake=HONDA&hiddenModel=S2000&hiddenModelYear=2000&hiddenVersion=2.0%206%20SPEED&hiddenFullText=2+Door+cabriolet&hiddenPicId=52441&rdTyreOption=205/55%20R16%20W-225/50%20R16%20W&rdPatternName=Turanza%20ER30&hiddenClickedOption=pattern&hiddenSite=Bridgestone%20United%20Kingdom&sizefrontrear=50

[EddandSam1]

Please tell me you went for 245's on the rear!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats a good point from AE that I forgot to mention!

As for the Tyre Pressures you need to run what the manual states!(32 I think if my memory serves me correctly)

It is the most sensitive car I have EVER driven to tyre pressure!

Edited by EddandSam1 on Thursday 7th December 12:32

[havoc]

EddandSam1 said:

Please tell me you went for 245's on the rear!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats a good point from AE that I forgot to mention!

As for the Tyre Pressures you need to run what the manual states!(32 I think if my memory serves me correctly)

It is the most sensitive car I have EVER driven to tyre pressure!

Edited by EddandSam1 on Thursday 7th December 12:32

As they're both Bridgestones he may not have needed to.