Having recently converted to Kumho KU39 it has been a revelation.
Previously I was on the Uniroyal Rainsport 2 which was a disappointment. Mainly for its tendency to melt after 5 laps on trackdays but also for their “they feel like walking on stilettos in the corners” approach to cornering. Particularly when new this was shockingly bad but has calmed down a bit after a couple of thousand miles.
The KU39 has hugely better turn-in and massively stiffer sidewalls, or that it was it feels like.
To the extent that they are a bit unforgiving with uneven roads while cornering. Some ruts which the Rainsports absorbed have me bouncing side ways on the KU39s, but maybe that is more about my dampers then the tyres?
Otherwise I’m really happy with the improvement from the KU39 and much prefer stable to mushy sidewalls anyway
Straw Man, that is the second time I have had to look that up in Toyo threads.
So what you are saying is that I am promoting Kumho by making it look good because the Toyo is so bad. I’ll take that the Toyo is bad any day of the week, thank you.
What is the common term for trying to excuse something poor by saying it used to be OK?
The video was made because the “internet” and even this forum was telling people that this Toyo tyre was the best tyre you could fit to their car. Anybody saying that their experience was different has elicited a plethora of comments telling then literally everything else must be wrong with their car but the tyre could not possibly have performed as it did in the video which is imprecise, wobbly and sudden breakaway.
What does it matter if the internet tells you there has been a compound change does that excuse it?
Unfortunately test like this, even basic ones cost money, and yes, for sharing that knowledge I would naturally like people to know that I sell tyres. (I also sell brakes and wonderfully light alloy wheels - Thank you for the marketing opportunity ) If you would like to pay me £700, which is what this cost me, then I will happily test any two tyres for in the same way and I can write you a report for your own personal use. If that £700 is a bit steep, then feel free to phone up your chosen discount supplier and ask for their technical department so that you can ask for advice on tyres. I am sure they will have a depth of experience to share with you. You could even go on the internet and look up Toyo, apparently they are really good.
If you want to know the truth about Silverstone and Toyo, then as an appointed Silverstone Motorsport Tyre dealer in the UK I can inform you, unlike the internet, although the irony is that you will be reading this on the internet, that Toyo bought the Malaysian tyre manufacture Silverstone and concluded the purchase just weeks ahead of the tsunami in Japan in 2011. With the lost of the Fukushima power plant and many other problems in Japan at that time, Toyo transferred a great deal of production to the Silverstone factories. The compound change that the internet will tell you is now responsible for the dire performance of the Toyo T1R was due to bringing the efficiency rating up from G to F, something the whole tyre industry has had to go through, not just Toyo. It has nothing to do with tread pattern, nothing to do with wobbly and imprecise handling and nothing to do with being snappy in the wet, all of which the Toyo was 10 years ago when it was made in Japan and exactly the same as when we used to race on them well before efficiency labelling.
Just adding my two pennyth, as a newcomer to the MX-5 and this forum. My Mk2 1.8S has toyos on the front and Bridgestones on the rear. Not a good combo! Went for my first drive on wet/greasy roads today and even allowing for the fact that this is my first RWD car for 19 years and I am no Stiq Blomquist, my car is pretty scary at times to say the least! Go into a corner, or roundabout a tad too fast and its the fronts that slide first. Try and power around a roundabout and you find the front slithering around and fishtailing at one point. I am not talking about silly speeds either, less than 30 MPH, the sort of speed that my FWD daily hatch would deal with. I was hoping the front end would stick a bit better, so I could learn a bit more about power oversteer, but hmm, its not really happening. Its very very hard to get oversteer without risking a front end off…so I came home realising I need to tread carefully until I can change the tyres.
Hmm, I think I will be getting rid fairly quickly and fitting Michelin Pilot Sport 3s as recommended by a number of users on here, all around.
Can i add a little to this,when I bought my eunos import just over 12 months ago it was shod with Maxuss 195 x 50 15 tyres it was not frightening but never felt good ! went to Roddisons for a 4 corner set up and was advised to put some “proper” tyres on it and then come back I purchased from Nick d some part worn [ light use ] Kumho 39 's on the ride home from blyton 30 miles or so god what a difference and after the set as much again and now am completely sold on Kumhos and Nick D service ,Mx’s are very tyre and set up concious . I am not a track day hero or a poddler but after 50 years of driving any thing between Porshes and 10 ton truck like to think I know what I’n talking about my ops only
Hi so I’ve read a lot if not all of the Toyo vs Kuhmo treads and I’m confused. The article and this post talk about the HS51 but both your website Nick and black circles only list the 39 as in the right size for the NC sport with 17" wheels.
Im glad other people are liking the kumhos. ive been using them for a while now, infact is used the KU31 i believe it was, which was more towards a budget tyre, but since the KU39 et al have arrived they appear to be making strides in there tyres and have been very happy using the KU39 ever since.
My brother and friends seem to be more Toyo fan boys so i cant wait to show them this thread. Great advice and write up.
thanks just come back to this post and yes it does appear that HS51 is now available in 205/45/17. However, it looks like the KU39 performs better in wet grip as an A over the C of the HS51
