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PostPosted: January 27, 2018, 5:13 pm 
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Joined: March 3, 2006, 10:48 pm
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Location: Shawnee, Ks
What is a good set of street tires for a se7en now days? I don't do track days just spirited back road driving. My current tires are Kuhmo Ecsta xc 205/50z R15. They are great tires but awful sticky throwing rocks and gravel constantly inside my interior and my face. I wish I could go narrower than a 205 but I don't think my wheels would let me and I am too cheep to buy new wheels. Russ

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PostPosted: January 27, 2018, 6:05 pm 
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Sounds like you like the tires, just not the debris. You might try some "mud" flaps on the front fenders.

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PostPosted: January 27, 2018, 10:35 pm 
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Location: White Rock, BC, Canada
RE71 are the current must-have "street" tires. They are kind of a cheater tire because they have a 200 treadwear and that makes them legal for street tire classes but they are still a good option. They work down to a fairly low temp. They do not have the grip of my NT01s, but it's not that far off for a "street tire".

Cheers.

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PostPosted: January 27, 2018, 11:04 pm 
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Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada
I'm on my second set of Toyo R888's, and I like them quite a bit. They throw a lot of rocks too though.
Kristian

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PostPosted: January 28, 2018, 12:14 am 
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Mud flaps I got and they go down several inches and I still get plastered. My rear fender wings look like they were a skeet target. Russ

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PostPosted: January 28, 2018, 5:04 am 
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Location: Under the weather. (Seattle)
Assuming you meant Ecsta XS...If trying for a step down in performance, based on the Tire Rack data I'd look at the BFG Sport Comp-2. The Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 is showing promise as well.

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PostPosted: January 28, 2018, 10:52 am 
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trialsmangasgas wrote:
Mud flaps I got and they go down several inches and I still get plastered. My rear fender wings look like they were a skeet target. Russ


OK! So much for that idea. SORRY! :?

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PostPosted: January 28, 2018, 11:19 am 
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The mud flaps need to almost touch the ground in order to protect the rear fenders.

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PostPosted: February 7, 2018, 5:08 pm 
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I've got good old Dunlop Star Specs in 195/50-15. Stick like glue and I never get hit by anything, although I credit the steep sides of my scuttle for that. Never did like slant-sided scuttles. I can't see the bottom of the front tire from the cockpit.


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PostPosted: February 7, 2018, 5:43 pm 
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Nick, you are lucky. I had Falken Azenis RT-615 (1st gen) tires and constantly got hit. Sometimes they even bounced off the roll bar and hit me in the back of the head. Occasionally, they even bounced a 2nd time off the inside of the windshield. They came at me from all directions. My scuttle had vertical sides too so I think it may had more to do with your tires. :cheers:

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PostPosted: February 27, 2018, 8:52 am 
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You guys... The Slotus has no front fenders and runs on sticky slicks. One morning at Moultrie, I'm pretty sure the right front tossed a pizza box (Extra-large, double pepperoni) at me. Came flying like a frisbee over the engine and whizzed just over my head... OK, it might have been a matchbook, but it damn sure looked like a pizza box... :ack:

Standard procedure after an event is to get the shop vac and pick up the gravel, pebbles, dead birds, small rodents and the occasional Girl Scout cookie box out of the car. It's pretty amazing how much junk gets tossed into the car.

Not that any of this is relevant to buying new street tires... :mrgreen:

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PostPosted: February 27, 2018, 9:29 am 
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GonzoRacer wrote:
You guys... The Slotus has no front fenders and runs on sticky slicks. One morning at Moultrie, I'm pretty sure the right front tossed a pizza box (Extra-large, double pepperoni) at me. Came flying like a frisbee over the engine and whizzed just over my head... OK, it might have been a matchbook, but it damn sure looked like a pizza box... :ack:

Standard procedure after an event is to get the shop vac and pick up the gravel, pebbles, dead birds, small rodents and the occasional Girl Scout cookie box out of the car. It's pretty amazing how much junk gets tossed into the car.

Not that any of this is relevant to buying new street tires... :mrgreen:


I'm with you JD. The A Mod tires are sticky enough they pick up cones and throw them at my head. Our Solo director always puts me in the first run group so I sweep the course for the rest of the guys out to play.

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PostPosted: May 16, 2018, 9:00 am 
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Location: Shawnee, Ks
What do you guys think of these tires for my Locost??
> Kuhmo Ecsta PS31 - Size: 205/50R15
$77.80 ea at Tire Rack
https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.js ... 1&i1_Qty=4

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PostPosted: May 16, 2018, 11:07 am 
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Russ, I had narrowed down the field to the Dunlop Direzza DZ102 as my choice in the the economical ultra high performance tires. Tirerack video review had them higher than the Kuhmo's you are targeting in virtually every situation except for wet driving.

I have no personal experience with either one. I'm sure you would be very happy with either one.

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PostPosted: May 16, 2018, 3:19 pm 
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Russ, after seeing your car at the "Gathering" last weekend, I'm gonna go back to votin' for flaps. Yours may come down a long way from the fenders, but there's still a big gap from flap to the ground. Just make an experimental flap extender from what ever is handy and duct tape it in place for an experiment. If it works, make a permanent change. If it doesn't, you haven't wasted a lot of cash to find out!

KB58 wrote, "The mud flaps need to almost touch the ground in order to protect the rear fenders"

Judging by this pic, you've got at least 8" clearance on that flap, maybe more!


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