Are horrible tires.

 

I think you will find most but not all agree with you on this, there are many posting about Runflats on here, and just as many opinions.

 

LOL

.....until you have a flat!

Got rid of mine within the first year due to ride and I tore them up pretty well.

 

I got rid of mine too! Was cheaper and better performance with new rims and tires..

 

yep. just took off my 17" summer rims w RFs. Got some 16" non RF Goodyear Eagle GTs on now. quite a bit better!

Still a tad stiff due to it being lowered but hey..

 

I like my run flats a lot. I've only had mine for 5,000 miles, so we'll see how it goes.

 

I have a set of all season 17" dunlops on my Clubman and love em...Loads of grip amazingly and are wearing good....However...had a set of performance 18's on the GP and they sucked...burned em up in 9500 miles.

 

Run flats are: noisy, hard (no, really hard) riding, difficult to fix, very expensive, ....

 

+1
Run-Flats Fail.

Many conventional tires have much better handling characteristics and offer much more comfortable ride for alot better prices.

 

I bought a used 2005 MCS and all 4 run flats have needed replaced. The car was barely used so most of the tread on them was still pretty fresh. There were multiple defects on the sides and many "bubbles". A horrible experience.

 

After reading all the posts here about the run flats I finally dumped mine on my 2006 MCS. I got a great deal on some 205/50ZR-16 HANKOOK VENTUS R-S2 with treadwear 200 that tirerack was closing out ($68 each!). All I can say is it is like a different car now, amazingly better. The run flats are so completely horible I don't understand why they continue to put them on the Mini. They ride like they're made out of solid rubber and aren't the least bit grippy. For a car they like to hype as handling so well why don't they put some real rubber on it right from the factory?

All I can say is why didn't I listen sooner and dump the run flats. Do yourself a favor and get rid of them as soon as possible.

 

so you would not recommend using runflats in snow/ice...?
I guess I need to change tires here soon before the bad weather hits.

 

i hated them because they were hard. the rear especially never felt like it was planted...always wondering around. My 17" Continental RFs worked last winter but after all, they were brand new. This winter they were about half-gone so I opted for a new set of 16" all-seasons. should be muuuuch better

 

When you dump the RFs do get any annoying messages on the on-board-computer from the lack of TPMS signal?

 

Nope^

 

I don't get any of that either.^^^^^^

In defense of RFT's, I had Bridgestone Potenza RE050A's when I bought it and they were very grippy. Bad treadwear rating though. I blew through them after about 6 months and 4 laps at an autocross. But apparently those tires are VERY popular autocross tires because they keep you in the 'street' division but grip well...just my 2 cents.

I have Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2's on now but haven't punished them yet. I have a donut spare hiding under my rear-seat delete.

 

As long as the system was reset you should not get a warning ....tire type has nothing to do with the TPMS ( on an r50/r53). On newer models you just have to have the installer replace the 4$ battery inthe tppm unit by the valvestem.....Run-Flats suck. Buy a 12v compressor and a plug kit or a can of fix a flat....will be fine 90% of the time.

 

Its all about how you are using your tires...
I run Potenza RE01R in the summer on light weight wheels. In the winter, I run Continental runflat snow tires on the factory 17" S-Lite wheels. I could not be happier. The thought of having to deal with a flat during a snow storm is not appealing.
Summer performance tires (like the Potenzas I have, or some of the other tires listed) are not appropriate for cold weather and slick surfaces. The tires stay hard, and will not grip as well as the snow tires, even though they are runflats.

In fact, the Continental run flats are quieter than some BFGs that I had previously as my summer stock.

So blanket statements (I hate Runflats) seem silly. Everything is relative. Cooper drivers, with their spare tires, may feel differently than Cooper S drivers that are not able to carry a spare.

 

".... For a car they like to hype as handling so well why don't they put some real rubber on it right from the factory?

All I can say is why didn't I listen sooner and dump the run flats. Do yourself a favor and get rid of them as soon as possible."

I think there is something in the gov't rule book that says that you need a spare tire, or an equivalent. To leave space for luggage (or a pair of toothbrushes ) BMW has decided that run-flats work. Legally, they may. Goodyear must think theirs are made with gold, not steel. VERY pricey. I was glad I had them, as they saved a tow to the tire shop. I will agree that the price of tow (in town, LA) does not make up for the price of new tires. The set was $700 for Kumhos. Yeah, harsh ride. But, they do handle well.

My two cents. Worth what you paid for it.