Display MoreCan anyone list 1 benefit of running a assymetric tire over a directional tire on the rear of a reverse trike that has a centered rear wheel?
Can anyone name a manufacture that installs an assymetric tire on this type of machine from the factory?
A local tire guy isn't going to know much about this subject. You will need to call and chat to a factory rep from one of the big tire brands that understands tires and this vehicle layout.
I see 0 benefits of choosing an assymetric tire. You also can compare the crappy Kendas to any new option. The new option, if its half way decent, should be much better.
Is this type of tire going to hurt/wreck people? Probably not. But is there a benefit of choosing assymetric, probably not.
Hey TravAZ I wont say that there is any 1 benefit that applies to all asymmetrical tires and its not even easy to compare between manufactures because they all do their own testing and for all practical purposes set their own standards. So to answer your question I will only address Nitto tires that they classify as "passenger car" tires that they rate as "ultra high performance" . In this classification they have 6 tires, 2 of which are symmetrical, the NT555 and the NT555 G2 and 4 of which are asymmetrical the Motivo, Neogen, NT450 & Invo. on their site they give the results of their testing for each of these tires for both their dry traction and their wet traction. the scale for each goes from 0 to 5 bars and the results of their testing of their ultra high performance tires is as follows:
Motivo: Dry Traction 4.0, Wet Traction 5.0 combined score 9
Invo: Dry Traction 4.0 Wet Traction 4.0 combined score 8
NT555 G2 Dry Traction 4.5 Wet Traction 4.5 combined score 9
NT555 Dry Traction 3.5 Wet traction 3.5 combined score 7
Neogen Dry Traction 3.5 Wet Traction 4.0 combined score 7.5
NT450 Dry Traction 3.5 Wet Traction 3.5 combined score 7
As you can see there is no standard where asymmetrical tires or symmetrical tires by this manufacture are always better in wet or dry traction. the two highest scoring tires are the NT555 G2 and the Motivo with both having a combined score for wet and dry traction of 9. the NT555 G2 a symmetrical tire is balanced with both wet and dry being equal at 4.5 each. The Motivo on the other hand seems to trade a little dry traction dropping to 4.0 behind the 555 G2' 4.5 to get its perfect score of 5.0 for wet traction
So judging by the numbers provided by Nitto in the case of their ultra high performance tires the asymmetrical Motive has 1 benefit over all of their symmetrical ultra high performance tires and that would be better wet traction
When I needed a new rear tire I chose to go with Nitto. I did so because their NT555 G2 seems to be very highly regarded here on slingshotinfo and at first the 555 G2 was the tire I thought I would get. Before actually just blindly buying that one tire I decided it would be wise to do a little research and I also figured that if I stayed within the Nitto line of tires their testing methodology would most likely be the same across their ultra high performance line of tires and that the numbers would all be on the same scale making my research more likely to tell me the real differences between the tires which might not be possible if I were comparing tires from different manufactures.
So in the end do to my specific application of my Slingshot being my daily driver I made the choice to trade a bit of my dry traction in order to get the best wet traction offered in a Nitto ultra high performance tire
is the better wet traction a function of the tire being asymmetrical? I dont have a clue, all I know is that in the tire options from Nitto they say it has the best wet traction they offer in a high performance tire
could some other company make a symmetrical tire that would give me better wet traction and at least equal dry traction? I dont know and considering the fact that they all set their own standards and do their own testing I don't know if it is even possible to tell by doing online research.
