Should we be running an all season tire or a summer tire? And I'm assuming all 3 should be the same type.
Tire type
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I run the Nitto Movito.
It is more expensive than the Nitto 555 that is popular here. However it has a much higher safety rating in wet weather which was all i needed to know.
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depends on what you plan to do with your SS. A quality all season will work good for most driving and i would look for one with really good wet weather rating. If you like the twisties and going fast a good Summer performance tire would be in order. As for all three matching I have had two different rears but have always run the Kinda's up front (not for any other reason than not wanting to pay to replace tires with plenty of tread).
I'm just now switching to Nitto 555 G2's all the way around.
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I've now got over 35000 miles on my Slingshot. I still have my original Kenda front tires and have had two Kenda KR20 265/35R18 (stock) tires, 1 Sumitomo HTR Z III 295/30ZR18 tire and a Nankang NS-20 275/35R18 tire. I just ordered Nitto Motivo 215/50R17 tires for the front and will mate them up with a Nitto 555 G2 315/35ZR17 tire on the rear. I've not had any problems running tires with different tread patterns front and rear, but I wouldn't want to run different tread patterns on the same axle. When it's time to replace the rear, I may go with a Motivo or another 555 G2, depending on how long the 555 G2 lasts and how much I like the Motivos.
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When it's time to replace the rear, I may go with a Motivo or another 555 G2, depending on how long the 555 G2 lasts and how much I like the Motivos.
I love the Movito in standing water. I have noticed a huge difference and love it completely.
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Should we be running an all season tire or a summer tire? And I'm assuming all 3 should be the same type.
This article explains difference. Biggest issue is that summer tires are better on wet roads and better toward avoiding hydroplaning.
summer-tires-vs-all-season-tires-which-are-best-for-you -
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Are the stock tires summer or all season? I'm sure Polaris has done traction testing do you think they have the results listed somewhere?
More than likely their testing was done by seeing the price Kenda would sell them the tire for!
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federal 285x30x18 rsr
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That looks really slippery... Am I wrong?
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federal 285x30x18 rsr
been running the Federal 595 EVO and it's been a good tire when it had decent tread depth. It's rather low now and being replaced. Spirited driving netted about 7500 miles but was far less expensive.
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That looks really slippery... Am I wrong?
Yes. That would have pretty good dry traction, but I would stay away from riding on any wet roads with that tread pattern
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Thought so... Thanks FITS!
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This article explains difference. Biggest issue is that summer tires are better on wet roads and better toward avoiding hydroplaning.summer-tires-vs-all-season-tires-which-are-best-for-you
Interesting article. After reading that article, I Googled "Summer Tires Vs All-Season Tires" and came to the following conclusions (I admit that my conclusions are influenced by my preference for longer-tread-life over maximum grip, other factors being essentially equal) -
Summer/Ultra-High-Performance tires are definitely the choice for the most-spirited drivers, unless they routinely drive during periods when road surfaces can be considered slick/slippery.
Generally, the performance offered by Summer/UHP tires comes at the expense of tread-life. A TireRack.com article pointed out that All-Season tires can offer twice the tread-life compared to a Summer tire.
This Tire Review article - Summer Tires Compared to All-Season UHP Tires - Tire Review, drives home the commonly-held misconception that All-Season tires have better wet-road grip than Summer/UHP tires (and I like the tone it's written in).
Since I already purchased a Nitto 555 G2 315 UHP tire for use as my rear tire, and just received 2 Nitto Motivo All-Season UHP tires to use on the front, I am somewhat partial to Nitto tires (unless my future driving experiences cause me to change my mind)! Nitto rates their 555 G2 UHP tire 320AA A, and rates it as 4.5/5 for Dry AND Wet Performance, and 3/5 for Comfort and Quietness. It's considered Nitto's best UHP tire. For the Motivo All-Season UHP tire, Nitto rates it 560A A (longer tread-life, but not quite as good temperature performance rating), but also rates the Motivo as 4/5 for Dry Performance, 5/5 for Wet Performance, and 5/5 for Comfort AND Quietness. In my mind, this places the Motivo a close second to the 555 G2 and gives it a slight edge for its Wet Performance, Comfort and Quietness. These factors cause me to think the Motivo may well be the better choice (at least between Nitto products) for the Polaris Slingshot, given how lots of folks criticize the Slingshot for its wet-road performance and noisy ride. Those folks concerned about ride harshness due to the shorter sidewalls on the SL/LE/SLR models may also appreciate its Comfort rating. I haven't yet mounted my Motivos, so I haven't had a chance to see if my feelings will hold up under real-world conditions.
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Does everyone think a tire will really make a difference on wet weather performance or is it just the nature of the beast (design) of the sling? When I replace mine I will not be going with oem and would love to think a better tire will help with wet weather traction but just don't want to get a false sense of hope I can ride in the rain without ending up in a ditch. As a note I have never drove the sling in the rain, but I am concerned about it.
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Does everyone think a tire will really make a difference on wet weather performance or is it just the nature of the beast (design) of the sling? When I replace mine I will not be going with oem and would love to think a better tire will help with wet weather traction but just don't want to get a false sense of hope I can ride in the rain without ending up in a ditch. As a note I have never drove the sling in the rain, but I am concerned about it.
Help with traction yes, make the sling a safe vehicles when the roads are wet NO.
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That's my feeling also.
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almost makes you wonder about the SlingShade top. What if Polaris and the liability lawyers realized that by putting a top on it (from the dealer) they are saying that it's perfectly OK to drive it in the rain. Now that would be funny.
Joking aside @Fyrzout it's the nature of the beast. Better tires will help and as noted keeping the 255 width would also be a good idea if wet weather is your biggest concern. The weight distribution is biased to the front as well as being a lightweight vehicle with a short wheel base. All equal a vehicle not so good in wet weather...
Damn is it fun in the dry....
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Agree. Quality tires may help reduce but can never eliminate the chance of hydroplaning - the geometry & weight distribution of the Slingshot, combined with wide tread pattern, makes it naturally prone to do so - ESPECIALLY when there's standing water!
Slow down significantly or just pull over. Otherwise, you're just rolling the dice...
