RideLust

My family and I recently left the snowless San Francisco Bay Area for the high desert of Central Oregon. We now reside in a winter wonderland where snow swirls down out of the sky and temperatures regularly drop below freezing. That means snow tires. In Oregon, we can legally run ice-shredding studded tires. But I picked up a set of studless Bridgestone Blizzaks. Why studless? They’re quiet, they don’t tear up the roads, and from what I discovered from my extensive research as a professional journalist, they grip almost as well as the studded beasts. I also have a front-wheel-drive car (Mazda Protege 5) that does well in inclement weather even when shod in summer rubber. What do you think? Studded or studless?

Need new skins on your car? Better buy them quick, since prices have already gone up this year and will increase again next month. Goodyear, Bridgestone and Cooper have all announced October tire price increases, directly related to the supply of rubber available on the market.

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Wouldn't a chrome boat anchor be cool, too?

I’ve always been about function over form, and can’t think of very many upgrades I’ve done on cars or bikes that haven’t added either straight line speed, improved braking or enhanced grip in corners. Before I change a part, I try to find out exactly what it’s going to do for me; if the benefit is just enhanced appearance, chances are good I won’t spend my money. If it enhances appearance but slows the car down, I definitely won’t be spending my hard earned dollars on it.

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Does that price include fresh blinker fluid, too?

If you’re being charged $49.95 plus tax, as is the case in this ad from Porsche Center of San Antonio, the answer is a resounding “no”. Despite this ad’s claims, nitrogen does nothing to improve ride quality or fuel economy, and won’t prevent false tire warning lights any better than plain old air will. The key to getting a smooth ride, maximum fuel economy and no tire pressure warning lights is simple: regularly check your tire pressure when your tires are cold.

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Earlier this year I took part in the One Lap of America, a combination road rally / track event that takes competitors on a 3500 mile journey to some of the best racetracks in the United States. This event will test not only your stamina and endurance but every single part on your car. It’s long, it’s tough and it’s probably the most fun you’ll have on four wheels. When prepping the car for this event one of the biggest decisions that I had to make was tire choice. I needed a max summer performance tire that could handle the rigors of 9 days of hardcore track duty, 3500 miles of open road and perform well in both the wet and dry. In the past I’ve run Nitto NT555′s, Goodyear Eagle F1′s, Michelin Pilot Sports and Michelin PS2s. These were all good tires but each one had some inherent drawbacks.

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When you produce tires for motorsport events like the World Rally Championship, Superbike World Championship, British Superbike Championship, British Rally Championship and Formula 1 then you’d better know your stuff. That is why Pirelli, a leader in tire development for motorsports has just created their own “Formula One Team” that will be dedicated to producing the best rubber possible for high end motorsports.

In a recent press release Pirelli stated:

“The Pirelli Formula One team will be an international group of people based in Milan, the home of Pirelli Tire’s research and development department. This division has traditionally been at the heart of Pirelli’s cutting?edge technology and is formed of 1000 research engineers, working in five development centers located all over the world. Pirelli Tire allocates each year between 3 and 4% of its revenues, the highest level in the tire industry worldwide, to research. Motorsport activities have benefited for many years from the innovations introduced to high?performance tires by Pirelli’s Research and Development.”

You can read the full press release by clicking here.

A 1997 Ford Explorer, not the one in the crash

On June 5, 2009, nine teenagers piled into a 1997 Ford Explorer in a Jacksonville high school parking lot. The group of friends was headed for the beach when a tire failed on Interstate 295. The driver, a 15 year old who was neither trained nor licensed to drive, lost control of the vehicle, which rolled several times in the accident. Eight passengers were ejected from the vehicle; only the driver, who was wearing a seatbelt, remained in the vehicle. One passenger died at the scene, and three later succumbed to their injuries in local hospitals.

Now, a year later, the lawsuits begin. First to file was the family of a girl who survived the accident, albeit with serious injuries. The family’s attorney is representing three other families in the lawsuit brought against both Ford Motor Company and Cooper Tire and Rubber. Included in the lawsuit is the local garage that serviced the vehicle and the dealership that sold the used Explorer. In a statement for the media, the family’s attorney alleged that this was a “horrible tragedy” that “could have been prevented”; we’re in absolute agreement to this point. He then accuses Cooper Tire of having a faulty design on the Cooper Cobra radial, and accuses Ford of being involved in deaths “over and over again”. His final question is, “At what point does it call for punitive damages?”

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Evidently, a beneficent soul in France has heard my tearful pleas for a movie about a tire that murders people using telekinesis.  And not just any French saint, but Mr. Oizo!

Yes, Mr. Oizo – aka French electronic musician Quentin Dupieux – directed the Oscar contender “Rubber,” a film about a tire that comes alive, falls in love, and splatters human body parts all over the damn place.

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Uma Thurman is a good looking lady, the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder is a great looking car, and a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner with a blower… well, that’s just badass. Combine them all together in a ten minute movie advertisement for Pirelli’s new P-Zero tires and you’ve got the makings for one helluva good time.

Check it out.

The Pirelli Calender Girls: they know about tires

How many of you really understand the codes on the sidewall of your tire? If you do, you’ll be able to tell your tire’s size, how much weight it can carry, how fast it can go, whether or not it’s rated for mud & snow and even the date it was manufactured. If you’re a gear head, you’ll want to know as much about your tires as possible; if you’re just a commuter, then you may only need to know your tire’s size.

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