[bigdaddyo811]

I heard on the youtube clip or somewhere that the tires are specifically made for Fisker and the Karma.

So, if you get a flat and need a replacement, must you get the tire from the dealer and how much are they going to be?

bdo

 

[kabalah70]

Tire Rack has Fisker Karma in their database but no tires available. They also do not have Goodyear F1 Supercar non-specific tires except for the rears at $285. I had heard that the Karma specific tires are around $450 each, but I could be mistaken.

 

[brian]

Yep, the cost of the tires are going to be the #1 maintenance cost of owning this car. Probably going to spend more on tires each year than I normally would in gas on a normal car

-Brian

 

[SoCalGuy]

Wasn't there some other lower cost tires people found a couple months back (e.g. $850ish for a set of four)?

 

[MArkansas]

Wasn't there some other lower cost tires people found a couple months back (e.g. $850ish for a set of four)?

Yokohama I think.

 

[bigdaddyo811]

Wasn't there some other lower cost tires people found a couple months back (e.g. $850ish for a set of four)?

Yokohama I think.

Anyone know where to get them?

 

[MJM]

Pick your favorite spot. Tirerack.com has them (Yokohama 255 and 285). $948 for a set of 4.

 

[bigdaddyo811]

Pardon my ignorance. What do I enter when I go to Tirerack.com under Yokohama. There is room for 3 numbers and which name is it?

Link?

Pick your favorite spot. Tirerack.com has them (Yokohama 255 and 285). $948 for a set of 4.

 

[brian]

Me thinks that if there were existing tires that worked on the Karma then Fisker would not have gone to the trouble to have custom ones made. I'm guessing that standard tires have a rubber compound that will rub off like a pencil eraser when put on a 5300lb. car. The Goodyear's are probably specially formulated for the weight and strain.

-Brian

 

[MArkansas]

Me thinks that if there were existing tires that worked on the Karma then Fisker would not have gone to the trouble to have custom ones made. I'm guessing that standard tires have a rubber compound that will rub off like a pencil eraser when put on a 5300lb. car. The Goodyear's are probably specially formulated for the weight and strain.

-Brian

I think that David Harris made that point in an earlier thread if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Wimbledon]

Here are the links to order from Tire Rack. Someone should try these and see if they work.

Yokohama tires for Karma front: 255/35-22
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?width=255%2F&ratio=35&diameter=22&manufacturer=Yokohama&startIndex=0&search=true&pagelen=20&pagenum=1&pagemark=1&x=9&y=16


Yokohama tires for Karma rear: 285/35-22
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?width=285%2F&ratio=35&diameter=22&manufacturer=Yokohama&startIndex=0&search=true&pagelen=20&pagenum=1&pagemark=1&x=14&y=12

 

[bigdaddyo811]

I listened to one of the videos and Fisker says that the tires are specially formulated to have a higher profile to make a 22' rim drive feel smooth. I guess we will only know when someone blows a tire and gets it replaced...post when you know!

 

[MArkansas]

Me thinks that if there were existing tires that worked on the Karma then Fisker would not have gone to the trouble to have custom ones made. I'm guessing that standard tires have a rubber compound that will rub off like a pencil eraser when put on a 5300lb. car. The Goodyear's are probably specially formulated for the weight and strain.

-Brian

I think that David Harris made that point in an earlier thread if I'm not mistaken.

From 1972 - 2006 I have had 4 generations of Vettes. I have run through Notsogoodyears like butter (15k) no matter how conservative I drove and monitored psi. I begged for Michelin to produce a tire until they came out around 2007. I have a set on my 06 now that look new after twice the millage. Now I have to go back in time to..... Where is Michelin? I read Fisker started there, I wish they stayed.

 

[SoCalGuy]

Is there consensus that we'll probably only get about 6K miles range on a set of 4?

 

[MArkansas]

Is there consensus that we'll probably only get about 6K miles range on a set of 4?

Until Michelin comes along. I hope I don't have to wait four Karmas and another thirty five years!!!!!

 

[LonePalmBJ]

Is there consensus that we'll probably only get about 6K miles range on a set of 4?

None of us know. The only data point we have to go on is that one of the Roadshow cars with apparently about 6K miles looked like it needed new rubber in a photograph, and perhaps one person's observation. Of course the Roadshow cars will have led the worst possible life for tires since they will not have been driven normally, plus we really don't know anything about the tires on that one car; if 6K was really all they had on them, if the photos that people were looking at were giving an accurate read, or anything else. It's all speculation at this point.

Based on my experience with other vehicles sporting soft summer rubber, and the fact that the Karma is very heavy, I don't *expect* great tread life, but personally I would be surprised if the real number wasn't closer to 10 or 12K. We'll all find out as soon as a few real owners with real world use rack up meaningful miles.

On my previous car, and MB SLK55 AMG, the Michelin OEM rubber was horrible and didn't make it much over 10K, and I got a lot better life when I switched to Goodyear Eagle F1s, so I don't know that just comparing brand names tells us much.


Brent

 

[svp6]

Is there consensus that we'll probably only get about 6K miles range on a set of 4?

None of us know. The only data point we have to go on is that one of the Roadshow cars with apparently about 6K miles looked like it needed new rubber in a photograph, and perhaps one person's observation. Of course the Roadshow cars will have led the worst possible life for tires since they will not have been driven normally, plus we really don't know anything about the tires on that one car; if 6K was really all they had on them, if the photos that people were looking at were giving an accurate read, or anything else. It's all speculation at this point.

Based on my experience with other vehicles sporting soft summer rubber, and the fact that the Karma is very heavy, I don't *expect* great tread life, but personally I would be surprised if the real number wasn't closer to 10 or 12K. We'll all find out as soon as a few real owners with real world use rack up meaningful miles.

On my previous car, and MB SLK55 AMG, the Michelin OEM rubber was horrible and didn't make it much over 10K, and I got a lot better life when I switched to Goodyear Eagle F1s, so I don't know that just comparing brand names tells us much.


Brent

I looked at that - completely bald tires on the front, nearly bold on the rear at 6500 miles on both roadshow cars - obviously not driven conservatively. Since I decided to wait, I erased all the still photo's (be thankfull you cannot see them, the tires looked quite bad). My Fisker youtube video is still on, if you freeze and zoom up on the front tire you can appreciate the external part of the front is completely smooth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQO2JDPDByc&feature=g-upl&context=G263f5d9AUAAAAAAABAA

 

[brian]

I've now got 2000 miles on my Karma and the tires still look new.

-Brian

 

[svp6]

Me thinks that if there were existing tires that worked on the Karma then Fisker would not have gone to the trouble to have custom ones made. I'm guessing that standard tires have a rubber compound that will rub off like a pencil eraser when put on a 5300lb. car. The Goodyear's are probably specially formulated for the weight and strain.

-Brian

I think that David Harris made that point in an earlier thread if I'm not mistaken.

I would imagine that 22" tires are not made for Smart Fortwo sized cars.... They would tipically go on SUV/trucks, which are not that different in terms of weight. Once enough Karma's are on the road, someone will find an aftermarket wheel/tire combo that works...

 

[Sigurd]

I think that video is of such bad quality that it is impossible to accurately gauge tire wear from that. I'm with Brent, I think it is totally reasonable to expect to get over 10K miles on the tires, maybe over 15K. My Gallardo tires wear out (rears) in around 12K -15K miles and they are Pirelli PZero ZR rated and with tread wear at 220. And, I definitely drive the Gallardo harder than the Karma. I think we'll get more reports back like from Brian that tires look good after X number of miles and I don't think anybody will report completely bald tires at 6K miles like this video suggests unless the car is tracked daily.
Cheers,