205 55 14"

[mazline]

Is anyone interested in 205 55 14 tyres,
Hankook Z211,
http://www.racetiresdirect.com/hankook_z211.asp
Here is a write from a spec Miata racer in the US

The Z211 construction is similar to that of the other top R compound tires in that they have a square and very stiff sidewall, which is more like a true racing slick than a street tire This is an advantage over most of the other R compound tires on the market in that you get much better turn in since the tire sidewall does not flex or roll under. Another advantage of this type construction is you don’t need to have as much camber as the other R compound tires, which is great for the Spec Miata since we are limited to 2 and 2.5 degrees.

Handling is excellent with no surprises. I have had a chance to test them in everything from very wet to dry conditions and to race with them in the dry. In the wet the full thread gave me great feedback and were sticky even when cold. Even with standing water on parts of the track they were able to evacuate most of the water. In the dry they are even better. They are easy to drive at the maximum slip angle with no surprises. When you do exceed the maximum slip angle you will get audible and steering feedback in plenty of time before they let go. If you continue to push them over the maximum slip angle they will become greasy, even then they are still predictable although not as fast. To get them back all it takes is an easy lap and they don’t seem to have any ill effects after that.

Braking is controlled and predictable. Straight line threshold braking is deep and consistent. Even if you do lock them up they are easy to get rolling again with just a little brake modulation. I have not seen one flat spot yet even with long lockups. Trail braking is also great, this is because of the Z211 having stiff sidewalls the tire does not squirm even when you are asking it to turn and brake at the same time.

Longevity has been great. I have three sets for Miata Cup racing one set of full thread for rain and two sets shaved for dry conditions. The first set of shaved was used to learn the car and try different suspension setups over a two week time period at two different tracks for a total of 9 heat cycles. They have only minimal wear with over three and half hours of time on them. The other set of shaved I first heat cycled on the 20 minute morning practice. They seem to need only a minimal initial heat cycle and will come in after only a lap or two. They still work great even if you don’t have time for the initial heat cycle. My next session was a 20 minute qualifying for the race. They come up to temperature quickly so I was able to get my fast lap within the first three to five laps. I then had a 30 minute race that afternoon so this is now the third heat cycle on them. I used the same set from the day before for the next 30 minute qualify session, they were even faster than the day before. So I decided to use them for the 40 minute race and they did not let me down. They now have five heat cycles and two plus hours on them and seem to be as fast as they were after the initial heat cycle.

The Hankook company and personnel have been great to work with. First I would like to thank all of the Hankook people that came out to support all of us Miata cup competitors. It is great to have a tire company that has this much interest in how each of us are doing. After each track session a Hankook engineer would look at our tires and ask for our feedback and opinions. They also provided great information about tire temperatures, pressures and where to start with initial setups. Well done Hankook! [thumbsup]

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Derek Smith
#42 Miata Cup Competitor

I can get hold of some thru the importer ,Let me know and i will price them up.