[aman-bh]

Originally Posted by deepak_bajaj

What did you finally do? I'm also in a similar situation of tyre change due to tyre burst second time in my 14k run. Did you switch to 235/50/R18? This size is only available in Primacy 4 ST.

Appreciate your feedback to help me decide . I'm frustrated with tyre bursts.

Sorry for the late reply, did you change them already? I did switch to that size and got tubeless instead but my car completely lost it’s feel while driving, I didn’t prefer the floaty ride, so I got the Pirelli’s back again and touch wood, it’s been doing well, just gotta be careful on potholes and I have had no problems whatsoever with them.

[deepak_bajaj]

Originally Posted by aman-bh

Sorry for the late reply, did you change them already? I did switch to that size and got tubeless instead but my car completely lost it’s feel while driving, I didn’t prefer the floaty ride, so I got the Pirelli’s back again and touch wood, it’s been doing well, just gotta be careful on potholes and I have had no problems whatsoever with them.

Thanks aman-bh for the reply. I completely understand what you mean by saying "floaty ride" but I'm content with it. It still runs as good as original, no grip loss and provides me peace of mind. What is the point of a good ride feeling when it is overburdened by the fear of hitting a pot hole and loosing a tyre (totally my personal opinion). It's not only money but it totally spoils your trip. I'm one of those who put comfort first (again it's just me ). So I went ahead and did the switch. And I'm happy and content.

[Sushants]

I never thought there will be a dedicated thread for BMW X1 Pirelli tyre woes. Then, I had my tyre bursts. One after another.

Incident 1: I has two tyres burst in Chorla Ghat, where there is no mobile network on trip from Mumbai to Goa. These tyres were original equipment that came with the car - BMW X1 Xline 2018 Aug model. Two tyres were right side front and rear., We couldn't even use a Stepney as two tyres had burst. These were Pirelli 225/ 50 / R18 tyres. (Runflat) More on this here (Mumbai - Pune - Kolhapur - Goa : Route Queries)

See pics of incident 1

I got both tyres replaced with the same make as there is a shortage of tyres of other variants (eg conti, michelin that fit). Finally, with two new tyres (Pirelli, P7, 225 / 50 / R18 - Runflat) which we fitted at the rear I left for Mumbai yesterday on 18.04.2021

Incident 2 With 60 kms to go from Pune, we had another tyre leak. While coming back I was driving around 80-90 speed maximum and avoiding potholes with every ounce of energy. The NEW tyre in the rear developed a crack and leaked. Can you imagine!! Thankfully a roadside punctre walla inflated the tyre to confirm the crack and helped change to stepney. I know we can drive only 80-100 kms on stepney but due to the lock down I had no other option. but to drive with family back to Mumbai. About 250 Kms at speed of 40 km/hour. While I am home and speaking to the Pirelli guys, it seems it is easy for these guys to claim that this was "accidental damage" and not manufacturing defect. They can deny any warranty based on that. Lets see. Pics attached

See pics of incident 2

Such a horrible experience with these tyres. Next, I will change all 4 tyres and to normal tubeless with strong sidewalls (NO RUNFLATS). I haven't decided about the brand.

TBH, it was hugely embarrassing to drive my family in BMW and both ways have to face such a tyre issue. Both BMW and Pirelli have let me down horribly. I am not the only one - there is a whole community, I realize of those who have suffered at the hands of such unreliable tyres.

[el lobo 6061]

Originally Posted by Sushants

I never thought there will be a dedicated thread for BMW X1 Pirelli tyre woes. Then, I had my tyre bursts. One after another.

Reason is sidewall of tyre is low and stiff since its RFT.
225 50 R18 tyres sidewall = 112.5 mm

I have 225 55 R17 RFT tyres on my X1. Sidewall is 123.75 mm.
Driven through all sorts of potholes but never faced such dilemma with Pirelli.

Option 1:
Best solution be change over all 4 tyres to tubeless. You could either keep OEM tyre size 225 50 R18 or upsize to 235 50 R18. Depending on availability.

Option 2:
File a claim with Pirelli for one damaged tyre and I'm hopeful they might give goodwill claim of 50%. Since you already bought 2 new tyres few days back and it be sheer waste of resources to let them go.

[Sushants]

Originally Posted by el lobo 6061

Reason is sidewall of tyre is low and stiff since its RFT.
225 50 R18 tyres sidewall = 112.5 mm

I have 225 55 R17 RFT tyres on my X1. Sidewall is 123.75 mm.
Driven through all sorts of potholes but never faced such dilemma with Pirelli.

Option 1:
Best solution be change over all 4 tyres to tubeless. You could either keep OEM tyre size 225 50 R18 or upsize to 235 50 R18. Depending on availability.

Option 2:
File a claim with Pirelli for one damaged tyre and I'm hopeful they might give goodwill claim of 50%. Since you already bought 2 new tyres few days back and it be sheer waste of resources to let them go.

Thank you, I was thinking on similar lines. For Option 2, I am not inclined to spend more than 10K on replacing the tyre so if Pirelli can manage that then I will go for it. I don't have any long trips coming up so hopefully city driving should be ok. Later I will change all 4 to tubeless.

I have 3 questions for you - 1. What determines the sidewall thickness - is it some calculation based on the profile, height and radius?

2. With tubeless (non-run flat) tyres for OEM specs, will the crack / bursting / issue get resolved? Are the side walls thicker ? I know that they are less stiff and give a more comfortable ride?

3. Any other spec that I can consider - say R 17? will it mean changing alloy wheels? How is your X1 with an R17? Is it a different year of X1? Mine is 2018

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by Sushants

Thank you, I was thinking on similar lines. For Option 2, I am not inclined to spend more than 10K on replacing the tyre so if Pirelli can manage that then I will go for it. I don't have any long trips coming up so hopefully city driving should be ok. Later I will change all 4 to tubeless.

I have 3 questions for you - 1. What determines the sidewall thickness - is it some calculation based on the profile, height and radius?

2. With tubeless (non-run flat) tyres for OEM specs, will the crack / bursting / issue get resolved? Are the side walls thicker ? I know that they are less stiff and give a more comfortable ride?

3. Any other spec that I can consider - say R 17? will it mean changing alloy wheels? How is your X1 with an R17? Is it a different year of X1? Mine is 2018

Sidewall thickness is the profile of the tyre. Eg 225/50 18. The sidewall is 50% of 225mm.

Tubeless tyres will have more flex, so less chance of them cracking or bursting. That being said, its best to watch out for medium to large potholes and avoid or slow down for them.

On an X1 we have in the family, recently changed the tyres to 225/55 18 and we are quite happy with it.

[Sushants]

Originally Posted by Akshay1234

Sidewall thickness is the profile of the tyre. Eg 225/50 18. The sidewall is 50% of 225mm.

Tubeless tyres will have more flex, so less chance of them cracking or bursting. That being said, its best to watch out for medium to large potholes and avoid or slow down for them.

On an X1 we have in the family, recently changed the tyres to 225/55 18 and we are quite happy with it.

/
Excellent info, thanks. Which brand did you go for? is it non-runflat normal tubeless? Also, did you face any bursting issues on your runflat in X1 earlier?

Like a normal driver, I avoid and slow down for potholes and speed bumps. The failure of tyre wasn't due to hitting any potholes or wrong pressure. I was very sure of that this time.

[el lobo 6061]

Originally Posted by Sushants

1. What determines the sidewall thickness - is it some calculation based on the profile, height and radius?

225 50 R18, 225 * 50% = 112.5 mm
225 55 R18, 225 * 55% = 123.75 mm

Originally Posted by Sushants

2. With tubeless (non-run flat) tyres for OEM specs, will the crack / bursting / issue get resolved? Are the side walls thicker ? I know that they are less stiff and give a more comfortable ride?

Tubeless will be better as they flex more than RFT when in contact with pot holes. So less chances of bulge and cracking. But you need to be careful and gain confidence as you drive more with new tyres.

Sidewalls are thinner in tubeless as it doesn't need to support weight of car under full deflation like RFT.

Yes ride will be more comfortable in tubeless in comparison to RFT anyday.

Originally Posted by Sushants

3. Any other spec that I can consider - say R 17? will it mean changing alloy wheels? How is your X1 with an R17? Is it a different year of X1? Mine is 2018

Stick to R18 as these alloys look fab. Changing over to R17, you will need to buy alloys as well, which is not a good idea.

2 tyre choices.
225 50 R18
235 50 R18

225 55 R18 variance is 3.30%. Advisable limit is 3%

My X1 Expedition is 2018 model with 225 55 R17 tyres.

[Puneet0051]

Originally Posted by Sushants

/
Excellent info, thanks. Which brand did you go for? is it non-runflat normal tubeless? Also, did you face any bursting issues on your runflat in X1 earlier?

In a similar situation which tyre did you go for and what is the recommendation ?
Type - Tubeless
Size - 225/50/18 , 235/50/18, 225/55/18
Recommended Tyre brand - Michelin Pilot sport 4 or any other

[Sushants]

The recommendation is to go for tubeless, either Size - 225/50/18 or 35/50/18

With Tubeless tyres there is additional benefits (other than greater reliability on Indian roads) - Ride quality becomes softer/ smoother and not the stiff ride that we are used to with Run flats.
One drawback is slightly higher noise on high speed on highways. Nothing major though.

You can go for Michelin or any other brands that you trust. Conti is another option if you can get the originals. Check prices at 2-3 large dealerships before finalizing. Take sufficient time in hand so that you can get wheel balancing and alignment done when changing the tyres - after a burst tyre you want to be doubly sure.

[sashb]

I have an 2018 X1 SDRIVE with Pirelli 225/50 R18 RFT's. Have done about 25K over the last 3.5 yrs. Last week - the right tyre wall cracked after going over a pothole close to Hebbal in Bangalore. The tyre pressure warning came within 2 min and the tyre was completely deflated in about 15 min. Luckily we got home.

I called several places for a replacement of this tyre (Places mentioned on the Pirelli Website). It is either not available or the dealer try and sell u a whole set. Price of the tyre seems to be around 18K. There are some online sites like tyremarket.com which sell it with the (*) mark for about 22.5K.

I checked with the Airport road BMW Service and they had stock. They quoted 28K for new tyre plus labor plus balancing. I decided to get it done there itself as the differential didnt seem too much. Took about 3 hrs.
(As per bill - 19.2K for Tyre, 2.3K for labor, 0.5K for balancing + 6K GST)

[Shivam]

I picked up a pre worshipped X1 earlier this year.
It came with 4 yrs and 38k on ODO with 1 year of service warranty left.
Have been enjoying ever since.
The first major damage happened a month back when one the tires gave away suddenly. (Note: ODO about 47k)
I usually carry a pump in the boot for emergencies, but the car had just returned from service and did not put the pump back.

It was a Sunday night and was stranded, as the vehicle alarm said not to drive.
Changed the wheel with the donut and drove back safely. Next day took it to tire shop and they said it's completely gone.
There was another tire which had a bulge and the store manager suggested replacing that one too.

So, 50k on the spot for 2 tires + alignment and balancing. They put the new ones in the rear. I was indeed happy because the drive quality was better
There used to be some wind noise earlier which I had dismissed as normal, but with this update, the noise was gone. even smoother.

Attaching pictures of the unchanged tires after a week.






Now with about 49K on ODO, I was returning from Chennai on a rainy night, was about 100kms away from Bangalore Suddenly the vehicle says, stop the vehicle as tire pressure is too low. I got down to check and still hear a hizzing noise coming out heavily from the front tire and see that it had a big hole. Immediately replaced with donut and reached back home.

Now, looking at the condition of the tire 1 month back and the damage within this time, wondering if RFT is even worth it.

Also, do I need to change both the fronts or just the damaged one?

Please suggest.

Thanks in advance.
-Shiva

[RubberGuru1113]

Originally Posted by Shivam

Now with about 49K on ODO, I was returning from Chennai on a rainy night, was about 100kms away from Bangalore Suddenly the vehicle says, stop the vehicle as tire pressure is too low. I got down to check and still hear a hizzing noise coming out heavily from the front tire and see that it had a big hole. Immediately replaced with donut and reached back home.

Now, looking at the condition of the tire 1 month back and the damage within this time, wondering if RFT is even worth it.

Also, do I need to change both the fronts or just the damaged one?

Please suggest.

Thanks in advance.
-Shiva

Hey Shiva. At the rate that you're getting tyre bursts, I highly recommend that you change to regular tubeless Non-RFT tyres.

The RFTs are clearly not helping because you are having to change to the donut before driving home, which defeats the purpose of an RFT. While you're swapping, you need to change 2 tyres (on the same axle) as it is not recommended to mix RFT and Non-RFT tyres on the same axle. Having different types on the front and rear is ok.

It will also be way easier on your pocket - non-RFT tyres from premium brands for your size - 225/50R18 - will cost around 16~18k per tyre. You can check Vredestein Ultrac Vorti or the Continental UC6 in this price range. You can also consider an upsize to 235/50R18, or even 225/55R18 like Akshay1234. In fact, 225/55R18s cost only 14~15k per tyre and you get the added advantage of a 10 mm taller sidewall while the 235/50R18s will be expensive with minimal gains in sidewall height.

Originally Posted by Akshay1234

On an X1 we have in the family, recently changed the tyres to 225/55 18 and we are quite happy with it.

225/55R18 is the stock size on Tucson and one of our BHPians changed to the Vredesteins recently :-

Originally Posted by ramprakashr

Changed my Nexens to Vredestein Ultrac Vorti 225/55/R18 yesterday. Many thanks to BHPian RubberGuru1113 for reinstating the confidence on the Vredesteins.

Apparently the dealer's Apollo facility had a long wait time and he redirected me to their Bridgestone outlet to do the fitting, alignment and balancing. I had to pick the tyres in the passenger seat and drive to the Bridgestone outlet 3kms away.

I will let the photos do the talking.

Just before the drive to the tyre shop, with the old nexens :
Attachment 2344686

A look at one of the nexens after 27,500kms on the odo :
Attachment 2344681

The Vredesteins :
Attachment 2344682

Attachment 2344683

At the dealer's Bridgestone outlet
Attachment 2344687

The nexens were so very bad - inspite of the alignment, balancing and rotation every 7500kms. Two of the four tyres had 3 punctures each.

Drove a good 100kms with the Vredesteins. I understand the comparison might be odd given I'm comparing an old tyre to a brand new one, but the ride quality has improved multifold. The road noise has completely gone and there is good traction. Hope the vredesteins serve me well!

Also check out my post from a related thread on the precautions you need to take while swapping RFTs for regular tyres :-

Originally Posted by RubberGuru1113

My opinion - it all depends on the type of roads you frequent. RFTs are immune to impact damage - common in low profile tubeless tyres - basically the flexible sidewall causing an impact on the inner liner of the tyre in the case of a deep pothole and in an underinflated condition. But when driven continuously on bad roads, the rigidity of the RFTs’ sidewalls would cause a clean break of the sidewall because if the repetitive stress on the hard and brittle sidewall material, which in the case of tubeless tyres would have been absorbed without failure.

There are many documented cases with BHPians - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-...e-upgrade.html (BMW 530d M-Sport (G30) : Tyre upgrade)

This is surely avoidable in the case of tubeless tyres, but the caveat being that one needs to be extra diligent about maintaining the correct pressure and top up the air well before receiving a TPMS alert.

[Shivam]

Thanks RubberGuru1113 for the detailed answer and explanation.
I have been looking for Non RFT in Bangalore and my regular tire shop doesn't have any at the moment.

Any recommendations on this online supplier tyresnmore.com ?

Thanks again!
Shiva

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by Shivam

I have been looking for Non RFT in Bangalore and my regular tire shop doesn't have any at the moment.

Make calls to all the top players like Madhus, Sai Iyengar, Millivision, SLNS Pitstop etc.

Someone must have them , whether they are 225/50/18 or 225/55/18!