[karan561]

Likes;

- Looks (Aggressive Tread & Sidewall pattern)
- Toughness
- Exclusivity

Dislikes;

- Speed Rated 'S' i.e. only 180 km/h where as the Fortuner can achieve 190 km/h.
- Availability (BF Goodrich brand is still non existent in India)

Video Review;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07byq4WdiKs&t=143s

A closer look at the BF Goodrich T/A KO2 All Terrain tyres discussing the details in theory in my Classroom session;



Practicals;



Highway Performance - On Cement / Concrete Roads;



Highway Performance on Tar Roads;



A Discussion on Ride Comfort, Road Noise & Availability of BF Goodrich Tyres in India;

[karan561]

Bridgeston Dueler H/T (OE Tyres) v/s BF Goodrich T/A KO2



^ As seen in the above pic the BFG look intimidatingly aggressive & wider than the OE Bridgestone H/T.

Not only that the BFG's are heavier too by aprox 5.25 kg each.

Interestingly both are of the Same Size i.e. 265/60 R18, but the specifications vary a lot, have a look;

[karan561]

Fitment @ Super Tyres;

Loaded in the car;



What a great sight



Noticed some markings / stickering inside the wheel;



Balancing process;



Front Right Installed;



Before;



After;



Some Tyre Foam/Shine;





Final Result;

[karan561]

BF Goodrich T/A KO2;

BF Goodrich is a company which had invented the very 1st All Terrain tyre about 45 years ago.

The KO2's are the 4th All Terrain by them.

The BF Goodrich T/A KO2 were launched about 15 years after the KO, so BF Goodrich took up good amount of time in making this tyre before introducing them in 2015.

T/A stands for Trans Am
KO stands for Key On & Off Road
& 2 denotes the 2nd generation of the KO series.

The major change of the KO2 over the previous generation is the sidewall which with the help of the coreguard technology is about 20% stronger now.

The tread also now have triangular stone ejectors placed at regular intervals these help remove stones from the tread, which could otherwise damage the tread or cause uneven wear.

Other details have been mentioned in my video posted in the opening post.

BAJA Heritage;

BF Goodrich has had several wins at BAJA (21 consecutive wins to be precise).

This tyre too has taken some influence from their T/A KR Line i.e. their Off Road Racing tire.

Why the BFG for the Fortuner ?

The 4x4 Fortuner is equipped with 18" H/T tyres where as the 4x2 is with 17" A/T Tyres, pretty shocking selection by Toyota India.

I was looking for an (early) replacement of the OE Bridgestone's as they were not only limiting the Off Road potential of the truck but also aesthetically poor looking.

The options in the market were Yokohama Geolanders, though have heard good things about them from a set of users but was not interested as they were too common.

BF Goodrich was the only tyre which could really satisfy my need for Off Road Performance, On Road Performance (Note: These BF Goodrich tyres are stock on F150 Raptor one of the most powerful TRUCK), looks & exclusivity hence i took the effort to import them for my Truck.

OFF Road;

The Aggressive tread pattern claws Off Road trails very well & this is where the BFG's truly stand out.

Its also very reassuring to approach sharp edged terrains with much more confidence.

In slush too these almost behave supremely well, with constantly throwing the muck out threw its shoulder design.

Rocky Terrain ? I haven't really done much of that hence shall reserve my comments but would certainly be expectedly good.

More details & Off Roading clips have been shared in the video posted in the opening post

HIGHWAY PERFORMANCE;

I haven't really adjusted my driving style to be honest after switching from the OE Highway terrain to these ALL Terrains. I still manage to hold healthy speeds with much confidence & also lane changing during some aggressive driving stints haven't really been a hassle with such aggressive A/T tyres.

Also the directional stability is very good with an improved steering feedback.

RIDE QUALITY;

A thing about the Ride Quality, these are heavy tyres hence the unsprung weight has increased. In a car like the Fortuner where the ride quality is naturally bumpy these tyres have sort of settled the ride in a great way. Also do keep in mind BF Goodrich is owned my Michelin & hence they know how to set the tyre compound right & overall the Michelin influence is clearly felt in this generation of the KO series.

ROAD NOISE;

Well expectedly the road noise has gone up somewhat considering the tread pattern being really aggressive ALL TERRAIN pattern. But overall people who have used the KO (previous gen) they have said the KO2's are a LOT quieter than the KO's & the credit again goes to the Compound.

BUT tyre noise is slightly more prominent over cement / concrete roads where as the TAR Roads its almost negligible.

FE Impact?;

About 5 kg x 4 of unsprung weight has been added with an aggressive tread pattern i'd be lying to say there is no FE implication. Well, Yes the FE has dropped a bit, i'd say about 1 km/l.

But again i have been able to get FE in the mid 12s easily, which is not bad at all for a Fortuner.

Verdict;

It will be fair to say that BF Goodrich have outdone themselves with these All Terrains.

You know you have a awesome tyre when you totally forget about TRACTION right, thats kinda what i feel both ON & OFF Road.


* Note: Above review has been compiled after clocking 7,500+ kms on these BF Goodrich T/A KO2 tyres !

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Tyre Section. Thanks for sharing!

[starter]

Hey Karan,
Thanks for this review. Very detailed and handy.
One basic question though, are these tyres available in India?
In '09, i was able to find these tyres in 215/235s R15s quite easily, but not anymore.
Is this only the case here in Bangalore or is it the same in Bombay too?
Cheers,
Deepak

[vishal9999]

Congrats for king of wheels!! I was looking for similar tyre for my Landcruiser but could not find one ,where did you purchase this tyre from.

[Vikram Arya]

Great Review Karan!

The Bridgestone Dueler H/T that came OE with the Fortuner is an SL (Standard Load) rated tire whereas the BFG T/A KO-2 that you have replaced those with is an E rated (load rating) tire which is basically a light truck tire. That is reflected in their maximum load capacity (3,000 lbs vs 2,271 lbs) and the maximum inflation pressure (80 psi vs 44 psi). Unfortunately, in this size, BFG does not offer any C load rated tire which might have been more suitable for the subject application.

The ride quality of the BFG KO/2 will be much harsher as Fortuner is not heavy enough to warrant the use of E rated tires. E rated tires are primarily used for half ton/3 quarter ton pick up truck applications.

Although the BFG T/A KO2 is a much superior tire from hydroplaning/dry traction/off-roading capability perspective, the issue here is likely to be harsh ride because of the higher load rating and a possible hit to the fuel economy because of 48 lbs (for all 4 tires) of extra unsprung weight.

However, as the ride quality of Fortuner is bumpy anyway, I believe you might not have felt that deterioration in the ride quality. These tires look awesome and would definitely last much longer than the OE tires though.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by starter

Hey Karan,
Thanks for this review. Very detailed and handy.

Thanks Deepak !

One basic question though, are these tyres available in India?

No, i had to privately import them.

In '09, i was able to find these tyres in 215/235s R15s quite easily, but not anymore.

True, those years BF Goodrich had a presence in India, had seen a few Gypsy's running around with the T/A KO's.

Is this only the case here in Bangalore or is it the same in Bombay too

Same here.

Originally Posted by vishal9999

Congrats for king of wheels!! I was looking for similar tyre for my Landcruiser but could not find one ,where did you purchase this tyre from.

Thanks Vishal, this was privately imported from the UK as i had no other option in A/T for 18" size here in India other than the Yokohama Geolanders.

Originally Posted by Vikram Arya

Great Review Karan!

Thanks Vikram.

The Bridgestone Dueler H/T that came OE with the Fortuner is an SL (Standard Load) rated tire whereas the BFG T/A KO-2 that you have replaced those with is an E rated (load rating) tire which is basically a light truck tire. That is reflected in their maximum load capacity (3,000 lbs vs 2,271 lbs) and the maximum inflation pressure (80 psi vs 44 psi). Unfortunately, in this size, BFG does not offer any C load rated tire which might have been more suitable for the subject application.

^ Quality Information, Thanks ! But for 265/60 R18 this was the only available option from my source.

Although the BFG T/A KO2 is a much superior tire from hydroplaning/dry traction/off-roading capability perspective, the issue here is likely to be harsh ride because of the higher load rating and a possible hit to the fuel economy because of 48 lbs (for all 4 tires) of extra unsprung weight.

Ride quality is not an issue for me, infact the ride quality has become better over broken roads, uneven patches of concrete roads. Overall not much of an hinderance as the Michelin influence is clearly felt in the compound as i mention in the video.

These tires look awesome and would definitely last much longer than the OE tires though.

Definitely !

[dean5545]

Hey Karan,
Awesome review of an awesome tyre.

Even I was looking for BF Goodrich KO2's along with Karan for a long time. Finally laid my hands on them 2 weeks back.

I'll share some pics of the same.

The first glimpse:



Each tyre weighs around 23kg:



Comparo pic:



I inflated one tyre from 0 psi to 31 using my Michelin compressor, it did it around 4minutes 30 sec I guess. It had become slower after filling 20 psi. I stopped it and started again after some time and it performed effortlessly. Heard the pop sound too.



Tyres removed:



A lift kit will go a long way in improving the look of the Fortuner with these tyres. This is how the Fortuner will look with a 4 inch lift. Although 2 inch is the practical choice I guess, strikes the perfect balance between stance and Ride Quality.


Brutal:



A close shot:



So I have driven only 1000km with these tyres till now. I have nothing to add to the review as Karan has done a wonderful job with it. I 100% agree to whatever he says.
Ride quality is up by 10%, the ride is more settled on unpaved roads. Grip is better than the stock tyres, but then again my oe tyres had done 55,000km when I replaced them. Fuel efficiency penalty is ~1kmpl.

All in all a worthy upgrade, now when do we get our trucks lifted? My hands are already itching!

[Sheel]

Lift and a good front bumper which would enhance the approach angle would suffice.

How much did the OE Bridgestone weigh up?

Big Congratulations to you both, this is a big step to utilize the Fortuner's capability fully. There is also a blue LC-200 running these in NCR, hope we see pics soon

Any idea if these are available in 235/65 R17 size?

[karan561]

Originally Posted by dean5545

Hey Karan,
Awesome review of an awesome tyre.

Thanks dean5545, this review was very special for me because i may be the 1st one doing a video review of this tyre/brand in India. Also i wanted to dedicate this review for all the Fortuner owners out there (India & globally) because i could not find a proper review of these tyres on the Fortuner while i was researching before my buy decision.

Even I was looking for BF Goodrich KO2's along with Karan for a long time. Finally laid my hands on them 2 weeks back.

SOLID MOVE & a well deserved upgrade

So I have driven only 1000km with these tyres till now. I have nothing to add to the review as Karan has done a wonderful job with it. I 100% agree to whatever he says.
Ride quality is up by 10%, the ride is more settled on unpaved roads. Grip is better than the stock tyres, but then again my oe tyres had done 55,000km when I replaced them. Fuel efficiency penalty is ~1kmpl.

Thanks for sharing your initial experience. I fit my tyres around July i believe and have been able to clock only 7700 kms with them so far & surely you would overtake this number very soon, so please keep us all updated with how they perform.

Originally Posted by Sheel

How much did the OE Bridgestone weigh up?

17.25 Kgs, check my post #2

Big Congratulations to you both, this is a big step to utilize the Fortuner's capability fully.

Thanks Sheel

There is also a blue LC-200 running these in NCR, hope we see pics soon

Yes indeed & hope he is reading this post now.

Any idea if these are available in 235/65 R17 size?

No.

[rishi_kapoor]

Congratulations Karan. Can you share the import experience and price? Thanks in advance.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by rishi_kapoor

Congratulations Karan.

Thanks Rishi

Can you share the import experience and price? Thanks in advance.

These tyres were a private import & cost me aprox INR 27k/tyre.

[rishi_kapoor]

Originally Posted by karan561

Thanks Rishi







These tyres were a private import & cost me aprox INR 27k/tyre.

Thanks Karan. Can you share the custom clearance experience? How did you manage their BSI requirement. I had a rough time when I imported my TA/KO2. I will need another set soon so your experience will help. Cheers.