MRF ZSLK eco-friendly, silica tyres

StarScream · 6th December 2007, 18:56

Hi folks, anyone tried these? MRF announced this range of eco-friendly, low rolling resistance, silica infused tyres late last month. I haven't heard much about them.
My Honda City is due for a new set of tyres in another few 1000kms and I'm curious to know how these perform.
Separately, do silica tyres actually improve fuel efficiency and if so by how much? I guess its a trade-off between the extra you pay for the tyres and the fuel you save. And what happens to stopping distance - does low rolling resistance mean increased stopping distance?
Any responses will be much appreciated.
thanks

jerish666 · 6th December 2007, 21:51

My personal experience MRF tyres are very bad.I dont know about the new ZSLK.You better go for Michelin,Yokohoma or Bridgestone Potenza III.

humyum · 6th December 2007, 22:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by jerish666

My personal experience MRF tyres are very bad.I dont know about the new ZSLK.You better go for Michelin,Yokohoma or Bridgestone Potenza III.

Totally agree mrf tyres are horrible.Mrf ZVTS was supposed to be a good tyre bla bla.Look how it turned out to be.Numerous complains.

dilipkumar7278 · 7th December 2007, 10:18

My experience using MRF's in my lancer was good, no complaints lasted for around 70000kms.

srishiva · 7th December 2007, 10:56

The same silica thing for less rollover resistance is used in Michelin Energy. Get those.

itzzme · 7th December 2007, 11:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarScream

Hi folks, anyone tried these? MRF announced this range of eco-friendly, low rolling resistance, silica infused tyres late last month. I haven't heard much about them.
My Honda City is due for a new set of tyres in another few 1000kms and I'm curious to know how these perform.
Separately, do silica tyres actually improve fuel efficiency and if so by how much? I guess its a trade-off between the extra you pay for the tyres and the fuel you save. And what happens to stopping distance - does low rolling resistance mean increased stopping distance?
Any responses will be much appreciated.
thanks

Rolling resistance and traction are two seprate properties.
Silica based tyre improves traction/braking and at the same time fuel efficiency is increased due to low rolling resistance.
Silica based tyres develope less heat so can perform better in wider range of tempratures. Even performance of a silica based tyres remains cosnistant in case of high speed long distance running.

tsk1979 · 7th December 2007, 12:27

Didn't JK come out with those "Green" tires some time back?

StarScream · 8th December 2007, 03:20

thanks for the responses all.
Are Michelin's sold officially in India?
frankly if the increase in fuel efficiency is not great with these `green' tyres I might as well go for regular ones from a good brand.

1self · 8th December 2007, 06:47

if you are not too brand conscious, i would suggest you go for MRF ZV2K Tubeless tyres. These come OEM on my Elantra & they are VERY VERY GOOD!!!

These are 'H' rated to 210 KMPH, & till date (14,000 KM) i haven't got a SINGLE puncture!!

iraghava · 8th December 2007, 11:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarScream

Are Michelin's sold officially in India?

Yes, they are.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1self

if you are not too brand conscious, i would suggest you go for MRF ZV2K Tubeless tyres. These come OEM on my Elantra & they are VERY VERY GOOD!!!

Fair enough but I'm willing to bet you're going to realise the difference when you switch to better tyres in the near future. You can only realise it once you've driven regularly on another set of tyres which is better or worse.

manjubp · 8th December 2007, 11:49

I had MRF ZVTS on my Indica (OEM)for around 80+K kms, before selling the car. I never had any issues. There used to be road noise, but ignorable one. Then I drove JK Tyres(OEM) on my swift for nearly 14K kms, real bad tyres, interms of breaking and road noise. Now I have Michlean for last 5 K Kms, I am very happy with breaking and noise.

You can go for MRF, in my experince they are good tyres with great mileage(read VFM). I never had any issues with that for nearly 6 years and only 3 punctures

regards,
-manju

StarScream · 18th December 2007, 20:10

than you all for the advice. I have decided to go for Michelin Energy XM-1s.

StarScream · 23rd December 2007, 00:43

Well I went and got myself some new tyres today. I went to a Michelin dealer near Khan Market (In Sujan Singh Park across from MacD's) called Sham Auto.

I wanted Michelin Energy XM-1s and one size up from my stock 175/65 R14 tyres viz. 185/60 R14 for my Honda City. As it turned out the dealer didn't have any tyres with an aspect ratio of 60. He said I should take 185/65 instead, which is what he puts on Honda City's, with the added benefit of increased ground clearance.

Now, with all my research on Team BHP and carbibles.com, I knew the correct upsizes with the correct rolling radius were 185/60 or 195/60 - he didn't have either. In fact, he said, Yokohama had stopped selling tyres with an aspect ratio of 60 in India.

If I really wanted he could get me Michelins in the size I wanted from the company but it would take two hours. I didn't have the time, so I said skip the upsize, just give me stock size XM1's. He didn't have those either. Only 185/65.

He had Yoko's and Bridgestone in stock sizes. But they don't have the XM1's silica compound, I protested. At this dealer called up a Yoko sales guy who happened to be in the vicinity to explain more about their tyres. This person showed me a presentation that implied that the Aspec A300s that I was considering did have sort of silica in them. All Yoko's have it, he said.

Hence I ended up buying the Yoko A300s in stock size. You know that they say about best laid plans going awry!

While I was waiting for the tyres to be changed I started chatting with the sales guy and told him Yoko needs to do a little more to get the word out about their tyres - I didn't know about the silica bit for example (unless that was just a sales ploy). And they need a good website, I told him, customers are smart nowadays especially with forums like TBHP around. He smiled and said he knew all about TBHP and had met iraghava!

I'm not unhappy with my purchase. The tyres are very silent - miles ahead of my OE GoodYear GPS2s. I just wish I'd got the size I wanted.

iraghava · 23rd December 2007, 17:18

Ahaa..so it was you. Gaurav did tell me that he met you. Glad to know you're happy with the tyres.

StarScream · 23rd December 2007, 19:05

Iraghava, I've hardly driven with them since the change. But like I said preliminary impressions suggest they are way better than the old Goodyears - much quieter.
Do you know anything about the A300s having silica? Does that make them comparable to the XM-1s?

6th December 2007, 18:56	#1
StarScream Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Noida/Delhi Posts: 1,263 Thanked: 665 Times	MRF ZSLK eco-friendly, silica tyres Hi folks, anyone tried these? MRF announced this range of eco-friendly, low rolling resistance, silica infused tyres late last month. I haven't heard much about them. My Honda City is due for a new set of tyres in another few 1000kms and I'm curious to know how these perform. Separately, do silica tyres actually improve fuel efficiency and if so by how much? I guess its a trade-off between the extra you pay for the tyres and the fuel you save. And what happens to stopping distance - does low rolling resistance mean increased stopping distance? Any responses will be much appreciated. thanks
	() Thanks

6th December 2007, 21:51	#2
jerish666 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Trivandrum,Kochi,Trissur Posts: 757 Thanked: 2 Times	My personal experience MRF tyres are very bad.I dont know about the new ZSLK.You better go for Michelin,Yokohoma or Bridgestone Potenza III.
	() Thanks

7th December 2007, 10:18	#4
dilipkumar7278 BANNED Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: COCHIN Posts: 441 Thanked: 109 Times View My Garage	Mrf My experience using MRF's in my lancer was good, no complaints lasted for around 70000kms.
	() Thanks

7th December 2007, 10:56	#5
srishiva Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 4,375 Thanked: 2,256 Times	The same silica thing for less rollover resistance is used in Michelin Energy. Get those.
	() Thanks

7th December 2007, 12:27	#7
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	Didn't JK come out with those "Green" tires some time back?
	() Thanks

8th December 2007, 03:20	#8
StarScream Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Noida/Delhi Posts: 1,263 Thanked: 665 Times	thanks for the responses all. Are Michelin's sold officially in India? frankly if the increase in fuel efficiency is not great with these `green' tyres I might as well go for regular ones from a good brand.
	() Thanks

8th December 2007, 06:47	#9
1self BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 629 Thanked: 330 Times View My Garage	if you are not too brand conscious, i would suggest you go for MRF ZV2K Tubeless tyres. These come OEM on my Elantra & they are VERY VERY GOOD!!! These are 'H' rated to 210 KMPH, & till date (14,000 KM) i haven't got a SINGLE puncture!!
	() Thanks

8th December 2007, 11:49	#11
manjubp BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 646 Thanked: 569 Times Infractions: 0/1 (5)	I had MRF ZVTS on my Indica (OEM)for around 80+K kms, before selling the car. I never had any issues. There used to be road noise, but ignorable one. Then I drove JK Tyres(OEM) on my swift for nearly 14K kms, real bad tyres, interms of breaking and road noise. Now I have Michlean for last 5 K Kms, I am very happy with breaking and noise. You can go for MRF, in my experince they are good tyres with great mileage(read VFM). I never had any issues with that for nearly 6 years and only 3 punctures regards, -manju
	() Thanks

18th December 2007, 20:10	#12
StarScream Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Noida/Delhi Posts: 1,263 Thanked: 665 Times	than you all for the advice. I have decided to go for Michelin Energy XM-1s.
	() Thanks

23rd December 2007, 00:43	#13
StarScream Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Noida/Delhi Posts: 1,263 Thanked: 665 Times	Tyre buying experience Well I went and got myself some new tyres today. I went to a Michelin dealer near Khan Market (In Sujan Singh Park across from MacD's) called Sham Auto. I wanted Michelin Energy XM-1s and one size up from my stock 175/65 R14 tyres viz. 185/60 R14 for my Honda City. As it turned out the dealer didn't have any tyres with an aspect ratio of 60. He said I should take 185/65 instead, which is what he puts on Honda City's, with the added benefit of increased ground clearance. Now, with all my research on Team BHP and carbibles.com, I knew the correct upsizes with the correct rolling radius were 185/60 or 195/60 - he didn't have either. In fact, he said, Yokohama had stopped selling tyres with an aspect ratio of 60 in India. If I really wanted he could get me Michelins in the size I wanted from the company but it would take two hours. I didn't have the time, so I said skip the upsize, just give me stock size XM1's. He didn't have those either. Only 185/65. He had Yoko's and Bridgestone in stock sizes. But they don't have the XM1's silica compound, I protested. At this dealer called up a Yoko sales guy who happened to be in the vicinity to explain more about their tyres. This person showed me a presentation that implied that the Aspec A300s that I was considering did have sort of silica in them. All Yoko's have it, he said. Hence I ended up buying the Yoko A300s in stock size. You know that they say about best laid plans going awry! While I was waiting for the tyres to be changed I started chatting with the sales guy and told him Yoko needs to do a little more to get the word out about their tyres - I didn't know about the silica bit for example (unless that was just a sales ploy). And they need a good website, I told him, customers are smart nowadays especially with forums like TBHP around. He smiled and said he knew all about TBHP and had met iraghava! I'm not unhappy with my purchase. The tyres are very silent - miles ahead of my OE GoodYear GPS2s. I just wish I'd got the size I wanted. Last edited by StarScream : 23rd December 2007 at 00:45. Reason: grammar
	() Thanks

23rd December 2007, 17:18	#14
iraghava Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bhaiyyaland Posts: 8,033 Thanked: 265 Times View My Garage	Ahaa..so it was you. Gaurav did tell me that he met you. Glad to know you're happy with the tyres.
	() Thanks

23rd December 2007, 19:05	#15
StarScream Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Noida/Delhi Posts: 1,263 Thanked: 665 Times	Iraghava, I've hardly driven with them since the change. But like I said preliminary impressions suggest they are way better than the old Goodyears - much quieter. Do you know anything about the A300s having silica? Does that make them comparable to the XM-1s?
	() Thanks