[quickdraw]

To put the pace of the thread down a couple of notches, I feel you should check out my Mondeo thread and how much the Pilot Sport 2 cost me. I aint some rich guy or anything but trust me I am very very happy with them. Even for bikes nothing even comes close to Pilot Sport tires. I think you had issues with alignment hence the quick wear.

[lohithrao]

iraghava, agree rims can be the culprits here...

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

Where do you see me supporting Michelin bringing in this 'not made for India tyre' to India?
I feel that Michelin made a huge mistake with the XM1.

In this size/kind of tyre, what is it that is not made for India? I have just installed new ones on my Spark, and have no issues yet, but am curious to know what is peculiar to Indian conditions for this kind of application. It is not as if in this size it could be a hi performance tyre anywhere else either (I guess), hence the question. Which market was it meant for, and how is that market different from the Indian one?
PS: btw, not every one here is unhappy with the XM1 life too.

[Nikhilb2008]

Originally Posted by Sawyer

In this size/kind of tyre, what is it that is not made for India? I have just installed new ones on my Spark, and have no issues yet, but am curious to know what is peculiar to Indian conditions for this kind of application. It is not as if in this size it could be a hi performance tyre anywhere else either (I guess), hence the question. Which market was it meant for, and how is that market different from the Indian one?
PS: btw, not every one here is unhappy with the XM1 life too.

Sawyer, not everyone will have problems with the XM1. But on the whole, there were lots of complaints regarding the short life of these tyres. This is a fact.

Many people are very happy and many other people are not! It again differs from one person's expectation to the other's.

What I meant with regard to the tyre not being made for Indian conditions is that Indian consumers are extra conscious when it comes to parameters such as price and economy. Michelin have a premium pricing in India. At the very least they should have made a tyre which lasts long given that the Indian consumer is first of all paying a premium for the Michelin tyre.

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

.

What I meant with regard to the tyre not being made for Indian conditions is that Indian consumers are extra conscious when it comes to parameters such as price and economy. Michelin have a premium pricing in India. At the very least they should have made a tyre which lasts long given that the Indian consumer is first of all paying a premium for the Michelin tyre.

Yes, but what is long? I am sure that 40k is not bad at all. Even 30k is not pathetic in my book. Mediocre, but not as pathetic as the thread starter has complained. And if it gave an improved ride/handling, I would even take the 30k as value for money. So how much does it last in the markets it was meant for? And is that any different than how much it lasts here? If you have any hard numbers, even a range, it will help understand. My question really was what is it that it does in markets it was meant for that it does not do here. And the reason for that.

[Nikhilb2008]

There a little too many people complaining of life around the 30k mark.

[suman]

How many k kms are the XM1+s expected to run?

[greenhorn]

the thing is , the average indian tyre (MRF, Apollo Amazer, heck, even the desi bridgestones) last 50,000K+, so the average indian customers expectations from a premium tyre are higher

The average customer would not buy a premium car whose engine would last only for 50,000k, no matter how much smoother it is, when the cheaper ones run 1 lakh plus without a rebuild. An enthusiast might, but then it is a niche market, and he does it knowing what he is in for.

I guess it is a case of not meeting the unstated requirements

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

There a little too many people complaining of life around the 30k mark.

Noted. For the better quality of ride and handling they give me, I am personally ok with 30k. 35 would be nice, but I would not be ranting @ 30k. Tyre makers have to make a trade off between tyre performance and life, and I am fine with the balance Michelin has struck. In my case what also works for me is that I change tyres after 4 years regardless of kms done, so much more life than 30-35k would be wasted on me, given the distance I cover in 4 years.
I also have XM 1 Plus on another car, and it does not seem that in extending out their life, Michelin has made a noticeable compromise on performance because the tyres would not be Michelin if they had.
PS@greenhorn - I see tyres as consumables, engines not. And lives ride on the 4 contact patches, lives that I value over money.

[kpzen]

Originally Posted by suman

How many k kms are the XM1+s expected to run?

Depends on the car as well. A heavy front end torquey diesel car can make the XM1s into slicks within 20k kms provided you don't keep monitoring the tire wear and pressure on regular basis.

If maintained well, a set of XM1 should last 35k kms, anything more should be taken as bonus.

[mobike008]

Thank god. I waited for them to release XM1+ and got my S322's replaced. Else i may too have been one of their antoganized and unhappy customer

Originally Posted by suman

How many k kms are the XM1+s expected to run?

25% more life is what they claim, whatever it means. I hope they last 40K kms and i will be more than happy. The general expectation is 50k kms +

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by kpzen

Depends on the car as well. A heavy front end torquey diesel car can make the XM1s into slicks within 20k kms provided you don't keep monitoring the tire wear and pressure on regular basis.

If maintained well, a set of XM1 should last 35k kms, anything more should be taken as bonus.

@Nikhil - now 20k would suck big time! I have them on the Spark, so it should be ok!

[Nikhilb2008]

Guys, please dont worry. XM1+ last really long. At least 40k much more on a small car with regular alignment and balancing. It will not last as long as the Bridgestone S322s or the MRFs, but that isnt why you bought Michelin, is it?

Originally Posted by greenhorn

the thing is , the average indian tyre (MRF, Apollo Amazer, heck, even the desi bridgestones) last 50,000K+, so the average indian customers expectations from a premium tyre are higher

I guess it is a case of not meeting the unstated requirements

Heard of hitting the nail on the head?

[suman]

Well, mine have covered 30k so far, no problems yet, lets see how far they go........

[Sawyer]

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

At least 40k much more on a small car with regular alignment and balancing.

On reflection I think that is hitting the nail. The tyres are probably susceptible to more rapid wear than others even if a little out of balance or slightly misaligned. And Indian roads cause that to happen a lot more, so the need to have this checked is a lot more for the Michelins. Perhaps something Michelin needs to communicate to its customers.