Are Yoko's Suitable for our Road Conditions?

vinaydas · 1st October 2009, 17:40

Are Yokohoma A348s suitable for Indian Conditions?
I stuck to the stock tyre brand and size as suggested by members in my thread over 6 months ago.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...ade-camry.html

after around 5000kms of highway driving the front driver side tyre has developed a bulge.
I have to say been using Bridgstones(tubeless) on my palio for almost 2 years and the abuse i put them through is unbelievable and still they are good as new.

The Yokohomas were under warranty so i sent it to the dealer to to the needy.
but the yoko company guy said that Tyre was abused and there is a small cut where the bulge exists inside the Tyre and Its not a manufacture defect But then Again the stock tyres were the same and managed 40k Kms without any problem.
The car has covered 47000kms and approximately 6-7thousand kms after the tyre change.And 80% of the distance covered were highways.
I must say that driving in any highway on india is literally hell for the tyre.

anyways im going to get a new tyre from the dealer as he has managed to get 50% refund on my old tyre from the company.

i still dont know if its a manufacture defect or whether all yokohoma tyres are built that way.
well personally im sticking to Bridgestones on all my tyre upgrades in the future.

Will post a few pics when i pickup the tyre.

.anshuman · 1st October 2009, 17:47

I have used different Yoko tires(ES100 and db) for more than 65k kms on my Elantra CRDi, These tires take the abuse very well, Bulge appears only on extreme abuse if it had been Michelin or Bridgestone even they shown similar damage.

tj123 · 1st October 2009, 17:53

I would say that our desi MRF's & Jk's are build to face tough Indian road conditions read (no/poor road) conditions. Believe me they are really good for normal riding conditions but they are noisey at hi-speeds.

My MRF lasted almost 50K km, I replaced it as a preventive maintenance strategy. I am sure it still has some juice left in it.

Nikhilb2008 · 1st October 2009, 18:06

Vinay, as I told you, there is a clear cut on the inside of the tyre. No company would give you a replacement to begin with. In your case, you got lucky.

I sympathise with you buddy, but you can expect the company to keep doling out free replacements every time Indian roads damage a tyre. It's your bad luck that your previous set ran without a single problem and this new tyre got cut within 6000 kms.

vinaydas · 1st October 2009, 18:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

Vinay, as I told you, there is a clear cut on the inside of the tyre. No company would give you a replacement to begin with. In your case, you got lucky.

I sympathise with you buddy, but you can expect the company to keep doling out free replacements every time Indian roads damage a tyre. It's your bad luck that your previous set ran without a single problem and this new tyre got cut within 6000 kms.

Yes i know there probably is a cut inside but its not the replacement policy that im unhappy with but the fact that they could not handle the abuse .My stock tyres were same a380s and have faced similar abuse or maybe worse. Anyways ill be getting them replaced. The thing that is disturbing is that the tyre was brand new and barely 6000 kms old. Now i have my doubts regarding the remaining tyres if they will be able to last another 40k kms of highway abuse.

Nikhilb2008 · 1st October 2009, 19:09

It's bad luck! Pure and simple! Even Bridgestones and MRFs get damaged. Of course it's quite rare, but it happens! See, your old tyres survived for so long without any problems. That should show the durability of the tyres. It's just that you had some bad luck with this tyre.

And yes, you have to drive carefully. Whatever said and done, these are not MRFs!

ajmat · 1st October 2009, 21:18

Have used Yoko's on my Honda and Skoda- they are the best compromise on performance and toughness

ashutoshb · 2nd October 2009, 02:35

Delhi - Manali - Leh - Kargil - Srinagar - Jammu - Delhi on 55 profile S.drives. Not a single puncture or any signs of damage. That says a lot.

sukiwa · 2nd October 2009, 05:05

Well, it can happen to any tyre brand. Pot holes are difficult to notice & avoid at high speeds and that can lead to inside cuts/ bulge. It's just that it happened very early in this case.

Have been using A-drives for more than 6k Kms and 60% of daily drive is on NH4; haven't seen any issues so far.

GTO · 2nd October 2009, 23:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinaydas

but the yoko company guy said that Tyre was abused and there is a small cut where the bulge exists inside the Tyre and Its not a manufacture defect

The small cut links to damage and probably explains the situation.

I've covered about 20,000+ kms on my OHC Vtec's Yokohamas. Not a single problem (not even a puncture yet). And believe me when I say this, the car is driven hard. The wear rate is also pretty good.

As Ajmat posted, for us enthusiasts, Yokos do offer a great balance between performance & suitability for our roads.

vinaydas · 2nd October 2009, 23:25

Im yet to see the Tyre,mostly will be going tomorrow to get it replaced.
My question is it is it safe to continue using the tyre or get it replaced asap.
Any Yes i do touch speeds of over 170-180 on the car so is there a possibility of a blowout @ such speeds.

sukiwa · 2nd October 2009, 23:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by vinaydas

My question is it is it safe to continue using the tyre or get it replaced asap.

Please get it replaced ASAP. Anyways, you had mentioned 50% refund on old tyre.

hvkumar · 3rd October 2009, 00:05

I got Yokos for my Scorpio a couple of months ago, done nearly 15,000 kms on it and am very happy with the way it handles wet roads although I felt that Bridgestones were better at high speeds. I returned from a tough drive to Ladakh and the Yokos took the arduous drive very well - not a single cut, puncture, etc. No problems on and off road, the tyres helped the car climb effortlessly on some steep and bad roads. The negatives are Yokos give a very rough and bumpy ride and unless one over-inflates, difficult to match the mileage that Bridgestones give you.

rudrah · 5th October 2009, 16:26

I've heard numerous post saying the life of Yokos are comparatively less than other brands, is this true? Since we talk about India road condition, as i'm in verge of changing the tyres and my interests are in either Bridgestone GIII/ER-60 or Yoko A drive.

Also is there a Yokohama India website? What I found were of global websites other than India!

GTO · 5th October 2009, 18:44

Quote:

I've heard numerous post saying the life of Yokos are comparatively less than other brands, is this true? Since we talk about India road condition, as i'm in verge of changing the tyres and my interests are in either Bridgestone GIII/ER-60 or Yoko A drive.

The Indian Bridgestones generally have a harder compound rubber. Harder compound = longer life but lesser grip, ride quality etc. The hardest compounds you'll find in India are from Indian manufacturers, the likes of JK / MRF etc.

Yup, I'd say the Bridgestones will last longer than the Yokos. The OE ones on my Vtec still had tread left at 50,000 kms!! But hey, Yokos & Michelins have great grip.

1st October 2009, 17:40	#1
vinaydas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,399 Thanked: 148 Times	Are Yoko's Suitable for our Road Conditions? Are Yokohoma A348s suitable for Indian Conditions? I stuck to the stock tyre brand and size as suggested by members in my thread over 6 months ago. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...ade-camry.html after around 5000kms of highway driving the front driver side tyre has developed a bulge. I have to say been using Bridgstones(tubeless) on my palio for almost 2 years and the abuse i put them through is unbelievable and still they are good as new. The Yokohomas were under warranty so i sent it to the dealer to to the needy. but the yoko company guy said that Tyre was abused and there is a small cut where the bulge exists inside the Tyre and Its not a manufacture defect But then Again the stock tyres were the same and managed 40k Kms without any problem. The car has covered 47000kms and approximately 6-7thousand kms after the tyre change.And 80% of the distance covered were highways. I must say that driving in any highway on india is literally hell for the tyre. anyways im going to get a new tyre from the dealer as he has managed to get 50% refund on my old tyre from the company. i still dont know if its a manufacture defect or whether all yokohoma tyres are built that way. well personally im sticking to Bridgestones on all my tyre upgrades in the future. Will post a few pics when i pickup the tyre. Last edited by vinaydas : 1st October 2009 at 17:47.
	() Thanks

1st October 2009, 17:47	#2
.anshuman Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Good-Gaon Posts: 7,763 Thanked: 11,064 Times View My Garage	I have used different Yoko tires(ES100 and db) for more than 65k kms on my Elantra CRDi, These tires take the abuse very well, Bulge appears only on extreme abuse if it had been Michelin or Bridgestone even they shown similar damage.
	() Thanks

1st October 2009, 17:53	#3
tj123 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: BLR Posts: 1,148 Thanked: 680 Times	I would say that our desi MRF's & Jk's are build to face tough Indian road conditions read (no/poor road) conditions. Believe me they are really good for normal riding conditions but they are noisey at hi-speeds. My MRF lasted almost 50K km, I replaced it as a preventive maintenance strategy. I am sure it still has some juice left in it.
	() Thanks

1st October 2009, 18:06	#4
Nikhilb2008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,196 Thanked: 10,138 Times	Vinay, as I told you, there is a clear cut on the inside of the tyre. No company would give you a replacement to begin with. In your case, you got lucky. I sympathise with you buddy, but you can expect the company to keep doling out free replacements every time Indian roads damage a tyre. It's your bad luck that your previous set ran without a single problem and this new tyre got cut within 6000 kms.
	() Thanks

1st October 2009, 19:09	#6
Nikhilb2008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 5,196 Thanked: 10,138 Times	It's bad luck! Pure and simple! Even Bridgestones and MRFs get damaged. Of course it's quite rare, but it happens! See, your old tyres survived for so long without any problems. That should show the durability of the tyres. It's just that you had some bad luck with this tyre. And yes, you have to drive carefully. Whatever said and done, these are not MRFs!
	() Thanks

1st October 2009, 21:18	#7
ajmat Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 14,863 Thanked: 27,973 Times View My Garage	Have used Yoko's on my Honda and Skoda- they are the best compromise on performance and toughness
	() Thanks

2nd October 2009, 02:35	#8
ashutoshb Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: NOIDA Posts: 1,756 Thanked: 4,288 Times View My Garage	Delhi - Manali - Leh - Kargil - Srinagar - Jammu - Delhi on 55 profile S.drives. Not a single puncture or any signs of damage. That says a lot.
	() Thanks

2nd October 2009, 05:05	#9
sukiwa Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: pune Posts: 2,378 Thanked: 2,562 Times	Well, it can happen to any tyre brand. Pot holes are difficult to notice & avoid at high speeds and that can lead to inside cuts/ bulge. It's just that it happened very early in this case. Have been using A-drives for more than 6k Kms and 60% of daily drive is on NH4; haven't seen any issues so far.
	() Thanks

2nd October 2009, 23:25	#11
vinaydas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,399 Thanked: 148 Times	Im yet to see the Tyre,mostly will be going tomorrow to get it replaced. My question is it is it safe to continue using the tyre or get it replaced asap. Any Yes i do touch speeds of over 170-180 on the car so is there a possibility of a blowout @ such speeds. Last edited by vinaydas : 2nd October 2009 at 23:27.
	() Thanks

3rd October 2009, 00:05	#13
hvkumar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 7,369 Thanked: 3,454 Times	I got Yokos for my Scorpio a couple of months ago, done nearly 15,000 kms on it and am very happy with the way it handles wet roads although I felt that Bridgestones were better at high speeds. I returned from a tough drive to Ladakh and the Yokos took the arduous drive very well - not a single cut, puncture, etc. No problems on and off road, the tyres helped the car climb effortlessly on some steep and bad roads. The negatives are Yokos give a very rough and bumpy ride and unless one over-inflates, difficult to match the mileage that Bridgestones give you.
	(1) Thanks

5th October 2009, 16:26	#14
rudrah BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 644 Thanked: 47 Times View My Garage	I've heard numerous post saying the life of Yokos are comparatively less than other brands, is this true? Since we talk about India road condition, as i'm in verge of changing the tyres and my interests are in either Bridgestone GIII/ER-60 or Yoko A drive. Also is there a Yokohama India website? What I found were of global websites other than India!
	() Thanks