[S6F]

With the ship carrying my 340i about to dock, I removed the DWSs and remounted the OEM, near-new, run flats. It's hard to comprehend what the hell BMW is thinking by fitting their cars with these toroids of concrete. The ride quality went from quite fine to simply abysmal. Hope those on the 340 aren't as bad!

[bimmercar]

my runflats felt like rocks, every time i hit a small patch of rough road it was like a small explosion going off... if i hit a pothole its like hitting a mine

[bueller]

It is simply confounding why 'non run flat' tires are not a no cost option. Mine lasted literally 2000 miles before I hit a pothole and ruined one. I replaced all 4 tires with Pilot Super Sports and the car is actually enjoyable to drive!

B.

[Dog Face Pony Soldier]

Every time I get a loaner car with RFT I think about all the people that don't realize how much better their car would be with conventional rubber. It's really a massive difference.

[Jbrock22]

People assume run flats can be damaged by road hazards more easily then conventional tires. The low profile has lot more to due with damage then RTF vs conventional tire.

[STR3T]

Had an '09 Z4 just prior to getting the 435i. Swapped the early gen RFT's out and was very glad for doing so.

But so far on the current gen RFT on the 435i....I am not feeling the same jarring road contact and see little reason to swap them out. Very happy with ride quality.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by Jbrock22

People assume run flats can be damaged by road hazards more easily then conventional tires. The low profile has lot more to due with damage then RTF vs conventional tire.

+1, and the same goes for the harsh ride. I wouldn't use RFTs with lower than 45 series aspect ratio tires, as there's not enough rubber between the rim and the road to compensate for the increased sidewall stiffness. Even 45 series are marginal. With 50 series and higher you're hard pressed to tell the difference. As for damage, with 40 series and lower you'd best have pothole radar, no matter what the tire.

[Blubaron79]

What year is your current car? I found a huge difference between my 09 with run flats compared to my 15 with run flats. The new ones are much much better.

[Bassthe1st]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

+1, and the same goes for the harsh ride. I wouldn't use RFTs with lower than 45 series aspect ratio tires, as there's not enough rubber between the rim and the road to compensate for the increased sidewall stiffness. Even 45 series are marginal. With 50 series and higher you're hard pressed to tell the difference. As for damage, with 40 series and lower you'd best have pothole radar, no matter what the tire.

First, you do realize aspect ratios don't mean anything witout tire width, right? Second, by experience, runflats are more prone to damage. I once hit an insignificant pothole and ended up with a cut in the sidewall. That I attribute to the extra stiff sidewalls and I'm pretty sure it would not have happened with normal tires.

[Y0tsuya]

If you hate run-flats so much, why didn't you option the 340i without it? With the ZTR or ZMP just choose the 23N wheels.

[3liter1]

Originally Posted by glennQNYC

Every time I get a loaner car with RFT I think about all the people that don't realize how much better their car would be with conventional rubber. It's really a massive difference.

I think the adaptive M suspension takes a lot of bite out of the run flats.
I just had a 328i Loaner with run flats and standard suspension. My 428 GC with the adaptive m and run flats is much much smoother and feels more stable over potholes and uneven road surfaces
I run the Pirelli summer run flats - staggered 255 rear 225 front. During the winter I use continental extreme all season uhp non-run flat same 18' wheels. I now have the stock run flats back on. For my preference the summer run flats provide a much more responsive ride because of their firmness. And I run the car in sport plus mode 90% of the time. Having experienced these different combinations, for me it confirms that the adaptive suspension is really a great design even if you are not biased towards a high-performance ride , and in fact makes a bigger difference than the tires.

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by stevefoster

I removed the DWSs and remounted the OEM, near-new, run flats.

FWIW, I found that the new RFT Bridgestone Drive Guards perform as well as the DWS in terms of ride, handling and cost - and are somewhat better in light snow.

Tom

[Polo08816]

Originally Posted by Bassthe1st

First, you do realize aspect ratios don't mean anything witout tire width, right? Second, by experience, runflats are more prone to damage. I once hit an insignificant pothole and ended up with a cut in the sidewall. That I attribute to the extra stiff sidewalls and I'm pretty sure it would not have happened with normal tires.

+1. Especially for the same tire size.

Also, RFTs are significantly heavier which has a noticeable effect upon impact with a pothole.

[Beowulf65]

We've driven over a year on our first RFT...no problem yet. Yes the ride is a bit harder (225/40 & 255/35 R19), but we don't mind. As for potholes, we've lost non-RFT tires to those. I'd have to do a long term study to find our if they are less likely to survive our particular driving style...it's an individual thing.

Years ago we lost a non-RFT to sidewall damage...due to a knife slash. This was back in the Separatist days of Québec, and we had Ontario plates. Interestingly, my family has been in La Belle Province since the late 1700s...so we had likely lived there longer than our slasher.

[eZag]

Thinking about making a change ... Currently running p zero ... Pirelli p zero vs Michelin super sport?

[bueller]

Originally Posted by eZag

Thinking about making a change ... Currently running p zero ... Pirelli p zero vs Michelin super sport?

I am really happy with the Super Sports. I think they are an excellent combination of grip, comfort and reasonable road noise. I have Sport Cup 2s on my 1M and will opt for the Super Sports next time. The Cup 2s are great, take a bit to heat up, but once they do, super grippy. I have P Zeros on my Boxster, and they are pretty good, but the traction close to the limit is not as predictable as the Super Sports.

B.

[Pauleebe]

I've actually had no issues with my RFT on my Msport package, so I at least have the performance RFT's.

[floydarogers]

Originally Posted by Polo08816

...
Also, RFTs are significantly heavier which has a noticeable effect upon impact with a pothole.

"Significantly" is probably over-stating the difference. For the tires on my E90 335d, a Michelin PSS is 2#/front 4#/rear heavier than the PS2 ZP.

[eZag]

Originally Posted by bueller

I am really happy with the Super Sports. I think they are an excellent combination of grip, comfort and reasonable road noise. I have Sport Cup 2s on my 1M and will opt for the Super Sports next time. The Cup 2s are great, take a bit to heat up, but once they do, super grippy. I have P Zeros on my Boxster, and they are pretty good, but the traction close to the limit is not as predictable as the Super Sports.

B.

I'll try the Super Sport to see the difference and decide which ones are more applicable to my daily commute and weekend activities.

[nicknaz]

I might be in the minority here but i don't mind the rft that much. I actually like the stiff sidewall and appreciate the run flat capability

When i changed the 18" re050a I rft on my z435 to 18" dunlop zii, the ride stiffness was similar (likely because an "extreme" class summer tire has pretty stiff sidewall).

[xdnbc]

I recently bought a 2016 wagon with 19" RFT tires. I already have had a flat with these tires, but the dealer and Pirelli replaced it for free. However, what worries me is what to do when taking long trips. RFT are only good for 80km when flat, and if you wind up in a small town, who is going to stock a 19" RFT Pirelli tire to replace the flat one? It also seems like you can NOT repair these tires even if you catch them early and keep them at least semi filled with air.
What do you all do when taking long trips?

[Jbrock22]

Originally Posted by xdnbc

I recently bought a 2016 wagon with 19" RFT tires. I already have had a flat with these tires, but the dealer and Pirelli replaced it for free. However, what worries me is what to do when taking long trips. RFT are only good for 80km when flat, and if you wind up in a small town, who is going to stock a 19" RFT Pirelli tire to replace the flat one? It also seems like you can NOT repair these tires even if you catch them early and keep them at least semi filled with air.
What do you all do when taking long trips?

I have a space saver spare from Bimmerzone.