Anyone riding on Dunlop FM901's??

[SilverProtege5]

Hello, I was considering getting the Dunlop FM901's instead of the factory Sport 5000's (large price difference). Has anyone bought these tires for their factory wheels and what their recomendation was for them. I checked tire rack and the reviews were mixed, I wanted a first hand account on the size and car that they were going on.

 

[ozmojo1]

if you can wait till the spring I will tell you. i have a beautiful set sitting in my closet, 225/45/17s

 

[Robot Romeo]

i have them. they're holding up pretty well. plus they look great, very aggressive. i've heard that they don't do too well in wet conditions, but where i live we have very wet winters, and i haven't had one problem. plus they are afforable under $100 a piece. i would definatly get them again. i can post pics if you want.

 

[SilverProtege5]

Yeah if you can post pics that would be great. Do you do any snow/ice driving? Tire rack suggested not using them in icy conditions. Where I live we don't get too many blizzards but I may have to drive in the snow and ice occasionally.

 

[Robot Romeo]

here are some pics, not too great, but they might help. as for snow and ice, i'm in california, so i've never driven in the snow.

 

[awsmp5]

yeah those look sweet, hows the road noise and all that stuff. i read on tirerack i think that that was a concern for some people for those tires

but then again i just have kuhmo ecsta asx nothing special just real cheap

 

[SilverProtege5]

Oh, I see you have 205's Do they bulge out from the rim very much(Can't tell from the pics)?? I was thinking about going with a wider size but I was afraid they would look too "fat". I appreciate all your help I am almost sold on the 901's.

 

[Robot Romeo]

the cool looking tread does make them louder than a standard passanger tire, but not too bad. on a scale of 1 to 10 for loudness i would say they are a 4. you hear them on the freeway if you turn the radio off. the potenzas i had before were way louder.

as far as the size, i love having a 205/50-16. imo they look a lot beter than the stock 195, which kinda looks too skinny and short. they barely bulge on the stock wheel. but the bigger footprint gives it a more sporty feel and look.

even if you don't go witht he FM901, you should get the 205 width tires. the speedometer is thrown off by 1%, but the trade off in looks is worth it.

 

[djp5]

FM 901's are being replaced by the Direzza DZ101. So, if you can find the 901s they would probably be on sale.

 

[Nomad]

FM 901's a good tire. Not for snow use, fine in the rain and dry.
The sidewall seems to be medium stiffness, no noticable sidewall squirm, and not a real stiff tire.

Dry grip seems on par with all other high performance all season tires. You can still break them loose if you drop the clutch or are not carefull with the throttle in tight turns. That's going to be an issue most of the time though.

Pretty basic tire offering, better than a true all season passenger tire though.

As far as "how it looks", it's black and round, that about does it. Buying tires based on looks is like buying brake pads based on color. It just doesn't matter.

 

[ozmojo1]

are they supposed to be all-seasons?

 

[Lord_Zath]

subscribing for info - I'll be buying a new set of tires this summer or next summer.

Do they have a 17" wheel version?

 

[djp5]

are they supposed to be all-seasons?

901's are summer only, as are the new Direzza DZ101s

 

[Robot Romeo]

As far as "how it looks", it's black and round, that about does it. Buying tires based on looks is like buying brake pads based on color. It just doesn't matter.

i know looks don't matter, but you don't want to put an ugly tire on your car if you can help it. these have a nice clean sidwall and cool tread design. i wouldn never buy a tire for its looks, its just a "plus".

[EDIT]
here is some info from tirerack.com:

The SP Sport FM901 is Dunlops Ultra High Performance "summer" radial designed to blend sizzling appearance and performance for today's sports cars, coupes and sporty sedans. This also makes the SP Sport FM901 an ideal candidate for customizing vehicles by providing a look and size lineup that provides a wide range of "Plus Two" or "Plus Three" applications.

On the outside, the SP Sport FM901's wide tread features large interlocking tread blocks that are aligned in a directional pattern to enhance dry traction and handling, increase wet traction and resist hydroplaning. Dunlop's "Chaos" tread block arrangement varies the size and shape of the tread blocks to help break up repetitive patterns and minimize noise levels. On the inside, the SP Sport FM901 features two steel belts reinforced by a spirally-wrapped JointLess Band (JLB) of nylon to support the tread area for high-speed durability and predictable handling while minimizing weight and improving ride uniformity. Additionally, a single strand of steel that is spirally-wound forms beads that are rounder for a better fit to the wheel and to further enhance handling and ride quality.

Dunlop SP Sport FM901 tires feature black letter styling and are available in 55-, 50-, 45-, 40- and 35-series; V- and W-speed rated sizes for 15" to 18" wheel diameters.

 

[SilverProtege5]

I have to agree with Robot Romeo, although I don't buy on looks alone it does help to see a nice tread design and sidewall. I have been very pleased with the factory tires, they have held up well, tread looks good, and a nice looking sidewall, the only problem with them is the price.

 

[maitai92]

i had the FM901 in my Miata. Not bad for the price but they got noisy after 10k miles..
Freeway humming noise was so bad ( of course along the exhaust drone)and I ended up replacing w/ Kumho 712s which is pretty close to FM901 in dry/wet handling IMO.

 

[SilverProtege5]

I had the 712's and the 711's I thought both were very noisy. Sometimes I like to drive with the radio off, and a noisy tire would really wear on my nerves. Thats why I like the Sport 5000's they are very quiet even at highway speeds.

 

[mspeedP5]

I'm on my 2nd set of FM901's (205/40-17). I autocrossed with them regularly as well as daily driving. Excellent wet tire, particularly in standing water and also quite sticky in the dry. Very quick turn in response. Noise doesn't bother me as most of the highways around here are pretty smooth. I'm sorry to see them being discontinued as I would buy them again.

 

[chuyler1]

FYI, $50 rebate on these tires from www.tirerack.com if you buy them from current inventory before April 1st. I'm thinking about getting a set.

 

[Action Jackson]

These are great tires. Used them for 2 years street and track days.

Excellent in rain, great in the dry. Sure they're a bit noisy.

On the track they had great audible communication as to the limit before they'll give out. Go about 9/10's on them and I can run for hours on these, otherwise they'll get a bit greasy on you. It's a street tire afterall.

Had the 195/50/16 size. With 36/34 psi F/R for street and track. The sidewalls "feel" softer so it doesn't feel like it responds to turns fast, and the ride level is more comfortable than the OEM Dunslops. But you'll get used to them and I experienced very little sidewall rollover (unlike the Toyo T1-R's).

Would definitely recommend!