My '13 GS has the Goodyear F1 OEM RF tires, that everyone loves to hate, why?

So far, (only 1,100 miles), they don't seem especially noisy, and they perform well. I guess I'd describe myself as a fairly conservative driver. I don't lite up the rear tires. Stopped that kind of driving years ago.

Is it just the wear characteristics that people are so unhappy with, or is there something else?

What ever it is, I'm certainly not going to throw them away to buy other tires, but I may buy different tires when the OEMs wear out.

Most have issue with the traction at low speed during wot use. That said they are rock solid and steady from 120 to 175 mph. I find my MT's wander above 150 and do not leave you feeling confidant.

Thanks for the explanation. Now I understand, why I've not yet experienced an issue.

I'm a paraplegic so run flats may be more important or convenient for someone in a wheelchair but the ride quality and traction is so inferior that I just couldn't take the run flats anymore. I have had 1 flat in 26 yrs of being in a wheelchair so I've been fortunate thru the years. I've had many flats on my wheelchairs thru the years though.:D I just put nitto drags and nitto extremes in 265 35 18 and 305 35 18 and the ride and traction is soooo much better. I have a full Bolton ls2 and have a circle d stall going in so there was no way any run flat was going to stick with a 32-3400 stall. I have three sets of wheels so I guess I could put the run flat wheels tire setup if going out of state by myself. Otherwise in state I have...

http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/...6A3DADE8F6.jpg

http://i1135.photobucket.com/albums/...6A31A56903.jpg

Comes with compressor, sealant and 30 plugs for plugging tires plus light in a nice case.

Are Run Flats worth It?

Yes.

I will not win here. Fella's...a non R/F simply does not equal a RF competitor.

I too like the run flats. Went from Goodyear to Michelin and like them even better now. A couple weeks after getting my Michelins, I got a nail in the tire. Had it fixed and don't give it a second thought.... The roads in the Los Angeles area are a minefield with nails and debris...

To each his own I guess. As with any sport/hobby, the perfectionist will always demand more than the casual user.

For me, as a casual user, the sheer convenience of the RF tires are worth what ever degradation there may be in performance.

I bought my 'vette for the enjoyment of driving it. I don't do the 1/4 mile thing anymore, and haven't for many years. I don't intend to track drive the car. For myself, and probably the vast majority of folks that buy Corvettes, the RF tires are just fine.

:iagree:

Not everyone mods or tracks their car, so for them the factory run flats are perfectly fine and gives peace of mind especially when traveling:cheers:

Of course Michelin rates the Super Sport higher than the PS2 ZP which many can argue is the best run flat out there. So much Chevy asked Michelin to develop a run flat version of it for the C7.

:iagree:

I really like the firestone firehawk wide ovals. As always, each to their own.

I got 44,000+ miles on my fronts which were original 2005 GY runflats. The rears were still good. My tires weren't the ones that wear out fast like on Corvettes at that time with Z-51 suspension.

Just replaced mine with non-RF tires. No qualms. I have slime and a mini compressor. Road noise is much improved.

I can tell you - wife had an '01 Z06 - not run-flats. She hit something on the I-5 in San Diego, and there was literally no tire left when she got to the shoulder.

:iagree: I ended up doing the exact same thing.:cheers:

:iagree: Here in the Republik of KA we have to be more concerned of dodging road debris like plywood, sheet rock, refrigerators, couches, all kinds of building materials and furniture on freeway. It's real BAD here.
Didn't used to be like this. Maybe moving to Texas may solve this?:bigears
It was mentioned in here that certain areas of Texas there are no people around.:lurk:

Slime and a compressor ain't gonna help if there's no tire carcass left on the wheel. You need to decide - do I need this car to get me from point "A" to point "B" in a timely manner? Then the answer to the run-flat question is pretty obvious. For example, I once sold a Z06 to a surgeon; he called me complaining -- he had a flat, and missed a surgical appointment because he didn't have a spare tire. Duh?

I get this. However, mine is a weekend cruiser. Which means I put fewer miles on it as well as the fact that my drives are more leisurely. If I get a flat I can't patch? Sucks, but I can wait for AAA (thanks mom for the lifetime membership). Inconvenient? Yeah, but I'm also a gambler, so I'll take my chances. Shi##y GY RF's or non RF's, smoother ride, better traction, better treadwear, much less road noise. Might not be for everyone, but this has, so far, been a great decision. As they say. Your mileage may vary. YMMV.

:iagree:

I also know I am not going to take the time to want to do the roadside repair especially in some parts of L.A. or on the freeway no matter how much minimal time some people say it will take to do. It's a personal preference regarding the risk vs. cost.

Within the last year, I've started two threads about runflats.

The first one was about "How far can you drive on a flat runflat?". IIRC the winner went over 700 miles on a flat and only stopped because he got home. Keep the speed down, stop occasionally to inspect the tire and let it cool a bit.

The second one was about "Tail of the Dragon on a flat tire." We too hit a rock but the tire deflated overnight, and we too couldn't get the tire to hold any air with the compressor (cut in sidewall). Runflats saved us about a day of time, several hundred dollars, and a ton of frustration.

A couple of years ago, the regional autocross champs in our area (man and woman) switched from PS2 non-runflats, to PS2 runflats. They said the ride was the same, handling slightly better, and they won their trophy on the runflats. Runflats do cost a bit more, but when amortized over the life of the tires, I consider that to be very cheap insurance.