Forest tyres on the road

[jjsmudge]

I've got a set of Kumho R800s forest tyres for road rallying after seeing many others doing the same but I'm unsure of the legality of running them on the road. On the side wall they are clearly marked 'For competition purposes only'. They are Dot marked, but not not 'E' marked. PH BiB, are they legal for road use? Bearing in mind competitors on Forest rallies would have to drive on the public roads between stages on them.

They comply with the Construction and Use regs as far as I can see, but I'm reading conflicting arguments from different people.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer me.


-Jon

[Richard C]

I use such tyres myself.

The relevant legislation is

The Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations 1994

This sets out the restrictions on nad marking of tyres for the SALE only, NOT use.

Part III —(1) For the purposes of this Part of these Regulations, an exempt tyre is a tyre which falls within any of the descriptions set out below—
(c) a tyre constructed solely for use on vehicles in competitions and bearing words or letters which indicate that use and which were moulded on to or into the tyre at the time of manufacture

Kumho have the legend ' For Competition Use Only' as have Michelin; Dunlop has 'For Rally Use' moulded on the sidewall to comply with this legislation.

I know of competitors who have been stopped by panda police anxious to report them for an offence. I have not heard of a sucessful conviction as in each case the report has been set aside by a senior and more knowledgeable officer. There are good practical reasons not to use tyres for everyday use - even if you are using the hardest K9 compound Ecsta's they will wear out in maybe 4000 miles with the softer K7's in far less especially in the summer. Also they are noisy. However while there is no specific construction offence committed there could be an argument that a tyre designed for competition use renders that tyre unfit for purpose in non competition use. But since the Motor Vehicles ( Competition & Trials ) Regulations 1969 permit authorised competition on the road and in such competitions

A) such tyres are routinely used
B) driving has to comply with the RTA's

it would be countered that in practice the competition and non-competition circumstances in which the ' For Competition Use Only' tyres are used do not materially differ.

Only an anal CPS would choose to prosecute such a case, but nowadays one could expect anything.

[cptsideways]

You intend to use these for road rallying!!!! or am I mistaken?

I was under the impression that they would fall foul of C&U regs


I've tried them many a time on the road & on tarmac circuits, interesting & highly amusing spring to mind, fast definately not.

[Richard C]

I use old part worns on an estate car used mainly for a rally support vehicle. The forest tyres help as they grip better on muddy gravel. But their wear rates are high on normal roads.

There is no Construction and Use regulation regarding tyres.

[jjsmudge]

[quote=cptsideways]You intend to use these for road rallying!!!! or am I mistaken?[quote]

I've got two sets of wheels lined up, if it's wet and likely to be muddy I'll run the forest tyres. If the weather continues like it is now, I'll stick to road tyres.

There are significant off-road sections on the event I'm planning to do, for it to make a difference between clearing a section or retiring if the weather turns bad.

[Dwight VanDriver]

The only thing I can ponder is that the Con and Use Regs do contain a clause that a tyre should be suitable for the purpose put to. If not offence. That what has been mentioned would need a statement from an expert in the tyre field to argue why not suitable (and another to argue why not).

Also if very heavily studded and damage caused to the Highway - offence under Highways Act.

dvd

[Cooperman]

Some years ago a well known rally driver who used a Porsche 911 Carrera RS was driving on the M6 on his way to catch a ferry to Ireland when he was stopped and reported for using Dunlop Racing Tyres (treaded, of course) on the public highway. It went to court and the Police (pre-CPS) produced as an expert witness a manager from the production tyre department at Dunlop. My friend with the 911 produced the Competitions Director from Dunlop. The prosecution expert said the tyres were unsuitable for road use, whilst the Competitions Director (who out-ranked and was better qualified than the prosecution's witness) said that not only were they entirely suitable, but that he had supplied them as suitable. He went on to say that the Porsche had probably the safest tyres on the M6 that day.
Result: Case dismissed with costs awarded to the accused.

[LongQ]

Very many years ago I obtained a set of 5 'part worn' Goodyear rally stage tyres. Serious knobblies. Before I got around to using them I changed cars and ended up with a Mk1 Mexico - whish had rather tread free front tyres. Having just enouigh money left in the kitty to pay a man to change 2 tyres I had 2 of the knobblies fitted and installed thaeom on the rear with the 2 good original spec Dunlop SP68's on the front.

Up to that point the Mex, despite the lack of tread, had neutral handling on all but rather wet conditions.

After fitting the knobblies this changed. In the dry I discovered severe understeer, due mainly to the feeling the the knobblies were either combining with the tarmac chemically or eating their way into the surface as they rotated. In the wet severe oversteer, due mainly to no obvious grip at the rear at all.

However, the effective re-gearing of the larger circumference on the rear meant that I could get the Mex to a calculated 114mph on a newly opened section of the A3 south of Cobham. (Based on the AVO technical guide, gearbox ratio, final drive ratio, rolling circumference and engine revs.)

Sadly a change of job provided a company car and the Mex was eventually sold on (still with the knobblies) as it became clear that keeping it was not really an option. So I never did find out how it handled with knobblies all round.