Falken Tyres? Good? Bad? Ugly?
Falken Tyres? Good? Bad? Ugly?
Author
Discussion

beano500

Original Poster:

20,854 posts

291 months

Monday 26th September 2005
quotequote all
I did a search, and can only find one mention around these here parts.

Anybody know anything about this tyre brand? Seem cheap, thought I'd read something about them around the PH fora. Expect somebody knows

[small](It's for the Eurobox, just thinking about replacing the original Michelins, and wondering about saving a couple of bob...)[/small]

Hughesie2

12,628 posts

298 months

Monday 26th September 2005
quotequote all
beano500 said:
I did a search, and can only find one mention around these here parts.

Anybody know anything about this tyre brand? Seem cheap, thought I'd read something about them around the PH fora. Expect somebody knows

(It's for the Eurobox, just thinking about replacing the original Michelins, and wondering about saving a couple of bob...)


www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=8&t=210108
and here...
http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=143206&f=6&h=0&hw=falken

should get you started...

beano500

Original Poster:

20,854 posts

291 months

Monday 26th September 2005
quotequote all
Ah - ta! I didn't think of searching in all the TVR fora, but if they're good enough for a pedigree British sports car, I don't see why they shouldn't suit some german tat....

Hughesie2

12,628 posts

298 months

Monday 26th September 2005
quotequote all
beano500 said:
Ah - ta! I didn't think of searching in all the TVR fora, but if they're good enough for a pedigree British sports car, I don't see why they shouldn't suit some german tat....


I have them on the Alfa 147 Sillyspeed, they are superb tyres, i replaced the fronts initailly and then within a week of them bedding in had to replace the rears as the fronts were so much grippier than the rears, now it just grips, and grips and grips even in the wet, i've yet to provoke it enough to lose any front or rear grip, and i've tried !!

victormeldrew

8,293 posts

293 months

Monday 26th September 2005
quotequote all
I've used them on my A8 for a couple of years - excellent grip, but possibly not that long lasting. I do give them a hard time though. So fine for German tat!

Hughesie2

12,628 posts

298 months

Monday 26th September 2005
quotequote all
victormeldrew said:
I've used them on my A8 for a couple of years - excellent grip, but possibly not that long lasting. I do give them a hard time though. So fine for German tat!


I've had the falkens on a big car before and i've come to the conclusion that they just aint suited to a big old car like the A8 - wear on the alfa is phenomenal, in a good way !!

beano500

Original Poster:

20,854 posts

291 months

Monday 26th September 2005
quotequote all
Mine's a humble understeering A6, originals (front) at 3mm after 25,000 miles. Can't get much worse!

speed8

5,076 posts

289 months

Monday 26th September 2005
quotequote all
Falkens on the front of the Focus.
I wanted Toyo as I've been happy with them on the cerb but they don't do Focus sizes. Anyway, happy enough with Falken. I'll put some on the back when I manage to wear them down.

minimax

11,985 posts

272 months

Monday 26th September 2005
quotequote all
I had falkens on the mini when I ran 12X6X165 tyres and they were ace. I'd have them again but they don't do them in 13X7X175

M3 Mitch

538 posts

245 months

Monday 26th September 2005
quotequote all
Falken are part of Sumitomo Group, who in general make good to great tires at surprisingly reasonable prices.

I have 4 Sumitomo H-rated tires on my VW Scirocco, bought them from Tire Rack based mostly on price, and was very pleasantly surprised by their obvious high-quality construction, needed very little balance weight, excellent stick in wet or dry, ride is OK considering the stiff sidewall, turn-in is quite sharp, they are lasting well considering the level of grip.

On S14.net the Falken tires are rated pretty well for use on the M3. The Falken line tend towards softer compounds so they don't last a huge number of miles but this bothers numpties, not us lot, right?

cptsideways

13,744 posts

268 months

Monday 26th September 2005
quotequote all
I've been running them all season on my drift car & the car I borrowed (on more than a few occasions). Just cos I said drift car don't be afraid!, we actually need a really grippy tyre to keep the speed levels up & the car control precise.

They are very predictable, offer excellent wet/dry difference & are also very progressive. I can't comment on how long they last on the road as I only get a few laps out of each rear set. But the fronts last well and provide excellent grip even after some serious abuse. They are also very well made & put up with heat very well unlike F1's for example which delaminate when drifting (so ok for trackdays for you guys)

from me oh & they smoke shitloads when you start going sideways

KIPPAX

2,788 posts

265 months

Tuesday 27th September 2005
quotequote all
I have fitted Falken tyres to several cars including FTO,M3 evo & Chimaera they have been superb on all cars & helped transform the M3 from a car not to drive in the wet to a car to be enjoyed in the wet.

Thanks
Howard.

Munter

31,330 posts

257 months

Tuesday 27th September 2005
quotequote all
speed8 said:
Falkens on the front of the Focus.
I wanted Toyo as I've been happy with them on the cerb but they don't do Focus sizes.

Slightly off topic but I had Toyos on my 1999 focus in 195/55-15 V. (I know the tyre size changed at some point but some people with foci can get toyos.. )

beano500

Original Poster:

20,854 posts

291 months

Tuesday 27th September 2005
quotequote all
Thanks so much, chaps!

I can't remember a thread where all you got was good news and everybody, but everybody agrees

Very reassuring!

tr7v8

7,453 posts

244 months

Tuesday 27th September 2005
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Got the older Falkens on the 7 and very happy with them.

Jim

Maycott

586 posts

266 months

Tuesday 27th September 2005
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I've fitted Falkens to lots of my cars and rate them very highly

Just fitted a set to the Wife's T4 estate and they are a dramatic improvement over the original fit Pirelli's, especially in the wet

Used to make my Alfa 75 3.0 feel fantastic.....

Ahonen

5,030 posts

295 months

Tuesday 27th September 2005
quotequote all
I just fitted some Falkens to the quattro and I'm not quite sure about them yet. The initial turn-in is very good and very precise, but when you load them up in a longish corner the sidewalls seem to flex a bit too much - mainly the heavily loaded outer rear - and the car doesn't feel quite as rock-solid as it did on Pirellis. Trying slightly higher pressures seems to have helped a bit, but I've yet to try these pressures on a long run.

Braking seems good in wet and dry conditions, but I can't really comment on traction as quattros don't really suffer in that department.

They are very well priced though, which was part of their appeal.

LuS1fer

42,692 posts

261 months

Tuesday 27th September 2005
quotequote all
Try Kumho Supras if you're looking for good but cheap tyres. They always do well in the tyre tests and I have no complaints. Not as good as my Goodyear F1's but £300 a set cheaper for 275/35 x 18's. Lower sizes canm be less than £60 a corner.

warmfuzzies

4,257 posts

269 months

Tuesday 27th September 2005
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Had them on my 964, as wooden as they come, no feel, and little grip in the wet, I won't be buying them again.

kip

fastfreddy

8,577 posts

253 months

Tuesday 27th September 2005
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I got a set of FK-451s and they are every bit as good as the SO-2s I had before and about half the price!

Got them delivered from here:

www.driftacademy.co.uk/shop.html