I think you're biggest culprit last week was the temperature. As you get in the single digits, the S02's or almost any summer tire is going to firm up like a hockey puck. Factor in the rain and your adhesion limit is going to be way down.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by alfredo_mancho
sorry guys, i'm not making myself clear here and it totally sounds like i'm saying the s02's are useless in the rain.

 

None the less, 25000km on your tires? they're done. replace them.
Wear bars are 15% left/
My fronts are on the wear bars, I looked at the inside today, and thier bald.

As Marco says, one tire in water is drag.. I seemed to notice the back end lifting when I hydroplane, its not a lot, buy you know its happening

 

I have more traction in the S02 then my Prelude's Kumho 712. I don't know much, but I know that the Kumho's are shit in rain.

 

I always listen to you Vince!

 

Its a lot more pleasant than me bending over and pulling a Jim Carey.

 

I don't know about that, you don't give yourself enough credit. Both you and Mike are both quite the "MAN MAGNETS". Which one plays the girl again??

 

arthur, the 712's are a lot diff from the Ecsta MX's trust me..

 

The S02s are better in the rain.

 

My first two sets of tires on my 01 were the S02s. Both sets were toast after 20,000 km. On the first set, at somewhere around the 16,000 km. mark, I did get caught in a frog-choker of a downpour on the Interstate through eastern Maine, and I did get a brief hydroplaning scare that tightened up the ole sphincter muscle big time -- enough for me to pull over and wait for the rain to let up.

My last set of tires were Toyo Proxy T1-S's. At 27,000 km. the wear indicator showed plenty of tread left! And, for my driving style, at least, I found them to be as good as the S02s in terms of counteracting the car's tail-happy tendencies. However, three weeks ago on I-81 near Watertown, NY, when the rain got deep enough and the temperatures got low enough, and the ambient buffeting from a nearby transport truck added to the mix, I hydroplaned with dramatic results -- one totalled S2000 and one (uninjured) spouse who still says her days of accompanying me on road trips are over.

My assumption -- because I'd been driving in the same conditions for two hours without feeling the slightest twitch and because I was even being overtaken by some other cars -- that I could maintain the posted speed limit of 65 mph was a big mistake. Very educational, but very costly.