stevo

I found the following on http://www.drive.com.au/ site. Is this really a problem? I have to replace mine very soon and was thinking of getting something different - mainly due to price.

regards

Steve


Fuss in boots: Honda treads warily
Friday 2 June 2000


The secret - and the weakness - of the Honda S2000's remarkable handling has been exposed. The car labelled a Japanese Porsche Boxster is fussy about its tyres.
Following accidents in the UK, Honda has issued a service bulletin to dealers warning that only a tailor-made tyre should be fitted to the car.

The handling of the S2000 can become "snappy and unpredictable" unless fitted with the Bridgestone tyres recommended by Honda. At least one UK driver is seeking legal advice after a crash involving an S2000 fitted with the incorrect tyre.

It is possible, the service bulletin warns, to fit what appears to be the correct Bridgestone Potenza S02 tyre and still equip the S2000 with the wrong rubber.

Despite identical sizing and naming, there are two other Potenza tyres whose internal construction differs from the correct model. Small serial numbers on the sidewall set them apart.

Honda's service bulletin says that this internal difference means that "no alternatives are recommended ... use of the Bridgestone Potenza S02 Pole Position or Bridgestone S02 can adversely affect the handling" of the S2000.

It is common for manufacturers to recommend certain types of replacement tyres but such a specific tyre choice for a mass-produced car is believed to be unprecedented.

Bridgestone Australia says it has the correct S2000 tyres in stock and that the serial number for these is clearly marked on official price lists to avoid retailer confusion. An international tyre consultant specialising in accident and forensic investigations has looked into one S2000 accident and told British solicitors that Honda and Bridgestone must be clearer in designating the correct tyre.

Honda Australia says it has yet to receive any complaints and has no plans to issue a service bulletin regarding the tyres. However, a safety recall is being carried out to replace the soft-top cover of all S2000s sold in Australia so far. This affects 694 vehicles.

The move comes after owners reported that, with the driver's seat set as far back as possible, the roof down and hood cover in place, the seatbelt could become trapped between the two. In a crash, it is possible the belt would not function properly.

Honda Australia says 100 owners so far have taken their cars back to dealerships to swap soft-top covers for a new, modified design.

Kobe

Good post,

I would really like to get a copy of that service bulletin.

I had to fit Yokohama tyres to the rear of my S2000 due to lack of OEM's in JAPAN (of all places).

Everything seemed OK until I had a near bad accident last weekend when the rear broke loose under straight line acceleration in the dry.

I complained to Bridgestone - who have done absolutely nothing apart from collect my old tyres and say it was normal not to be able to get OEM SO2's ex-stock.

Russ

Following accidents in the UK, Honda has issued a service bulletin to dealers warning that only a tailor-made tyre should be fitted to the car. Hmmm. I wonder who makes this unicorn tire?
The handling of the S2000 can become "snappy and unpredictable" unless fitted with the Bridgestone tyres recommended by Honda.
Ta-da. Was there any doubt that Bridgestone would be the magical tire of choice? If the
OEM S0-2 is such a "required" tire, why is the tire so hard to find? This is right up there with certain manufacturers claiming a warranty will be voided if you don't use Mobil One...as if the defroster can't be fixed under warranty because I changed to Royal Purple.
Interesting reading but much too brief in the details of the accidents to conclude much from this article. This is like saying someone who buys their S2K to simply tool around in is risking injury if he replaces his tires with Michelin Pilots.
There are plenty of owners in here with 2-yr-old S2k's running on tires OTHER than OEM's. More corporate back-door dealing nonsense.

stevo

I could understand Honda recommending a specific tyre.

If it is as big a problem as the article suggests then shouldn't it be widely communicated to Honda S2000 owners that they risk crashing if they don't fit these tyres?

If it isn't a problem then it is unethical (criminal?) to say that you must fit a specific tyre for safety reasons.


Steve

Penforhire

I imagine the balance has a lot to do with the tread width.

Our tires have narrower fronts and wider rears than the tire width labels suggest. If you switch tire model, with no other changes to the car, people have suggested at least 245 wide in the rear and some say 265 !

The OEM S02's are interesting and I'm sure sidewall stiffness also plays into how well they work.

Turtle

Hmmm... interesting, but how come none of the UK guys have come across this? Honda UK has come up with a new recommended alignment for UK conditions, but that's the only handling related bulletin. I was actually talking to my dealer a few days ago about new rear tires... no mention of a bulletin.

-Brian.

Shabby

How can you tell a good S02 from a bad S02 then ? can someone post the magic marks to look for ? - before I got the car I checked out ASDA's tyre shop of all places just to see how much the tyres cost - gusee what - even ASDA knew that they needed a special S02 - it was on their computer and at circa 113 quid a wheel not a bad price either.


But someone please post the magic runic symbols so that we know we are safe.