Saw some pics of the newest rendition of the Elio and saw those skinny, skinny tires!! They look like motorcycle tires that wouldn't afford much traction on ice and snow up here in the frozen north country. I hope these are just cheap prototype tires for testing purposes, and not what will be on the production models. Any thoughts?
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"skinny" Tires??
- Thread starter nickskeys
- Start date
Grumpy Cat
Elio Addict
Those are the original tires, compare them to the ones on the latest prototype.
floydv
Elio Addict
You could order both the current and retro style fenders. That way, you could switch to wider tires in the winter with the retro fenders if you really want. However, switching to wider tires for snow and ice seems to go against the advice of tire suppliers like Tire Rack, which state that narrower tires (presumably because they apply more force over their narrower surface area) perform better in snow than wider tires.
http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=126
http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=126
Nickskeys you need to spend a little time using the search function here; there are some very in-depth discussions on here about the tires.
They were specifically designed for the Elio by Continental Tire; they same people that have the E1A for designing and dialing in the brakes and break systems, working in conjunction with Rousch Industries who are responsible for ride and handling.
And floydv is correct, if you go with a wide tire on snow and ice, you'll "float" on top of the snow where there is a lot less traction.
They were specifically designed for the Elio by Continental Tire; they same people that have the E1A for designing and dialing in the brakes and break systems, working in conjunction with Rousch Industries who are responsible for ride and handling.
And floydv is correct, if you go with a wide tire on snow and ice, you'll "float" on top of the snow where there is a lot less traction.
booboo
Elio Addict
The ELIO 1 and 2 musts conflict when it comes to traction. MPG = skinny , Safety = Fat
So, When fatty and skinny sat on a winter sled, in a compromising position everyone said, at 65mph here they come, do not hit the brakes, let off the gas instead.
Must-have 1: Amazing MPG
Must-have 2: Uncompromised Safety
CrimsonEclipse
Elio Addict
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Not really. Wider is not always better.
It's about PSI. Both the tire pressure and the contact area -vs- weight.
Spread the weight out too much, you float above water and snow.
Considering the light weight of the Elio, the small tire will likely perform just fine in snow and heavy rain.
Put wider tires on if you want, but it will not help you on ice and snow.
It's about PSI. Both the tire pressure and the contact area -vs- weight.
Spread the weight out too much, you float above water and snow.
Considering the light weight of the Elio, the small tire will likely perform just fine in snow and heavy rain.
Put wider tires on if you want, but it will not help you on ice and snow.
booboo
Elio Addict
I had a friend with giant street legal balloon snow tires on a GMC 4X4 Pick up. We would go up to the Sierras and play in 4ft of snow spinning donuts, climbing hills, and going where no ordinary tire had gone before.
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Yup.
Booboo, how much did that GMC 4x4 weigh? 5,000+ pounds? and 4 wheel drive
And how much does an Elio weigh? 1,250? Front wheel drive.
Ever drive an early VW Beetle in the snow? (Not the new Audi Beetle)