macfly
August 25th 2002, 19:36
I put 6500 miles on the MPS's and can report back that they are very able tires.
On twisty mountain roads (Angeles Crest, Highway 1 + 58) they are excellent, providing sharp turn in, constant and clear feedback and not even a hint of anything to complain about. They are good sport driving tires at brisk road speeds.
On the track they have a tendency to howl loudly, and 'tread creep' is noticeable, but they grip well. They seem to respond cleanly to mid corner inputs, on or off the gas, and are predicable. One negative I have found is that at in the CA afternoon heat (+90ºF) they seemed to loose thier grip a bit.
I have now experimented with several pressure settings at the track, and on the road, both hot and cold. Depending on weather conditions I find the cold temp set at 40psi is very effective for all road uses, and at the track in cool weather, but on hottest days it seems to work well starting out 36psi. (The heat build up will bring it back up in a couple of laps)
To sum up the tires, I think they are a very good street-sport tire, they are good at the track in the cold, but they do seem to loose a bit in hot weather. I never had a bad slip, spin or slide with them, but there were times when I felt as if I wanted a more surefooted feel at the track.
Since changing these tires for the SO3's I have to say that the Bridgestones 'feel' much better, both at the track, and on the road. The MPS is a great tire, but it isn't the best tire.
On twisty mountain roads (Angeles Crest, Highway 1 + 58) they are excellent, providing sharp turn in, constant and clear feedback and not even a hint of anything to complain about. They are good sport driving tires at brisk road speeds.
On the track they have a tendency to howl loudly, and 'tread creep' is noticeable, but they grip well. They seem to respond cleanly to mid corner inputs, on or off the gas, and are predicable. One negative I have found is that at in the CA afternoon heat (+90ºF) they seemed to loose thier grip a bit.
I have now experimented with several pressure settings at the track, and on the road, both hot and cold. Depending on weather conditions I find the cold temp set at 40psi is very effective for all road uses, and at the track in cool weather, but on hottest days it seems to work well starting out 36psi. (The heat build up will bring it back up in a couple of laps)
To sum up the tires, I think they are a very good street-sport tire, they are good at the track in the cold, but they do seem to loose a bit in hot weather. I never had a bad slip, spin or slide with them, but there were times when I felt as if I wanted a more surefooted feel at the track.
Since changing these tires for the SO3's I have to say that the Bridgestones 'feel' much better, both at the track, and on the road. The MPS is a great tire, but it isn't the best tire.