Decision is to be made between the Motegi SP 10 at 16.8 lbs v. the Kosei K1 TS at 13.9 lbs. Kosei is made in Japan and costs $32 more than the Chinese made Motegi.

Experiences and opinions much appreciated.

Nitto tires any good or spend the money for the Goodyear F1 GS-D3?

 

I was looking at those as well. The other brand was Konig Feathers.

What size are you looking at? 17"x7?

 

I have the Kosei's and love them. They're both great rims, what are you using them for? If they're for the street, I'd probably go with the Motegi's, you won't
notice the weight difference unless you're on the track, and they'll hold up a bit better. If they're for the track, I'd lean toward the Kosei's.

Nitto's are good tires, but if it's for everyday driving the Goodyears are about as good as it gets. Just my 2 cents....

 

I have Motegi's and love them.

 

They will be 17X7 with 215/45X17.

I like the look of the Motegi and the weight of the Kosei.
The Goodyears are indeed the best I've driven on the street but there are newer models out there, maybe a newer/better tire?

 

Unless you're on the track, you're not going to notice the weight, and even then it won't be a huge difference. I'd get the Motegi's if you like the looks better; I have an (unproven) hunch that they'll handle bumps/potholes better than the Kosei's.

As for tires, there are a bazillion to choose from, but you really can't go wrong with the Goodyears for an all around, relatively quiet high performance tire. They look great too...

 

My problem is that I want forged weight at a basement price and good looks. The old have your cake and eat it too.

Thanks for the advice.

 

haha me too!

 

If it's about the weight, look at the weight of the tires too--there can be quite a bit of difference between different tires even in the same size. In general, the lighter the rim, the less well it will stand up to pounding, although of course this is also to a certain degree dependent on the quality of the manufacturer. FYI, I have seen pictures of a lightweight rim that sheered off the wheel on a MINI during a track day, it was not a pretty sight (but it wasn't either of the brands you're looking at either)....

Still, you're really not going to notice a few pounds of unsprung weight either way unless you're on the track, and even then, depending on your suspension, you probably won't notice it either.

 

Gnaster's team dynamics wheel was NOT a common problem in any means. Yes the wheel sheared...but that hardly has anything to do with:
"In general, the lighter the rim, the less well it will stand up to pounding"

In reality some of the lightweight wheels out there are stronger then their heavier cousins and can take MORE abuse. The key is to look at the process that was used when making the wheel. Many of your OEM wheels, heavy wheels, and cheap wheels are Cast. This is an easy manufacturing process, but it doesn't make the strongest stuff and leaves a lot of extra metal.

Forging, a common method used with the "lightweight racing" wheels is a much more expensive process. Send a 21lb cast wheel and a 21lb forged wheel at a pothole and the forged one will handle it much better. The thing is that you are unlikely to see heavy forged wheels as they trim off the fat basically. Hence why we see 14lb 17" wheels.

Anyway, point is, that particular wheel that sheared was a one time random occurrence that has to do with the metallurgy of that particular wheel. That is not something you expect from ANY wheel, and lightweight wheels are not prone to that kind of damage.

 

Yes, the process of construction is important, but a heavier rim, if constructed the same way, will hold up better. I have seen lighter Kosei's used on the street bend, the Motegi's seem to hold up a bit better. This is purely observational, but it is the reason I run the Kosei's only on the track, where they aren't subject to pounding over potholes.

I didn't mention the TD specifically because I'm not totally sure what happened with it. I own a set of TD's, and although it's a good rim, I can tell you fit and finish is at best average...

 

I could agree with that

 

Key phrase, "if constructed the same way." I think manufacturing quality varies enough to make a strict weight comparison misleading. I'm no expert. I have a set of Koseis K1s and have been entirely content, both when they were dailys and now with the r-comp rubber on.