Wow December 21, 2002, a nice Halloween theme!
That reminds me "The Walking Dead" is on tonight.
ZOMBIES!

 

Just did the same thing, only Pirellis.... Its amazing how much of the FUN RFs take out of the car....

 

Some comments.

Base cooper usually comes with non runflats and spare

Cooper S comes with Runflats in 16 to 18" sizes with no spare

If you need the safety and security of the runflats then use them and pay for them but you might consider the 16" size for less firm ride and lower replacement cost vs the larger diameter sizes.

I have flatted both a non runflat and runflat recently. The runflat sidewall is so firm I could not tell it was flat and it drove fine but my TPMS went off.

The non runflat had a screw on the side of the main tread but because the tire when flat when it was parked as soon as I moved it - not knowing it was flat until too late just 30 feet traveled, the screw tip had torn the sidewall and the tire was unfixable and had to be replaced- costly since it was not very old.

If you don't plan on changing a flat in the middle of traffic or in the snow or rain in the middle of the night then a runflat will come in handy if you do.

By the way not all runflats are as cheap as this one-
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....T+600+DSST+CTT

Only $583 each.
The real deal. Is it worth it? Sure. Ask the owners that use them.

 

I keep much more than that. The first is a Dynaplug for small punctures. The second is a Stop n Go tire plugger gun. The third is a selection of conventional sticky worms. Only after those all fail to work would I use Slime. And rather than depend on a can of compressed gas, I have a 12 volt compressor as well. It all fits neatly in the Slime compressor's carrying bag.

As for ditching the runflats, that's a personal thing. For those like me who can handle plugging a tire on the road and are willing to take the risk that a temporary repair can't be made, then I say go for it. (I run Hankook's Ventus V12 Evo's - a fantastic tire.) But for many others, runflats make all the sense in the world.

 

This topic has been talked about a lot over the years. Can we please let this one just die and fade away?

 

It's like an oil thread. They never die.

 

lolz

 

How often should you change the oil in your tires?

 

Like every 200 hundred ft. If not it is premature tire failure is in your future.

 

 

 

 

It's a thought, but truth be told, the issues of runflat tires still exist. There are still new owners to MINIs joining NAM and there are still people experiencing the joys of owning runflat tires for the first time.

I would have thought that after 10 years, runflat tire technology would have refined to address a lot of the issues we have with them. Unfortunately, it appears they have not. So bringing up this thread every now and then probably is not a bad idea.

But I agree that we needn't discuss adnauseum.

 

^ Agreed.

 

I dumped my run flats years ago. Excellent move from every angle. I carry an air pump and sealant--which are still factory new.

 

Runflats are harsh for "long commutes". I purchased the MINI as our "take me to work" vehicle. I get good gas mileage but didn't expect the commute to be as long as it turned out to be once we moved here and settled down. As stated previously, it's fun to have runflats for the first time, but once I'd driven this car for 45min to 1:15 min one way 5 days a week to work...I was wishing I had a smoother ride. I think I would still buy a MINI, just not the run flats. I'm replacing the OEM Contis this weekend. I've decided on ContinentalExtremeContact DWS tires in the 215-45-17 size. Looking forward to improved ride and not being able to "feel my way to work (pot holes, unfinished construction, etc.)". Now, I need to get the emergency kit. Sounds like BMBULBE figured it out with little trouble.

PS: Que Viva La "Thread"!