I can only have them on from Nov 15th to March 1st. Check your local laws to be sure. Info available in a Google search or from some tire sites.

I'm just glad that I can run them here.

 

Right on! There's a saying in the motorcycle world that you buy a helmet (type/quality) based on what you think your head is worth. Obviously that doesn't apply to Harley riders, because they don't wear helmets unless Johnny Law requires it. Yeah, that says a lot. I digress. Anyway, it's plain irresponsible to not repsect others enough to not endanger them. For the vast of Americans, they'll never understand. I'm US military living in Germany. If I inspected most American's cars in the lots on base (ones brought here from the US), I'd see the wrong tires for winter driving, or all-seasons on their last leg, or just plain bald tires. Germans have it right. First, there is no such thing as an all-season tire in Germany. They find that thought ridiculous, and rightfully so. Second, they all switch to winter tires about this time of year and they keep them on until the low temps are consistently above freezing. It's funny to see brand new Audis, BMWs, and Mercs with black steel wheels and snow tires, but it's very very common. I just today put a new set of MINI R84s with Goodyear Eagle Ultra Grip run flats on my 05 MINI S. We don't get pounded with snow here, but it does snow, and we get black ice and can go days on end with temps never getting above freezing. It's the right thing to do. Of course, I would have rather spent the money on something more fun, but such is life. Lecture over. Stand down. Out.

 

NEW YORK SATE LAW: DECIPHER THIS ONE!

35-a. It shall be unlawful to operate a motor vehicle or trailer equipped with tires having metal objects protruding from the tire tread upon any public highway. The prohibition contained in this section shall not apply to pneumatic tires containing metal type studs, the diameter of which studs inclusive of the stud casing does not exceed three-eighths of an inch and which do not protrude beyond the tread surface of such tires more than three thirty-seconds of an inch and the contact area of which does not exceed three-fourths of one per cent of the total nominal contact area of said tires determined by multiplying the circumference of the outer most edge of tread times the tread width, except that no vehicle equipped with such tires, other than school buses and state or municipally-owned vehicles, may operate on a public highway during the period from the first day of May to the fifteenth day of October, inclusive.

LOL,

YES OR NO ON STUDDED TIRES BETWEEN OCOBER 16TH AND APRIL 31ST?

jeeeeezus.

 

My guess is that if you can buy them in NY, you can use them in NY. If you actually figured out what that law says, I bet it just makes it illegal to drive on tires with home-made studs in them (screws sticking out of the tire).

As for using them in ocober? You'r guess is as good as mine.

 

And now for the dissenting opinion.

An important point is being missed in some of the above posts.

There are "performance tires" and there are "All Season Performance tires."

The "all season" performance tires that come on the MINI, at least the ones delivered here in Chicago, are rated M&S (mud and snow). They can be used on (mountain) roads which have been posted "Snow tires or chains required".

I have a set of "performance" tires that I bought from Tire Rack, and use in the summer time, they would be nearly useless in snow so I used the stock tires "all season performance" tires on the car for the last two winters.

Fresh, or even mildly plow packed snow up to the lower skirt on the front bumper is not a problem. If the snow is deeper than that, you risk damage to the front bumper skirt, and start to drag the cars underside.

I am an old guy that learned to drive on rear wheel drive cars, and snow tires were a requirement on those cars.

In 25 years of using front wheel drive cars in Chicago, into the mountains for ski trips, and towing trailers in the snow, I have never considered spending my money on snow tires. All season tires have always been plenty adequate.

You would get better grip in some snow types with snow tires, and this would improve your cornering and stopping as well as acceleration.

I just don't find them necessary to get around.

Good luck with your decision.

John

 

John -- You sound like a better than average driver! It also sounds like you live on fairly flat ground.

I live in the mountains of northern VT and would never consider NOT using snows in winter. Sure, I could get by with careful driving in most situations, but my Haak RSis give me a decided edge when I need to dodge some fool barrelling down an ice or snow covered hill. Or trying to get up my hill after a day of idiots flooring it and spinning tires all the way up...turning everything into a sheet of ice.

Of course I live in a tourist town where you get used to expecting the unexpected. Your mileage may vary.

Pete

 

If they're good enough for Lot of the North, they're good enough for me!

 

For mountainous or snowy country, I can see the value of snow tires.

For icy country I can see the value of studs. I even had a car with studs once. ( Here in the midwest studs are just plain not allowed at all, due to road wear.)

And there are situations where the front wheel drive is a disadvantage, I got stuck on a gravel road hill this weekend. No matter what the car would not start from a stop going up the hill, the front tires just dug holes! I had to back down to a flat spot and take a run at it.

John.

 

YES!

 

Flat is right. Like John, I am in Illinois and in the Chicago area. Not only is it pretty flat they actually do a remarkable job in clearing snow. Much better than when I was a kid and my Father had real wheel drive cars with studded snow tires. These days we can have a snowstorm at night and by morning its pretty clear. The only time that big problems arise is in windy drifting conditions when the snow blows back on the roads as quicly as it is cleared. Now we can have those windy conditions and it is a nightmare when it happens - anyone see that Bears game on Sunday?

Having said that with as much driving as I do I would still consider winter tires for my MINI if my MINI was my every day car. They make a difference and any added safety for all the necessary driving I do would be worth it.

 

I did last winter with fresh all-season runflats and didn't like it at all. This year I'm back to winter tires - Blizzaks. I used to have Artic Alpins on the corners and sandbags in the trunk of my (e30) 325. The thing was like a freakin truck through snow with that setup.

The test to see if winter tires really made much of a difference was quite simple - my steep driveway. All-seasons had to stay in the street some nights, winter tires never have.

mb

 

John,

I feel if you ever got a chance to drive a car with 4 modern snow tires in bad conditions you'd be sold on them. All seasons may work in snow, but there isn't much of a margin for safety. Snow tires are all about steering, braking & turning. The fact that they also help in deep snow is a bonus. Tires like the Hakka's & Blizzak's also work great on ice.

Chuck

 

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...&q=mini+cooper

2nd half of video has Mini sliding in the snow...(not my video)

 

they look like they're having a great time pulling the handbrake to
get those slides!!

 

Oh yes the hand brake turn. It's a very good skill to know. Especially if one rallies. If those guys get enough practice they may even get it right.

Chuck

 

Can anyone tell me what make / model of "all season" run flats is factory-installed on new MCS models?

 

My MCS came with 16" Dunlop SP Sport DSST Run Flats. No where on the tire does it say M&S indicating it's an all season tire. MINI.com says they're an all season & my MA did too. I looked long & hard & don't find any indication of that on the tire. The tread pattern looks somewhat like an all season, but there aren't a lot of sipes on the tread.

I hope I've helped you more than confused you.

Chuck