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Ode de Falken RT-615s

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Old Feb 12, 2009 | 07:33 PM
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Thumbs up Ode de Falken RT-615s

Got a chance to really test out new Falken Azenis RT-615 tires and man do they grip! I had put on a couple of hundred miles mostly on the freeway and just tooling around and stuff, but hadn't had a chance to push them due to a leaky oil pan. Now that that problem is fixed and the car is 99% again I could finally thrash them on my favorite canyon road- Tuna.

Their grip is really outstanding, and the threshold at which they break loose comes on very gradually. The previous set of Bridgestone Potenza S-02 Pole Position tires didn't have near the level of grip, that's a given due to the softer compound... but the difference in the way they lose grip was unexpected. I feel like it's much easier to control the car with the RT-615's progressive loss of grip vs. the Bridgestones that gripped until they let go all at once.

It sounds weird, but they feel stickier from a driver's perspective, and they sound like they're scrubbing the pavement. That gives me confidence in the handling. And braking performance has improved just by the virtue of having stickier tires- buh bye ABS :tongue:

Probably the only downside is they seem to pick up more debris: pebbles, dirt, etc. I can literally hear it, but hopefully the paint is protected enough.

Thanks to Luis at Champion (from this board) for a great deal.

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Old Feb 12, 2009 | 08:26 PM
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Originally Posted by TimeMachine
Their grip is really outstanding, and the threshold at which they break loose comes on very gradually. The previous set of Bridgestone Potenza S-02 Pole Position tires didn't have near the level of grip, that's a given due to the softer compound... but the difference in the way they lose grip was unexpected. I feel like it's much easier to control the car with the RT-615's progressive loss of grip vs. the Bridgestones that gripped until they let go all at once.
Progressive is not a word I'd use to describe them, but ok.

It sounds weird, but they feel stickier from a driver's perspective, and they sound like they're scrubbing the pavement. That gives me confidence in the handling. And braking performance has improved just by the virtue of having stickier tires- buh bye ABS :tongue:
They actually are deforming to the pavement. And yes, tires are generally the biggest factor in stopping distances.

Probably the only downside is they seem to pick up more debris: pebbles, dirt, etc. I can literally hear it, but hopefully the paint is protected enough.
You might want to put some racer's tape or get mudflaps if you are concerned about your paint. They will beat up your wheel arches pretty good.

Glad you're happy; welcome to the world of real tires. Come out to an auto-x and actually put them to work.
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Old Feb 12, 2009 | 08:27 PM
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Size? Price?
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Old Feb 12, 2009 | 08:44 PM
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I ran those on my cobra. They stuck pretty well but no street tire is going to hold the 537 ft/lbs torque I had. Grip around turns was excellent as well. They are manageable in the rain but you do have to drive a bit slower.
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Old Feb 12, 2009 | 09:12 PM
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They're good tires for the street, but they get too greasy on the track.
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Old Feb 12, 2009 | 09:28 PM
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[QUOTE=jdmsuper7;8962514}Glad you're happy; welcome to the world of real tires. Come out to an auto-x and actually put them to work.[/QUOTE]

Haha, ya, I suppose this is the first set of "real" tires that I've owned. Fortunately I can use them on the street as the FD only sees a couple of thousand miles a year.

Originally Posted by limbar85
Size? Price?
They're 225/45R17 and 255/40R17, I think

Originally Posted by andrewdruiz
They're good tires for the street, but they get too greasy on the track.
Good advice. I bought them for the street, no rain. I want to find a stickier track-only set for the stock wheels.
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Old Feb 13, 2009 | 03:38 AM
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They actually aren't bad in the rain. I used my Azenis RT-615's at the track one day when it was rained all day and I was very surprised how well they gripped. Given wet conditions on a track are different than wet conditions on the street, I've still never had any issues in the rain on the street either... but I don't get into boost when it's wet(that should be a given). I have 235/17 and 255/17 and I think they ran me about $500shipped to my door from onlinetires.com if I remember correctly... might of been a little less. I think these tires are a very good "bang for the buck" tire for someone on a budget. Depending on driving habits, I've seen these tires lasting what looks like an average of ~12,000 miles.
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