bf goodrich g-force R1 users...

[Mike Thomas #828]

any users of these tires care to offer an opinion on them?...a set of 4 of these is approx $180 cheaper than a set of hoosiers r6's and they tend to be more available

 

for a DE event....not club racing...how would you compare them keeping in mind that wear is also a factor as well as overall grip...

 

thanks

 

[APXD 30]

Mike,

I noticed that Marty had a set at Pocono last w/e and I asked him about them.   I'll let him comment, but suffice to say that he was fairly happy with them.

[Brian Minkin]

I have been running these for 2 years now.  Grip is excellent and they wear very well.  I can get 17 to 20 days out of a set.  That is double the number of days I get with Ho Ho's.

[Marty Kocse]

Agreed - they appear to be wearing great and the grip is excellent.  I would definitely buy these again.

I've never run Hoosier's so I can't really compare the R1's to them but overall, I'm happy with them.

[George3]

 

I've run on two sets of R1's. 
As compared to Hoosier R6's...

Pro's: 
Cheaper, more heat cycles than R6's, almost as much grip,

Con's:
Heavier than R6's, less heat cycles, my last set tended to cord and chunk towards the end of their life cycle, R6's have way more early life grip.

Unless you are racing, these are a good overall track tire.

[Terry]

I am running them right now. My right rear has begun to cord after 3 events (7 days) but it looks more like a manufacturing defect than regular cording. The problem area was limited and didn't grow over three run sessions so I'm not sure what is going on. The other rear (left) is pretty well gone anyway so I think eight days is about the limit for these tires on my car. The fronts still look pretty good - want to buy them? They are big enough for rears on most cars. BTW, the sizes are not your typical Porsche sizes so you need to see if they'll fit. As to performance, they are good but lack the ultimate Hoosier stick.

[ghassler]

For what you're looking for I'd definitely recommend the g-force R1's. I've run a couple of sets now and like you said they're about $180 each for my car vs. $220 each for Hoosiers, and they are the closest things to Hoosiers I've found. Better than the Kuhmo's I'd been running, the R1's are my new tire of choice for DE.

Good grip, good feel unlike the Kuhmo's, a touch of audible feedback unlike Hoosiers, decent wear (considering the grip), non-directional, inexpensive. Though I fear if too many people start finding out about them the price will rise...

[Darren]

For what it's worth -- if you can really push your tires hard then Hoosiers will be a second a lap faster or so.  Many/most people who run Hoosiers at DE will be just as fast with Michelins, BFG R1, Toyo R888 etc....

What you want in a DE tire is consistency and longevity.  Those are the qualities that help build skills.  You don't need a DE tire that is fast the first session and then trails off after that.  Like brake pads, an individual driver may find that one of these non-Hoosier brands works better for them.  It depends on your driving style to some degree.

If you are driving 10/10ths then it's a different story -- in that case get the Hoosier A6's!

As an example I'll mention my friend who I'll call "Bob".  Bob for years was just as fast with the Michelin Pilot Sport Cups as he was on Hoosiers.  About 2 years ago he got some professional driver coaching and started to really push things and then the Hoosiers were obviously faster.  Ironically he also started wearing tires way less!

Some guys will say that X brand (like brake pads) lasts forever -- they are probably just slow.  Try them out for yourself because that's what its all about.

[bobt993]

who you talk'in about DM?

[Dan Yonker]

I have run the R-1s and Hoosiers on my little wimpy '84 911 at both DEs and races.  I think the R-1 is a good tire and a value compared to the Hoosiers.  People say the Hoosiers have more grip and the R-1s last longer.  This may be true, but I bet 98 out of 100 people reading this forum wouldn't be able to tell, myself included.

It's all about getting as close to the edge of the friction circle as possible.  Once there, it really doesn't matter what tire you are running unless time really matters (i.e. a race). It's all about seat time and working on car control.

I would still use the R-1s for practice, but they are not available in the size I need.  Hey, maybe I should get a new ride?