New Falken Azenis Sports

[nlzmo400r]

Hey guys. This pertains mostly to the autocrossers and road racers, but has anyone heard of any 'new' news on the new falken azenis sport tires? These are amazing tires for the price, and id really like a set to autoX on. As of now, the only size in 15's they make is 205/50/r15. I hear that in the 1st 1/4 of '05 there are supposed to come out with a 225/50/r15. Id really like to get these, however even on falkens own site, they dont have them posted in the 'new' sizes soon available. Didnt know if anyone maybe had an inside track and could shed some light on this?

[91CRXsiR]

the size is stil too small for our wheels i need 195/60/15 205/50/15 would only go on my crx/miata/corolla but they are cheap

[TurDz]

I know what you are talking about. My friend (OptionZero) got a brochure from the GT Live event in Fontana. They're called Azenis Sport World Spec...supposedly a lot better than the Azenis Sports w/o anyone of the notorious "oily" characteristics under heavy heat and use.

[S13FREEAAK]

Too bad there is no wide 16" size. Just 215/40/16 i believe. I'll have to find something else I guess.

[OptionZero]

Nope.
Only ONE 16in size, 205/50/16, which is fucking pathetic.

If they made a 225/45/16 or wider, it'd be dope. Instead, we get this shit.

Oh well, I'll hope some places have the old Azenis in stock, or il'l shell out the money and get Bridgestones which actually come in decent sizes.

[nlzmo400r]

I agree about the 16" sizes. My friend picked up a set of the 215s for his 16" rims before they discountinued them. And the 205s arent bad for s13s, but the heavier s14s defnitely need more rubber. I hate to use a different tire, because for hte price, you can't beat the azenis sports. I just want the damn 225s for my stock s13 alloys. The 225s should be enough for the lighter s13

[ZK]

Damn, they need more 16" sizes... 205/55 and 225/50 for me.

I think it may be time to go 17. :)

[S13 Charlie]

I actually was just at Falken last week picking up some tires for my new wheels. I asked my contact there (Marketing director) about the new tire, and I was told that they aren't expected until the first week in Feb.

C

[Var]

from the new SCC

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v320/westboroughpimp/random/azenis.jpg

[citizen]

ill be picking some up if the price stays competitive~

[Var]

Falken Rep @ D1 said they would be more than the Azenis Sport, but cheaper than their "direct competition" whatever that means.

I'd expect 15 inch to be around 90 a tire

[nlzmo400r]

a friend of mine called falken the other day, and they said the tires were running behind schedule, however the ones that were supposed to come out hte 1st quarter of o5 (all but the 195/50/15s and the 315/35/18s) should be out by mid feb, early march

[nlzmo400r]

well i suckered in and got 4 205/50/r15 azenis sports for my stock s13 wheels. I got tired of waiting and running on my street tires. If these dont prove to be enough grip (which i doubt, considering im stock on power) then ill wait till they wear out and see about the new 225s

[fastpace]

no more 225/50/15

http://www.falkentire.com/updates/615_micro_sizes.htm

[nlzmo400r]

^ i explained this to the guy i talked to at falken, he said even though its not on their site, its his understanding that they will still produce the tire.

[DRFT180]

vulcantire.com is actually taking pre orders for the new azenis

[nlzmo400r]

but would they take a preorder for the 225/50/r15? (that is if they're expecting them to come out)

[DRFT180]

go look on the site Rob they have the sizes that you can preorder

[nlzmo400r]

yea i saw em, and the prices were much higher than i thought. I ended up getting the older azenis sports for $68 per tire, the new ones of the SAME size were $92 per tire!!! Thats 24 dollars MORE per tire!!

[johngriff]

i've just been pissed off cause i cant find anything even remotely competitive, with a stiff sidewall in a 215/45/16 anywhere. Its making me knuts and i might just have to get rid of the new rikens i just got, back to a 17 and 18 combo i guess... :2f2f:

[nlzmo400r]

if you're gonna go with a falken azenis sport, id recommend going with a 17" rim, they have so many available sizes for them, but the 16s get no love, and i think the 225/50/15s got cancelled. Look at Khumo MXs, they're very competitive with the azenis sports.

[ghostuss]

Falken azenis has 215-45-16 I am running those right now. Also azenis has a stiff sidewall, they are like carbon reinforced I think. Now the new falken. I hope they have that size. I am getting that for sure if they have it.

[OptionZero]

I read some auto X forums, and people have said that the 205 Azenis Sport has more grip than the 225 Kumho MX.

My original plan was to get some r32 GTR wheels and slap 225 MX's on there, but after I heard that, there was little piont in getting a 16x8 rim to run Azenis...I would rather save the money on the rims, and just get 205/55/16 for stock SE wheels....which is what I just did.

Falken needs to get their heads out of their butts and make some 16in sizes...

[ghostuss]

azenis sport has tons of grip but they are really bad in rain. You feel like you are getting "washed" away in rain on highway.

[AKADriver]

Falken azenis has 215-45-16 I am running those right now. Also azenis has a stiff sidewall, they are like carbon reinforced I think. Now the new falken. I hope they have that size. I am getting that for sure if they have it.

Nope, only 205/40-16 now (WTF does that even fit? It's too short for my Miata, even)

215/45-16 is way too SHORT for the 240SX... ugh. They made a 205/55-16 in the RT215 that was the right height for the 240. It probably wouldn't give up any grip over the 215/45... a TALLER tire grips better too.

The RT615 has a horrid size selection and costs more than the Ecsta MX now. The old RT215 did grip just a hair better than the Ecsta MX when cold, but as the tires warmed, the Ecsta MX would hang on longer. The RT215 was certainly a bit better for autocrossers with light cars.

But personally, if you gave me a choice between a good tire only available in a crappy size and one in the right size that grips 98% as well, I'll take the latter.

[nlzmo400r]

ive never had any problem with azenis in the rain, i love em, now standing water, thats a different story, hit a puddle, kiss yo ass goodbye, but as far as just wet roads go, no complaints here.

[Replicant_S14]

Only ONE 16in size, 205/50/16, which is fucking pathetic.

If they made a 225/45/16 or wider, it'd be dope. Instead, we get this shit.

Oh well, I'll hope some places have the old Azenis in stock, or il'l shell out the money and get Bridgestones which actually come in decent sizes.

Ya, that's the size I want too. Looks like the Hankook Z212s may be my only option.

[ZK]

Nope, only 205/40-16 now (WTF does that even fit? It's too short for my Miata, even)

215/45-16 is way too SHORT for the 240SX... ugh. They made a 205/55-16 in the RT215 that was the right height for the 240. It probably wouldn't give up any grip over the 215/45... a TALLER tire grips better too.

The RT615 has a horrid size selection and costs more than the Ecsta MX now. The old RT215 did grip just a hair better than the Ecsta MX when cold, but as the tires warmed, the Ecsta MX would hang on longer. The RT215 was certainly a bit better for autocrossers with light cars.

But personally, if you gave me a choice between a good tire only available in a crappy size and one in the right size that grips 98% as well, I'll take the latter.

Ugh... I might have to go 17" now. I think my MXs are due for a change and probably won't last all the way through this summer auto-x season and I don't feel like getting another set of the same tires. There's always Bridgestone S-03s but they cost a grip.

Falken needs more 16" tire selection.

[ghostuss]

ive never had any problem with azenis in the rain, i love em, now standing water, thats a different story, hit a puddle, kiss yo ass goodbye, but as far as just wet roads go, no complaints here.

when I mean rain I mean shower. Like some little sizzy drops. I am talking about those rain that you can't see the car in front you but it's tail light.

[ghostuss]

Nope, only 205/40-16 now (WTF does that even fit? It's too short for my Miata, even)

215/45-16 is way too SHORT for the 240SX... ugh. They made a 205/55-16 in the RT215 that was the right height for the 240. It probably wouldn't give up any grip over the 215/45... a TALLER tire grips better too.

The RT615 has a horrid size selection and costs more than the Ecsta MX now. The old RT215 did grip just a hair better than the Ecsta MX when cold, but as the tires warmed, the Ecsta MX would hang on longer. The RT215 was certainly a bit better for autocrossers with light cars.

But personally, if you gave me a choice between a good tire only available in a crappy size and one in the right size that grips 98% as well, I'll take the latter.
I actually like the 215-45-16. I get good steering response than the 55s.

[nlzmo400r]

also, anyone care to explain how a taller tire is better than a shorter one? I mean it seems like shorter tire (given teh correct inflation and camber) would hold better than a taller sidewall tire.

[ghostuss]

thicker sidewalls will give more grip, cause they are more flexible. But at the same time they have worst steering response. That's why most ppl run lowprofile tires with a negative camber. Negative camber = more grip. So that way you don't sacrifice neither. Oh also thicker tires have better ride quality, they can stick to the bumpy road better than thinner ones.

[sykikchimp]

taller sidewalls don't determine grip levels, tread pattern, and compound do. Having a tall sidewall will affect grip if your suspension is too hard/soft for the surface your are driving on. sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.

negative camber doesn't necessarily mean more grip either, but I understand what your trying to explain. It's far more complex than that in a racing environment, but in general situations (street), it doesn't have to be.

[thx247]

I think it was rcvd that talks about tires having more lateral grip with a degree or two of negative camber. I forget why though

[OptionZero]

Beecaus when you turn..the forces put on your car aren't straight up or down...so putting the wheels at an angle help them put maximum contact patch on the ground

somethin like that

[turtl631]

As the body rolls, the wheels camber in to keep the contact patch as flat as possible. This works better with double wishbones than Mac struts though....damn civics/miatas :)

[OptionZero]

not the new civics, they have MacPerson struts too, i believe

[turtl631]

thats true...it was just a few generations of civics that had double wishbone. Kinda cool that Honda included that design in an economy car though; now they're overweight and have mediocre suspensions. Hehe..

[thx247]

The suspension design doesn't mean its inferior, for example the vette has great toe and camber characteristics with its leaf springs in the rear. Double wishbone could still suck if it was setup poorly- or more likely- setup for reduced NVH.

I went back and read about the tires, surprisingly I can't find anything which explains why negative camber adds to the lateral force of a tire, just that it does. This is not negative camber with regards to the suspension geometry I'm talking about, I'm talking about negative camber between the tire and the road without influence from anything else.

[nlzmo400r]

so has anyone actually tried the new azenis yet (rt615)? Im curious as to how they are? If they made better 16" sizes, id use em for street tires as well as my solo2 tires.

[North240]

Its pretty weak they dont really make any decent sizied 16's, they dont even make the old size 205/55/16 regardless, i cant wait to see a new review on them to see if they even hang with the old ones.

[nlzmo400r]

the older 16" size was a 215/45/16, the new one is a 205/40/16. I want a 235 or 245/45 16

[North240]

i agree with the larger sizes but as for the size they used to make, i owned a set of 205/55/16 Azenis sports so they might have also made 215/45's but they deffinitly made the other size as well.

[nlzmo400r]

yep, they made both.

[ultraDorksGarage]

The suspension design doesn't mean its inferior, for example the vette has great toe and camber characteristics with its leaf springs in the rear.

edit: sorry so off topic
just to clarify a tiny bit, vettes(at least recent ones) dont have leaf springs...
they have a single leaf(monoleaf). spring goes from left to right on the rear suspension. in a way one side affects the other(even though theres solid mounting spots on rear), also in theory it reduces unsprung weight, can lower center of gravity(coils arent all the way high in the trunk) and what not. independant rear susp with leaf spring, pretty neat concept if u ask me^^

[KA24DESOneThree]

I turned them down due to the 20% price increase. Discount Tire sells 'em for $121.98 each mounted and balanced, and that's simply unacceptable for someone on as tight a budget as I.

[nlzmo400r]

yea, the price increase definitely made me look at their competition, the winning factor for me with the older azenis rt215s was the amazing price.

[d3p0]

They are out in California, has anyone tried them yet?

[nlzmo400r]

They're out here as well, however Discount Tires Direct is ALWAYS out of stock of them. So i dont know anyone here thats tried them. Im going with hankook rs2's soon, as they make a good 16" size.