sp16 Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 Hi All... Thought I'd consult the collective wisdom of the group..I'm running 14" wheels (which I'm happy to keep) but need some new tyres and I've narrowed the search down to R888R's or NS2R's.Whats the general consensus of opinion on which way to go?Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldAndrewE Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 What width tyre are you thinking of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opplock Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 I think the only width available in 14" is 185. #1 PM sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldAndrewE Posted April 7, 2021 Share Posted April 7, 2021 In that case the NS2R has a load rating of 86V XL Extra Load - maybe not that suitable for a Seven although I know others have used them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sp16 Posted April 7, 2021 Author Share Posted April 7, 2021 I'm currently running 185/60/14. A much loved set of a-021's which need to be changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timb2117 Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Hi I am running the 888's but 16' rims they are great on track days and can get a nice even heat into them on the faster places, have probably done about 8 track days and also use them on road and they are going well after about 10 months and 6000 kms. I suspect after another 10 months they will be well down to TWI's and need replacing, thats fine.I guess it totally depends on your usage patterns and expectations. I tend to just be happy with whatever is under me and adjust driving to suit. A mate suggested them who races a rx7 mazda on longer targa road courses and he finds them to be the best he's way more discerning (polite way fo saying fussy!) than me though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_w Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 No experience of the Nankangs (so maybe this isn't helpful!) but I fitted the R888Rs last summer (185/60 13s) to my Sigma car and love them. Road use only but have had the chance to drive them very hard at times in France and North Wales. Loads of grip, progressive breakaway, seem perfect for the car to me. I was worried about them in the wet but in comparison to the normal treaded tyres I've used in the past (last being the CR322s) they don't seem any worse and possibly actually better on damp roads if it's not too cold. I find 7s need to be treated carefully in the wet anyway so even when caught in torrential rain in France the Toyos weren't too bad. The only time I've been wary of them was when forced to use them on damp roads in sub-zero temps when for the first few miles they weren't great, but again, I just drove accordingly. I doubt you'd regret getting a set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
56 Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Hi, I have used both on track and road albeit in 13" size. On a dry track the NS2Rs were great and I marginally prefer them to the R888Rs. I found the stiffer sidewalls on the NS2Rs gave really good feel. Peak grip was similar between the two maybe just slightly better on the NS2Rs once they were fully up to temperature.However - the R888Rs are miles ahead when it comes to cold and wet performance. The NS2Rs took a good half a lap on track to get any decent grip out of them and therefore they never got up to working temperature on the road. Whereas the R888Rs are great from the moment you set off and surprisingly good in the wet too.For me if you are using them on the road at all then the extra cost of the R888Rs is well worth it. If it's for (dry) track only then the Nankangs are great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opplock Posted April 9, 2021 Share Posted April 9, 2021 I had 14" NS2Rs fitted on Saturday. Two outings since then, total 50 miles. So far very pleased. No noticable difference to AO21s, if anything smoother ride. Mostly B road and minor road usage, a couple of miles on dual carriageway, rock steady at indicated 90. Need to go out on a wet day of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sp16 Posted April 10, 2021 Author Share Posted April 10, 2021 thanks for the feed back...what pressure are the R888R's running at? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7 wonders of the world Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 16-18 PSI cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Tin Man Posted April 13, 2021 Area Representative Share Posted April 13, 2021 Just changed my A021's to Nankang NS-2R's on 14" rims. I have not pushed them very hard yet, but they seem a lot quieter than the 21's. Initial feelings are promising as I have run 21's for nearly 20 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Tin Man Posted April 13, 2021 Area Representative Share Posted April 13, 2021 Interesting on the wet weather use as the Nankang's 185/60 R14's have a B rating and the Toyo's have an E rating which is much poorer. This is why I went for the Nankang tyres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastair B Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 Tin Man - please do report back when tyres warm and you do 'push on'.....I and plenty of others I am sure would be interested how the Nankang's grip compared to A021 and the feel/confidence when approaching the limit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Tin Man Posted April 14, 2021 Area Representative Share Posted April 14, 2021 Hi AlastairI will only be using them on the roads therefore I will be not pushing them to hard. Interesting, 56 said they were not as good in the wet as the 888, which was a surprise when looking at the tyre information. The 2R's are rated B and the 888's are rated E. A being the best grip in the wet. I wonder if 56 was comparing them to the Nankang AR-1'sJohn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
56 Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 Those tyre ratings are interesting, I would like to know how they're tested. I understand it only looks at wet braking distance but even so, a B rating for what is essentially a semi-slick is impressive. I expect they are tested on a much heavier vehicle than a Caterham so maybe that helps the Nankangs? They were definitely NS2Rs that I used. One thing to note though is that there seem to have been 2 or more different compounds available for the NS2Rs. Looking back at photos mine had 'Treadwear 180' written on the sidewall which I believe is the 'road' spec and hardest of the compounds. I expect a softer compound (if still available) would suit the Caterham better. Anyway I'm interested to hear how you get on with them. For the R888Rs, cold pressures of 16-18psi are what I use as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JrPorkchop Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 Bit off topic, but I miss the whole of the Yokohama line, I used to run A-048Rs on my 14"s as well as my 13"s. Nice compliant tire, shame the EU failed it back in 2016 because of wet weather performance for tires under 17", and suspiciously was the OEM for the Lotus Exige. Same time as the A-021Rs, but IIRC it was because the tire noise was 1db over the limit, other aspects were fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Area Representative Tin Man Posted April 14, 2021 Area Representative Share Posted April 14, 2021 56I thought these would be the nearest to the A021's Nankang state that the NS-2R's are 50% track and road use and have great wet performance. They don't appear to offer different compounds. The A021's are definitely noisier than the Nankang's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p.mole1 Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 I've got no experience of Nankangs but hve used Toyo 888 on 14 inch rims and have nothing but praise for them.That said you don't have a lot of choice, I even found fine on the roads in the wet. A bit of a plug, i ahve a set of 4 for sale in the marketplace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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