There’s been a lot of talk about speed rated tyres. With the increasing customer interest in high performance tyres – cars – and driving, in general – speed rated tyres are gaining in recognition and, as a result, importance.

So it makes good sense to understand what speed rating really is – which tyre is speed rated – and what kind of claims can be realistically be made for and about speed rated tyres.

Many places in Europe speed limits are substantially higher than any where else in the world. In some countries speed limits don’t even exist. Probably the most well known example of this is the German Autobahn.

As a result of these varying and non-existent speed limits, law enforcement and government agencies needed some way to be certain that vehicles, tyres and wheels would perform safely and satisfactorily at predetermined categories of speed.

The best way to do this was to somehow rate the tyre, wheel and vehicle combinations, according to their abilities to perform satisfactorily and safely at predetermined and possibly prolonged speed driving.

So in simple words speed rating can be described as “an alphabetical system of describing a tyre, wheel and vehicle’s potential to travel at established and predetermined speed’s”

Notice two things in speed rated tyres

One – The word fast is not mentioned. Speed rating, regardless of which category they occupy, is not an approval to go fast.

Two – Tyres aren’t in this by themselves. Speed rating includes tyre, wheel and vehicle capabilities.

UNDER STAND THOSE STATEMENTS

To clear up another possible misunderstanding, here’s a question and then the answer.

Q – Are speed rated tyres required for, why pay for some thing which is not required?

A – Tyres are a combination of every thing that goes into them, and each component serves to do more than just one accomplished. Tyres that are manufactured to pass speed ratings include such a degree of precision that the responsiveness, traction control and overall handling of the tyre is much greater and much predictable that can be found in most non-speed rated tyres. Apart from this the speed rated tyres are more precise and are more capable of passing exacting performance demands than the other tyres. Note that a speed rated tyre is always wanted by a person who wants

1. Response
2. Handling
3. Traction
4. Performance

Lapse Time

Within all steering systems, there’s a built in lapse time between the moment you turn the steering wheel and the moment the car begins to turn, this time lapse is caused by several factors, all natural and all a part of the car’s steering / suspension system, including gear tolerances, bushing, shocks, and tyres.

There’s a portion of this lapse caused by the steering itself. Another portion is caused by the suspension, and within the sidewall and the basic tyre construction , lies another portion of the lapse.

These small time lapses are meaningless when at slow speeds, but for a person who is performance oriented, time lapse can be aggravating. Speed rated tyres are built to provide responsiveness, durability, traction and handling.

Why are the speed rated tyres expensive?

Speed rated high performance tyres cost a lot of money to produce and manufacture, without mentioning the specifics of additional equipment, machinery and manufacturing space and the research which goes into it.