Wel guys, after a bit of encouragement from Mikey I got off my backside and have spent a week and a half trying to track down where we can get hold of OEM S02s for the Stook.

My 1st port of call was Honda Australia who basically told me that there wasn't a problem and there was no such thing as an OEM SO2. Go talk to a Bridgestone dealer they said.

2nd port of call was the local Bridgestone dealer. Yeah, we got 'em he said - c'mon down and I'll show you a set. Off I go and he shows me the tyres - I then show him Cthree's post of the different tread patterns and point out that what he is showing me is not the OEM (but is the aftermarket) S02. The dealer then gets aggro and tells me that these are the only S02s imported into Australia and I could take 'em or leave 'em. Up yours too buddy!

3rd port of call is Bridgestone Australia Head Office. I spoke to a rep who knew nothing but he did suggest I speak to a guy in tech support - Chris Robson - he then transferred me to Chris.

Well finally we are getting somewhere, Chris knows a lot and he tells me:
1. there are at least 6 different S02 tread patterns (including 3 -N1, N2 and N3 - specifically for different model Porkers),
2. I must get the right model S02 for the Stook or I will screw up the handling and;
3. he will get back to me with the specs of the correct tyre for the Stook.

Well due to a couple of minor hiccups (he lost my mobile #, I changed the email address I had given him) we didn't make contact again until today.

But now finally to the details you have been waiting for guys (and gals):

Front tyre 205/55-16 89W (701367)
Rear tyre 225/50-16 92W (701368)

It is the 701 # that designates the Honda OEM spec tyre.

Now I have to qualify this and say I haven't yet ordered my tyres (I'm waiting till after Xmas as I'm off on vacation on the weekend for a fortnight - sorry, forgot - two weeks!) so I can't personally confirm this is absolutely correct. However,I did send Chris Cthree's post and Chris claims that he has checked them out and the tread patterns match.

The other good news is that these tyres will only cost me around $AUS 295 each (approx $US150) including fitting and balancing.

I'll keep you all informed when I get the tyres fitted in early January as to how it works out. In the meantime let me know about your local experience in getting the right tyres in North America and elsewhere.

 

I am going to put this into the technical archives. Thanks for all the hard work - hopefully it paid off!

 

Very interesting, grasshopper. I have all the numbers on my tires written down right here and none of those 701 numbers are anywhere! Which is weird, because I put the front OEM's back on after I tore through the aftermarket set in like 3 track days!

This mystery isn't getting any closer to being resolved for me, anyway.

Can you tell me exactly where the 701XXX numbers are found, please? I don't have anything of the sort on my tires...

 

Greg, you are correct in that the numbers do not apear on the tyres - I have been told they are internal order #s for Bridgestone.

I think you will have seen from some of my previous posts that my OEM S02s had the same #s on the tyres as your aftermarket SO2s so it appears as if what is written on the tyre may be irrelevant.

Anyway that's why I put the (maybe) on my topic heading.

 

So now the question becomes, for those of us in the U.S., where and how do we order the tires? Special order through Bridgestone or does Tire Rack indeed have the correct tires?

 

Yeah VA. I was told that I should go to my local dealer and tell the dealer to order the S02 with that model # as a special order. Bridgestone would then ensure they shipped the right tyres.

 

By "local dealer" do you mean Bridgestone dealer or Honda dealer??

 

I'm still trying to resolve this issue with Bridgestone USA, Honda and some of our members, Thanks S2kturkey for all the work.

Honda has been totally worthless, they sat on it for a week and then told me I was confusing S02's and S02 Pole Positions.

Bridgestone has been a lot more helpful, but has still not given me an answer that I feel certain enough about to recommend to others.

Bridgestone seems to be aware of only 3 types of S02 in the S2000 sizes officially available in the US. The Porsche OEM, Honda OEM and the PP. All of these are manufactured at the same plant in Japan.

If you'll remember Cthree's photos of the 3 different types of S02, I've worked out part of that puzzle.

Cthree helped me and mailed me the sidewall info from the OEM S02 tire he had purchased, the one that looks so different than the Stock OEM tire. It turns out to be a the Porsche OEM, not the Honda OEM. As S2Kturkey said, the Porsche tires have an N designation on them.

Bridgestone gave me two suggestions to explain the confusion.

A. Dealers selling the Porsche OEM tire to S2000 owners.

B. Dealers selling grey market ( European or other market) tires in the US. Tire dealers sometimes buy these at a great discount, the problem is especially bad in the performance market where tire prices are so high. Some even have DOT labels and are very difficult to tell from official US destined rubber.

Bridgestone USA is still researching the issue at the manufacturing end in Japan. For now they're saying the S02 available at places like the Tire Rack is the correct tire. They may in fact have the correct tire in stock now, I can't say for certain. I should have more conclusive info on the US market situation in a few weeks.

What I'm trying to do now is photograph some aftermarket (non Porsche) S02's and compare them to stock, unfortunately none of my local dealers stock them.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mikey:
[B]If you'll remember Cthree's photos of the 3 different types of S02, I've worked out part of that puzzle.

 

Yep, that seems to be the case.