Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1999 08:59:46 PST
Reply-To: Tony Peet <tpvw@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tony Peet <tpvw@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Michelin MXT Specs
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
****
To those of you who don't like tire threads: please delete this and move
on/let go. I don't want to hear about it. Thank you.
Tony
****
I live in California too and went through a similar 'discovery' process with
the MXT's. I also almost put MX's and/or MXT's on my van and then stopped
the process at the last minute!
The Michelin tire WITH an M+S rating that is made for the Vanagon is the
'Agilis 61' (which, by the way, I have on my '91 Syncro Westy and am very
happy with). Many dealers will not know about the Agilis 61 because is it
so specialized (indeed Michelin USA brought it into the country from Europe
- where it IS in wide use-- specifically for the Vanagon. (I've talked to
the guy at Michelin who made that decision.) When I bought mine last June, I
know the inventories of this tire in the Michelin distribution warehouses
was high, so it should still be easy to order once you get someone to agree
with you that it exists!
Call 1 800 MICHELIN and talk to them about it. They're fairly 'corporate
line' there, but they DO know their stuff. The Agilis 61 is a tire designed
for both 'urban' and "rough conditions". The are sold for commerical vans
in Europe and Africa (!) -- "where potholes might not be fixed for
months...if ever." The sidewall is extremely reinforced, and this has
practically eliminated crosswind, cornering, and evasive lane-change
'mushiness.' For the record, it is the only tire that Michelin Corporate
will 'officially' recommend for the Vanagon.
Tony
'91 Westy Syncro ('teepee')
Pacific Grove, CA
>From: David M <dmc@CYBURBAN.COM>
>Reply-To: David M <dmc@CYBURBAN.COM>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Michelin MXT Specs
>Date: Thu, 4 Nov 1999 10:40:04 -0500
>
>Well I just had a set of these brought in to 'America's Tire Store' in
>Mtn. View, CA. Drove on down to get the new sneakers applied to Moby, &
>just as they're about to be mounted I noticed NO M+S designation!!! If
>you don't have the M+S on the tire, CHP is going to force you to put on
>the chains (Syncros don't count)!!! After a buncha calls to Michelin
>ATS determined that indeed they're not M+S, so there they sit if ennyone
>want's 'em (4 ea).
>
>Nobody at the store could believe they weren't M+S - they even have
>Nittos that are M+S in 40 section width!
>-------------
>Yet another reason why the MXT tires are not always the best choice.
>Also, the $75 per tire quoted by a previous poster is a fantasy in my
>opinion. There is no mention of this tire on their web-site. In fact
>they dont even have any stores in the North East US. And if you order by
>mail you have to pay shipping, which negates any saving.
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