Posted by Vin on January 30, 1999 at 01:55:03:
In Reply to: Nokian Series posted by Mike C. on January 21, 1999 at 19:37:26:
The Hakka 1 does not ride harshly on my car at all. I have a 98 Accord EX. The car
itself is very capable of great handling and smooth ride. If other people say the Hakkas
ride harshly maybe my car just filters it out?!?
By their basic design, they are NOT going to handle like a summer or even an all season
tire. A "dry" tire has a smooth shoulder with nicely rounded edges. WHen pushed thru
a corner, the rounded edges "roll" and retain grip and steering control. Notice that snow
tires have very flat edges usually close to 90 degrees. If the corners were rounded, as
you swung around a corner, snow would 'wedge under the tire' causing you to slide more.
The flat edges kind of plows 'into' the snow stopping the car from fishtailing and gives
you a more control. I would never push my Hakka simply because they're not designed to be pushed.
In day to day driving and on the highway, I've found them to be quiet, comfortable, and fairly
responsive for the type of tire they are.
The sad thing is they seem quieter and ride better than the stock Michelin MXV4s that
came on my car. Don't like the Michelins. I always chuck them for Dunlop D60A2s in the
summer. Actually, I've hear great things about the Bridgestone RE930 and I'm going to try them.
But I digress! The Hakkas 1s are a great tire. They are kick ass in the snow. On dry pavement
they are OK again considering that they are a snow tire. I feel perfectly comfortable
setting cruise on 75mph on highway trips (of course weather conditions permitting!)
Ultimately if I had to do an emergency manuver - I'd prefer to be on my summer tires!
But as for comfort, they far exceed my expectations and anything else on the market myself
or friends have used.
Hope all this verbiage helped! ;-)