[nate1874]

My M440xi GC is arriving soon but I just realized it comes with non RF tires. As there is no spare tire in BMW, I need to consider how to deal with flat tires.

Option 1. Buy a set of RF tires and sell these RF tires. I guess this option is expensive.

Option 2. Buy a spare tire kit and put it in trunk. It may waste a lot space

Option 3. Just use the BMW Mobility Kit? Probably I need to replace tpms sensor and clean the tire each time? No sure if tire shop can help cleaning.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

[cfm56d7b]

The debate about run flat tires vs non run flat tires will probably go on for a millennium.

I also prefer RF tires because of convenience while acknowledging these tires are not perfect.

Just get the tires you want and sell existing tires as nearly new.

Another option: ask the dealer to swap the tires before delivery.

[wrickem]

It depends on your comfort level and how many flat tires you get each month.

Until I just opened my big mouth, the last flat I had was 2011 (I'm sure I'll have one now tomorrow morning )and can't even remember any before that.

I just run non rft and carry a BMW mobility kit that comes in handy for adjusting my tire pressure from time to time. The difference in handling and ride between the two, not to mention the possibility of bending a rim from the stiff sidewalks makes it easy for me to take a chance on an occasional flat tire.

[jlapicki]

Originally Posted by wrickem

It depends on your comfort level and how many flat tires you get each month.

Until I just opened my big mouth, the last flat I had was 2011 (I'm sure I'll have one now tomorrow morning )and can't even remember any before that.

I just run non rft and carry a BMW mobility kit that comes in handy for adjusting my tire pressure from time to time. The difference in handling and ride between the two, not to mention the possibility of bending a rim from the stiff sidewalks makes it easy for me to take a chance on an occasional flat tire.

What he said....

[SpeedyATL]

Call roadside assistance and don't worry about it.

[BIMthereRunFlat]

Since you can't predict the time of day or location for a flat, I always want limp home ability. If you could always get flats on beautiful days of 70 degrees in state parks with cute bambies and bunnies hopping around, waiting for BMW assistance or AAA would be okay. Since the reality is it could be 11pm on the side of some crap highway skirting a very dodgy part of a city, I'm fine with the modest comfort/performance compromise. Recently put some Pirelli P-zero run flats on and what with adaptive suspension, I find the ride very good.

[Bc2005]

If you ordered the car this way, it either has the mobility kit or it has the spare tire as a mandatory option. Since the mobility kit usually comes only as part of the high performance tire option (which is fairly expensive), what exactly did you order?

[urbo73]

Originally Posted by nate1874

My M440xi GC is arriving soon but I just realized it comes with non RF tires. As there is no spare tire in BMW, I need to consider how to deal with flat tires.

Option 1. Buy a set of RF tires and sell these RF tires. I guess this option is expensive.

Option 2. Buy a spare tire kit and put it in trunk. It may waste a lot space

Option 3. Just use the BMW Mobility Kit? Probably I need to replace tpms sensor and clean the tire each time? No sure if tire shop can help cleaning.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Option 2 and 3. Only use option 2 when you go on long trips. Don't use RF - they ruin the car. They are horrible.

[_E90S65_]

The added grip and better ride quality of non-RF tires far outweigh the inconvenience of the occasional flat.

The B58 engine is too much of a gem not to be paired with stickier meats.

Depending on your comfort level, commute length, driving style, etc., consider Option 2 or 3.

[GusL]

Option 3 for me:
I've had one puncture in 11 years and it was a slow puncture meaning I could get where I needed to go just by using the compressor, didn't even need to use the slime.
Can't order non RF where I live, first thing I did was buy PS4S, what a difference

[EXE46]

Originally Posted by wrickem

It depends on your comfort level and how many flat tires you get each month.

Until I just opened my big mouth, the last flat I had was 2011 (I'm sure I'll have one now tomorrow morning )and can't even remember any before that.

I just run non rft and carry a BMW mobility kit that comes in handy for adjusting my tire pressure from time to time. The difference in handling and ride between the two, not to mention the possibility of bending a rim from the stiff sidewalks makes it easy for me to take a chance on an occasional flat tire.

Originally Posted by jlapicki

What he said....

Same! Hopefully wrickem with his big mouth doesn't jinx us lol.

[nate1874]

Originally Posted by Bc2005

If you ordered the car this way, it either has the mobility kit or it has the spare tire as a mandatory option. Since the mobility kit usually comes only as part of the high performance tire option (which is fairly expensive), what exactly did you order?

It is not my customized order. It's the only one I can find with touch screen, ACC, parking assistant so I choose to take it.

This is what I found from the dealer website.

WHEELS: 19" X 8.5" FR & 19" X 9.0" RR M Y-SPOKE
Bi-color black
Style 859M
Tires: 245/40R19 Fr & 255/40R19 Rr All-Season
Non run-flat
Mobility Kit

[nate1874]

Thanks everyone. I think I will drive in city for most cases so probably I will go with BMW Mobility Kit and carry a spare tire kit for road trips.

[GrannyShiftG80]

the downside of runflat tires you have to deal with every single day regardless of whether you get a flat or not

the upside of runflat tires is obviously when you get a flat tire, but how often do you get one and is it worth the tradeoff for you?

i prefer high performance tires (ps4s) and then if i do get a flat oh well i'll call bmw assist

[Benjamin_Nicholas]

Call AAA or BMW to flatbed it for a flat.

You don't drive a sports car with RF shoes.

PS4S is the rubber of choice these days.

[BIMthereRunFlat]

But that's the very problem isn't it? Easy to call assistance at 12 noon on a nice day when its somewhere safe/pleasant. It's a whole other matter if its 12 midnight and peeing with rain and you're stuck on a hard shoulder overlooking where MS 13 have a nightly gang-banging get together. In which case I hope you brought your secret service crew in a couple of black Suburbans to sit and wait with you.

[gnolivos]

Consider that under almost any circumstance a RF tire cannot be repaired. So you get a flat, you have to buy a new tire.

If that weren't bad enough, if you have Xdrive based vehicle you will almost certainly end up with that new tire paired up with 3 worn tires. You can NOT do that if the difference is more than a few 16ths of an inch. In which case you will need in fact all 4 new tires! All because of one single nail in a single tire. You're out $800-$1000. I hate RF!!

[Andy3661]

RF tyre technology has changed and you will get lots of different recommendations on here for what to do.

Certain Pirelli and other tyres now have seal inside technology which effectively repairs the puncture to the point you might not even know you had one so no need to replace every time you have a puncture anymore.

Also the long standing theory where you need to replace all 4 tyres on x drive if you get 1 puncture is wrong and it's just how the tyre garages and manufacturers make money from you. You will need to replace either both front or back depending where the punctured tyre is so maximum two tyres but I would do this on a none RF anyway so they have even tyre wear and replaced at the same time as it will still unbalance the car with none RF and significant differences in tread depth.

Also they won't tell you this and normally impossible to prove but if you can 100% confirm the tyre has not been driven on with a puncture then they will replace it but most will have been driven on anyway. The concern is that when driven on it weakens the tyre wall but the fitter has no way of telling this.

I have RF just put Pirelli P-Zero PZ4 on the front, great tyre with significantly less road noise than my previous Bridgestones which is very noticeable.

It's also worth noting that cars with RF have a different set up and in the uk TyreSafe recommend not changing from RF to none RF due to the adverse affects it could have on the vehicle handing so if you choose to change to none run flat always go with the manufacturer recommendations and you will find very little difference in the cost.

My personal opinion, if you are doing lots of miles per year and the majority are motorway then stick with a decent RF if you just drive locally then change to none manufactured recommended RF and buy a repair inflator kit for around 25 quid.

Anyway tyre sermon over 😂 and hope this helps.