Metric Wheels

By fletch Monday, April 7th, 2008

So I’ve had just over a week with the 6 series (E24 635 CSiA for google!) and I’m still absolutely loving it. In those seven days it’s been up to Sheffield and Manchester, down to London and Basingrad. It’s seen rail, hail and snow as well as blazing sunshine – in which of course it looks all the more awesome – glimmering away like the big bronze bastard it is!

It’s not slow, has loads of torque and kicks it’s back end out at every opportunity (especially in the wet!). I’m even loving the automatic, brilliant for traffic and for crusing. In short it’s pretty much perfect for me.

Anyhow, I’ve thought about replacing the tyres. They’re not bald or dangerous but it has got three different types on it, they’re different ages etc and they just look a bit “old fashioned”. In fact one of them is even a remould which is frankly an insult so I decided to get rid of them all and order four P6000s or similar.

So the other night I was shopping around and wasn’t sure if it needed 15″ or 16″ tyres so I went downstairs to check – and jesus christ they’re an odd size. They’re not 15 OR 16 inch.. they’re 390mm!! That’s 15.354″ in old money – metric bloody wheels! What?!

Aparantly these were all the rage for a short period around the time when the beamer was new, but they never caught on. There are hardly any companies left manufacturing tyres in that size and the few companies that do (Avon, Michellin and Dunlop) obviously don’t invest in developing them meaning they’ve got pretty much the same tread-pattern as they had 22 years ago.. and things have advance a little bit since 1986. So, that’s why they look a “bit old fashioned”..

Ah ha! I’ve left the best bit till last though.. the metric TRX tyres I need are £200 each!

Sweet Baby Jesus!

I’m not very good at maths but I think most of you will have predicted the next move. New wheels! So I’m on the lookout at the moment for some 16″ers that look well on my ship of a 635 :)

The moral of the story is that if you’re buying a 635.. check the wheelsize :)

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Hello! Fletch.cx has been going since 1999 in one form or another, yep incredible, when will it end? For more of my bullshit see last.fm, lluckj.com, facebook and if you really want a constant avalanche of musings, observations and lies then follow me on twitter..