Opinion on Bridgestone SO3s

just came across some praise and some down sides, let me know what you guys think of them, the move would be from the stock Pzero rossos... Thanks Shalil

A small step up from a set of Pilot Sports or Eagle F1s, but I believe they weight slightly more.

I hate them personally. I have had them and they're heavy as hell. The upside is that they are very very good in the rain but I would rather have it ok to crappy in the rain if they are amazing in the dry. so2a's I hear are much better in that reguard. I would go either pilot sport ps2's if you want a balance of wet and dry, or what I have the bfg kd's which are like cups but with better life

The sidewalls on the SO3's are very VERY stiff. So far I like them, better the Continentals that came with the car. The reviews on the SO2 seemed to be better though. I've also heard good things about Michellins.

Can someone shed some light on the different characteristics between S-02A, PS "ribs" and the Rossos?

I hate them. They're heavy (the 285 rear weighs 6 pounds more than my Pirelli Corsa 285) and noisy once they start wearing (they're not cupping or feathering, just plain noisy). Yes, they're decent in the rain but that's it.

Alon, what's your Corsa like? Do they give a harsh ride and how do they handle in the rain?

I've had S02A's, MPS's, and S03's. S03's feel the worst to my feeble sensitivity. For me, it feels like the back end is a little rubbery with the S03's. I've used the S02's in the rain and they were great. MPS ribs feel the best so far but very similar to the S02's. I also have the Goodyear F1's on one set of wheels now and they feel great. They don't come in 'N' rated tires though. To me, all the tires mentioned feel very similar until you're at 9/10.

There's a lot of interesting input here. I have tracked Rossos, S-03s, and MPSCs. The S-03 makes for a nice street tire IMHO, but it's not very aggressive. The sidewalls are softer compared to the Rossos. S-03s are more comfortable on the street than the Rossos, but turn is no quite as sharp, especially out at the track. Dry grip is almost as good as the Rossos... and at the limit, the S-03 is a little more progressive. My S-03s are wearing well, and they're reasonably quiet. My Rossos hummed like a bad kazoo whey they wore down. Regarding weight, the S-03s probably do weigh more, but I don't know for sure. Rain performance of the S-03 shames the Rosso. They're great in the wet. Good wet traction + comfortable ride = good street tire, very so-so track tire Price has actually come down a bit on the S-03...

I felt the same when running the S03's on my C2. Just felt like the rear end was kind of slow dancing to its own beat, most noticable on secondary roads. It was once enough to make me pull over and check the rear for a flat. The S03's also do not have an "N" rating.

Aaaah... All of a sudden, everyone hates the S-03's.

I will break the streak and say I like them... Much better then Conti's. Just my personal experience.

The question I have for all the S03 haters is that how many of you actually track the car. I use them on my 930 and think they are pretty good. They don't have the grip of a BFG KD but they are pretty good. If you were talking about noise and ride comfort I thinkthey are fair. Personally I like them better than the Dunlop 9090 that my 996 came with. The 9090 is a little quiter but does not have any where near the grip of the s03. And remeber that is a N tire.

I like them much better then the P-Zero's that came on my car. The side walls offer the wheels some protection and the grip is awesome particularly in the wet which is important here.

So, what are you saying? That the S-03 is a good track tire? Far from it, I'm afraid.

I believe Bridgestone created the S02-A to replace the S03 for porsches... the S02-A are awesome tires.... I'm curious... of the S02-A and Michelinn PS RIB which is better? cheers Peter

I have tracked S-03s and Rossos. Between the two, the Rosso is a better performer out on the track. The Rosso has better dry grip, sharper turn in, and better overall feel. The S-03s have decent dry grip, are very progressive, and also feel a bit "numb". The S-03s ride softer... thus, my impression of the numbness. The car is just not as precise on the track with the S-03s. Steering inputs need to be a little earlier and a little more deliberate when compared to the Rossos. However, these qualities about the S-03 make for a great all-weather street tire. My Rossos stunk the joint up in the wet... Hey, Viken, you know you keep a set of S-03s hidden in your closet!!!

I also liked the S03's very much, especially since we get a lot of rain here in the winter and worked wonders at high-speed in the highway on the wet, like RJ said, its a great all-weather tire and right up there with its competition in dry when it was introduced. Now, I'm afraid they have gotten a bit old and competition gotten better, I'm using the PS2'S and steering is improved while matching wet performance. I haven't tried the S02-A, but I take it its the modern version of the S03 to match the updated competition. Nothing like a sportbike tire though, this is what 160HP does on the "street" rear tire of my GSX-R1000 after a track event at the Circuit of Braga (Portgugal) yesterday, then again you have no electronic aids, no 4-wheel stability, no large contact patches, etc Before and after:

Most of these tires are very good when new and then at about 50% the performnace goes down hill fast. That is why most people say their new replacement tires are so much better then the old ones.

I'm not saying S03 is a good track tire. I think its a good all around tire for most people. I think that 75% of the owners will never realize the 5% extra grip one tire has over another. Its a cost benefit ratio is what i'm refering to Viken.