Modifications and Tweaks

Wildeyed said:
While I have no trouble believing the quality of the OEM tires is less than the best I think calling "safety" into question is a bit of a stretch. The OEM tires are designed to maximize range. Like all "e" tires, road noise, breaking and wear resistance are secondary. I'll use mine for a couple summer seasons, rotate with my winters, and in two years when their tread is going I'll buy some better quality summer tires. There's no way I'm chucking brand new tires on principle.
Click to expand...
Right. I have driven through a blizzard with the OEM tires on and they worked just fine. Maybe Michelin would have been better, but I don't know.
 
KonaTom said:
Right. I have driven through a blizzard with the OEM tires on and they worked just fine. Maybe Michelin would have been better, but I don't know.
Click to expand...
It is understandable that few people have explored the performance limits of their vehicles and learned proper driving skills and habits. That cannot be safely learned on public roads nor taught by anyone with ordinary driving experience. It does not require speed and daring. This education requires expert, well-organized instruction and hands-on experience driving on a wide, smooth expanse of tarmac, typically part of an unused section of an airport or an abandoned airport. Many automobile clubs offer regular car-control classes and opportunities for "Dancing with Cones" at such places. Law enforcement agencies keep a few cars there and train their members how to drive them there at low speed and near the limit of control. One such place in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia is off in the NW-corner of Pitt Meadows Airport. A collection of professional drivers from across Canada (Drivers Unlimited) come there once a month for a day of driving instruction & practice sponsored by the BMW Car Club of BC. Drivers of any make of automobile (or truck) are welcome to attend. The cost is reasonable, especially considering that you will get a dozen or more practice runs and critique from professional drivers after each run---only one car at a time---and they will also ride-along with you 2 or 3 times during the day. The next day of Dancing with Cones at Pitt Meadows is April 14th. Come and you can drive or ride-along in my Kona (and ride-along in other cars) and see for yourself the difference tires make in handling & braking. Reservation is required.
 
Kitsilano said:
It is understandable that few people have explored the performance limits of their vehicles and learned proper driving skills and habits. That cannot be safely learned on public roads nor taught by anyone with ordinary driving experience. It does not require speed and daring. This education requires expert, well-organized instruction and hands-on experience driving on a wide, smooth expanse of tarmac, typically part of an unused section of an airport or an abandoned airport. Many automobile clubs offer regular car-control classes and opportunities for "Dancing with Cones" at such places. Law enforcement agencies keep a few cars there and train their members how to drive them there at low speed and near the limit of control. One such place in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia is off in the NW-corner of Pitt Meadows Airport. A collection of professional drivers from across Canada (Drivers Unlimited) come there once a month for a day of driving instruction & practice sponsored by the BMW Car Club of BC. Drivers of any make of automobile (or truck) are welcome to attend. The cost is reasonable, especially considering that you will get a dozen or more practice runs and critique from professional drivers after each run---only one car at a time---and they will also ride-along with you 2 or 3 times during the day. The next day of Dancing with Cones at Pitt Meadows is April 14th. Come and you can drive or ride-along in my Kona (and ride-along in other cars) and see for yourself the difference tires make in handling & braking. Reservation is required.
Click to expand...
Link for the Nokian WRG4 all weathers please , same 215/55R17 94V ?
 
Wildeyed said:
I second the need for a gasket on the port door. I had some very gentle snow falls fill it up pretty good.
Click to expand...
I am trying this
r8EVRAt.jpg

Time will tell, its going to rain here soon so I will check if water gets in through the top. Its a cheap gasket measures about 1/4" thick by 3/8" wide and will probably fall off but if it works I will change it with a black one that sticks better and still allows the door to open/close without any undue stain on the screwlatch.
BTW BIG gap on top without it.
 
electriceddy said:
I am trying this
r8EVRAt.jpg

Time will tell, its going to rain here soon so I will check if water gets in through the top. Its a cheap gasket measures about 1/4" thick by 3/8" wide and will probably fall off but if it works I will change it with a black one that sticks better and still allows the door to open/close without any undue stain on the screwlatch.
Click to expand...
Let us know the results. This is what I was considering. I might substitute proper 3M adhesive tape (the same stuff that OEM accessories are attached with) for the weather stripping adhesive.
 
electriceddy said:
I am trying this
r8EVRAt.jpg

Time will tell, its going to rain here soon so I will check if water gets in through the top. Its a cheap gasket measures about 1/4" thick by 3/8" wide and will probably fall off but if it works I will change it with a black one that sticks better and still allows the door to open/close without any undue stain on the screwlatch.
BTW BIG gap on top without it.
Click to expand...
I'm going to try that too.
 
Wildeyed said:
Let us know the results. This is what I was considering. I might substitute proper 3M adhesive tape (the same stuff that OEM accessories are attached with) for the weather stripping adhesive.
Click to expand...
What ever you use just make sure its pliable enough to fit the curved top yet soft enough not to interfere with the closing/opening screw latch
 
electriceddy said:
Mod : Ordered these visors today but delivery won't be till April .
https://www.amazon.ca/Clover-Weathe...ai+kona&qid=1552258047&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmr2
Hopefully the ambient will be in the 70's by then as the 3M adhesive won't take when applying in cold.
Will advise after install.
Tweak : Picked up paint pen (supplied with vehicle purchase) just arrived yesterday Part# 000HCPENSU8 Ceramic Blue 191218 c/w clear
Click to expand...
Visors arrived today! Only 10 days from Korea no shipping charges.
I did a dry fit and they are perfect ( can't install until at least 70 degrees ambient)
Only drawback- I see my rear passenger door doesn't align perfectly with the little triangle window at the back so it's back to Hyundai to see if it can be fixed ( less than eighth inch out, could build up the adhesive a bit on the back of the passenger visor if needed, fault of the car not the visor)
 
Almost forgot this one
65YFrqr.jpg

Traffic Master 3'x4' Extreme floor mat at Home depot $30
I cut the mat in 2 using an olfa blade so I have a solid grip bed liner when the seats are up and the leftover piece fits on the seats when they are down.
I much prefer the 2nd tier down with the Kona floor piece (not sure what to call it) lots more space.
When I am bored sometime this summer I will move the L1 charger under the front hood beside the inverter which I also want to install, leaving room for a spare tire? under the back. Some guy in Spain did it, have to search how.
 
Kitsilano said:
It is understandable that few people have explored the performance limits of their vehicles and learned proper driving skills and habits. That cannot be safely learned on public roads nor taught by anyone with ordinary driving experience. It does not require speed and daring. This education requires expert, well-organized instruction and hands-on experience driving on a wide, smooth expanse of tarmac, typically part of an unused section of an airport or an abandoned airport. Many automobile clubs offer regular car-control classes and opportunities for "Dancing with Cones" at such places. Law enforcement agencies keep a few cars there and train their members how to drive them there at low speed and near the limit of control. One such place in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia is off in the NW-corner of Pitt Meadows Airport. A collection of professional drivers from across Canada (Drivers Unlimited) come there once a month for a day of driving instruction & practice sponsored by the BMW Car Club of BC. Drivers of any make of automobile (or truck) are welcome to attend. The cost is reasonable, especially considering that you will get a dozen or more practice runs and critique from professional drivers after each run---only one car at a time---and they will also ride-along with you 2 or 3 times during the day. The next day of Dancing with Cones at Pitt Meadows is April 14th. Come and you can drive or ride-along in my Kona (and ride-along in other cars) and see for yourself the difference tires make in handling & braking. Reservation is required.
Click to expand...
Whoops! Next event at Pitt Meadows is April 13th, not 14th.
 
electriceddy said:
When I am bored sometime this summer I will move the L1 charger under the front hood beside the inverter which I also want to install, leaving room for a spare tire? under the back. Some guy in Spain did it, have to search how.
Click to expand...
Love that idea and had it too, there is so much space up front that having a small frunk for the charger or other misc stuff would be great.
Not sure how to accomplish that.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
 
Kitsilano said:
All Kona Electrics coming to western Canada recently come with Nexen tires. These are low quality tires. For your personal safety, swap them out immediately! Driving occasionally in snow, I installed Nokian WRG4 All Weather tires, same size as original Chinese tires. Very happy with my Nokians, which I'll use year-round. Same road noise (maybe less), same range (maybe more), and definitely better handling and better acceleration, especially noticeable in rain & snow. Still poor braking---the car is heavy and there is no brake feel. As an old autocross and track driver in high performance cars, I know how important tires are to handling and road safety: I recommend selling Nexens (if you can!!) and getting good All Season or, depending on your winter-driving habitat, All Weather tires.
Click to expand...

Do your tires still spin in SPORT mode when you press the pedal straight to the floor?
 
CJC said:
I am basically on board with your thoughts. I think the Nexens are not necessarily a safety concern per se as in having defects, but they are a cheap tire that certainly doesn't perform as well as my all weather Michelin tires. I would always want a good quality tire on my cars, and our choice of the Michelin CrossClimate tires was one of our better buys. Driving with the Nexen tires would always leave a little doubt in my mind especially on a long trip. I would not feel totally safe and at ease with them, but that is a personal opinion. My Nexen tires are in my garden shed as so far I haven't been able to sell them even listed at $100 for all four brand new so that says something.
Click to expand...

Ooooo that's cheaper than Kitsilano, but no delivery! lol
 
Got new tires yesterday. Live in California, so these are all season. So the evaluation begins....
Continental
Pure Contact LS
 
BlueSal said:
Got new tires yesterday. Live in California, so these are all season. So the evaluation begins....
Continental
Pure Contact LS
Click to expand...
Definitely let us know how they're doing and if you see changes in mileage.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
 
E-Shark said:
Do your tires still spin in SPORT mode when you press the pedal straight to the floor?
Click to expand...

Yes, but not so freely as the Nexens did. There is a huge difference in the car's performance between cheap Nexens and expensive Nokian All-weather tires. Much better steering, road-feel, cornering, braking, and above all, road grip on roads dry, wet, or snowy.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top