225/60/15 in Spyder

[Nasrul3698]

Planning to change my rear tire to bigger ones. I know that changing to 215/60/15 is the safest option but would 225/60/15 throw error codes? If they do, would changing the fronts to a slightly bigger diameter (175/65/14) help prevent the codes from popping up again? Thanks in advance guys

[SPYD3R]

YOU STATE 215 vs 225... the difference between the two is the 'width'.... WILL NOT affect the code...
actually, the '60' is a bit taller than the OEM '50', and this does not affect the code either...
ride on without worry...
Dan P
SPYD3R

[Peter Aawen]

I doubt you'd fit 175/65R15's up front without some rubbing issues, but I run Kumho Solus KH17's in 225/60R15 on the rear & 175/60R15's on the front of my 2013 RT Ltd without any issues.

When I first fitted the 225/60 to the rear I still had some tread left on the std sized Kendas up the front, and while they remained the Nanny was very easily upset.... possibly because the Kendas were so outclassed by the grip & handing of the replacement tire on the rear, but I suspect the difference in rolling dia front to rear may have had some impact too. As soon as I swapped the fronts to tires that increased the rolling dia up front by about the same amount as I'd already increased the rear rolling dia with the taller profile tire, the Nanny calmed down again!! In fact, once the front & rear tires matched in terms of performance, grip, & handling as well as rolling dia, the Nanny virtually went to sleep permanently!! I hardly ever get Nanny intervention these days, & if I do, it's almost invariably because I did something that I knew wasn't 'good riding practice' or cos the surface I was ryding on warranted said intervention - I don't stick to the black-top all the time or even most of the time, often taking the un-sealed route by preference instead, & loose gravel occasionally means the Nanny will feel the need to step in.... But it's a whole lotta fun too!

[Nasrul3698]

YOU STATE 215 vs 225... the difference between the two is the 'width'.... WILL NOT affect the code...
actually, the '60' is a bit taller than the OEM '50', and this does not affect the code either...
ride on without worry...
Dan P
SPYD3R

according to websites it says that 225 is taller than 215 though...

[Nasrul3698]

I doubt you'd fit 175/65R15's up front without some rubbing issues, but I run Kumho Solus KH17's in 225/60R15 on the rear & 175/60R15's on the front of my 2013 RT Ltd without any issues.

When I first fitted the 225/60 to the rear I still had some tread left on the std sized Kendas up the front, and while they remained the Nanny was very easily upset.... possibly because the Kendas were so outclassed by the grip & handing of the replacement tire on the rear, but I suspect the difference in rolling dia front to rear may have had some impact too. As soon as I swapped the fronts to tires that increased the rolling dia up front by about the same amount as I'd already increased the rear rolling dia with the taller profile tire, the Nanny calmed down again!! In fact, once the front & rear tires matched in terms of performance, grip, & handling as well as rolling dia, the Nanny virtually went to sleep permanently!! I hardly ever get Nanny intervention these days, & if I do, it's almost invariably because I did something that I knew wasn't 'good riding practice' or cos the surface I was ryding on warranted said intervention - I don't stick to the black-top all the time or even most of the time, often taking the un-sealed route by preference instead, & loose gravel occasionally means the Nanny will feel the need to step in.... But it's a whole lotta fun too!

I have the 14s up front sadly... so what you're saying is if I upsize the fronts to 175/65/14 from 165/65/14 and the rear to 225/60/15 from 225/50/15, the nanny throw any error codes off?

[Peter Aawen]

according to websites it says that 225 is taller than 215 though...

The '60' in 225/60R15 refers to the profile, & that relates the Percentage of sidewall height the sidewall actually IS in relation to the width of the tire in mms - so even tho a 225/60R15 is only slightly wider than a 215/60R15 (ie, only 10mm) because 60% of 225mm (=135mm) is slightly larger than 60% of 215mm (=129mm) then yeah, a 225/60R15 tire IS gonna be a little 'taller' than a 215/60R15 as well as a little wider!

[Peter Aawen]

I have the 14s up front sadly... so what you're saying is if I upsize the fronts to 175/65/14 from 165/65/14 and the rear to 225/60/15 from 225/50/15, the nanny throw any error codes off?

I NEVER got any 'error codes' from changing the tires/tire sizes, but while I had a taller rear tire running with the std sized OE fronts, the Nanny would intervene more often than before to ensure that I retained control of my Spyder! That reverted to 'less intervention than previously on the stock tires' just as soon as I matched the front tires in size increase & better tire quality to that on the rear!!

Sooo, I am pretty sure that if you increase the size of the front tires to ensure you increase the front end rolling dia by close to the same amount as you've increased the rolling dia on the rear thru fitting a taller tire, then the Nanny shouldn't be any more upset by your riding than your riding style makes her on stock tires...

Swapping out the crappy Kendas for a better/stronger replacement tire is very likely to also improve your grip, ride, & handling, altho you will want to run a little less air pressure in the stronger sidewalled tires to ensure that they can flex enough & properly to grip the road as well as they can and let the tread compound warm up enough to grip the road surface in the manner it was designed to as well!!

[Nasrul3698]

The '60' in 225/60R15 refers to the profile, & that relates the Percentage of sidewall height the sidewall actually IS in relation to the width of the tire in mms - so even tho a 225/60R15 is only slightly wider than a 215/60R15 (ie, only 10mm) because 60% of 225mm (=135mm) is slightly larger than 60% of 215mm (=129mm) then yeah, a 225/60R15 tire IS gonna be a little 'taller' than a 215/60R15 as well as a little wider!

I NEVER got any 'error codes' from changing the tires/tire sizes, but while I had a taller rear tire running with the std sized OE fronts, the Nanny would intervene more often than before to ensure that I retained control of my Spyder! That reverted to 'less intervention than previously on the stock tires' just as soon as I matched the front tires in size increase & better tire quality to that on the rear!!

Sooo, I am pretty sure that if you increase the size of the front tires to ensure you increase the front end rolling dia by close to the same amount as you've increased the rolling dia on the rear thru fitting a taller tire, then the Nanny shouldn't be any more upset by your riding than your riding style makes her on stock tires...

Swapping out the crappy Kendas for a better/stronger replacement tire is very likely to also improve your grip, ride, & handling, altho you will want to run a little less air pressure in the stronger sidewalled tires to ensure that they can flex enough & properly to grip the road as well as they can and let the tread compound warm up enough to grip the road surface in the manner it was designed to as well!!

Yeap that has definitely answered my question will be changing to 175 and 225/60s now. Thanks very much Peter!!

[Warlock]

Yeap that has definitely answered my question will be changing to 175 and 225/60s now. Thanks very much Peter!!

I run 175/65/14 on front and have put this size on other bikes. With the 215/60/15 is a tight fit. I would be scared to run the 225/60/15. My next tire will be the Yokohama 205/55/15 S drive. I put this on my wife's bike. Just be aware of the 225/60/15.
David

[Peter Aawen]

..... Just be aware of the 225/60/15....

Yep, be aware that I personally know of more than 20 RT's & F3's now running this size Kumho on the rear with no problems, & a fairly rudimentary search indicates that there's probably well over 100 Spyder RT's & F3s running this size tire in a variety of brands also with no issues (I just gave up counting once I'd reached 100, there were still quite a few more pages with 25 lines each showing in the results!!)

You might want to confirm that the brand of tire you choose in that size is one of the 'known to fit' brands, simply because there can be some variation in tire carcass size despite them sharing the same nominal size sidewall labelling, but I'm pretty confident that if you choose one of the brands that others have already successfully fitted in this 225/60R15 size, you won't have any issues, just like all the rest of us WHO HAVE ALREADY DONE THIS WITHOUT ANY CONCERNS!!

[Warlock]

Yep, be aware that I personally know of more than 20 RT's & F3's now running this size Kumho on the rear with no problems, & a fairly rudimentary search indicates that there's probably well over 100 Spyder RT's & F3s running this size tire in a variety of brands also with no issues (I just gave up counting once I'd reached 100, there were still quite a few more pages with 25 lines each showing in the results!!)

You might want to confirm that the brand of tire you choose in that size is one of the 'known to fit' brands, simply because there can be some variation in tire carcass size despite them sharing the same nominal size sidewall labelling, but I'm pretty confident that if you choose one of the brands that others have already successfully fitted in this 225/60R15 size, you won't have any issues, just like all the rest of us WHO HAVE ALREADY DONE THIS WITHOUT ANY CONCERNS!!

I'm referring to the RS/GS fender clearance. I forget about the more clearance on the other models.
David

[YPILOT]

I have a 2008 GS. Currently I'm running Yokohama S Drive tires, front 185/55/14 on RT wheels and 205/55/15 on the rear. Yes some fender adjustments had to be made up front but the grip is incredible. The S Drive is an Ultra High Performance summer tire. It has a softer compound that may not last as long but when it comes to Spyders we need all the Grip we can get. I always buy Two for the rear and two for the front. For some reason the rear tire wears a little faster than the fronts. I have about 11,000 on the rear and still plenty of tread and 4000 on the fronts, still look new.

[Nasrul3698]

I'm referring to the RS/GS fender clearance. I forget about the more clearance on the other models.
David

My rear fender got hit by the car behind me so I just took mine out and planning to get this other fender so I think clearance would be okay!

I have a 2008 GS. Currently I'm running Yokohama S Drive tires, front 185/55/14 on RT wheels and 205/55/15 on the rear. Yes some fender adjustments had to be made up front but the grip is incredible. The S Drive is an Ultra High Performance summer tire. It has a softer compound that may not last as long but when it comes to Spyders we need all the Grip we can get. I always buy Two for the rear and two for the front. For some reason the rear tire wears a little faster than the fronts. I have about 11,000 on the rear and still plenty of tread and 4000 on the fronts, still look new.

Do you mind if you can show me how 205s look at the back? I wanna keep 225s since it looks nicer however I've never seen how 205s look like. Currently using Toyo T1Rs but they finished in 5k miles Now I'm planning to get this Marshal MH11 in 225/60/15

[YPILOT]

My rear fender got hit by the car behind me so I just took mine out and planning to get this other fender so I think clearance would be okay!

Do you mind if you can show me how 205s look at the back? I wanna keep 225s since it looks nicer however I've never seen how 205s look like. Currently using Toyo T1Rs but they finished in 5k miles Now I'm planning to get this Marshal MH11 in 225/60/15

Here is the past due pics of the 205/55/15 on my Spyder.
It's a little dirty but as you can see there is plenty of room
between tire and drive belt. This tire has approx. 12,000 miles
on it and still looks good.

[Bob Denman]

Question: Why do you want to change to a taller tire on a bike with very little low-end power?
The issue of fitment should be secondary...
"Is it the right tire size for the job?", should be your primary concern.

[Ron2andia]

The look counts 2!

[Bob Denman]

"Form over Function?"
I agree that appearances count: but only up to the point where they impair how well something is going to work...

[Warlock]

others have already successfully fitted in this 225/60R15 size, you won't have any issues, just like all the rest of us WHO HAVE ALREADY DONE THIS WITHOUT ANY CONCERNS!!
The only concern running this size on a RS/GS even with the fender removed is bottoming out the tire on the piece that fit under the seat. I have bottomed out my 215/60/15 on several times. Set my rear shock to the highest setting. No telling what would happen running 2 up with this size tire. My next tire will be the Yokohama 205/55/15 S drive. Put one on my wife's bike and like the way it handles and look.
David

[Crisis]

I doubt you'd fit 175/65R15's up front without some rubbing issues, but I run Kumho Solus KH17's in 225/60R15 on the rear & 175/60R15's on the front of my 2013 RT Ltd without any issues.

When I first fitted the 225/60 to the rear I still had some tread left on the std sized Kendas up the front, and while they remained the Nanny was very easily upset.... possibly because the Kendas were so outclassed by the grip & handing of the replacement tire on the rear, but I suspect the difference in rolling dia front to rear may have had some impact too. As soon as I swapped the fronts to tires that increased the rolling dia up front by about the same amount as I'd already increased the rear rolling dia with the taller profile tire, the Nanny calmed down again!! In fact, once the front & rear tires matched in terms of performance, grip, & handling as well as rolling dia, the Nanny virtually went to sleep permanently!! I hardly ever get Nanny intervention these days, & if I do, it's almost invariably because I did something that I knew wasn't 'good riding practice' or cos the surface I was ryding on warranted said intervention - I don't stick to the black-top all the time or even most of the time, often taking the un-sealed route by preference instead, & loose gravel occasionally means the Nanny will feel the need to step in.... But it's a whole lotta fun too!

I just put these on with no rubbing issues on the front.
General Altimax RT43 185 60R/14

[Warlock]

I just put these on with no rubbing issues on the front.
General Altimax RT43 185 60R/14

I installed some 175/65/14 General Altimax with no problems rubbing either.
David

[YPILOT]

Question: Why do you want to change to a taller tire on a bike with very little low-end power?
The issue of fitment should be secondary...
"Is it the right tire size for the job?", should be your primary concern.

Bob, Do you really think its possible to change the tire size enough to affect performance without upsetting the housekeeper?
How can such a "very low-end powered bike" do such long burnouts?
How can these tires and old 998 machines possibly be worth the time and money that we keep spending on them
when there are newer 1330 engine machines available?
My Spyder runs great, handles great, and the tires actually work very well.
So why ask why?

[Bob Denman]

How can such a "very low-end powered bike" do such long burnouts?

They DO lack torque at the bottom of the rev range; why do anything to make it more noticeable?

[YPILOT]

They DO lack torque at the bottom of the rev range; why do anything to make it more noticeable?

The 998's were never designed to be a low rpm high torque engine.
Keep the rpm's up and let-r-rip tater-chip.
That's where the power lives.
Anytime you want to come down and ride with me,
I'll demonstrate how noticeable my loss of power is.

[Bob Denman]

I have more important things to do when riding...

...Like look around and enjoy the scenery!

[opiewhan]

Planning to change my rear tire to bigger ones. I know that changing to 215/60/15 is the safest option but would 225/60/15 throw error codes? If they do, would changing the fronts to a slightly bigger diameter (175/65/14) help prevent the codes from popping up again? Thanks in advance guys

we have 2 Spyders, my bike has a Kumho rear tire, wifes has a Yokohama.. Both excellent tires neither threw any error codes..