It appears all new Rykers have ONLY 16 inch wheels ....... So I checked what the Tire Rack has and was surprised to find quite a few in 205/45-16 ...... Vredestein Q-5 has a 205/50-15 for Rallye model ..... only one front tire ( @ 175/45-16 that's 30mm or 1.25 inches wider than stock ) that probably won't fit without mods to the fender and or bracket ........... Did I imagine that the 600 Ryker had 15 inch wheels ???? ............... thanks .... Mike
The front tires, 145/60R16, appear to be only available from Can-Am. Hopefully there will be options by the time I need to replace.
Be good to have a tire less likely to follow rain grooves.
Tire Rack has 19 options for the rear of the 600/900 standard 205/45R16. Have not checked for the Rally.
Now that you have drawn me back into this research, it would be good to see a comparison for the Kenda front KR392 for the rally, versus the Kenda KR390 for the standard (photo below). Google is not finding any photos.
Attached screen shot from 2019 Ryker on-line manual
2020 is the same
Attached photos of Ryker standard tires at just under 2,000 miles and typical gravel shoulders on many southwest rides...although not as steep as some.
Thanks I got my info from IMotorsports web site ...... and I missed that fact ...........Mike I added a 15 rear tire to my orig. Thread above .....Mike
Mike
Attached screen shot from 2019 Ryker on-line manual
2020 is the same
Can anyone tell me if the Ryker tires REALLY are labelled 'M/C' on their sidewalls, or is it still just that dodgy 'Spethial Motorcycle Use Only' label that BRP/Kenda came up with to cover their arses if anyone was silly enough to put aSpyder OE Spec Kenda on an auto - cos the Spyder's Kendas do (or did, anyway?!) say 'Fit to J rims only', or 'Rim size: 5 J' or something along those lines, cos we all know 'J' type rims are Auto rims, NOT Motorcycle rims!!
Photo 1: M/C incorporated into size
Photo 2: Note sidewall is only 1 ply. However, tread belts are 1 poly, 2 steel and 1 Nylon.
Photo 3: "for special M/C use only"...made in China
Photo 4: Rated 908 pounds at 44 PSI, 6.5 J rim. Note, if devaluation of weight rating is proportional, reducing inflation to 28 pounds would result in a 577 pound rating.
Quite clearly, the Ryker Rims are, like those on our Spyders, AUTO rims designed to run AUTO tires! Fitting any 'true' Motorcycle tire to such a rim would be a little problematic, as well as being a tad dangerous to ride/drive!
OK, test my math
I measured tread depth on my rear tire at 9/32 and expect original was 10/32.
That is only 1/32 wear in almost 2,000 miles.
If worn to legal limit (not something I am likely to do), then I have 7/32 left.
At 2,000 miles per 1/32, I could run another 14,000 miles on the original tire.
In addition, as tires wear, they harden and last longer.
I think the math is correct, but I do not expect more than I would get with a M/C rear, which is about 10,000 miles, rather than 16,000 miles.
Quite clearly, the Ryker Rims are, like those on our Spyders, AUTO rims designed to run AUTO tires! Fitting any 'true' Motorcycle tire to such a rim would be a little problematic, as well as being a tad dangerous to ride/drive!
The fronts are 4.5J, so automotive, also.
Looking at TireRack.com, BF Goodrich GForce Comp-2A/S for the rear (205/45R15), they are load range XL (1201 pounds @ 50 PSI) with a service rating of 87W (168 MPH). Negative is a starting tread depth of 9/32.
Wonder if the higher load rating would affect rolling resistance, compared to our "M/C" tires?
Not that the stock tire service rating (77T) is not adequate: 908 pounds and 118 MPH.
The rear does not carry much weight, by percentage (616 pounds dry)
I can grab the rear fender support and pull the rear a couple feet sideways on my garage floor.
With me sitting on it, perhaps most of my 180 pounds goes to the rear, but it still does not carry much weight, especially only one up and no real luggage.
OK, test my math
I measured tread depth on my rear tire at 9/32 and expect original was 10/32.
That is only 1/32 wear in almost 2,000 miles.
If worn to legal limit (not something I am likely to do), then I have 7/32 left.
At 2,000 miles per 1/32, I could run another 14,000 miles on the original tire.
In addition, as tires wear, they harden and last longer.
I think the math is correct, but I do not expect more than I would get with a M/C rear, which is about 10,000 miles, rather than 16,000 miles.
OTOH, most of my miles have been long distance.
That maths bit looks correct, but the assumption that tires 'harden and last longer' as tires wear is only correct to a point!!
It's correct in that as the (surface) compound ages, it gets 'packed down' tighter (which is why most tires lose some tread depth very quickly when first put into use, then the wear rate slows for a while) as well as slowly evaporating out the 'aromatics' that keep the compound soft and supple and grippy etc, so that over time and wear (at least initially) the tread will tend to harden and wear better.... BUT, and here's the kicker; as you wear the tread down more, the compounds used in almost all radial tires get softer as they wear (to better encompass & 'grip' the belt layers & cord/steel plies) and while that compound might get 'packed down' a little tighter during use, the deeper it is in the construction layers of the tire, the less aromatics will have evaporated out and so the softer the compounds remain!! So MOST tires (radial tires especially) tend to lose some tread depth fairly quickly, ie, in the first 3-500 miles or so; then the 'apparent wear rate' tends to slow for quite a while, pretty much most of the tire's useful life; before the tread wear starts to speed up again juuust a little as you get closer to the legal minimum tread depth; after which the tread wear rate generally increases exponentially until suddenly, you're running on the cords!!
All of which boils down to your 'educated guesstimation' of reaching 14,000 miles as being 'theoretically possible', but as you've already mentioned, 'practically unlikely'! Reaching 10,000 miles - yeah, maybe; something less than 10,000 miles - quite likely!! Especially if the bulk of your miles are long & reasonably 'hot' in terms of tire temps!
Funnily enough, tires that only ever get used for short runs at relatively slow speeds/never reaching their optimal traction temps do tend to 'harden' fairly quickly and then last pretty well; but unless you manipulate their pressures to increase their operating temp so that they do actually hit that optimal traction temp range, their grip levels will fairly rapidly degenerate until they are so bad that you'd be better off wearing teflon slicks while running a hi-speed slalom course on an ice-skating rink!! Been there, done that! Got the badly stained shorts to show for it too!
Aren't tires fun?!?
Ps: the BFG g-Force Comps worked REALLY WELL..... for a little while!! I'd think most would be hard pressed to get too much more than about 5000 summer-time miles out of them; but they could have a helluva lotta fun in those miles!
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 06-30-2020 at 08:27 PM.
...the BFG g-Force Comps worked REALLY WELL..... for a little while!! I'd think most would be hard pressed to get too much more than about 5000 summer-time miles out of them; but they could have a helluva lotta fun in those miles!
So, should I go for the 22,500 mileage warranty?!
BTW: Stock tires on my 2002 H-D Sportster 1200 Sport were the very soft Dunlop K591s, not the Rocklop 401 or 402 on most Sportsters of that vintage. Trying to remember if original rear lasted 3,000 or 5,000 miles.
Thanks I got my info from IMotorsports web site ...... and I missed that fact ...........Mike I added a 15 rear tire to my orig. Thread above .....Mike
You were mostly right though and I think the big issue is that its the front tires that are giving people headaches for finding a match.
I think what we'll need to see happen is some aftermarket company comes up with a way to modify the front fenders on the Ryker to allow a slightly wider tire.
You were mostly right though and I think the big issue is that its the front tires that are giving people headaches for finding a match.
I think what we'll need to see happen is some aftermarket company comes up with a way to modify the front fenders on the Ryker to allow a slightly wider tire.
Concerning " fender tire clearance " .... in the past ( before I made some discoveries ) I put some really wide tires on my RT ( 185/55-15 ) ... the problem wasn't fitting the tire into the fender, it was clearance between the the sidewall of the tire and the fender Brackets. .... which I fixed with washers for spacing....... Mike
I think I answered my post 3 question, asking for photos to compare standard 145/60R16 tires to rally 145/60R16 ti
I had a problem with a flat tire on the front, so I asked what brand I could use when we are ryding in Italy/Spain/Marokko or so - someone told me that this size is the standard "emergency wheel" for VW/Audi cars ..so no problem !! maybe someone tests this Continental, maybe it has a better Grip than the Kenda .. or are they produced from them ??
Concerning " fender tire clearance " .... in the past ( before I made some discoveries ) I put some really wide tires on my RT ( 185/55-15 ) ... the problem wasn't fitting the tire into the fender, it was clearance between the the sidewall of the tire and the fender Brackets. .... which I fixed with washers for spacing....... Mike
Yeah, I wish it would be that easy but the fenders on the Ryker wrap down over the tire on both sides slightly...not much, but enough to prevent a slightly wider tire to fit.
I'm pretty sure as more of these Rykers come to the end of their tire life (they are all new vehicles still), some enterprising companies will start looking into bolt-on fender options that allow wider tires.
Maybe I can take a sawzall to my fenders!
20 mm narrower
6.75 mm shorter in radius
Do not know what it would do to ABS, unless both fronts replaced?...probably would still affect RPM difference with rear.
it should fit for the VSS - but didn`t test it (maybe you need two of them .. would be no problem with this size ..
145-60R16 = 182.3 cm Abrollumfang
125-70R16 = 182.7 cm Abrollumfang
I think someone will find a good one with this size !!!
Certainly not opposed to modifications, but after going through water running across the road a couple times and no splash on bike or boots or Wranglers, I think I will continue with factory size front tires and factory fenders.
Hopefully there will be options to the Kendas in the future...although the rally Kenda looks of interest.
I am all up for finding a replacement for some high quallity tires in the front. But I do not think putting low speed rated car emergency/spare tires is a good idea. My guess is that the original Kendas are better in that case.
For the record, some of the original reviews on the Ryker said the 900 Ace was faster in the corners than the Rally due to better grip in the front. That was attributed to the different tires.
For the record, some of the original reviews on the Ryker said the 900 Ace was faster in the corners than the Rally due to better grip in the front. That was attributed to the different tires.
Yes I can see that as factual .... off or semi-off road tires will not do as well on pavement, so their max traction will be less ... this is the same for auto's using a winter tread tire .......... Mike
I am all up for finding a replacement for some high quallity tires in the front. But I do not think putting low speed rated car emergency/spare tires is a good idea. My guess is that the original Kendas are better in that case.
The load speed rating of 96M is not an issue for load (1565 pounds) but the M speed rating is limited to 81 MPH.
If a front tire were not repairable, that should get Chris home.
Do not know what it would do to ABS, unless both fronts replaced?...probably would still affect RPM difference with rear.
The difference in width is unlikely to bother the Nanny/ABS in any really noticeable way..... And all it'd take to resolve any issues due to the shorter radius would be to drop the pressure in the taller tire by about 0.5 psi to match the side to side levels a bit - any front to rear RPM variations will be well within the acceptable limits too!!
The Nanny/VSS/ABS/Yada, yada, yada are all quite capable of handling these sorts of minor size differences between the front tires & the front/rear tires; they hafta be, or our Spyders/Rykers would become as un-controllable as lawn darts with warped fins if one front tire or the rear tire ever got a puncture & started going flat.... or if you parked it in the hot sun facing vaguely North (or South) for an hour or so, then jumped on and rode off in the same direction - hot sun on one side, heats up that tire & increases it's pressure by a few psi & therefore increases that tire's rolling dia... you get the drift!
If the Nanny couldn't handle that sorta difference (& the word from Bosch is she can handle a fair bit more rolling radius difference than that! ) then these machines could be lethal for the maybe 20-30 mins it might take to 'even up' the tire heat & pressures in order to match the rolling radius'!! But they aren't lethal with those sorta differences; and I reckon that's probably proven every day when, somewhere in the Spyder/Ryker world, there'll probably be someone riding safely with greater pressure variations and they'll most likely be doing it without any issues, except that maybe their machine will a little twitchy or pull to one side for a short while when they first start moving! This is just one of the snazzy features that we benefit from by using pneumatic tires filled with air.
Last edited by Peter Aawen; 07-01-2020 at 05:48 PM.