Which Vredestein - Quatrac or Quatrac 5?

[T.P.]

If you can wait a few weeks, I'll let you know my impressions when I get mine installed.

SUPPLY CHAIN will continue to be mucked up again this year (2022), PLAN AHEAD!! If you wait a couple of weeks you may not find tires in your wanted size and brand.
With all of the bad write ups the OEM Kenda tires have gotten over the years it's amazing that some folks just want to run on them close to forever.
T.P.

[Peter Aawen]

SUPPLY CHAIN will continue to be mucked up again this year (2022), PLAN AHEAD!! If you wait a couple of weeks you may not find tires in your wanted size and brand.
With all of the bad write ups the OEM Kenda tires have gotten over the years it's amazing that some folks just want to run on them close to forever.
T.P.

To be fair, I don't really think the latest Kenda fronts are all that bad for what they are, especially if you're not ever really exploring the limits of their capability!

If you ride within their limits, they can last & work reasonably well up front, IF you were lucky enough to get a good set! And I hafta admit that since about mid 2015 on, there's been a lot less of the really dodgy Kendas hitting the streets!! Before that, you were really lucky to get a round Kenda, let alone one that could be balanced &/or run true, or one without internal/construction issues! But since about then, it seems their manufacturer has picked up their game & most that hit the streets are at least round nowdays....

However, the later Kendas are still a tire that significantly restricts anyone capable or willing from riding anywhere near the limits of the Spyder/Ryker platform; but like I said, for the fronts, these days the Kendas are fairly often 'sorta OK' for anyone who's happy enough riding within the limits of the tire - and shouldn't we all be doing that anyway??

But if you do want to develop your ryding techniques & want to find out what the Spyder/Ryker platform is REALLY capable of, then a good set of tires (ie. non Kenda or their clones) all round is pretty much essential/mandatory; and if you team a full set of good quality 'purpose selected' tires with some intake/exhaust mods & an ECU Upgrade to unleash the true potential of the engine/transmission, you'll never look back! Well, maybe only to see who you just blew into the weeds - and once you learn how to make the best of the platform, you'll be able to do that just about anywhere, at least until that big wall of air these things hafta push along in front of them comes into play on the long straights up beyond 80mph or so, but that's usually plenty fast enough for most non-track scenarios!

There's always gonna be 'horses for courses', & I'd say that's pretty much what the Kenda fronts are.... only you really don't wanta get me started on how rs that rear Kenda is! But I do really hafta wonder why BRP seems to think that all their prospective Spyder/Ryker buyers are old slow nags well on their way to the knackers' yard?!?

[WilcoJunoHotel]

SUPPLY CHAIN will continue to be mucked up again this year (2022), PLAN AHEAD!! If you wait a couple of weeks you may not find tires in your wanted size and brand.
With all of the bad write ups the OEM Kenda tires have gotten over the years it's amazing that some folks just want to run on them close to forever.
T.P.

Since you quoted me I guess you are directing your comment to me? Not sure if you read my previous responses in this thread - see #34 in particular.

Regarding people running Kenda tires....I don't think anyone except Kenda makes a tire the exact size as BRP recommends and installs on the Spyder fronts and approved for the Spyder. For the rear, only a couple of choices in the same size and none approved by BRP. I fully understand why someone doesn't want to run a different tire size and/or a tire that is not approved (car tire). Discussions about tires in general (like oil) is always an opinionated and touchy subject, and the discussion gets even more heated when running tires that are not recommended by the OEM (IE, BRP). There are a lot of newer riders on Spyders ( I am one) and many don't tweak or fiddle with their machines and will stick with what is recommended in the owners manual - just like most people who own cars.

In my case, I gave Kenda 2 tries on the rear tire so my next one will be a car tire. The OEM rear got 4K and the Kanine will get about 6.5K which is unsatisfactory for me. However, the OEM fronts are wearing well with almost 10K and I have not had any issues and I ride my RT very fast and hard with a lot of twisties. Not going to yank them off just because of reports that a car tire will be better - not sure I can physically go much faster in the twisties anyway. Now, if car tires will make it so I don't have to use so much strength to ride the Spyder fast in twisties, I would have been on them months ago.

[WilcoJunoHotel]

However, the OEM fronts are wearing well with almost 10K and I have not had any issues and I ride my RT very fast and hard with a lot of twisties. Not going to yank them off just because of reports that a car tire will be better - not sure I can physically go much faster in the twisties anyway. Now, if car tires will make it so I don't have to use so much strength to ride the Spyder fast in twisties, I would have been on them months ago.

OK, I was wrong: I can go faster in the twisties with different front tires.

Got my new Quatracs installed on the fronts and went for my first long ride (350 miles) and wow what a difference these tires make over the OEM Kendas. Much less effort to turn the bars in tight fast twisties and very confidence inspiring. I should have put these on a long time ago - In fact, these should be OEM on the Spyder RT. Highly recommended. Other than the BajaRon sway bar, this is the best $300 (tires, mounting and balancing) I have spent on my Spyder to date.

Now for my new rear Kumho (also a car tire), I can't really tell a lot of difference in handling and ride but that is a good thing. I just hope to get 10-15K out of it.

[cyclekid58]

We just put the new vredestein quattrac in 175/55/15 on my wifes 2014 RTS with no fitment issues. We previously put the bajaron swaybar on and had the laser alignment done with Squared Away. Riding home from the dealer 35 miles away she said the difference in ride was amazing over the stock kendas. We started with 18lbs air in the tires and will leave them at that pressure. We luckily have a dealer that will install aftermarket tires on our spyders. Once my federal evo 595's wear out on my 2014 RTS I will get the same tires for my bike. Many thanks to Blueknight911, Cptjam and others for their insight on these tires. I might add that she rode home in the rain and the bike felt great!