A note on tire compounds.

[BRPcare]

As some here have already noticed, BRP has brought back the rear tire compound for the Spyder RT from 2012 and prior. Since this June, any rear tire ordered will last longer (at the expense of some high-speed performance) than the pre-May '14 tire that generated certain longevity concerns.

Note that the pre-May '14 2014 tire is not defective - the compound used was softer so it was considered a higher-performing tire, but it did not achieve the same mileage as previous (and the previous and now current) tire compound.

A production change took place in June. All Spyders produced from that date ship have a rear tire with the longer lasting compound. Although we saw many benefits from the newer, softer tire compound, we heard the concerns folks about longevity and decided to revert back to the previous one.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

As some here have already noticed, BRP has brought back the rear tire compound for the Spyder RT from 2012 and prior. Since this June, any rear tire ordered will last longer (at the expense of some high-speed performance) than the 2014 tire that generated certain longevity concerns.

Note that the 2014 tire is not defective - the compound used was softer so it was considered a higher-performing tire, but it did not achieve the same mileage as previous (and the previous and now current) tire compound.

A production change took place in June. All Spyders produced from that date ship have a rear tire with the longer lasting compound. Although we saw many benefits from the newer, softer tire compound, we heard the concerns folks about longevity and decided to revert back to the previous one.

​Thank you Steve for this information......and if you have any influence at BRP please ask them to inquire with a real tire manufacturer about having one of their products certified for use on a Motorcycle ........Thank you......Mike

[Bob Denman]

Steve,
I also want to Thank You, for this explanation...

Has BRP been in contact with any other tire manufacturers, in an attempt to find different sources for tires?

[cuznjohn]

i would like to know if BRP is planning on replacing the tires on the bikes with the less compound tires

[ivanlee]

i would like to know if BRP is planning on replacing the tires on the bikes with the less compound tires

[Bob Denman]

[cuznjohn]

i have never discussed anything about tires because i felt that what you got you have to live with, but if they are changing compounds because of complaints by owners than they are admitting they made a mistake and i feel they should also fess up for the low quality and replace them. so i think my question is a legit one

[ARtraveler]

Thank you for posting the tire compound information. We higher mileage users, appreciate the fact that the tire compound has been changed back to the higher mileage compound.

I have changed out quite a few rear tires and prior to the 2014, got 13K to 15K per rear tire. My latest 2014, got 8.6K miles. Was told, I got the "old" compound this time around.

Tire change out can be expensive when it cannot be performed by the owner. My last was $421.00 and previous were in the $350 range.

Also agree with the others that would like an additional tire option besides the Kenda. Many of us are feeling a bit "trapped" by the lack of choice.

[Bob Denman]

i have never discussed anything about tires because i felt that what you got you have to live with, but if they are changing compounds because of complaints by owners than they are admitting they made a mistake and i feel they should also fess up for the low quality and replace them. so i think my question is a legit one

Your question is legitimate; but so is their answer: you've had the advantage of a tire that gave better grip... Ho much was that extra safety-margin worth to you?

[cuznjohn]

Your question is legitimate; but so is their answer: you've had the advantage of a tire that gave better grip... Ho much was that extra safety-margin worth to you?

well i have to admit that i know NOTHING about tires, so that being said i would rather have better grip on the front tires and longer lasting tire on the rear. just my opinion

[Orange Spyder Man]

it sure seems to me BRP should offer some adjustment on the present tires that are not lasting.. after all .. we paid for a sub-standard tire..

[jcthorne]

Is there a part number change to order the harder compound tire? How would one know which they are getting if ordering a replacement? Will these harder compound tires last longer than the OEM tire on my 2013 RT?

[ARtraveler]

Is there a part number change to order the harder compound tire? How would one know which they are getting if ordering a replacement? Will these harder compound tires last longer than the OEM tire on my 2013 RT?

Dealer told me they reverted back to the "old" part number.

[ARtraveler]

We can be a tough crowd sometimes.

I am happy that BRP came on and told it like it is.

It appears that longevity was given up for better handling. Apparently, it was one or the other. I cannot fault them for that.

I am glad the issue has been "solved" in less than a year. IMO--they don't owe a refund, and I would not go there. It would be nice though, if we had more than one tire brand choice.

[dtkennney]

Thanks for the post. I will go back to the Kenda on my next tire change. It would also be nice to have another manufacturer qualified. It is tough to pay $179 for a two ply tire when you can get a 4 ply for under $90.

[Bob Denman]

[mindman]

Thanks Steve, it's great to see BRP responding actively to customer complaints.

[DrewNJ]

You all complain about everything! Wow!! Like a room full of senior citizens and children!

Softer compound tires grip better and provide superior performance while sacrificing tread life. They are not "substandard" or "low quality". Many performance nuts pay MORE for softer compound performance tires because grip is more important than tread life.

[sledmaster]

I told you all about this a couple of months back, here is the info and the part numbers.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...976#post865976

[Dan McNally]

You all complain about everything! Wow!! Like a room full of senior citizens and children!

Softer compound tires grip better and provide superior performance while sacrificing tread life. They are not "substandard" or "low quality". Many performance nuts pay MORE for softer compound performance tires because grip is more important than tread life.

What you need is a tire that suits how you ride. If you are an aggressive "twisty" rider, you should have a softer compound that grips the road, better. If you are a rider who tours, and puts in lots of traveling miles, then a harder tire that lasts longer is what you should have.

It would be great if BRP gave us that choice and would market a "performance" tire and a "touring" tire, and allow us to select what suits us.

"One size fits all" never fits anyone . . .

[BajaRon]

Wow! Tough Crowd! You'd think our team was getting beat up in the World Series or something!

The poor BRP rep is just giving us information. BRP THOUGHT we were more interested in TRACTION than MILEAGE! It's always a trade-off, one for the other. But after all the complaints about tire mileage they decided that most were happy to trade some traction for more miles. So they were pro-active and made a change in the rubber compound, to make us happy!

There were NO Defects! One rubber compound is not Inferior to the other except in application and rider expectation.

You can put a tire on your Spyder that will go 30,000 miles. But you may end up in a ditch when the traction goes away. There is much more to a tire than how long it lasts.

It's all a matter of degree. There are several other tire options out there, but all of them must trade one desirable aspect to achieve more of another. One tire is not going to please everyone. BRP is just trying to find a tire that will please the greatest number of people.

If every time BRP makes an 'Improvement' to their product in response to customer input, we then scream that they MUST upgrade all previous Spyders with that same component, it isn't going to be cost effective for BRP to make anything better.

Give the guy a break. Thank him for the information and be thankful that BRP cares.

[SAR41]

Wow! Tough Crowd! You'd think our team was getting beat up in the World Series or something!

The poor BRP rep is just giving us information. BRP THOUGHT we were more interested in TRACTION than MILEAGE! It's always a trade-off, one for the other. But after all the complaints about tire mileage they decided that most were happy to trade some traction for more miles. So they were pro-active and made a change in the rubber compound, to make us happy!

There were NO Defects! One rubber compound is not Inferior to the other except in application and rider expectation.

You can put a tire on your Spyder that will go 30,000 miles. But you may end up in a ditch when the traction goes away. There is much more to a tire than how long it lasts.

It's all a matter of degree. There are several other tire options out there, but all of them must trade one desirable aspect to achieve more of another. One tire is not going to please everyone. BRP is just trying to find a tire that will please the greatest number of people.

If every time BRP makes an 'Improvement' to their product in response to customer input, we then scream that they MUST upgrade all previous Spyders with that same component, it isn't going to be cost effective for BRP to make anything better.

Give the guy a break. Thank him for the information and be thankful that BRP cares.

Well Said Ron, I'm new here so I probably should not comment but it just like you said, BRP was doing what they thought best, going for performance and safety first. I applaud them for watching this forum and responding to what the customer is saying. I've been on other forums like motorhomes and the complaints are plenty and for a lot more money and you don't see any response from the manufacturers at all.

[Dgjason]

Wow! Tough Crowd! You'd think our team was getting beat up in the World Series or something!

The poor BRP rep is just giving us information. BRP THOUGHT we were more interested in TRACTION than MILEAGE! It's always a trade-off, one for the other. But after all the complaints about tire mileage they decided that most were happy to trade some traction for more miles. So they were pro-active and made a change in the rubber compound, to make us happy!

There were NO Defects! One rubber compound is not Inferior to the other except in application and rider expectation.

You can put a tire on your Spyder that will go 30,000 miles. But you may end up in a ditch when the traction goes away. There is much more to a tire than how long it lasts.

It's all a matter of degree. There are several other tire options out there, but all of them must trade one desirable aspect to achieve more of another. One tire is not going to please everyone. BRP is just trying to find a tire that will please the greatest number of people.

If every time BRP makes an 'Improvement' to their product in response to customer input, we then scream that they MUST upgrade all previous Spyders with that same component, it isn't going to be cost effective for BRP to make anything better.

Give the guy a break. Thank him for the information and be thankful that BRP cares.

[Netminder]

With Bajaron ! I know some of the best winter tires you can buy have a softer compound and do not last very many winters, but man do they grip! Blizzak and toyo are examples, both great tires!

[cuznjohn]

i have been thinking about this, and than that's when i get in trouble. after some thought i feel they don't need to replace the tires for us. if the tire was defective or unsafe i would demand a replacement. but being it is a safe tire and just has less tread life than i changed my mind about the whole issue. now if we could find a better griping tire with longer tread life that would be the tire they should supply when you buy a buy a bike or replace the tire you have.