New front tires - Potenza

[C3517C]

Just put new front tires on my 2011 RT-S. After much research I decided to go with Bridgestone Potenza. I kept the size the same as the OEM. Wow, such an improvement. I have always had "alignment" issues, even after being lasered twice. This finally appears be corrected. I will fool around with the tire pressure, but I'm starting at 25 PSI. That has made the ride pretty stiff, but I'm finding that I like it. If you have the same tires, please let me know what works for you.
I bought them at TireBuyer.com, and they showed up on my door step 36 hours after I placed the order. Impressive.

[finless]

25 seems extremely high for the same size tire.
2011 fronts are suppose to be at 15 psi. I run 19 and that's over the spec.
Some reason your running them that high? That tire design needs it or something?

Bob

[C3517C]

25 seems extremely high for the same size tire.
2011 fronts are suppose to be at 15 psi. I run 19 and that's over the spec.
Some reason your running them that high? That tire design needs it or something?

Bob

Yes, 2011's run at 15 psi when they have OEM Kendas that are rated for 15 psi. The Potenzas are rated for 44 psi max, but since they were designed for vehicles heavier than a Spyder its hard to say just where that psi should be. I can't say what that number is, but I'll play with it and try to find the sweet spot. When I started at 25 psi I figured that it was probably high, and it probably is, and I'll go down from there.

[ITWorkerBee]

Does not the lower tire pressure result in a faster wire like in a vehicle?

[Peter Aawen]

Lower pressure than the tire NEEDS to carry the weight of the vehicle can wear tires quicker.... and so can higher pressure than the tire needs! The first will likely wear the outside edges of the tread, the second will likely wear the strip down the middle of the tread.

But remember that your Spyder weighs a couple of HUNDRED kilograms & not the couple of THOUSAND kilograms that your car weighs - so you'll need significantly LESS air (& therefore pressure) in the tires when they are under a Spyder than you would need in exactly the same tire when it's under a car! Put too much pressure in the tire on a Spyder & you'll wear it out down the middle quickly, probably scrub off the tread blocks along the edges of the tread & be more likely to get twitchy handling & less grip on the road, more hydroplaning etc.

Consider the stiffer sidewalls that passenger car construction tires have (which are able to carry much higher loads than the average m/c tire) & you just don't need to put as much air into the tire to carry the load imposed by the Spyder & still get great handling, ride, & wear.

[Pennyrick]

Just put new front tires on my 2011 RT-S. After much research I decided to go with Bridgestone Potenza. I kept the size the same as the OEM. Wow, such an improvement. I have always had "alignment" issues, even after being lasered twice. This finally appears be corrected. I will fool around with the tire pressure, but I'm starting at 25 PSI. That has made the ride pretty stiff, but I'm finding that I like it. If you have the same tires, please let me know what works for you.
I bought them at TireBuyer.com, and they showed up on my door step 36 hours after I placed the order. Impressive.

I have Potenzas on the Spyder aired up to 17 psi for the past 8,000 miles or so and I think that is plenty given the weight of the machine.I would think that 25psi is excessive.

[Pampurrs]

I'm just curious, not forming or stating an opinion ..... being that the recommended PSI on the OEM front tires is 20, wouldn't you use the same 20 PSI for the Potenza?

Pam

[Peter Aawen]

The potenzas have stiffer sidewalls & harder tread compound than the OE tires, so they'll need a tad LESS pressure in them in order to let the tire flex enough to get up to its optimum operating temperature - run them at the same pressure as a soft walled soft compound Kenda & it'll be like riding on a steel rimmed cart - no grip on the road & no sidewall cushion effect to soak up some of the bumps

[007james]

Thanks for this information. My fronts will be ready soon. I have a 2012 RT Limited, and ordered my 2nd Kuhmo for the rear today. My OEMs got 8500 miles each, and I switched to Kuhmo which has been a great tire. It has 10,000 miles on it now , and has not quite hit the wear marks yet, so I expect another 3-4,000 miles before replacement. My Internet Kuhmo order went thru, but later got a call on my cell. I had a spirited discussion with the Rep. Who flagged my order and refused to sell me another one in spite of my positive review of one all ready on it. He said Politics was not the issue, but safety. I challenged all his B.S. , but now, in spite of my great experience with this tire, I will never buy any thing from Discount Tire again. So, question now is, any positive recommendations on the best tire to replace the rear, size 225/50/15? OEM Kenda is out. I HATE that tire. Thanks.

[SPYD3R]

Thanks for this information. My fronts will be ready soon. I have a 2012 RT Limited, and ordered my 2nd Kuhmo for the rear today. My OEMs got 8500 miles each, and I switched to Kuhmo which has been a great tire. It has 10,000 miles on it now , and has not quite hit the wear marks yet, so I expect another 3-4,000 miles before replacement. My Internet Kuhmo order went thru, but later got a call on my cell. I had a spirited discussion with the Rep. Who flagged my order and refused to sell me another one in spite of my positive review of one all ready on it. He said Politics was not the issue, but safety. I challenged all his B.S. , but now, in spite of my great experience with this tire, I will never buy any thing from Discount Tire again. So, question now is, any positive recommendations on the best tire to replace the rear, size 225/65/15? OEM Kenda is out. I HATE that tire. Thanks.

KUMHO ARE AVAILABLE AT MANY OTHER TIRE CENTERS ACROSS THE U.S.A.
SEARS CARRIES KUMHO TIRES, TIRE KINGDOM, TIRE RACK, etc... DON'T LET 'DISCOUNT TIRE' DICTATE WHAT YOU WANT FOR ANY OF YOUR RIDES, WHETHER IT BE YOUR SPYD3R, CAR, TRUCK or GO-KART..... DISCOUNT TIRE IS A NON-COMPANY TO A LOT OF US, AND WE WILL NEVER SPEND A DIME WITH THEM AGAIN.... WHICH I'VE NEVER PURCHASED ANYTHING FROM THEM IN MY 67 YEARS....
LOOK AROUND ON THE INTERNET, YOU'LL FIND THEM... OR, YOU CAN CALL CHRIS @ KUMHO IN GEORGIA, HE'LL HELP YOU OUT....
CALL; Chris Han
|KUMHO TIRE U.S.A. INC.|
| Asst. Product Planning Manager |
| 10299 Sixth Street, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 |
| Office: 909-428-3395
DAN P
SPYD3R

[SpyderAnn01]

I'm just curious, not forming or stating an opinion ..... being that the recommended PSI on the OEM front tires is 20, wouldn't you use the same 20 PSI for the Potenza?

Pam

He has a 2011 with 14" rims not 15" like your Spyder. The recommended pressure on the 11 is 15

[scott16119]

KUMHO ARE AVAILABLE AT MANY OTHER TIRE CENTERS ACROSS THE U.S.A.
SEARS CARRIES KUMHO TIRES, TIRE KINGDOM, TIRE RACK, etc... DON'T LET 'DISCOUNT TIRE' DICTATE WHAT YOU WANT FOR ANY OF YOUR RIDES, WHETHER IT BE YOUR SPYD3R, CAR, TRUCK or GO-KART..... DISCOUNT TIRE IS A NON-COMPANY TO A LOT OF US, AND WE WILL NEVER SPEND A DIME WITH THEM AGAIN.... WHICH I'VE NEVER PURCHASED ANYTHING FROM THEM IN MY 67 YEARS....
LOOK AROUND ON THE INTERNET, YOU'LL FIND THEM... OR, YOU CAN CALL CHRIS @ KUMHO IN GEORGIA, HE'LL HELP YOU OUT....
CALL; Chris Han
|KUMHO TIRE U.S.A. INC.|| Asst. Product Planning Manager |
| 10299 Sixth Street, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 |
| Office: 909-428-3395
DAN P
SPYD3R

I agree. I think most any local tire center will order what ever you want. My local guy got my last Kumho tire in a few days just like when you order it yourself. He charged ten dollars more than Discount tire but installed and balanced it for $25.

[Pampurrs]

He has a 2011 with 14" rims not 15" like your Spyder. The recommended pressure on the 11 is 15

OK, I will modify my question to refer to whatever PSI is recommended by the OEM

Pam

[Bike-O-Din]

Many years ago, I read an article that discussed the "correct" tire pressure for multiple vehicles, but concentrated on motorcycles. Here is the formula they presented, and I have followed it on all my vehicles - cars, trailer, suv, van, bikes. It seems to work just right on all of them.

Tire pressure is measured cold. After the tire warms up, the pressure should not increase more than 10%. If you start at 30 psi, then it should not go above 33 at full temp. If the pressure is too high, start with a lower pressure. If it does not go up 10%, add a little to the starting pressure.

On my RT-S, this translates to about 17.5 - 18.0 on the fronts, and 28 in the back. The number seems not to be significantly affected by the weight on the bike (one-up or two-up), or the outside temperature. In the high heat of the summer, it goes a bit higher than 10%, but not so high that I have to change the starting psi.

Just my two cents, but it seems to work for me.

Ryde Safe.

[pegasus1300]

I have used the system described by Bike=O=Din for years on all my vehicles and it works great. I don't remember where I learned this. I could have learned it back in the drag racing days or from the dealer i bought my 1st bike. Anyway if you don't know what pressure to run use the 10% rule.

[Peter Aawen]

....

Tire pressure is measured cold. After the tire warms up, the pressure should not increase more than 10%. If you start at 30 psi, then it should not go above 33 at full temp. If the pressure is too high, start with a lower pressure. If it does not go up 10%, add a little to the starting pressure.

On my RT-S, this translates to about 17.5 - 18.0 on the fronts, and 28 in the back......

Using a 'rule of thumb' like that one Bike-O-Din is a great way to make sure that YOU get your tire pressures right for YOU, the way you ride, your loading, the roads you ride on etc, and it's easy enough to be repeatable, readily understood, & applicable to pretty much any vehicle too! However, your guide is only ALMOST right - you got the add & minus pressures the wrong way around!!

If the pressure goes up by more than 10%, your starting pressure needs to be HIGHER, not lower as you mention in the bit I made bold in the quote above!! That's cos lower pressures will let the tire flex more & therefore make the pressure increase greater, which is the opposite of what you want if the increase is greater than what you want. There's some good explanations on the why's & wherefore's of that to be found if you want to google it.

Conversely, if the pressure does not go up by 10%, you need to DROP your starting pressure rather than add as you mentioned in the bits I made italics in the quote above; same reason tho, just the other end of the measuring stick - lower starting pressure = more tire flex = greater pressure increase once warm... which in this case is what you do want to achieve. ;-)

The tire industry uses a variety of these 'rules' to work out the optimum tire pressure, altho the rules vary a little depending on the specifics of the particular vehicle use. The one I grew up with was known as 'the 4psi Rule' - instead of aiming for 10% increase in tire pressures, it aims for a 4psi increase (if you want to know more, google it!) But they are all basically aimed at achieving the same thing & they all produce very close to the same results anyway.... ie, the tire people looking after race cars & bikes might use anything between 3psi & 10psi increase or anywhere from 4-5% thru to 15% increase, or they might even look for a similar tread temperature % increase evenly across the tread face, but in reality they all aim to achieve a set pressure or temperature increase in the tire from cold start temps to operating temps (increases in tire tread temps mean increases in tire pressures)

But the critical thing to remember about all of these rules/methods is that if your pressures increase by TOO MUCH from cold, you must ADD PRESSURE to your cold starting pressure to make the resulting pressure/temperate increase LESS once the tire is warmed up; while if they increase by NOT ENOUGH from cold, you must SUBTRACT PRESSURE from your cold starting pressure to make the resulting pressure/temperature increase MORE once the tire is warmed up!

As for the pressures YOU arrived at for you, your bike, & your riding etc, they won't necessarily apply to anyone else - what your guide or the 4psi Rule or any of the other techniques out there arrive at is really only applicable to the rider/driver & their vehicle, their general use etc. So no-one else should (or can really) rely on your pressures being right for them, just like the 'compromise' recommendation on the vehicle placard isn't ever going to be right for each & every rider/driver out there - those recommendations are a good start point but just don't take into account all the variables that can impact on what the OPTIMUM pressure is for any specific tire on a vehicle ridden/driven by a specific rider/driver of any specific vehicle on whatever roads they ride/drive on - so each of us really should work out our own OPTIMUM tire pressure for each tire & vehicle we use, ideally using one of those repeatable 'rules' mentioned above or one of the others that can be found amongst all the tire industry documentation that abounds on this sort of thing!

[007james]

After searching the Internet for the Kuhmo Tire I am trying to buy, this tire ( 225/50R/15 ) appears to be scarce, or only available at Discount Tire who won't sell it to Spyder Owners.eBay sells it, but but by Discount Tire. Since I like the tire so much, I have called most of the Sites listing them, but am told they either no longer carry them, or they must be ordered on line which always ends up being a Catch 22. Finally, this morning, I discovered these complaints about Khumo Tires on the Consumer's Affairs site, which most likely, is why this tire has suddenly become so hard to obtain.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/tires/kumho.html

I have decided to stay away from this tire based on this relevant information. I want to stay with the exact same size, so may have to end up going back to the OEM Kenda and just keep replacing it every 8500 miles. Wanted to share this with the Group.
Cheers, 007james

KUMHO ARE AVAILABLE AT MANY OTHER TIRE CENTERS ACROSS THE U.S.A.
SEARS CARRIES KUMHO TIRES, TIRE KINGDOM, TIRE RACK, etc... DON'T LET 'DISCOUNT TIRE' DICTATE WHAT YOU WANT FOR ANY OF YOUR RIDES, WHETHER IT BE YOUR SPYD3R, CAR, TRUCK or GO-KART..... DISCOUNT TIRE IS A NON-COMPANY TO A LOT OF US, AND WE WILL NEVER SPEND A DIME WITH THEM AGAIN.... WHICH I'VE NEVER PURCHASED ANYTHING FROM THEM IN MY 67 YEARS....
LOOK AROUND ON THE INTERNET, YOU'LL FIND THEM... OR, YOU CAN CALL CHRIS @ KUMHO IN GEORGIA, HE'LL HELP YOU OUT....
CALL; Chris Han
|KUMHO TIRE U.S.A. INC.|| Asst. Product Planning Manager |
| 10299 Sixth Street, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730 |
| Office: 909-428-3395
DAN P
SPYD3R

[spydermanstever]

After searching the Internet for the Kuhmo Tire I am trying to buy, this tire ( 225/50R/15 ) appears to be scarce, or only available at Discount Tire who won't sell it to Spyder Owners.eBay sells it, but but by Discount Tire. Since I like the tire so much, I have called most of the Sites listing them, but am told they either no longer carry them, or they must be ordered on line which always ends up being a Catch 22. Finally, this morning, I discovered these complaints about Khumo Tires on the Consumer's Affairs site, which most likely, is why this tire has suddenly become so hard to obtain.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/tires/kumho.html

I have decided to stay away from this tire based on this relevant information. I want to stay with the exact same size, so may have to end up going back to the OEM Kenda and just keep replacing it every 8500 miles. Wanted to share this with the Group.
Cheers, 007james

If you want to stay away from the Kuhmo, and keep the OEM size, try the Toyo Proxes 4 : http://www.toyotires.ca/tire/pattern/proxes-4. I did and was able to get one easily from a local Toyo dealer, and in my exact OEM size for my 2015 RTL being 225/50R15. I prefer to stick with OEM tire sizes due to the fact that the Spyders safety features, like ABS for one, are dependent on speed measurement, and changing the tire size circumference throws off the speed measurement. If you want to see the difference a tire size makes in speed measurement, check out this tire size calculator that will calculate the difference in speed for a difference in tire size : http://www.anycalculator.com/tiresize.htm

[Highwayman2013]

After searching the Internet for the Kuhmo Tire I am trying to buy, this tire ( 225/50R/15 ) appears to be scarce, or only available at Discount Tire who won't sell it to Spyder Owners.eBay sells it, but but by Discount Tire. Since I like the tire so much, I have called most of the Sites listing them, but am told they either no longer carry them, or they must be ordered on line which always ends up being a Catch 22. Finally, this morning, I discovered these complaints about Khumo Tires on the Consumer's Affairs site, which most likely, is why this tire has suddenly become so hard to obtain.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/tires/kumho.html

I have decided to stay away from this tire based on this relevant information. I want to stay with the exact same size, so may have to end up going back to the OEM Kenda and just keep replacing it every 8500 miles. Wanted to share this with the Group.
Cheers, 007james

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...hnid-rear-tire

[Highwayman2013]

After searching the Internet for the Kuhmo Tire I am trying to buy, this tire ( 225/50R/15 ) appears to be scarce, or only available at Discount Tire who won't sell it to Spyder Owners.eBay sells it, but but by Discount Tire. Since I like the tire so much, I have called most of the Sites listing them, but am told they either no longer carry them, or they must be ordered on line which always ends up being a Catch 22. Finally, this morning, I discovered these complaints about Khumo Tires on the Consumer's Affairs site, which most likely, is why this tire has suddenly become so hard to obtain.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/tires/kumho.html

I have decided to stay away from this tire based on this relevant information. I want to stay with the exact same size, so may have to end up going back to the OEM Kenda and just keep replacing it every 8500 miles. Wanted to share this with the Group.
Cheers, 007james

Not sure why the exact size is important. I have a 215/60/15 on the rear of my RT for 15,000 miles with no problems or complaints.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

After searching the Internet for the Kuhmo Tire I am trying to buy, this tire ( 225/50R/15 ) appears to be scarce, or only available at Discount Tire who won't sell it to Spyder Owners.eBay sells it, but but by Discount Tire. Since I like the tire so much, I have called most of the Sites listing them, but am told they either no longer carry them, or they must be ordered on line which always ends up being a Catch 22. Finally, this morning, I discovered these complaints about Khumo Tires on the Consumer's Affairs site, which most likely, is why this tire has suddenly become so hard to obtain.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/tires/kumho.html

I have decided to stay away from this tire based on this relevant information. I want to stay with the exact same size, so may have to end up going back to the OEM Kenda and just keep replacing it every 8500 miles. Wanted to share this with the Group.
Cheers, 007james

On your getting a Spyder and to finding this site...........I see you have been a member for " two " days and are already willing to help us out with your discoveries about TIRES........Well I followed your LINK and also did some research on the source of your information......I dis-covered that CONSUMERAFFAIRS also has rated other tire companies besides KUMHO.......Their findings were very enlightening. They rated the Cooper, Yokohama, Michelin, Firestone, Good Year, Bridgestone, BF Goodrich & Continental tire co's at 1 1/2 stars or less......They rated this company with FIVE STARS - - the MAVIS TIRE Co.- - - , I have never heard of the Mavis tire Co....but they beat all the others for quality and performance by A LOT....................Sooooooooooo my guess is MAVIS was willing to buy a five star rating and none of the others were........Soooooooo if you want to believe - CONSUMERAFFAIRS - I wish you a lot of luck........Mike

[007james]

Hi Mike,
Yes, I have only been a member for two days, but a riding Spyder Lurker since I bought my new RT Limited Feb. 2012. I prefer riding than posting,.....unless I need help. Until this tire issue surfaced, I found all the help I needed just by reading the posts. I don't have a dog in the fight, so just have to trust my own instinct in what I end up trusting under butt. I just logged 27,600 miles on my clock on my ride today. My Throttle Bodies were replaced on Warrantee at 12,700 miles, but other than that, my RT Limited has been problem free. I have not had Valve clearance checked nor Spark Plugs yet. Unless it starts missing or running badly, I plan to keep running it.
007james

On your getting a Spyder and to finding this site...........I see you have been a member for " two " days and are already willing to help us out with your discoveries about TIRES........Well I followed your LINK and also did some research on the source of your information......I dis-covered that CONSUMERAFFAIRS also has rated other tire companies besides KUMHO.......Their findings were very enlightening. They rated the Cooper, Yokohama, Michelin, Firestone, Good Year, Bridgestone, BF Goodrich & Continental tire co's at 1 1/2 stars or less......They rated this company with FIVE STARS - - the MAVIS TIRE Co.- - - , I have never heard of the Mavis tire Co....but they beat all the others for quality and performance by A LOT....................Sooooooooooo my guess is MAVIS was willing to buy a five star rating and none of the others were........Soooooooo if you want to believe - CONSUMERAFFAIRS - I wish you a lot of luck........Mike

[griffontamer]

Hi Mike,
Yes, I have only been a member for two days, but a riding Spyder Lurker since I bought my new RT Limited Feb. 2012. I prefer riding than posting,.....unless I need help. Until this tire issue surfaced, I found all the help I needed just by reading the posts. I don't have a dog in the fight, so just have to trust my own instinct in what I end up trusting under butt. I just logged 27,600 miles on my clock on my ride today. My Throttle Bodies were replaced on Warrantee at 12,700 miles, but other than that, my RT Limited has been problem free. I have not had Valve clearance checked nor Spark Plugs yet. Unless it starts missing or running badly, I plan to keep running it.
007james

Welcome James . I read through a bunch of the reviews in the link and they sounded believable but what struck me as strange was the consistency of the dates in the reviews. I research just about any product before I buy it (as well as writing brutally honest reviews on them when I feel it might help someone) and I've never seen such consistently dated reviews before. Made me think something is fishy... but who knows. Seems like people on this forum love their Kumho tires and have good experiences with them. I'm rolling on my Kendas for now and I'm quite content on the F3 but the RS is a little squirrely; not sure if it's the tires or not, but once they are worn, I will consider trying something different.

[007james]

Thanks for the welcome. I also saw that the reviews were mostly recent, but by so many different owners on different vehicles, that they sure look real to me. But seeing they were all on Cages much heavier than Spyders, I disregarded the reviews and still tried to find the 225/50R/15 Kuhmo on the other sites listing them, but they all end up back to Discount Tire, who must have bought out the stock on that size, and won't sell to Spyder Owners trying to order only one. I was about to forget the Khumo and order the Arachnid VTR-350 Rear 225/50/15 from VEE Rubber, for $123.94, but found another Red Flag caution on this tire. I found some negative reviews on this tire, as well, with a Buyer saying they "are Chinese junk." But I thought they are manufactured in Thailand? Then, another Internet site says that this tire being sold by some sellers for less money is because they are part # V35002 with old soft compound where the new tire with a harder compound formulation is Part # V35004 for more money. So, until I read any reviews on this reformulated tire supposedly manufactured for the Spyder, I will wait to order until I put more miles on my Khumo. If it passes inspection , I should be good for another 2-3000 miles.

Welcome James . I read through a bunch of the reviews in the link and they sounded believable but what struck me as strange was the consistency of the dates in the reviews. I research just about any product before I buy it (as well as writing brutally honest reviews on them when I feel it might help someone) and I've never seen such consistently dated reviews before. Made me think something is fishy... but who knows. Seems like people on this forum love their Kumho tires and have good experiences with them. I'm rolling on my Kendas for now and I'm quite content on the F3 but the RS is a little squirrely; not sure if it's the tires or not, but once they are worn, I will consider trying something different.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

On your getting a Spyder and to finding this site...........I see you have been a member for " two " days and are already willing to help us out with your discoveries about TIRES........Well I followed your LINK and also did some research on the source of your information......I dis-covered that CONSUMERAFFAIRS also has rated other tire companies besides KUMHO.......Their findings were very enlightening. They rated the Cooper, Yokohama, Michelin, Firestone, Good Year, Bridgestone, BF Goodrich & Continental tire co's at 1 1/2 stars or less......They rated this company with FIVE STARS - - the MAVIS TIRE Co.- - - , I have never heard of the Mavis tire Co....but they beat all the others for quality and performance by A LOT....................Sooooooooooo my guess is MAVIS was willing to buy a five star rating and none of the others were........Soooooooo if you want to believe - CONSUMERAFFAIRS - I wish you a lot of luck........Mike

PS, " griffontamer " said essentially the same thing, but for some reason 007james wasn't offended .....He actually Thanked Her ................ 007james I know whose playbook you are following, I think you are heading down the wrong road ...... Mike