BE AWARE -175 front tires

[PW2013STL]

I installed Kumho KH16 Solus 175/55R15 tires on the front. These replaced the KH16 Solus 155/60R15's that I ran for 26,000 miles.

The 155's were an improvement over the stock tires, but the 175's are a vast step up in handling. More noticable then the Ron Bar and the Fox shocks were when I added them.

I was running them at 18# pressure and here is where the "Be Aware" comes in. At 18# the tire clearance was not good enough for tire deflection in hard corners and rubbed on the inner fender. I have increased the pressure to 20# and put washers between the inner fender and the mounting bracket to move the inner fender out.
I have pushed the spyder to the point of the nanny kicking in (now twice the speed as before the 175's were installed) without any rubbing. I will need to monitor it next year when hot temps arrive again to be sure.

Here is a picture of the lower right inner fender that I cut out showing the rubbing.FENDER 002.jpgFENDER 001.jpg

For me the handling inprovement justifies the effort in making this work!

[Bob Denman]

Thanks for this alert!
Question: What tire pressure did you use in the 155s, and how did they handle compared to the OEM Kendas?
(Okay: that was two questions! )

[taxmyzer]

I installed Kumho KH16 Solus 175/55R15 tires on the front. These replaced the KH16 Solus 155/60R15's that I ran for 26,000 miles.

The 155's were an improvement over the stock tires, but the 175's are a vast step up in handling. More noticable then the Ron Bar and the Fox shocks were when I added them.

I was running them at 18# pressure and here is where the "Be Aware" comes in. At 18# the tire clearance was not good enough for tire deflection in hard corners and rubbed on the inner fender. I have increased the pressure to 20# and put washers between the inner fender and the mounting bracket to move the inner fender out.
I have pushed the spyder to the point of the nanny kicking in (now twice the speed as before the 175's were installed) without any rubbing. I will need to monitor it next year when hot temps arrive again to be sure.

Here is a picture of the lower right inner fender that I cut out showing the rubbing.FENDER 002.jpgFENDER 001.jpg

For me the handling inprovement justifies the effort in making this work!

Contemplating using same size tire and was also concerned about fitment. If you added shims to move the inside out what happened to the outside edge of fender in relation to the tire? Does the tire hit? What tire did you go with?

[PW2013STL]

Thanks for this alert!
Question: What tire pressure did you use in the 155s, and how did they handle compared to the OEM Kendas?
(Okay: that was two questions! )

Bob,

On the 155's I ran 18#
Handling was much better as I could add about 10mph to the curves as compaired to the stock, but the biggest difference was how smooth they road. Took the vibration out of the handle bars.

[PW2013STL]

Contemplating using same size tire and was also concerned about fitment. If you added shims to move the inside out what happened to the outside edge of fender in relation to the tire? Does the tire hit? What tire did you go with?

The outer fender did not change any as that is bolted to the top of the fender bracket and I did not move those screws. All the washer did was push the inner fender outward creating an additional 1/16' spaceing. Combined with the 2# increase in tire pressure created the clearance needed.

Kumho KH Solus 175/55R15

[Bob Denman]

Bob,

On the 155's I ran 18#
Handling was much better as I could add about 10mph to the curves as compaired to the stock, but the biggest difference was how smooth they road. Took the vibration out of the handle bars.

Thanks! You've helped me to finally decide on my next set of front tires!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

The outer fender did not change any as that is bolted to the top of the fender bracket and I did not move those screws. All the washer did was push the inner fender outward creating an additional 1/16' spaceing. Combined with the 2# increase in tire pressure created the clearance needed.

Kumho KH Solus 175/55R15

I beg to differ on your reasoning on this .... since the fender is bolted to the bracket .... if you move the bracket the fender will move EXACTLY the same distance ... It may not look like it but it does. The different measurement may have been due to the ADDED tire pressure ...... Mike

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I installed Kumho KH16 Solus 175/55R15 tires on the front. These replaced the KH16 Solus 155/60R15's that I ran for 26,000 miles.

The 155's were an improvement over the stock tires, but the 175's are a vast step up in handling. More noticable then the Ron Bar and the Fox shocks were when I added them.

I was running them at 18# pressure and here is where the "Be Aware" comes in. At 18# the tire clearance was not good enough for tire deflection in hard corners and rubbed on the inner fender. I have increased the pressure to 20# and put washers between the inner fender and the mounting bracket to move the inner fender out.
I have pushed the spyder to the point of the nanny kicking in (now twice the speed as before the 175's were installed) without any rubbing. I will need to monitor it next year when hot temps arrive again to be sure.

Here is a picture of the lower right inner fender that I cut out showing the rubbing.FENDER 002.jpgFENDER 001.jpg

For me the handling inprovement justifies the effort in making this work!

..........I posted a very similar experience a couple weeks ago when I put Altimax 175/65 -15's on the front of my 2014 RT..... I think the casing on the General is larger than most for this size because I compared them to stock 15" Kenda.......Like you I normally run CAR tires at lower PSI's but for performance riding I had to add 4 lbs to each front tire, because they felt like they were Rolling under in Severe turns...... PS my fenders are the OLD style ..... Thanks for your post on this ....... Mike

[PW2013STL]

I beg to differ on your reasoning on this .... since the fender is bolted to the bracket .... if you move the bracket the fender will move EXACTLY the same distance ... It may not look like it but it does. The different measurement may have been due to the ADDED tire pressure ...... Mike

Mike,

The main part which is ridged (painted) is screwed in two places on the top to the mounting bracket and covered up by the cover down the middle on my fenders. I did not loosen these! The inner flexable black fender is screwed to the sides of the bracket and the sides of the top fender as well as cliped to it. So by removing the side screws and placing washers between the inner fender and the mounting bracket I was able to move that flexable inner fender without moving the main ridged fender.

Les

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Mike,

The main part which is ridged (painted) is screwed in two places on the top to the mounting bracket and covered up by the cover down the middle on my fenders. I did not loosen these! The inner flexable black fender is screwed to the sides of the bracket and the sides of the top fender as well as cliped to it. So by removing the side screws and placing washers between the inner fender and the mounting bracket I was able to move that flexable inner fender without moving the main ridged fender.

Les

OK, this makes more sense ( more info )..... I have only dis-assembled mine ( which are the BASIC type ) and they are made differently.............QUESTION - Is it possible to leave the inner fender off and just have the TOP part ?????? .......Thanks Mike

[Bob Denman]

I'm not sure if you'd want to do that...
The inner fender probably helps the aerodynamic package a bit, and it certainly protects the wiring harness that powers up the marker lights...

...just sayin'...

[jcspyder]

I installed Kumho KH16 Solus 175/55R15 tires on the front. These replaced the KH16 Solus 155/60R15's that I ran for 26,000 miles.

The 155's were an improvement over the stock tires, but the 175's are a vast step up in handling. More noticable then the Ron Bar and the Fox shocks were when I added them.

I was running them at 18# pressure and here is where the "Be Aware" comes in. At 18# the tire clearance was not good enough for tire deflection in hard corners and rubbed on the inner fender. I have increased the pressure to 20# and put washers between the inner fender and the mounting bracket to move the inner fender out.
I have pushed the spyder to the point of the nanny kicking in (now twice the speed as before the 175's were installed) without any rubbing. I will need to monitor it next year when hot temps arrive again to be sure.

Here is a picture of the lower right inner fender that I cut out showing the rubbing.FENDER 002.jpgFENDER 001.jpg

For me the handling inprovement justifies the effort in making this work!

Very helpful info. Thanks. I just put the exact same tires on my RTL. Outstanding handling and no rubbing yet, but it doesn't sound like I ride as hard as you do. I have two questions - The first is that I run mine with 22 in them. Will that solve this issue should I ride harder or is 22 too much for that tire on an RT anyway? The second question is your pics of the "cut out". Did you actually cut out part of the inner fender to make this work or are those old pieces?

Thanks again.

[DrewNJ]

OK, this makes more sense ( more info [emoji106] )..... I have only dis-assembled mine ( which are the BASIC type ) and they are made differently.............QUESTION - Is it possible to leave the inner fender off and just have the TOP part ?????? .......Thanks Mike [emoji106]

Mike,
Yes, you can. I'm running the newer style (13'+) front fenders on my RS. I never even put those inner fenders on and even cut the metal brackets off the supports. No issues.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Mike,
Yes, you can. I'm running the newer style (13'+) front fenders on my RS. I never even put those inner fenders on and even cut the metal brackets off the supports. No issues.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

......Thanks for the info Drew, I won't actually use this info ( now ), but for other folks with clearance issues this is very helpful ........ Mike

[PW2013STL]

Very helpful info. Thanks. I just put the exact same tires on my RTL. Outstanding handling and no rubbing yet, but it doesn't sound like I ride as hard as you do. I have two questions - The first is that I run mine with 22 in them. Will that solve this issue should I ride harder or is 22 too much for that tire on an RT anyway? The second question is your pics of the "cut out". Did you actually cut out part of the inner fender to make this work or are those old pieces?

Thanks again.

Spent the day riding - started out at 7:00am 42° and watched it drop to 35° for most of the 2 hour ride to get to the meeting place to start the group ride. When the group left it was a warm 50° and got up to 66° Great ride and except for one member hitting a deer with his F3 at 60 mph ( thankfully he and his wife are unhurt ) and only damaged his front right fender. We are finally home.

To answer your questions -

22# is most likely why you have no rubbing issues. I did not have one at 18# until I started pushing it in the curves. Now at 20# it seems to have fixed that although the washers maybe adding to that as well. I may have to increase my pressure once it gets in the 90+ temps again.

The cut out is from my right fender and I am running it that way to see if I fixed the issue before replacing it. What I don't know is how the water splash will be in the rain with that piece missing?

Les

[PW2013STL]

OK, this makes more sense ( more info )..... I have only dis-assembled mine ( which are the BASIC type ) and they are made differently.............QUESTION - Is it possible to leave the inner fender off and just have the TOP part ?????? .......Thanks Mike

Hi Mike,

I see Drew answered your question and I considered doing that as I could see that would be possible, but not sure I would like it in the rain.

Les

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Hi Mike,

I see Drew answered your question and I considered doing that as I could see that would be possible, but not sure I would like it in the rain.

Les

.....How bad could it be, without those shields the fenders are then like all the OLD style fenders in years past......and they didn't throw excess water imho,......OR ........ You can always try it to see what happens or ask Drew ......... Mike

[jcspyder]

Spent the day riding - started out at 7:00am 42° and watched it drop to 35° for most of the 2 hour ride to get to the meeting place to start the group ride. When the group left it was a warm 50° and got up to 66° Great ride and except for one member hitting a deer with his F3 at 60 mph ( thankfully he and his wife are unhurt ) and only damaged his front right fender. We are finally home.

To answer your questions -

22# is most likely why you have no rubbing issues. I did not have one at 18# until I started pushing it in the curves. Now at 20# it seems to have fixed that although the washers maybe adding to that as well. I may have to increase my pressure once it gets in the 90+ temps again.

The cut out is from my right fender and I am running it that way to see if I fixed the issue before replacing it. What I don't know is how the water splash will be in the rain with that piece missing?

Les

Les - Thanks much for the follow up. I will need to watch mine even though I keep them at 22. I might just add the washers anyway for extra protection.

[DrewNJ]

Relying on the air pressure of the tire to create adequate fender clearance, IMHO is foolish. Pretty easy to shank a tire..

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[DrewNJ]

I'm not sure if you'd want to do that...
The inner fender probably helps the aerodynamic package a bit, and it certainly protects the wiring harness that powers up the marker lights...

...just sayin'...

Can't speak of fuel mileage because Spyders are pretty poor in that area anyway, but the inner fender cover has no impact on, nor does it secure/protect any of the wiring or harness.[emoji106]

Really, running without the inner fender covers on the 13'+ fenders is no different than running the 08'-12'/base fenders.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[Bob Denman]

I was just wondering if it was worth a consideration...


...and 39 mpg isn't exactly awful...

[Peter Aawen]

.......

22# is most likely why you have no rubbing issues. I did not have one at 18# until I started pushing it in the curves. Now at 20# it seems to have fixed that although the washers maybe adding to that as well. I may have to increase my pressure once it gets in the 90+ temps again.
......

I can appreciate your reasoning here, but I don't think the pressure is all that's involved. I say this because I run Kumho Solus 175/60R15's on the front of my 2013 RT Ltd (with the 13+ revised fenders) at 16 psi almost all the time, and I have NO rubbing issues - not since I swapped out the hex head screws for less intrusive cup head screws anyway!! The screw heads were by far the most intrusive into the wheel well too!! I do increase my pressures a tad (2psi) if I'm doing a lot of loaded hot & mainly straight hwy ryding on a long trip tho. As for cornering & tire flexing, I really doubt that anyone I ryde with would ever suggest I don't push my RT fairly hard most of the time, & especially in the twisty stuff!! I do far more 2 wheel ryding on my Spyder than anyone else around here (yes, it has a BajaRon bar & spring adjusters, but when you push an RT hard thru the corners, ryding on the Nanny's limits all the time, then the inside tire does lift a little every now & then!) and pretty much all the local 2 wheel Sports bike boy racers now just give up as soon as they see me looming up behind them & just get out of my way rather than thinking they can out-ride me thru the corners (& we've got a lot of them here too!!)

The point of all that is, given that I do push it a bit thru the corners & that I run what should be the same width tires with a taller profile and at a lower pressure too - which means it should have more tire flex, then if low pressure was the problem & higher pressure the solution, I should have more rubbing issues, but I don't have any?!?

So I think there may be something else contributing here..... possibly the brackets are shaped a little differently, or maybe we've got different spacers or shaped fenders here in Aus (I don't think so, mine look pretty much like the sections of yours you posted - only mine are completely un-molested??) I can't see how you'd mount them any differently to let them get any closer to the tires either, so it can't be that? I'd guess that either your tires are a different width to my Kumho KH17 175/60R15's; possibly the KH16's are not as 'stiff sidewalled' as the KH17's; or the metal bits of your fender brackets are bent slightly differently to mine - but my tires fit on other Spyders here in Aus & they all seem to have the same profile fender brackets - maybe individual Spyder's have a vaguely or slightly different bracket shape, or your fender inserts were bowed into the wheel well somehow??

Ps: I agree that the car tires are a VAST improvement over the OE Kenda crap in ALL respects!!

[PW2013STL]

Hi Peter,

None of my screw heads were touched, only the inner fender. Once I went to 20# it stopped the rubbing so pressure must have something to do with it, but I will be watching it as I'm not about to give up the better handling. Like you I like to push it to the limit.

Les

[Peter Aawen]

I just spent some time looking at my fenders & inserts, & there's no way that any part of the fender insert is closer than the screw heads are/would be, at least not with them as they are - but I wonder if your brackets that the fender insert bolts onto may have been flexed in a touch, making the fender insert bow a little into the wheel well?? Add that to a touch of tire flex & I can see what has happened to you occurring, but apart from that I just can't see how your tires touched?!?

[DriftersWay]

May I ask where you bought them and how much..
Thanks for the post