175/55R-15 VREDESTEIN QUATRAC 5 SL for 2014 RTL fronts

Printable View

05-20-2019, 05:31 PM
UtahPete

175/55R-15 VREDESTEIN QUATRAC 5 SL for 2014 RTL fronts

My wife's RTL has 21k miles and the front tires have severe cupping, causing handlebar shaking (yes, it's been Laser-aligned by Squared-Away). My RTL has about 23k on the original Kendas and I'm not experiencing any problems BUT I know replacement is in the near future and I want to be able to do some long-distance touring this summer without having to worry about it.

So, based on my criteria for front tires (excellent wet/dry performance throughout the life of the tire) and the many posts on the topic from knowledgeable people here (Peter Aawen and Mike BlueKnight911 and JCThorne to name a few), yesterday I ordered (4) 175/55R-15 VREDESTEIN QUATRAC 5 SL tires for $87.01 apiece from TireRack.com. They are due to arrive tomorrow (excellent 2-day free delivery from TireRack).

Some time in the next week or so I'll get them mounted on my stock wheels. After we have ridden the bikes on these new tires for at least 500 miles, I'll post my impressions with them.

I'll also post my experience with getting them mounted. At this point, I'm thinking I'll go to a local tire shop. I may or may not have them dismount and remount the wheels, depending on my level of ambition at the time.

I'm hoping this will be an informative thread and not devolve into a debate over my choice of tires or anything else. If the thread gets out of hand I'll close it and that will be that. I'd be happy to answer questions and hopefully generate a meaningful discussion about these particular tires.

BTW, for reference sake, the OEM Kendas are 165/55 R15 so I'm guessing the new tires will be a little taller (greater circumference) but I've been assured by others on here that it won't affect fender clearance or nanny...
05-20-2019, 05:49 PM
Jeffmal

Awaiting your impression

Quote:

Originally Posted by UtahPete

My wife's RTL has 21k miles and the front tires have severe cupping, causing handlebar shaking (yes, it's been Laser-aligned by Squared-Away). My RTL has about 23k on the original Kendas and I'm not experiencing any problems BUT I know replacement is in the near future and I want to be able to do some long-distance touring this summer without having to worry about it.

So, based on my criteria for front tires (excellent wet/dry performance throughout the life of the tire) and the many posts on the topic from knowledgeable people here (Peter Aawen and Mike BlueKnight911 and JCThorne to name a few), yesterday I ordered (4) 175/55R-15 VREDESTEIN QUATRAC 5 SL tires for $87.01 apiece from TireRack.com. They are due to arrive tomorrow (excellent 2-day free delivery from TireRack).

Some time in the next week or so I'll get them mounted on my stock wheels. After we have ridden the bikes on these new tires for at least 500 miles, I'll post my impressions with them.

I'll also post my experience with getting them mounted. At this point, I'm thinking I'll go to a local tire shop. I may or may not have them dismount and remount the wheels, depending on my level of ambition at the time.

I'm hoping this will be an informative thread and not devolve into a debate over my choice of tires or anything else. If the thread gets out of hand I'll close it and that will be that. I'd be happy to answer questions and hopefully generate a meaningful discussion about these particular tires.

UP, I have over 3000 miles on mine (all 3) and I notice a huge difference from the Kendas. I am looking forward to your thoughts and report!
05-20-2019, 05:52 PM
PW2013STL

If you have a Costco by you and are a member they can do that for you. Mine does.
05-20-2019, 05:56 PM
UtahPete

Quote:

Originally Posted by PW2013STL

If you have a Costco by you and are a member they can do that for you. Mine does.

I didn't realize that. Thanks.
05-20-2019, 06:32 PM
BLUEKNIGHT911

Crappy Kenda's

Pete, I have studied tires for decades. The failure rate for Kenda tires is beyond belief ….. I find it hard to believe the NHSTA hasn't investigated them for their manufacturing practices …… Of course they aren't all bad and if you get a good one and have your Spyder LAZER aligned they will provide decent mileage ( for the FRONTS ONLY )….. but even so they are a marginal tire …..jmho ….. I'm glad you chose the Quatrac 5, I'm sure you will enjoy the ride ( at about 16psi :roflblack: ) ... Did you read what "PW2013stl " had to say about His wet weather experience with that tire :clap::clap:….. Mike :ohyea:
05-20-2019, 06:36 PM
UtahPete

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLUEKNIGHT911

Pete, I have studied tires for decades. The failure rate for Kenda tires is beyond belief ….. I find it hard to believe the NHSTA hasn't investigated them for their manufacturing practices …… Of course they aren't all bad and if you get a good one and have your Spyder LAZER aligned they will provide decent mileage ( for the FRONTS ONLY )….. but even so they are a marginal tire …..jmho ….. I'm glad you chose the Quatrac 5, I'm sure you will enjoy the ride ( at about 16psi :roflblack: ) ….. Mike :ohyea:

Mike, you should be getting a commission on these. You are such a promoter. But, then your opinion wouldn't be unbiased, would it? Anyway, I appreciate your expertise and recommendations and enthusiasm for the product. You're a great guy.
05-20-2019, 06:43 PM
UtahPete

Mike, once I have them mounted, what psi do you recommend? I know you favor a low pressure, given this tire is designed for much heavier loads than the Spyder will impose on them.
05-21-2019, 12:05 AM
BLUEKNIGHT911

Quote:

Originally Posted by UtahPete

Mike, once I have them mounted, what psi do you recommend? I know you favor a low pressure, given this tire is designed for much heavier loads than the Spyder will impose on them.

15 or 16 ( cold ) psi ….. they need to flex a bit for best performance ….. Mike :ohyea:
05-21-2019, 01:30 PM
Bill

Ok Mike I ordered them and seemed like I just closed my tablet and I herd a thump on the back porch.
Then pressto chango they were on my Spyder @ 16 psi cold I just had to go for a ride.
Conditions were not conducive for a long ride, cool and very windy so I stayed local and the back windy roads.
I should also mention I have the BaJaRon sway bar and shock spring adjusters installed. Shock spring tension set @ 1 turn up from bottom.

Wait for it.:popcorn:

Wait for it :popcorn:

:2thumbs: yup I’m a happy camper!:ohyea::ohyea::ohyea::ohyea:

Like I said it was a short ride but I could tell the difference, I had to overcome the old habits but that didn’t take long.
I will go up one more turn on the shock spring because I’ll be doing 2 up riding.
More to follow.

Bill:thumbup:
05-22-2019, 04:21 PM
RICZ

Hey Mike!
I just got the latest issue of Motorweek magazine and Tire Rack has a full page ad featuring two models of Vredestein tires; Quatrac 5 and Ultrac Vorti / Vorti R. The latter appears to be a softer compound as it's more sportier, in that it has more cornering grip. They say it's more of a warm weather tire, but has good wet road qualities too. The Quatrac 5 is a 4 season tire they add.
Do you know anything about the Ultrac Vorti tires compared to Quatrac? If you do, spill the beans.
05-22-2019, 06:13 PM
BLUEKNIGHT911

Quote:

Originally Posted by RICZ

Hey Mike!
I just got the latest issue of Motorweek magazine and Tire Rack has a full page ad featuring two models of Vredestein tires; Quatrac 5 and Ultrac Vorti / Vorti R. The latter appears to be a softer compound as it's more sportier, in that it has more cornering grip. They say it's more of a warm weather tire, but has good wet road qualities too. The Quatrac 5 is a 4 season tire they add.
Do you know anything about the Ultrac Vorti tires compared to Quatrac? If you do, spill the beans.

Thanks, this is news to me :yes: ….. right now I can't say for certain Exactly how those tires measure up to the Quatrac 5 ….. however Vredestein does know how to make a high traction tire ( Quatrac 5 ) ….. if the rubber formula is the same - they should also be excellent ….. I'll look into them ……. Thanks again …… Mike :ohyea:…......Well I did …. they may be the best tires in the world ….However they don't come in our size ….. The smallest diameter is ….18 inches :banghead::banghead:...………….Sorry
05-22-2019, 06:33 PM
askitee

Thanks UtahPete. We seem to be on the "same page" when it comes to desirable tyre properties. I too am not so concerned about mileage, more about wet weather grip.

They don't sell these Down Under, but the distributor has other products. Might drop them an email once we get an update from you to see what Vredestein have to say
05-27-2019, 09:11 AM
altonforbus

I had a set of those exact tires mounted for the front of my 2014 RT Limited. Would not fit under the fenders. Rub badly. Have to regroup now and find a size to fit. Love the look of the tires, though.
05-27-2019, 09:18 AM
BLUEKNIGHT911

Quote:

Originally Posted by altonforbus

I had a set of those exact tires mounted for the front of my 2014 RT Limited. Would not fit under the fenders. Rub badly. Have to regroup now and find a size to fit. Love the look of the tires, though.

" Exact Tires " ??? …. What does that mean , exact Brand ???, exact Model ???, exact size ??? ….. there are plenty of folks here who have mounted the Quatrac 5 in 175/55-15 on their RT's and F-3's that have the new style fenders …. Nobody has had a problem ….What part of your tires were Rubbing ??? …………… Mike :ohyea:
05-27-2019, 09:48 AM
altonforbus

All of the above. Tread is rubbing the screws holding clearance light on on both sides. They are Vredestein Quatrac 5’s in 175/55 R15.
05-27-2019, 09:51 AM
altonforbus

I know folks are using them. I’ve seen that on here. It’s why I ordered them. I am giving you guys info that I am currently experiencing. I can’t at this point explain why my situation is as it is, but I am going to look at some other 2014 RT Limiteds and see if I can discern the reason.
05-27-2019, 10:56 AM
BLUEKNIGHT911

Quote:

Originally Posted by altonforbus

I know folks are using them. I’ve seen that on here. It’s why I ordered them. I am giving you guys info that I am currently experiencing. I can’t at this point explain why my situation is as it is, but I am going to look at some other 2014 RT Limiteds and see if I can discern the reason.

I honestly can't understand why yours are doing this ….. The clearance between the Fenders and the tire is STATIC … it can't change, meaning the tire and the fender clearance never changes …. the tire NEVER rises up into the fender hollow ….. I'm sure you could exchange them for the next smaller size , they come in 165/60-15 and 155/60-15 ...….. Mike :ohyea:………….I just did a quick head count …. I found 11 folks here who have the 175/55-15 .Quatrac 5 on RT's and F-3's …. no one had a Fitment issue … I don't know why yours should be different …..
06-20-2019, 05:46 PM
UtahPete

1 Attachment(s)

Getting this thread back on track .....

We got the new front tires mounted on Jane's bike on Tuesday. Wednesday we went for an overnight trip towing the Lees-Ure Lite (me) and the pet trailer (Jane) to a nearby campground. Jane noticed the difference right away in smoothness of the ride (no surprise there since her old Kendas were badly cupped). But, she also noticed a difference in turning at very low speed; whereas before she was having a difficult time of it (in spite of the power assist), now turning requires much less effort. I'm not sure what accounts for that.
06-20-2019, 05:53 PM
BLUEKNIGHT911

Quote:

Originally Posted by UtahPete

We got the new front tires mounted on Jane's bike on Tuesday. Wednesday we went for an overnight trip towing the Lees-Ure Lite (me) and the pet trailer (Jane) to a nearby campground. Jane noticed the difference right away in smoothness of the ride (no surprise there since her old Kendas were badly cupped). But, she also noticed a difference in turning at very low speed; whereas before she was having a difficult time of it (in spite of the power assist), now turning requires much less effort. I'm not sure what accounts for that.

Interesting about the turning effort, if She has a lot more than 16psi that could account for it...… That tire only needs 16 psi to perform very well ….tenino spyder weighs approx. 300 lbs (?) …. and He likes 15 psi for the front …… let us know what Her psi is ….. Mike :ohyea:...….PS are you experiencing any rubbing on the front tires ?…... a member here " altonforbus " says His tires are rubbing ???
06-20-2019, 06:09 PM
UtahPete

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLUEKNIGHT911

Interesting about the turning effort, if She has a lot more than 16psi that could account for it...… That tire only needs 16 psi to perform very well ….tenino spyder weighs approx. 300 lbs (?) …. and He likes 15 psi for the front …… let us know what Her psi is ….. Mike :ohyea:...….PS are you experiencing any rubbing on the front tires ?…... a member here " altonforbus " says His tires are rubbing ???

The dealer at first wouldn't install them since they were 'wider' (175 vs 165) than the original and would rub. I insisted and they reluctantly installed them. The tires have plenty of clearance, so let's debunk that myth right now.

On tire pressure, you may be right. I have 18psi in them, which may be too much. I hope to do the 'chalk on the garage floor' test before the next big trip. I'll let you know.
06-20-2019, 06:24 PM
h0gr1der

Quote:

Originally Posted by UtahPete

The dealer at first wouldn't install them since they were 'wider' (175 vs 165) than the original and would rub. I insisted. They have plenty of clearance, so let's debunk that myth right now.

On tire pressure, you may be right. I have 18psi in them, which may be too much. I hope to do the 'chalk on the garage floor' test before the next big trip. I'll let you know.

Mr. UtahPete

Let me know how that turns out, I did the wet tire print on the garage and ended up with a very low 15 PSI for the unladen bike "best footprint" without getting the sidewall involved. I would have never believed it would be that low. I'll have to replicate the experiment for a fully loaded bike when I get that far. I expect a PSI or 2 more may be in order when loaded. Sure handles great at those pressures, smooth too!
06-22-2019, 06:09 PM
bigbadbrucie

I am running my fronts at 16# and agree....much smoother ride, and steering is much easier.

No Mike, absolutely NO rubbing.
06-22-2019, 06:29 PM
BLUEKNIGHT911

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigbadbrucie

I am running my fronts at 16# and agree....much smoother ride, and steering is much easier.

No Mike, absolutely NO rubbing.

:2excited: …. So far only one person claims His are rubbing …. I reached out to Him … But no response :dontknow: …………….. Thanks for the post …. Mike :ohyea:
09-18-2019, 04:08 PM
UtahPete

Yesterday, in preparation for my upcoming trip to Aztec, NM, I noticed my front Kendas were near the wear bar point. So, I swapped them out with the relatively new Vredesteins on my wife's bike and went for a 40 mile test run today up in the mountain twisties. I immediately felt the front end was much more responsive to handlebar input and felt lighter. I'll report back once my trip is over.
09-18-2019, 06:34 PM
duke50

Quote:

Originally Posted by altonforbus

All of the above. Tread is rubbing the screws holding clearance light on on both sides. They are Vredestein Quatrac 5’s in 175/55 R15.

I have the same tires no rubbing here