This may not be new kendall tires but I have the OEM kendall front tires on my 2018 spyder f3s and I have 16,000on the front tires running smooth and quiet
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This may not be new kendall tires but I have the OEM kendall front tires on my 2018 spyder f3s and I have 16,000on the front tires running smooth and quiet
H0gr1der, was that with the OE Kendas up front, or your replacement 'car' tires? If it was the Kendas, they are soo 'different' in construction/quality to anything else that you really don't want to even try..... so go by the Spyder's tire placard recommendations for the Kendas - you probably aren't going to be able to improve their mediocre behaviour or performance anyway, trying to do this is just like putting lipstick on a pig! :gaah:
Buuut, if it was the replacement tires, then your assumption that they are too lightly loaded to get the 4psi could well be correct, at least for how, when, & where you ride - it's generally pretty easy to get a 4psi increase here in Aust on our generally hotter roads & with our often hotter weather (even on 175/60R15 tires that really need to be worked harder to reach the same temps/pressures) but I didn't ever get 4psi when I was ryding in our snowfields. However, knowing that I wasn't getting the 4psi increase then meant that I KNEW my front tires were a little compromised due to them running too high a pressure, and I adjusted my ryding in that terrain/under those conditions to suit, especially when it came to cornering at the limits & braking hard! :lecturef_smilie:
Running tire pressures that aren't reaching a 4psi increase means the pressures in them are too high for the load imposed upon them, which means your tires aren't going to get up to their optimum temps; therefore grip, ride, handling, braking, tire longevity, and even puncture resistance will be somewhat less than what it could be.... (probably still a fair bit better than the OE spec stuff tho!) There are a bunch of ways to work with this that you could take: you could drop your pressures further, altho like you, I probably wouldn't go much lower than you already have for road use; you could brake later, corner harder, ride more aggressively, IF you wish; or you could simply recognise that the tires you are running are probably not working at their absolute best & allow yourself a little bit more leeway to compensate! I am still firmly convinced that even at their worst, there just aren't too many 'proper' car tires out there that will limit your Spyder/Spyder ryding as much as the OE Spec Kendas do, and even if you don't get the best milage/tire life from your replacements, there's still a better than just 'very good' chance they'll last longer & work better for you doing it than the Kendas ever did! :ohyea:
I saw today on Facebook that Lamonster Garage has endorsed these tires and are selling them. Maybe he has more information on the tires.
The OEM tires run pretty well in the front if the alignment is set up properly.
The main issue in the front is the BUILD QUALITY of the tire. They'll grip pretty well, and wear good enough, but they're built so crappy that many of them will deteriorate ahead of their time.
Slipped belts. Poor rubber adhesion.
If you get a decent set of tires, with a good alignment, you can easily get 25,000 miles on a set of OEM front tires. Not great, but OK
The rear is a tire of a different color. I was getting around 6 or 8 thousand miles on the OEM Kenda. Maybe one season ?? That's absurd.
So now people are looking for better tires, Kumho, or Continental, etc.
I[m running Kumho Solus KH16 Front Tires 175/55/15 and Cooper Mastercraft LSR Grand Touring rear 215/60/15
Truthfully, I've got less than 2000 miles on these. I'll have them transferred to my 2020 Spyder when it comes in next month. In 8°F weather..............
That's awesome, thanks so much for the info! I looked up the Lamonster Facebook post and since it says they are also installing them, I'll call the techs there and ask them about inflation pressure. Lamonster folks are always VERY helpful with phone inquiries. I feel better now :ohyea:
I have just ditched my Kenda's with one-third of the tread to go, and fitted two Nankang AS1's to the front.
Two things I've noticed on my RTL
- Way less vibration in the front, all is now nice and smooth
- More confident braking in the wet (got to test that in the "Rain Bomb" we had last Saturday and a couple of Roos i
- Better clearing the contact patch of water whereby you could see the dry mark on the road surface behind.
- Not as soft a ride as the OEM Kenda's on the rough stuff
- Aquaplaning was waaaaaay less than the Kenda's
If the Kanine can produce the same outcome, I'm in regardless of origin, but having experienced Kenda on Quads, Dirt bikes, Wheelbarrows and my trusty Pushbike, I think there might be two chances they get it right - and buckleys is looking to be their best hope. I might fit one to the wheel barrow to see how it handles.
These Kendas have done me just fine for 15 years!
Hmmmmm... Kenda Kanine, you say???..... Sounds rather like an old dog with a new name, but same bite.
Just to throw this out there, actual sidewall data from the tires
Rear
Kenda OEM (Not canine) Made in China
225/50R15- Load Rating 76H (892 lbs) @ 30 Lbs
Tread 2 Ply Steel +1 Ply Polyester
Sidewall 1 Ply Polyester
Vredestein (I chose the V Rated one) Made in the Netherlands
205/60R15-Load Rating 91V (1356lbs) @51 Lbs
Tread 2 Ply Steel +1 Ply Polyester+ 1 Ply Polyamids
Sidewall 1 Ply Polyester
Front
Kenda OEM (Not canine) Made in China
165/55R15-Load Rating 55H (481lbs) @30 PSI
Tread 2 Ply Steel 1 Ply Polyester
Sidewall 1 Ply Polyester
Vredestein
175/55R15-Load Rating 77T (908lbs) @51 Lbs Made in the Netherlands
Tread 2 Ply Steel 1 Ply Polyester
Sidewall 1 Ply Polyester
22 - interesting …. Myself and Peter generally use 16-17 front & 17-18 psi's rear ( for Auto tires -ONLY )…. so 22 is close, try a lower psi and see how that feels ….. Neither Peter nor I would ever suggest a PSI that would cause a problem …… good luck …. Mike :ohyea:
Kendas on my RT were terrible. Rear was shot in 7000 miles and the fronts could NOT be balanced. I bought a used Honda last spring that had Kendas on it and they were just plain dangerous on a twisty road. I wouldn't PUSH a bike with Kendas on it let alone ride one and I don't care who recommends them.
In my experiences Kenda makes a decent bicycle tire, and some decent off road motorcycle tires. However, their street motorcycle and trailer tires are iffy, and their car tires are not reliable at all. Since Spyders ride on what is essentially a car tire, there you have it in my book. In my research and readings the most likely reason the Spyder Kendas are rated as a 'motorcycle" tire is so they can skirt the federal testing and other associated regulations.
I emailed Lamonster Garage and asked them the question about inflation pressure guidance for the rear Kanine (for some reason I couldn't get them on the phone). I'll post any info I get from them if/when they reply.
Well I bought the Kanine rear tire since I was due to change mine out anyway. Just got it delivered today.