Throw away new factory tires?

[P.W.]

We bought a 19 RTL last week (being delivered next week) and in my searching here I'm finding that the factory tires are "junk". I've read where people wish they would have put new "car" tires on sooner because of the difference they make in the ride and handling.
My question is.....In your opinion should I just cut my loses on these factory tires now and look into "car" tires sooner rather than later?

If so, can someone point me in the right direction on what to buy for tires and what size ???? I know that's a hot topic so you can PM if you wish.


Thanks for your time and help,
P.W.

[Bfromla]

Most just use what short life that they have & keep a vigilant eye on them (safety card!) while you decide what tires are next, & who will mount for you, as some places are picky & troublesome Not saying you can’t but you might have a lucky batch & get >10k miles

[UtahPete]

We bought a 19 RTL last week (being delivered next week) and in my searching here I'm finding that the factory tires are "junk". I've read where people wish they would have put new "car" tires on sooner because of the difference they make in the ride and handling.
My question is.....In your opinion should I just cut my loses on these factory tires now and look into "car" tires sooner rather than later?

If so, can someone point me in the right direction on what to buy for tires and what size ???? I know that's a hot topic so you can PM if you wish.


Thanks for your time and help,
P.W.

Only if you have money to burn.

[P.W.]

I don't have money to burn .....but if they are really "junk" and make you feel insecure while riding then the extra money maybe worth it.
I think I'll call me dealer Tuesday and see what they say about mounting car tires for me......the worst they can say is no..... then I'll look elsewhere.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I don't have money to burn .....but if they are really "junk" and make you feel insecure while riding then the extra money maybe worth it.
I think I'll call me dealer Tuesday and see what they say about mounting car tires for me......the worst they can say is no..... then I'll look elsewhere.

Almost all private tire shops can mount the front tires ( if you bring them the wheels ) the rear can also be done, but again you have to bring them the wheels ….. add this info to the PM I just sent you ….. Mike

[UtahPete]

I don't have money to burn .....but if they are really "junk" and make you feel insecure while riding then the extra money maybe worth it.
I think I'll call me dealer Tuesday and see what they say about mounting car tires for me......the worst they can say is no..... then I'll look elsewhere.

You are jumping to conclusions not supported by the facts, I think.

[Chupaca]

Do as you wish but I have used the oem tires since new and consistently get close to 20,000 rear 35+ on fronts. But your right if you do tire reading here I see your concern.

[P.W.]

You are making no sense at all. And spreading misinformation. What is your real agenda?

I come to this forum as a beginner and get treated like this!?( this isn't the first time Utahpete has put me down today) Here's a question for you.... What is YOUR agenda? To add to your post total and make good people like me feel small. Maybe someday I'll be as great as you are now......

My question is valid....I've read numerous post where people said that they wish they would have changed out the factory tires sooner because of the difference it makes.
I've already got easily 35k already invested in this new bike and IF I needed new tires to improve the ride and comfort felling I would spend the $300 to do so.

[bikerbillone]

Yes, ole Pete can be a bit on the raw side if you read enough of his post you'll understand he's not diplomatic.

[UtahPete]

I come to this forum as a beginner and get treated like this!?( this isn't the first time Utahpete has put me down today) Here's a question for you.... What is YOUR agenda? To add to your post total and make good people like me feel small. Maybe someday I'll be as great as you are now......

My question is valid....I've read numerous post where people said that they wish they would have changed out the factory tires sooner because of the difference it makes.
I've already got easily 35k already invested in this new bike and IF I needed new tires to improve the ride and comfort felling I would spend the $300 to do so.

By way of explanation, I'm a Spyder Lover. I love this machine. I trust the judgment of the engineers who spec'd it out. I think it's a breakthrough machine that leads the way for those seeking a safer alternative to 2-wheelers and a better-handling experience than a rear-wheel trike.

Do I think it's perfect? Of course not, but I think the evolutionary process that BRP engineers have taken with the RT in particular over the past decade is reassuring. I think if they believed there was a serious safety issue with the Kenda tires, they would have done something about them by now.

I think this hysterical bashing of the Kenda tires does a major disservice to the Spyder-loving community and this thread is a clear validation of that.

I love Spyders. I'm a Spyder fanatic. I will always defend them against those who spread misleading, conspiracy-based rumors about them.

Now, the ****ty dealer service - that's something else again.

[Spyderlass]

I think if they believed there was a serious safety issue with the Kenda tires, they would have done something about them by now.

Well I can tell you about a serious safety issue and it relates to the OP's question directly because I did change out my tyres at 350(ish) miles, the distance from my dealer to my home. I already knew about the issue because this is my second RT machine and my partner also is on RT number 2.

I've no idea where you ride or the type of roads you are riding but I can understand that if you primarily ride the slab you may never come across the issue.

The issue is related to the tyre structure and the way it deforms and is present to some extent in most tyres (possibly all tyres), but it's very marked in the front OEM tyres. It has caused the RT to veer completely into the adjoining carriageway more than once and fairly frequently pulls the RT over the road centre line.

I'm referring to the tendency for the tyre to ride up a longitudinal ridge as its shoulder makes contact with that ridge edge. It's exacerbated by flexibility in the steering tie rods but it's cause lies in the tyre. Here in the UK roads are often surfaced by applying tar to one side of the carriageway and covering the tar with stone chippings then the other side of the road is surfaced in the same manner. This leaves a raised section some inches wide, and occasionally more than a foot wide, in the centre of the carriageway because it receives two coatings there. On top of this there is usually the road centre line which adds to the thickness of the raised portion.

When the tyre is run in contact along this edge it distorts and jumps over the raised edge putting the wheel across onto the opposite carriageway. Normally this isn't a serious issue because it can quickly be countered so it's just a nuisance, also, staying to one's own side of the centre road marking is the normal way of travelling but, if you should cut it fine or need to avoid a road hazard then the outcome can be serious. I've only described one situation where the problem can arise but plainly this tyre behaviour can occur anywhere the road surface is poor. If the surface is such that the tyre jumps over an edge and it finds successive edges due to road surface irregularities then the bike can be many feet off line in an instant! Don't ask me how I know!

You might think that you'd be able to counter this but you can't do much about it since, 1) it's not particularly turning the steering, it's a tyre distortion issue and 2) it's very fast.

I mentioned the flexibility of the tie rods and this is to some extent part of the issue too; when the tyre distorts by rolling up a road imperfection at its edge, it becomes slightly conical as its edge lifts and a cone will roll in a circle so the tyre applies a turning moment to the road wheel and loads the tie rod, because the tie rod is flexible it allows the road wheel to be veered by the tyre a little and prevents some measure of counteracting force applied by the rider to attempt to correct the bike running off course. Now this brings us to a modification which will help mitigate the tyre issue and also sharpen up the steering response noticeably. The OEM tie rods on the 1330 Spyders are made from aluminium and although they are more rigid than the previous V-twin Spyders they are still flexible and bend under steering loads. The tie rods on our Spyders are made from 1" stainless steel tube with spherical bearings instead of the poor, and variable, quality of the standard tie rod ends. These tie rods allow much better control of the wheels and tyres but they are not a full solution.

So, in conclusion, my choice is to select a road tyre which has very little sensitivity to road surface imperfections and control the wheels with good tie rods. Hence why I changed out my tyres at new. As an aside, it also removes much of the twitchy tendency the Spyder has over any road surface which is less than good.

IMHO, of course...


To the OP; the choice is yours, only you know how and where you're going to ride your Spyder. Other than the issue I've given above, I think the OEM tyre is fine with good wet and dry grip but with limited traction on loose surfaces or winter conditions. Particularly the rear tyre.

[LeftCoast]

I come to this forum as a beginner and get treated like this!?( this isn't the first time Utahpete has put me down today) Here's a question for you.... What is YOUR agenda? To add to your post total and make good people like me feel small. Maybe someday I'll be as great as you are now......

My question is valid....I've read numerous post where people said that they wish they would have changed out the factory tires sooner because of the difference it makes.
I've already got easily 35k already invested in this new bike and IF I needed new tires to improve the ride and comfort felling I would spend the $300 to do so.

Your question is valid and the response to you by UP was not appropriate for the forum.

Pete take note.

Left Coast

[Boilermaker]

I come to this forum as a beginner and get treated like this!?( this isn't the first time Utahpete has put me down today) Here's a question for you.... What is YOUR agenda? To add to your post total and make good people like me feel small. Maybe someday I'll be as great as you are now......

My question is valid....I've read numerous post where people said that they wish they would have changed out the factory tires sooner because of the difference it makes.
I've already got easily 35k already invested in this new bike and IF I needed new tires to improve the ride and comfort felling I would spend the $300 to do so.

Welcome to the forum! All kinds of "experts" are here. Some are experts on Spyder information and some are just experts about everything they have an opinion on. You will learn which to listen to and which to ignore. You can easily block posts from certain members in the forum settings. I have found this to be helpful.

As far as the tire question, I have never been off of the original tires and am looking forward to the great improvements to come when I change to car tires. But, I have also never had to do a laser alignment and the Bajaron swaybar upgrade wasn't nearly as thrilling as it was made out to be. Best advice is to ride and decide on your own. The original tires are definitely not unsafe.

[UtahPete]

I come to this forum as a beginner and get treated like this!?( this isn't the first time Utahpete has put me down today) Here's a question for you.... What is YOUR agenda? To add to your post total and make good people like me feel small. Maybe someday I'll be as great as you are now......

My question is valid....I've read numerous post where people said that they wish they would have changed out the factory tires sooner because of the difference it makes.
I've already got easily 35k already invested in this new bike and IF I needed new tires to improve the ride and comfort felling I would spend the $300 to do so.

My apologies. I was wrong.

[Easy Rider]

and make you feel insecure while riding then the extra money maybe worth it.

Is that the situation you are in ??

I was.....and still am to some degree......even after a sway bar, laser alignment and new tires.

The alignment and tires helped some; sway bar, not so much with the "jittery" feeling going in a straight line.

My conclusions: Some people are more sensitive than others to the different geometry of riding with 3 wheels.
Those with a LOT of experience on 2 wheels might find it harder to adapt.

Subtle riding techniques are really important: A light grip in the bars and looking DOWN the road and THROUGH turns is critical.
Frequent rides under various conditions might be the most important thing for getting more comfortable.
But doing the wrong things over and over can make things worse instead of better.

[P.W.]

Thanks for the fast reply on the PM!!

[Highwayman2013]

I ran my front Kendas for 20,000 miles.

[PaladinLV]

+1

aj

i ran my front kendas for 20,000 miles.

[4 MARIE]

hey you might burn up your rear tire pretty quick, your fronts can last a long time if you keep them inflated properly'
tossing your OEM rubber ? You do understand how ridiculous that sounds right?
How about using them while you actually learn how to ride your new Spyder, and then think about upgrades.

[UtahPete]

hey you might burn up your rear tire pretty quick, your fronts can last a long time if you keep them inflated properly'
tossing your OEM rubber ? You do understand how ridiculous that sounds right?
How about using them while you actually learn how to ride your new Spyder, and then think about upgrades.

Couldn't agree more.

[Easy Rider]

tossing your OEM rubber ? You do understand how ridiculous that sounds right?

While it might sound ridiculous, it really isn't.
Bad tires are ........just BAD.

For some of us it borders on necessary.
Getting rid of the Kenda's made a huge difference in stability for me.......and many others too it seems.

[dondje]

I ran my front Kendas for 20,000 miles.

Mine were at the wear bars at 5k miles. New fronts at 5.3k.

Regards,

Don

[LeftCoast]

I ran my front Kendas for 20,000 miles.

Ditto, but I definitely like the new fronts better.

[P.W.]

I'm think going to use the info in post#2 in regards to what to do with the factory tires.

[ThreeWheels]

We bought a 19 RTL last week (being delivered next week) and in my searching here I'm finding that the factory tires are "junk". I've read where people wish they would have put new "car" tires on sooner because of the difference they make in the ride and handling.
My question is.....In your opinion should I just cut my loses on these factory tires now and look into "car" tires sooner rather than later?

If so, can someone point me in the right direction on what to buy for tires and what size ???? I know that's a hot topic so you can PM if you wish.


Thanks for your time and help,
P.W.

I would have to say that the OEM tires are not "junk", but rather "Sub-Optimal".
In other words, the OEM tire are certainly serviceable, but not the best choice.
Though some batches of the Kendas fail prematurely. My front tires began cupping at about 10k.
Why don't you just use them up, and replace them with better rubber when the time comes.
If you're eager to replace them, go ahead. You have nothing to lose but the money.
Only you know how much you can afford.