Shop knowing better then me?

[Baron14y]

Just had a 205/55R15 auto tire put on the back to replace the Arachnid. Told the shop to put in 18psi as recommended by just about everyone on the forum. When I got on the Spyder and started going, checked the tire pressure (I have bluetooth sensors). 32.3 psi. When things cool down tomorrow, will go down to 18psi like the fronts.

[Peter Aawen]

When any tire tech fits a tire onto a rim, they should use a quick blast of high pressure air initially, then for 'car tires', inflate the tire to at least 40 psi to 'seat' the tire bead firmly over the little raised ridges inside the rim so that it pushes the tire bead evenly hard up against the edge of the rim & the rim's 'bead profile' ( altho that '40 psi' is often +/- saaay 10 psi.... it's usually just a pretty rough guesstimate by the poorly trained/less skilled tech's a lot of the time! ) and they should do that before they insert the valve in the stem.... Then once the bead is correctly seated & the tire is mounted evenly onto the rim, the competent & skilled tech with any pride in doing their job properly/correctly will adjust the tire's pressure to whatever the customer wants &/or is recommended for the vehicle/the load on the tire....

But the 'lazy' or less competent tire tech will often simply leave the tire pressure at whatever it ends up at once they've seated the bead, removed the air chuck, & then screwed the valve down into the stem.... So your brand new tires can end up on your vehicle with anywhere between saaay a high pressure of about 45-50 psi or maybe a low pressure of 25-30 psi, or possibly anywhere in-between... and your newly fitted tires may often be at different pressures for each tire, too!!

So unless you KNOW & completely TRUST your tire fitters/techs to do the right thing (yes, there are some of those out there, often more than you'd think - but there are also LOTS of the other types too! ) you should check and correctly set your tire pressures yourself BEFORE you leave the tire fitting bay or workshop! BTW, for many w'shops/operators, you just being seen doing that ONCE will make them a WHOLE LOT more 'profressional' about how they fit your tires & set the pressures next time/forever after... well, that is of course, only if you ever go to the same place again &/or build up a relationship with any one place/tech!

Good Luck!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

When any tire tech fits a tire onto a rim, they should use a quick blast of high pressure air initially, then for 'car tires', inflate the tire to at least 40 psi to 'seat' the tire bead firmly over the little raised ridges inside the rim so that it pushes the tire bead evenly hard up against the edge of the rim & the rim's 'bead profile' ( altho that '40 psi' is often +/- saaay 10 psi.... it's usually just a pretty rough guesstimate by the poorly trained/less skilled tech's a lot of the time! ) and they should do that before they insert the valve in the stem.... Then once the bead is correctly seated & the tire is mounted evenly onto the rim, the competent & skilled tech with any pride in doing their job properly/correctly will adjust the tire's pressure to whatever the customer wants &/or is recommended for the vehicle/the load on the tire....

But the 'lazy' or less competent tire tech will often simply leave the tire pressure at whatever it ends up at once they've seated the bead, removed the air chuck, & then screwed the valve down into the stem.... So your brand new tires can end up on your vehicle with anywhere between saaay a high pressure of about 45-50 psi or maybe a low pressure of 25-30 psi, or possibly anywhere in-between... and your newly fitted tires may often be at different pressures for each tire, too!!

So unless you KNOW & completely TRUST your tire fitters/techs to do the right thing (yes, there are some of those out there, often more than you'd think - but there are also LOTS of the other types too! ) you should check and correctly set your tire pressures yourself BEFORE you leave the tire fitting bay or workshop! BTW, for many w'shops/operators, you just being seen doing that ONCE will make them a WHOLE LOT more 'profressional' about how they fit your tires & set the pressures next time/forever after... well, that is of course, only if you ever go to the same place again &/or build up a relationship with any one place/tech!

Good Luck!

I mostly agree, but this PSI scenario happens a lot when Dealer people encounter Auto tires on a Spyder. They put in PSI that are normally found on an Auto tire used on an AUTO …… glad to see that you checked and will make the necessary change …… Mike

[BajaRon]

I mostly agree, but this PSI scenario happens a lot when Dealer people encounter Auto tires on a Spyder. They put in PSI that are normally found on an Auto tire used on an AUTO …… glad to see that you checked and will make the necessary change …… Mike

I agree. It could be a CYA approach by the installer. 32 psi isn't going to hurt anything. 18 psi is way out of spec. by any measure. The customer can adjust the pressure to whatever they prefer after taking delivery. It might have been good to explain this to the customer (if, indeed my speculation is correct). But it is a good idea to always check the work done to your ride (when possible).

'Professional' only means that you're getting paid. It doesn't necessarily mean you did it right. And we all know what an 'Expert' is!

[Gwolf]

I have had them put too little air in the tires on my truck when I bought new tires. The truck has a towing package and the tires get more air than regular truck tires. The place that changes the tires puts what it says in the manual, or their books. Trucks with a towing package have a sticker inside the jam of the driver's door that tells what PSI they get.

[Cruzr Joe]

I personally believe that 18 is way too low for the rear, i (and most of my fellow riders) use 26 in the rear.

18 - 20 in the front

Cruzr Joe

[LongIsland]

I personally believe that 18 is way too low for the rear, i (and most of my fellow riders) use 26 in the rear.

18 - 20 in the front

Cruzr Joe

I agree 18 for the rear too low. BRP recommends 28 to 30 psi.

[2dogs]

I ran 28 psi in my spyder's OEM tire and wore the center of the tread down past the wear bars in 7k miles. Now, if you followed Ford's recommendations after you bought a new F150 and experienced similar results, you'd back at the dealership asking questions demanding answers and a new set of tires.

[Gwolf]

I ran 28 psi in my spyder's OEM tire and wore the center of the tread down past the wear bars in 7k miles. Now, if you followed Ford's recommendations after you bought a new F150 and experienced similar results, you'd back at the dealership asking questions demanding answers and a new set of tires.

I am running 26 in the rear. Almost at 7,000 miles and the wear is even all the way across. Should get 4 or 5K more out of it. Might depend some on how much weight is on the tire too. I have F3-S and mostly ride solo.

[Peteoz]

I agree 18 for the rear too low. BRP recommends 28 to 30 psi.

You are talking apples and oranges here, LongIsland. BRP recommend 28 to 30 for THEIR Kenda or Arachnid tyres. The OP has installed a car tyre, which is a whole other ballgame. I go with Peter Aawens, Mike and many others, and run my aftermarket car tyres at 18, others run them high 20s, for varying reasons. However, there has never been a failure reported at either a low of 12psi, nor a high of 30psi on aftermarkets, so it is a personal preference.

Pete

[Peteoz]

P.s. it’s a shame posters don’t either have their tyre types in their signatures, or mention them in their posts. Half the disagreements we see are because some people are referring to OEM Kenda and Arachnid, and others are referring to aftermarket tyres, and they have differing characteristics.

Pete

[Baron14y]

P.s. it’s a shame posters don’t either have their tyre types in their signatures, or mention them in their posts. Half the disagreements we see are because some people are referring to OEM Kenda and Arachnid, and others are referring to aftermarket tyres, and they have differing characteristics.

Pete

I didn't list the brand of tire because nobody has ever heard of it. I hadn't until a few weeks ago. Looked up reports from users. Not a bad report amongst them. V rated speed, 500AA. 60,000 mile warranty (on a car), 88 load index (1230 lbs). Paid $65.00 for it.
205/55R15. Rolling circumference within 1% of OEM size (means speedo is accurate). Thunderer Mach IV.

[Highwayman2013]

I didn't list the brand of tire because nobody has ever heard of it. I hadn't until a few weeks ago. Looked up reports from users. Not a bad report amongst them. V rated speed, 500AA. 60,000 mile warranty (on a car), 88 load index (1230 lbs). Paid $65.00 for it.
205/55R15. Rolling circumference within 1% of OEM size (means speedo is accurate). Thunderer Mach IV.

If it’s that close to the stock tire’s circumference then your speedometer isn’t accurate.

[Cruzr Joe]

P.s. it’s a shame posters don’t either have their tyre types in their signatures, or mention them in their posts. Half the disagreements we see are because some people are referring to OEM Kenda and Arachnid, and others are referring to aftermarket tyres, and they have differing characteristics.

Pete

I am running a yokohama? and i still recommend 26 in the rear.

Cruzr Joe

[Baron14y]

If it’s that close to the stock tire’s circumference then your speedometer isn’t accurate.

It is within 1 mph of the GPS velocity.

[BajaRon]

I ran 28 psi in my spyder's OEM tire and wore the center of the tread down past the wear bars in 7k miles. Now, if you followed Ford's recommendations after you bought a new F150 and experienced similar results, you'd back at the dealership asking questions demanding answers and a new set of tires.

You could run zero PSI in the OEM Kenda rear tire and it would still wear it out in the middle, (Assuming it would stay on the rim). This is because the Kenda has only 2 ply in the tread area. It does not have enough integrity to keep the center from ballooning out at speed. If you do most of your riding at 45 mph or less. Then your Kenda rear tire will tend to wear more evenly. But if you are running freeway speeds, the tire balloons out due to centrifugal force, your contact patch is about 2.5~3" in the middle, and it wears out quickly leaving the sides basically untouched.

P.s. it’s a shame posters don’t either have their tyre types in their signatures, or mention them in their posts. Half the disagreements we see are because some people are referring to OEM Kenda and Arachnid, and others are referring to aftermarket tyres, and they have differing characteristics.

Pete

This is always the case, and I do not foresee it ever changing. You need to be careful when you read suggestions that the writer is referencing the same machine/components that you have. Otherwise, things can go very wrong if you apply advice (A) to your item (B).

I didn't list the brand of tire because nobody has ever heard of it. I hadn't until a few weeks ago. Looked up reports from users. Not a bad report amongst them. V rated speed, 500AA. 60,000 mile warranty (on a car), 88 load index (1230 lbs). Paid $65.00 for it.
205/55R15. Rolling circumference within 1% of OEM size (means speedo is accurate). Thunderer Mach IV.

The OEM tire diameter causes the Speedometer to run fast by a fair amount. You need to go to a larger diameter tire to get the speedo to read close to actual speed.

It is within 1 mph of the GPS velocity.

Amazing! You have the only Spyder I know of that is anywhere close to actual speed with the stock tire. I wish mine was!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I agree 18 for the rear too low. BRP recommends 28 to 30 psi.

NOTE : BRP recommends that PSI in their Low Quality Kenda tires...… the sidewalls are so weak they NEED a higher PSI just to keep the rim from hitting the ground...… good luck with Kenda's……. Mike

[Peteoz]

I didn't list the brand of tire because nobody has ever heard of it. I hadn't until a few weeks ago. Looked up reports from users. Not a bad report amongst them. V rated speed, 500AA. 60,000 mile warranty (on a car), 88 load index (1230 lbs). Paid $65.00 for it.
205/55R15. Rolling circumference within 1% of OEM size (means speedo is accurate). Thunderer Mach IV.

Baron, mentioning the brand of aftermarket car tyre was not the point I was making. You mentioned that you had a car tyre put on. Others are responding without reading that, and are referring to Kendas in their comments. This is the cause of a great deal of confusion when discussing pressures as the OEM tyres perform differently to aftermmarket. I hope this explains my comment a little better .
Pere

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I ran 28 psi in my spyder's OEM tire and wore the center of the tread down past the wear bars in 7k miles. Now, if you followed Ford's recommendations after you bought a new F150 and experienced similar results, you'd back at the dealership asking questions demanding answers and a new set of tires.

Just a thought about your OEM Kenda …. It has been thoroughly vetted that Kenda's on the rear of any Spyder will wear out at very low mileage, ….. and there is no magic PSI that will prevent that …. It has been well documented that the Kenda tire's construction allows it to Balloon at speeds above 40 mph. … and this causes the center of the tread to wear prematurely …… I will agree that the newest version of the Kenda is a bit sturdier and can give 12-14,000 miles..... I think your's was a model from about 3 yrs. ago …… Mike

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I am running 26 in the rear. Almost at 7,000 miles and the wear is even all the way across. Should get 4 or 5K more out of it. Might depend some on how much weight is on the tire too. I have F3-S and mostly ride solo.

IF the weight was 25% more it might make a difference …. but with a Spyder that isn't the case …. I posted below that there is / was three different tire constructions, it all depends on which you have ….. Mike

[Gwolf]

IF the weight was 25% more it might make a difference …. but with a Spyder that isn't the case …. I posted below that there is / was three different tire constructions, it all depends on which you have ….. Mike

Should be one of the later ones. I have a 2019 F3-S that I bought brand new the end of April. It was never in the showroom. I bought it before it ever shipped and picked it up soon as they had un-crated it and done the pre-flight check up. I had it on my trailer 2 days after the dealer got it in. All the tires look like they are wearing evenly. I keep an eye on them because of all the controversy about the Kendas I have read about on this forum. It is the F3-S Special Series, but that should not make a difference with tires.

[2dogs]

"You could run zero PSI in the OEM Kenda rear tire and it would still wear it out in the middle, (Assuming it would stay on the rim). This is because the Kenda has only 2 ply in the tread area. It does not have enough integrity to keep the center from ballooning out at speed. If you do most of your riding at 45 mph or less. Then your Kenda rear tire will tend to wear more evenly. But if you are running freeway speeds, the tire balloons out due to centrifugal force, your contact patch is about 2.5~3" in the middle, and it wears out quickly leaving the sides basically untouched."

You're right on again Ron. If you ever had one of those un-mounted tires in you hands you could easily see and feel why they wear like they do. With the Ace 1330 power house and near bullet proof tranny setting on/in the "Y" designed frame, why O why do they cover it with cheap unreliable parts? I guess its one of those bean counter things.

[pegasus1300]

I didn't list the brand of tire because nobody has ever heard of it. I hadn't until a few weeks ago. Looked up reports from users. Not a bad report amongst them. V rated speed, 500AA. 60,000 mile warranty (on a car), 88 load index (1230 lbs). Paid $65.00 for it.
205/55R15. Rolling circumference within 1% of OEM size (means speedo is accurate). Thunderer Mach IV.

I have a set of those on the front of my Spyder. I have over 30,000 miles on them and I think they will go at least another 10,000. I think I paid $70.00 for the pair.

[Gwolf]

"You could run zero PSI in the OEM Kenda rear tire and it would still wear it out in the middle, (Assuming it would stay on the rim). This is because the Kenda has only 2 ply in the tread area. It does not have enough integrity to keep the center from ballooning out at speed. If you do most of your riding at 45 mph or less. Then your Kenda rear tire will tend to wear more evenly. But if you are running freeway speeds, the tire balloons out due to centrifugal force, your contact patch is about 2.5~3" in the middle, and it wears out quickly leaving the sides basically untouched."

You're right on again Ron. If you ever had one of those un-mounted tires in you hands you could easily see and feel why they wear like they do. With the Ace 1330 power house and near bullet proof tranny setting on/in the "Y" designed frame, why O why do they cover it with cheap unreliable parts? I guess its one of those bean counter things.

I don't usually run freeway speeds. I usually ride two lane black tops. Most of the time I average about 60 MPH. If the highway has a higher speed limit, then I will run the limit, but most of the two lanes are either 55 or 60 MPH limit. That could be why my Kenda is wearing more evenly. I don't like the Interstate highways unless I am in a hurry, and I very seldom get in a hurry. Most of the time, I am not even sure where I am going until there is a fork in the road and it is time to turn one way or the other.

[Peteoz]

I am running a yokohama? and i still recommend 26 in the rear.

Cruzr Joe

I’m not quite sure of your point there, Joe. I said earlier that some like me run low in their aftermarket car tyres, and some like you run high, and you can’t go wrong if you try either from a safety perspective. HOWEVER, another poster posted that “BRP says rear tyres should be run at 28-30”, and has obviously missed the point that we are talking about aftermarket tyres in this thread. I would hate to see someone read these comments about aftermarket tyres and apply the 16-18psi pressure to a rear Kenda . That’s why I was making the point about ensuring we are all talking about the same type of tyre....BRP or Aftermarket.

Pete