Page 2 of 3 FirstFirst 123 LastLast
Results 26 to 50 of 55
  1. #26
    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Central VERMONT
    Posts
    20,272
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by glennm View Post
    Yep comes with the territory, small country and all that....and of course we are an island!

    The Conti Pro Contact gets somewhat mixed reviews so still tossing up......which is exactly what I might do....toss a coin. Difference in price is about $20 Aus per tire.

    The Vredesteins we can get out her are for ag machinery, tractors, harvesters etc. I would be a very happy chappy if they would bring in the rest of their range. Many years ago they did so I don't know what happened.

    Will be checking the clearances this weekend as the extra height (although small) definitely wouldn't hurt.

    Looks like I will be moving to a different state as they are effectively shutting down the border for all but essential workers and on compassionate grounds. Have to decide tonight (and move Firday) so I can exit before the new closures.
    I'm assuming ( ) you got on the Tire Rack website .... If you haven't looked at what they report for the Conti Pro Contact tire , it would be in your best interest to do so .... it made me want to puke ( ratings 7.0 to mid-7's with a 5.9 for wear ) ...... Mike

  2. #27
    Active Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Cleveland, Ga
    Posts
    78
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BLUEKNIGHT911 View Post
    Currently the best all-around tire sold today is the Vredestein Quatrac - 5 ..... 165/60-15 for the front ( on your year Spyder ) and 205/60 or 215/60-15 for the rear ..... look for them on-line at Tirerack.com or Vulcan tire or Simple tire .... other REAR tires are General Altimax RT43 & Michelin Defender " T&H " model in a similar size ...... another FRONT tire is the Conti- Pro Contact similar size ...... good luck ..... if you use AUTO tires 17-18 psi front and 18-19 psi rear works really well ...... Mike
    I have the Contiinental Pro-contact on mine. Oversize corrects the speedo with GPS and seem to be long wearing. Also quieter.

  3. #28
    Active Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Toowoomba Qld Australia
    Posts
    267
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BLUEKNIGHT911 View Post
    I'm assuming ( ) you got on the Tire Rack website .... If you haven't looked at what they report for the Conti Pro Contact tire , it would be in your best interest to do so .... it made me want to puke ( ratings 7.0 to mid-7's with a 5.9 for wear ) ...... Mike
    Thanks Mike. I did look at the info on Tire Rack for the True Contact TOUR and they do indeed look great. As far as the Pro Contact as mentioned I am concerned at the variation in reviews on various sites. Always worries me when the comments/experiences are at complete odds with each other.

    As Peter has had a good run with Kumho it is looking like those or the Hankook. As stated your experience, comments and advice is very much appreciated.

    I have had good experiences with Hankook, less time with Kumho so indeed it might just be the flip of a coin or what is readily available.
    2014 ST-S SE5 Cognac
    2014 ST-S , Cognac

  4. #29
    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Central VERMONT
    Posts
    20,272
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by glennm View Post
    Thanks Mike. I did look at the info on Tire Rack for the True Contact TOUR and they do indeed look great. As far as the Pro Contact as mentioned I am concerned at the variation in reviews on various sites. Always worries me when the comments/experiences are at complete odds with each other.

    As Peter has had a good run with Kumho it is looking like those or the Hankook. As stated your experience, comments and advice is very much appreciated.

    I have had good experiences with Hankook, less time with Kumho so indeed it might just be the flip of a coin or what is readily available.
    An issue with the Kumho Ecsta comes from many members here who report that at about 15,000 mi. it begins to lose the traction it had when new .... I got 30,000 + mi. from my Michelin Hydro-edge before it started losing traction ....big difference ........... Mike

  5. #30
    Ozzie Ozzie Ozzie Peter Aawen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Australia; Sth Aust, Adelaide Hills
    Posts
    9,523
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    There is that ^^ with the Kumhos, but because it's mainly related to the compounds used in the tread layers of the tire's construction getting harder as the tread wears down (to compensate for the tendency of tread to wear quicker as it gets older ) this 'loss of traction' is fairly easily managed simply by running a slightly lower pressure (tires get hotter quicker, and the result is better traction from the harder compounds) I generally comfortably get about 30,000 miles out of my rear Kumhos (& heaps better on the fronts!!) by starting them out at about 18 psi & then gradually dropping that down to about 16 psi as they get towards and beyond somewhere around half their life, or 15,000 miles-ish - but then I also do pay a lot more attention to my tire pressures than many, and vary them according to load, ambient temps, and the current conditions/ryding circumstances they are about to be subjected to, often on a daily or better basis!

    However, that said, please be aware that any tire frequently used on hot roads/in higher temps (ambient temps consistenly 35°C or over) is likely to need to run slightly higher pressures from the start - the tires simply don't need to flex as much to reach their optimal operating temp because the road surface & ambient temps will impart more heat to them anyway. And Kumhos are prone to this just as much if not slightly more than most other similar 'Sport/Touring' tires - so if you regularly ryde/run in those hotter climes &/or on hotter road surfaces, then maybe you'll need to use 20 psi to start out with, and gradually lower your pressure to 18 psi or even lower as the tires reach & pass their half life milage?!?

    Oh, the other thing is that just like we don't get many of the tire brands & sizes you all get in North America, often getting Michelin Hydroedge tires in a usable size for our Spyders in Oz can be quite difficult, if not completely impossible!! Our smaller market place, with less over-all demand for tires in a usable size, so the importers frequently just won't even consider bringing them in!! Besides, I'm pretty sure that here in Oz we get a slightly different spec/compound Kumho Ecsta tires to what you get over there - ours are less suitable for 'cold' weather & use on smooth & sometimes lightly snow covered roads; instead being more suited to the generally higher temps we get here & the 'less smooth' & extremely rarely snow covered roads that we have heaps of!
    Last edited by Peter Aawen; 08-05-2020 at 09:27 PM.
    2013 RT Ltd Pearl White

    Ryde More, Worry Less!

  6. #31
    Active Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Toowoomba Qld Australia
    Posts
    267
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    Rode 150ks in the pouring rain with no dramas, all highway and 3 ks from my daughters house hit a section with smooth melted bitumen and a small amount of water over it.

    Spydey danced quite a jig and it was definitely an undies soiling moment, well more than one as it then hit a 2nd patch and did the dance again. Very glad no other vehicles were close.

    3 new tires ordered, Hankook Kinergy as I have had a really good run with Hankook in the past and research indicates these to be a pretty good option, and I can get them. At worst it will provide us with another tire review and potential option.

    Thanks all for the input
    2014 ST-S SE5 Cognac
    2014 ST-S , Cognac

  7. #32
    Active Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    140
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    If your looking good all around tires, look at the Pirelli P-4 four season. 215/60/15. Nearing 40,000 and not down the wear bars yet! No complaints.

  8. #33
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    michigan
    Posts
    3
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default kenda kanie 20 tires

    I bought a pair of the new kenda tires for my 2016 rts spyder and had them installed and they feel
    crappy at the vehicle specs of 18 to 22 psi. now the max psi on these tires is 44 vice the oem kenda which was 33 i believe. would that make a difference ? the new ones feel sluggish at 22 psi the oem didn't. i got them at 30 now but can feel all the bumps. any help would be appreciated.

  9. #34
    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Central VERMONT
    Posts
    20,272
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default Kenda tires

    Quote Originally Posted by justride View Post
    I bought a pair of the new kenda tires for my 2016 rts spyder and had them installed and they feel
    crappy at the vehicle specs of 18 to 22 psi. now the max psi on these tires is 44 vice the oem kenda which was 33 i believe. would that make a difference ? the new ones feel sluggish at 22 psi the oem didn't. i got them at 30 now but can feel all the bumps. any help would be appreciated.
    They just plain ....*UCK .... they have the worst record for " defective tires, that I have ever heard of ..... your new pair could be defective .... I see your new to the board ..... check out what Peter Aawen and myself have written about tires .... Mike

  10. #35
    Active Member nightcruiser's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Indiana
    Posts
    77
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    so just the tread pattern is different?

  11. #36
    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Central VERMONT
    Posts
    20,272
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by nightcruiser View Post
    so just the tread pattern is different?
    The CASING specs are the same, so yes it appears they have Only changed the tread pattern ..... Mike

  12. #37
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    Manchester, Tennessee
    Posts
    6
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default New Tires

    I'm new to the forum so you will have to overlook me on this first post. Price and tire mileage on the tire aren't important to me. Not that I have a lot of money because I'm retired and don't have a lot of money. As with all my motorcycles I want a tire that will stick to the road period. So what brand is the one that will stick to the road ? I ride the twisties a lot. Up and down the mountains here.
    2015 rtl , white

  13. #38
    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Central VERMONT
    Posts
    20,272
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by olddad64 View Post
    I'm new to the forum so you will have to overlook me on this first post. Price and tire mileage on the tire aren't important to me. Not that I have a lot of money because I'm retired and don't have a lot of money. As with all my motorcycles I want a tire that will stick to the road period. So what brand is the one that will stick to the road ? I ride the twisties a lot. Up and down the mountains here.
    I recommend the Vredestein Quatrac 5 ..... It's currently the highest rated tire .... that has sizes to fit any Spyder ...... Mike ...PS

  14. #39
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2020
    Location
    Manchester, Tennessee
    Posts
    6
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    Thanks Blueknight911...That's what I'll buy.
    2015 rtl , white

  15. #40
    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Central VERMONT
    Posts
    20,272
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by olddad64 View Post
    Thanks Blueknight911...That's what I'll buy.
    The three on-line sources that I know of are Tire rack .... Vulcan tire ...& Simple tire .... 165/60-15 , front and 205/60 or 65-15 , rear ..... Mike

  16. #41
    Member MrBill5491's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    New Mexico
    Posts
    27
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Well it looks like I may soon be in need of a new rear tire. the Kenda is just about down on the wear indicators. There is a bit over 8,000 miles on them. Since I'm new here, and I have looked over some of the other comments on tires, what say ye? New rear. Front tires are in great condition (for a Kenda) so I'll run them until next spring.
    MrBill
    Las Cruces, NM
    Got Chile? Red or Green?
    2015 Spyder RT
    1980 Suzuki GS750ET, still scares me!

  17. #42
    Ozzie Ozzie Ozzie Peter Aawen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Australia; Sth Aust, Adelaide Hills
    Posts
    9,523
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MrBill5491 View Post
    Well it looks like I may soon be in need of a new rear tire. the Kenda is just about down on the wear indicators. There is a bit over 8,000 miles on them. Since I'm new here, and I have looked over some of the other comments on tires, what say ye? New rear. Front tires are in great condition (for a Kenda) so I'll run them until next spring.
    Not quite sure what you're asking here, MrBill

    But YES, it sounds like it's close to time for you to get a new rear tire, and I'd strongly suggest that you choose an auto tire replacement instead of an OE spec Kenda OR one of its cloned alternatives.

    There's heaps of info here on tire brands & sizes that will work on our Spyders, some good recommendations just a few posts up in this very thread - check 'em out, make your choice, remove the rear wheel, get the new tire fitted, replace the rear wheel, and then revel in the improved ryding that anyone who's only ever run Kendas simply wouldn't realise was available!
    Last edited by Peter Aawen; 09-16-2020 at 06:29 PM.
    2013 RT Ltd Pearl White

    Ryde More, Worry Less!

  18. #43
    Very Active Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    southwest oHIo
    Posts
    792
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by BLUEKNIGHT911 View Post
    The three on-line sources that I know of are Tire rack .... Vulcan tire ...& Simple tire .... 165/60-15 , front and 205/60 or 65-15 , rear ..... Mike
    I am not sure where the shop that I had mount the tires bought them, but he got them just a dollar or two different than the price I got at Vulcan Tire.
    The sizes I got were 175/55-15 on the front and 205/65-15 on the rear.


    Quote Originally Posted by MrBill5491 View Post
    Well it looks like I may soon be in need of a new rear tire. the Kenda is just about down on the wear indicators. There is a bit over 8,000 miles on them. Since I'm new here, and I have looked over some of the other comments on tires, what say ye? New rear. Front tires are in great condition (for a Kenda) so I'll run them until next spring.
    Hey, MrBill, I see you on GSR, nice to see you here, too. I think you will be happy with just about ANY non-Kenda tire. As shown just a few lines above this, I have installed Vredestein Quatrac 5 tires on my wife's '17 RT-S and we REALLY like them. Why not splurge a little? Even though there is still tread on the front tires, get rid of them, too. You will probably wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

    .
    HER ride:
    2017 RT-S SE6 Pearl White

    My rides:
    2000 Honda GL1500SE
    1980 Suzuki GS850G

  19. #44
    Member MrBill5491's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    New Mexico
    Posts
    27
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Hi ya Steve lol. Oh yeah, Kendas are nasty. Though the fronts are doing fine. Lots of tread and they stick pretty good. Just that back tire like any motorcycle tire takes it in the butt.
    MrBill
    Las Cruces, NM
    Got Chile? Red or Green?
    2015 Spyder RT
    1980 Suzuki GS750ET, still scares me!

  20. #45
    Very Active Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    southwest oHIo
    Posts
    792
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    I never measured the tread on the front tires before taking them off. About 4500 miles, they still had a lot of tread, but I wanted to get rid of them anyway.

    .
    HER ride:
    2017 RT-S SE6 Pearl White

    My rides:
    2000 Honda GL1500SE
    1980 Suzuki GS850G

  21. #46
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    Paisley ON
    Posts
    2
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default Generall Altimax RT43 215/60 R15

    Have never commented on this site before but have read lots over the yrs,
    Went to replace the rear on my 2015 RT with the above mentional general, the dealer is ok with installing the origional with a car tire as long as it's the same size, he was very nervous on the 215/60 saying it will blow of from rim,
    Ending up bringing the tire back home along with a new 2021 RT, They nade a deal I could not resist.
    Question, are his comments vaild, and would you store the general and replace new origional when worn down,,Thanks

  22. #47
    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Central VERMONT
    Posts
    20,272
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Lovat 09 View Post
    Have never commented on this site before but have read lots over the yrs,
    Went to replace the rear on my 2015 RT with the above mentional general, the dealer is ok with installing the origional with a car tire as long as it's the same size, he was very nervous on the 215/60 saying it will blow of from rim,
    Ending up bringing the tire back home along with a new 2021 RT, They nade a deal I could not resist.
    Question, are his comments vaild, and would you store the general and replace new origional when worn down,,Thanks
    He is ONLY slightly helpful, but as far as tires go He is CLUELESS. That General is about 3 X's as strong as any Kenda ( for spyders ), and this is the MOST important thing about Auto tires for Spyder's. Annnnnnnnnnnnnnd as far as blowing OFF the Rim, maybe at 150+ psi, wnich should never be put in any tire - period ..... if can find someone to mount that tire ( you will probably have to remove the wheel ) ONLY use 18-19 psi in it. .... the tire will perform at it's best at that psi ...... any questions PM me or Peter Aawen ..... Mike

  23. #48
    Active Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    Piperton, TN
    Posts
    264
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    So Vredestein 165/60 R15 for both the front and back work with no modifications? Is that correct?

  24. #49
    Very Active Member troop's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    Stoughton, WI
    Posts
    2,524
    Spyder Garage
    2

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ollicat View Post
    So Vredestein 165/60 R15 for both the front and back work with no modifications? Is that correct?
    NO ... The 165/60R15 is for the fronts only. The rear Vredestein, I believe, is a 205/60R15


    2022 RT Sea To Sky
    --------------------------------
    2022 RT Seat To Sky , Mystery Blue

  25. #50
    Very Active Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2019
    Location
    southwest oHIo
    Posts
    792
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ollicat View Post
    So Vredestein 165/60 R15 for both the front and back work with no modifications? Is that correct?
    Quote Originally Posted by troop View Post
    NO ... The 165/60R15 is for the fronts only. The rear Vredestein, I believe, is a 205/60R15
    Agree, somewhat.

    165/60R15 or 175/55R15 on the front.

    205/60R15 or 205/65R15 on the rear.

    Some have also done 215/60 or 225/55 on the rear.

    A quick glance under the bike will show that the front and rear are NOT the same size.

    .
    HER ride:
    2017 RT-S SE6 Pearl White

    My rides:
    2000 Honda GL1500SE
    1980 Suzuki GS850G

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •