What Tire Pressures for OEM Kendas?

[Motogordo]

June 7, 2021

I would like to know which one of these choices are the most popular ?
18/28
20/28
22/28
I have heard all these choices. The last one was mentioned to me by a Canam mechanic who said he uses 22/28.
All I want to know is which is the best for one rider under 200 lbs that will make the tires last the longest .
Which will give you the best tire life with the OEM Kendas ? I know many people don't like them, but some get good mileage.
Does anyone know for sure why BRP had to use such short stems ?
June 11, 2021,
I decided to go with the factory recommendations 20/28 for the Kendas. I want to thank everyone for their help.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

June 7, 2021

I would like to know which one of these choices are the most popular ?
18/28
20/28
22/28
I have heard all these choices. The last one was mentioned to me by a Canam mechanic who said he uses 22/28.
All I want to know is which is the best for one rider under 200 lbs that will make the tires last the longest .
Which will give you the best tire life with the OEM Kendas ? I know many people don't like them, but some get good mileage.
Does anyone know for sure why BRP had to use such short stems ?

Kenda's are CRAP period .... however If they are aligned properly ( ie. LAZER ) decent mileage can be had, but not anywhere near what an Auto tire can deliver ( Kenda about 10,000 mi. less than Auto tire ) .... The rear tire ( using a Kenda ) at 28 PSI ( and the tire NEEDS this amount ) is good for about 8 to 12,000 mi..... it's a poorly made tire and that's all there is to it .... good luck .... Mike

[fatboy]

20/28 works good for us

[Little Blue]

I use 22/28 for my OEMs. Going to replace the OEMs as necessary. .....

[UtahPete]

Go with Can-Am recommendations.

[Peter Aawen]

Wiv Wot Blueknight911 says! But going a little further than just saying you NEED to be fairly close to the OEM recommendations for the OEM Kendas, the EXACT pressures which may work 'best' for you might not be the same as those which work 'best' for anyone else!

This is simply because if they don't drive/Ryde EXACTLY like you in EXACTLY the same conditions & ambient temperatures with EXACTLY the same needs & wants from their tires and EXACTLY the same definition of 'best', then their 'ideal pressures' may be +/- a couple of psi from the 'one size fits most' arbitrary pressure recommendations provided by the manufacturers, and as to which +/- it might be, without knowing all those EXACTLYS, then it's anyone's guess!! . Still, due to the size & construction of the tires, it's extremely doubtful that it'll be too far off the recommended pressures printed on your tire placard/in the manual, unless you are ryding in some real extremes of temperature &/or conditions, then there's just not enough of a size/volume difference or a tire construction difference to require much more of a pressure variation - but those recommended pressures APPLY TO THE OEM KENDAS ONLY!!

[PapaHotel]

If you are a lighter rider, go with the lower pressure as that will give you the maximum grip in sharp turns. It allows more flexibility of the sidewalls which will keep more tread gripping the pavement.

[MikeT]

I see that your avatar is a 2021 Sea To Sky. I have a 2021 Deep Marsalla Red Metallic RT Limited. The Owner's Manual states 20 PFI for the fronts tires and 28 PSI for the rear tire. I find it interesting that the 20 PSI recommendation for the font tires is the median pressure +/- 2 PSI for my '15 RT Limited. However, the 28 PSI recommendation is what the maximum pressure was for my '15(26 +/- 2 PSI).
I don't know if I'm the only one who thinks the ride of the rear tire @28 PSI is too firm. Same observation on a Demo Days ride on a RT Limited. I have had my '21 back to the dealer for a buds diagnostic. Of course nothing was found to be abnormal. My simple solution to my "perceived" problem is to lower my rear tire pressure to 26 PSI, which just happens to be the median tire pressure for my '15.

[pegasus1300]

You can use any of the popular tire pressures, or you can use the pressures listed for the OEM tires in your manual or you can make up one of your own but those OEM Kendas are not going to give you a lot of time/miles of service,because they just can't. They are not constructed robust enough to give a very long life and will wear out in the middle somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000 miles. There are a few here who have gotten into the high teens on mileage,they are the exception. I don't know what "Last the longest" means to you in terms of actual mileage. If that means into the 20,000 mile range that has not happened to anybody to my knowledge. Don't stress over air pressure or squeezing the last mile out of your tires. Ride more worry less. Run the book values on the pressure with adjustments for your style and when they wear out(which the rear is going to sooner then later) put a good car tire on and motor off into the sunset. Enjoy your Spyder, it is more fun then should be legal.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I see that your avatar is a 2021 Sea To Sky. I have a 2021 Deep Marsalla Red Metallic RT Limited. The Owner's Manual states 20 PFI for the fronts tires and 28 PSI for the rear tire. I find it interesting that the 20 PSI recommendation for the font tires is the median pressure +/- 2 PSI for my '15 RT Limited. However, the 28 PSI recommendation is what the maximum pressure was for my '15(26 +/- 2 PSI).
I don't know if I'm the only one who thinks the ride of the rear tire @28 PSI is too firm. Same observation on a Demo Days ride on a RT Limited. I have had my '21 back to the dealer for a buds diagnostic. Of course nothing was found to be abnormal. My simple solution to my "perceived" problem is to lower my rear tire pressure to 26 PSI, which just happens to be the median tire pressure for my '15.

.... The pressures needed for the Crapenda's is because they are weakly constructed.... if you can switch to Auto tires after the Kenda's wear out , you will be surprised how much better ( & safer ) your rideing will be ..... Mike

[MikeT]

Mike,
I can confirm how much better a car tire on the rear(darkside)rides than the OEM Krapenda. I had it done on my '15 Was able to reduce the OEM air pressure of 28 PSI down to 20PSI.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Mike,
I can confirm how much better a car tire on the rear(darkside)rides than the OEM Krapenda. I had it done on my '15 Was able to reduce the OEM air pressure of 28 PSI down to 20PSI.

.... " Darkside " .... not really - Spyder wheels/rims are the same as cars/ trks .... the term Darkside began long before Spyders ... it was used in Motorcycle nomenclature for using Auto tires on Motorcycle rims ( a very risky thing to do - the tire beads will never match up to a Mtc rim ). .... Mike

[Flamewinger]

You can use any of the popular tire pressures, or you can use the pressures listed for the OEM tires in your manual or you can make up one of your own but those OEM Kendas are not going to give you a lot of time/miles of service,because they just can't. They are not constructed robust enough to give a very long life and will wear out in the middle somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000 miles. There are a few here who have gotten into the high teens on mileage,they are the exception. I don't know what "Last the longest" means to you in terms of actual mileage. If that means into the 20,000 mile range that has not happened to anybody to my knowledge. Don't stress over air pressure or squeezing the last mile out of your tires. Ride more worry less. Run the book values on the pressure with adjustments for your style and when they wear out(which the rear is going to sooner then later) put a good car tire on and motor off into the sunset. Enjoy your Spyder, it is more fun then should be legal.

Kenda's are motorcycle tires and, if you know anything about them you'll know they are much more stickier and therefore wear out faster. Try a sport bike and you'll find the tires only last about 5/6000 miles. Car tires are for vehicles weighing 2-4 tons. That give them much more traction compared to the half ton Spyder. Then new Kenda Kanines are sounding good as they are lasting 14k miles. I wouldn't put a car tire on a motorcycle, just not designed for it.

[Peter Aawen]

Kenda's are motorcycle tires and, if you know anything about them you'll know they are much more stickier and therefore wear out faster. Try a sport bike and you'll find the tires only last about 5/6000 miles. Car tires are for vehicles weighing 2-4 tons. That give them much more traction compared to the half ton Spyder. Then new Kenda Kanines are sounding good as they are lasting 14k miles. I wouldn't put a car tire on a motorcycle, just not designed for it.

Nope, not by any stretch of the imagination!

While you can believe whatever you like, and also do whatever you like with your Spyder/Ryker, but you're kidding yourself if you think there really is any comparison between a 'real' motorcycle tire and one of the OE Spec Kendas our Spyders/Rykers run! If you cut into them to see how they are made (as I have done many times now!) the OE Spec Kenda tires on our Spyders/Rykers are simply really lightweight & often poorly constructed AUTO tires, with all the features & characteristics of AUTO tires, only lighter/weaker in most respects. Even the tread compound used isn't significantly different/much softer from those used in many auto tires, it's just a thinner layer, and often unevenly applied at that! Still, I must qualify this by saying that I haven't dissected any OE Spec Kenda tires that were made in the last 15 months or so, but I seriously doubt that they've changed all that much recently without both Kenda and BRP making a big song and dance about it!

They really are just lightweight auto tires, and just like on any other application where auto tires/pneumatic tires are used, if you require a given pressure to do the job with a lightweight tire, when you use stronger/heavier tires you WILL need to reduce the pressure used to allow those stronger/heavier tires to do the same job. That's why auto tires have a Load Rating or Load Index printed on their sidewalls, and those ratings run from 0/99 pounds right up to 150/7385 pounds, and in every automotive jurisdiction that I know of around the World, it's legal to install a Higher Load Rated Tire than that specified by the manufacturer, just so long as you adjust the necessary pressure down accordingly! There was a time when most tire manufacturers used to publish the load/pressure tables that included loads right down into the low double digit load ranges, but for some reason, very few publish those today, possibly because the tables were getting pretty large.... They still generally do all the calculations for those lighter loads during their tire development tho, and that info is often available from them (if you have the right contacts/they are in the right mood), but if you bother to get the front & rear of your (loaded) Spyder weighed, then using that load info you can still do a pretty reasonable facsimile there-off yourself just by using the details re Max Load/Max Pressure printed on the sidewall of whatever 'proper' auto tire you are considering using and calculating the lesser pressure required for the lighter load as a percentage of the maximums shown.

But there is NO WAY that I can see that the OE spec Kendas on our Spyders/Rykers are motorcycle tires or really even relate to being motorcycle tires! None at all!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Nope, not by any stretch of the imagination!

While you can believe whatever you like, and also do whatever you like with your Spyder/Ryker, but you're kidding yourself if you think there really is any comparison between a 'real' motorcycle tire and one of the OE Spec Kendas our Spyders/Rykers run! If you cut into them to see how they are made (as I have done many times now!) the OE Spec Kenda tires on our Spyders/Rykers are simply really lightweight & often poorly constructed AUTO tires, with all the features & characteristics of AUTO tires, only lighter/weaker in most respects. Even the tread compound used isn't significantly different/much softer from those used in many auto tires, it's just a thinner layer, and often unevenly applied at that! Still, I must qualify this by saying that I haven't dissected any OE Spec Kenda tires that were made in the last 15 months or so, but I seriously doubt that they've changed all that much recently without both Kenda and BRP making a big song and dance about it!

They really are just lightweight auto tires, and just like on any other application where auto tires/pneumatic tires are used, if you require a given pressure to do the job with a lightweight tire, when you use stronger/heavier tires you WILL need to reduce the pressure used to allow those stronger/heavier tires to do the same job. That's why auto tires have a Load Rating or Load Index printed on their sidewalls, and those ratings run from 0/99 pounds right up to 150/7385 pounds, and in every automotive jurisdiction that I know of around the World, it's legal to install a Higher Load Rated Tire than that specified by the manufacturer, just so long as you adjust the necessary pressure down accordingly! There was a time when most tire manufacturers used to publish the load/pressure tables that included loads right down into the low double digit load ranges, but for some reason, very few publish those today, possibly because the tables were getting pretty large.... They still generally do all the calculations for those lighter loads during their tire development tho, and that info is often available from them (if you have the right contacts/they are in the right mood), but if you bother to get the front & rear of your (loaded) Spyder weighed, then using that load info you can still do a pretty reasonable facsimile there-off yourself just by using the details re Max Load/Max Pressure printed on the sidewall of whatever 'proper' auto tire you are considering using and calculating the lesser pressure required for the lighter load as a percentage of the maximums shown.

But there is NO WAY that I can see that the OE spec Kendas on our Spyders/Rykers are motorcycle tires or really even relate to being motorcycle tires! None at all!

Amen and Hallelujah and let me add I wouldn't put a Car tire on a genuine Motorcycle ( two wheel variety ) either .... the BEADS won't match.... Spyder wheels have the same BEADS as Auto tires .... according to Fed D.O.T. regulations. AND it's even printed on the side of KENDA Spyder tires ( must use " J " type wheels ) .... Mike

[Flamewinger]

Nope, not by any stretch of the imagination!

While you can believe whatever you like, and also do whatever you like with your Spyder/Ryker, but you're kidding yourself if you think there really is any comparison between a 'real' motorcycle tire and one of the OE Spec Kendas our Spyders/Rykers run! If you cut into them to see how they are made (as I have done many times now!) the OE Spec Kenda tires on our Spyders/Rykers are simply really lightweight & often poorly constructed AUTO tires, with all the features & characteristics of AUTO tires, only lighter/weaker in most respects. Even the tread compound used isn't significantly different/much softer from those used in many auto tires, it's just a thinner layer, and often unevenly applied at that! Still, I must qualify this by saying that I haven't dissected any OE Spec Kenda tires that were made in the last 15 months or so, but I seriously doubt that they've changed all that much recently without both Kenda and BRP making a big song and dance about it!

They really are just lightweight auto tires, and just like on any other application where auto tires/pneumatic tires are used, if you require a given pressure to do the job with a lightweight tire, when you use stronger/heavier tires you WILL need to reduce the pressure used to allow those stronger/heavier tires to do the same job. That's why auto tires have a Load Rating or Load Index printed on their sidewalls, and those ratings run from 0/99 pounds right up to 150/7385 pounds, and in every automotive jurisdiction that I know of around the World, it's legal to install a Higher Load Rated Tire than that specified by the manufacturer, just so long as you adjust the necessary pressure down accordingly! There was a time when most tire manufacturers used to publish the load/pressure tables that included loads right down into the low double digit load ranges, but for some reason, very few publish those today, possibly because the tables were getting pretty large.... They still generally do all the calculations for those lighter loads during their tire development tho, and that info is often available from them (if you have the right contacts/they are in the right mood), but if you bother to get the front & rear of your (loaded) Spyder weighed, then using that load info you can still do a pretty reasonable facsimile there-off yourself just by using the details re Max Load/Max Pressure printed on the sidewall of whatever 'proper' auto tire you are considering using and calculating the lesser pressure required for the lighter load as a percentage of the maximums shown.

But there is NO WAY that I can see that the OE spec Kendas on our Spyders/Rykers are motorcycle tires or really even relate to being motorcycle tires! None at all!

Too funny! What a bunch of bull! :-D I guess you design motorcycles? If so where are they sold?

[Peter Aawen]

Too funny! What a bunch of bull! :-D I guess you design motorcycles? If so where are they sold?

Nope, but a long time back I studied (amongst other things) tire construction and design and for many years since (altho not exclusively, cos I also have other interests) I've been keeping up with the latest developments and working on & off in the tire development field, mainly testing all sorts of tires, motorcycle & auto, with a large smattering of off road tires thrown in. . So are you a Tire Design, Development & Testing Engineer??

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Too funny! What a bunch of bull! :-D I guess you design motorcycles? If so where are they sold?

IMHO your comments were / are un-called for. Peter is exceptionally knowledgeable when it comes to tires. .... I know this because we have similar backgrounds on this subject. To me if Peter says something - you can take it to the Bank ..... and your field of Expertise is ?????? .... Mike

[trikermutha]