Dealer changed service staff - now refuses to install ANY auto tire on a Spyder.

[teninospyder]

Teninospyder

There is an independent ATV repair shop here in the Tri-cities that is expanding the size of their shop to accommodate more business and inside storage. The owner used to be a CanAm service manager and has all of the tools, training and software to work on our Spyders. He's my new go-to guy. TGM Motorsports 509-792-1233. It's a bit of a ride, but may get you what you need done, including tire service.

Thanks. I'll check it out !

[Motorcycledave]

FYI - A new "service manager" and the new "service writer" told me today they wouldn't mount any auto tire on ANY Spyder. Says he did a few and had troubles with the job and won't do it again. No explanation of what "trouble" means. This is after I told him I wanted to get my annual service, and change plugs, and flush and refill break system. I told them I had it done there on the last tire change, and I tried to get more info but they weren't talking. I told them forget the whole thing and left.

OK....I'm in Olympia, WA area.
Looking for help from everyone on where a dealer is out here, that will change the tire. Out here is anywhere in a 100 mile radius for now.
Any help very much appreciated.

Really bummed out about it.

Costco, Americas Tires/ Discount Tires, Pep Boys and or any auto tire dealer will be more than happy to take your money and mount your tires just take in your rims with the old tires on them and they will mount your new tires and balance them and or sell you tires.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Nor can you balance or use a warped dodecahedral tire that's got bulgy sides & delaminated tread!

But I really think BRP are going to continue pushing out their 'these odd sized dodgy Kenda tires are the only acceptable tires to use' wheelbarrow until enough Spyder owners bite the bullet & go elsewhere for alternatives.... and I've seen enough of the dodgy Kendas that if it comes down to having no alternative but to use the Kendas, then I'll be reluctantly forced into selling my Spyder!

Peter I bought a VERY basic tire changer, just because of the possibility this will occur. ..... I also have a very nice Son who knows how to do it ..... good luck ( to all of us )..... Mike ................PS - to this day I still can't figure out how Harley Davidson can put AUTO ( Dunlop ) tires on their Trikes and it's LEGAL .... last time I looked, those " Dunlop " tires Didn't have any Mtc. designation printed on those tires ...... Mike

[pegasus1300]

Mike Probably the same way all trike conversion makes put car tires on their conversions. They are not in the tire business. BRP is.
Does anyone know what polaris' position is on non stock tires for their Slingshot?
I feel very fortunate in that I can still crawl under my Spyder and remove the wheel and more importantly lift it back into place, tho I can see that those days are numbered. If you don't know how to do it watch several you tube videos. It isn't hard just fidely as finless used to say. But then so is everything else on the Spyder.

[White Lightening]

Try Clem’s power sports in Enumclaw, they have always mounted tires on my RT. I just bring the tire in with me.

[NHTundra]

.....
You can't balance a square tire!

I get what you're saying, but there's no reason a square tire couldn't be balanced. It's not about roundness but about mass distribution. You could have a perfectly round wheel and still be out of balance.
Having said that, a two blade propeller is balanced but it won't roll down the road.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Mike Probably the same way all trike conversion makes put car tires on their conversions. They are not in the tire business. BRP is.
Does anyone know what polaris' position is on non stock tires for their Slingshot?
I feel very fortunate in that I can still crawl under my Spyder and remove the wheel and more importantly lift it back into place, tho I can see that those days are numbered. If you don't know how to do it watch several you tube videos. It isn't hard just fidely as finless used to say. But then so is everything else on the Spyder.

BUT BRP CLAIMS THEY HAVE .... NO CHOICE .... Mike

[Peter Aawen]

BUT BRP CLAIMS THEY HAVE .... NO CHOICE .... Mike

And they're gonna keep on doing that until enough Spyder/Ryker owners tell them to get knotted & move to auto tires that it really starts to hurt them financially!

[Madison Sully]

And they're gonna keep on doing that until enough Spyder/Ryker owners tell them to get knotted & move to auto tires that it really starts to hurt them financially!

I doubt the Spyder/Ryker market is large enough for any given dealer for this sort of critical mass to be reached.

[Mikey]

Ray, are you able to take the tire off and put it back on yourself? If so, once you get the tire off, most tire shops came mount and dismount the tire, it's the balancing that's the bugga! Now you have all kinds of options there, trying it and see if Mike and Pete's theory of the tire dont need weights will work, beads, one of those doughnuts that everyone sells that you mount on that will balance all the tires you will put on for ever, or having the tire mounted and taking it to another bike shop to have it balanced, non CanAm shop!!! The hard part would be, taking the tire off and putting it back on, and if you can't do that than, than I'll shut up! Like Ron said, there are all kinds of options out there don't give up! BRP is in bed with this tire company and we all just have to get over it, they will not change there minds no matter how much we bitch about it, they are reading our post, don't think they don't, has it made a difference, NO!! Good Luck Ray, you will get it I am sure!!

[BajaRon]

I get what you're saying, but there's no reason a square tire couldn't be balanced. It's not about roundness but about mass distribution. You could have a perfectly round wheel and still be out of balance.
Having said that, a two blade propeller is balanced but it won't roll down the road.

You got me there. So, I'll edit my statement. I should have said "You can't get a square tire to stop bouncing down the road". Because, as you point out. Anything can be balanced. It just doesn't necessarily roll smoothly when you're done. Which, unlike a 2 blade rotor, is the goal here.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I doubt the Spyder/Ryker market is large enough for any given dealer for this sort of critical mass to be reached.

IMHO it has Nothing to do with the amount of Spyders ..... BRP sells a lot more of them then Harley sells of their TRIKES. Do you think the U.S. DOT regulators are discriminating against BRP and the Spyder ????? .... The fact that we are discussing a ( so-labeled ) Motorcycle tire has nothing to do with it either .... What matters is the what the wheel is designed for and what the tire design ( ie. BEAD ) is required for that wheel. ( ie. " J " bead ) You CAN'T put a Genuine Mtc. tire of a Spyder wheel - - it won't seat properly AND THAT WOULD ACUTALLY BE ILLEGAL .... BRP is shoveling the BS as fast as they can ....... end of rant .... ride safe - ride happy .... Mike

[Madison Sully]

IMHO it has Nothing to do with the amount of Spyders ..... BRP sells a lot more of them then Harley sells of their TRIKES. Do you think the U.S. DOT regulators are discriminating against BRP and the Spyder ????? .... The fact that we are discussing a ( so-labeled ) Motorcycle tire has nothing to do with it either .... What matters is the what the wheel is designed for and what the tire design ( ie. BEAD ) is required for that wheel. ( ie. " J " bead ) You CAN'T put a Genuine Mtc. tire of a Spyder wheel - - it won't seat properly AND THAT WOULD ACUTALLY BE ILLEGAL .... BRP is shoveling the BS as fast as they can ....... end of rant .... ride safe - ride happy .... Mike

Personally I wonder if Harley stopped selling trikes, what would be the overall impact on the bottom line?
I really don't have any idea, but I suspect it would be small. Except those things are so expensive....
As to the motorcycle vs. car tire issue, it's just the shape of the rim, which on the Spyder is car type.
I get it, which is why I'm not arguing the point (so, um, why are you - toward me, at any rate?).
Total BS on BRP's part, I get that too, which is why I'm not arguing that point either (....).

My point was simply this: Dealers that sell Spyders, in my experience, also sell a bunch of other things.
So if you take that whole pile, and you remove from it those Spyder owners who feel outraged about this whole tire issue, my perspective suggests the financial hit will not be sufficient to change said dealer's behavior. That's all.

[Steve W.]

Please don't think that Spyder tires are "motorcycle" tires.

Yes, there is a reason that they say "special motorcycle use only" on the sidewalls, but it's not because they are "motorcycle" tires.

The major reason they have that wording is that they are the same size as what is used on a Mazda Miata or other small cars, but are not built to take the weight, so they say they are for motorcycle use only.

Knowing that, there is no reason to continue to look for "motorcycle" tires, just look for "tires that work".

[CloverHillCrawler]

I doubt the Spyder/Ryker market is large enough for any given dealer for this sort of critical mass to be reached.

I don't think many dealers really give a hoot about spyder's period when they are snubbing 20k+ sales due to the brand as what happened to me, somethings wrong!