Any more feedback on Kenda Kanines?

[Fat Baxter]

I've noted some postings about the Kenda Kanine, mainly "I"ve put some on and let y'all know." So, anyone got a long-term report on a rear Kanine yet?

[UtahPete]

There's a rumor that the Russian convoy in Ukraine has them on their trucks, which is why they keep getting stuck, but don't quote me on that.

[WilcoJunoHotel]

I got 4000 miles out of the rear OEM Kenda. I got 6000 miles out of the rear Kanine Kenda.

It still wore in the middle of the tire just like the OEM tire. You are basically throwing away 1/2 a tire because the inner & outer sides of the tires had hardly any wear.

I suspect that all they did was make the tread rubber a little harder on the Kanine - tire construction still basically the same poor design/quality. I don't think they know how to make a wide tire.

No more Kendas for me.

[Snoking1127]

There's a rumor that the Russian convoy in Ukraine has them on their trucks, which is why they keep getting stuck, but don't quote me on that.

Got to be the original Kenda's as it is said their tires are aged out and failing. Kanine's have not been around long enough to be aging out.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I got 4000 miles out of the rear OEM Kenda. I got 6000 miles out of the rear Kanine Kenda.

It still wore in the middle of the tire just like the OEM tire. You are basically throwing away 1/2 a tire because the inner & outer sides of the tires had hardly any wear.

I suspect that all they did was make the tread rubber a little harder on the Kanine - tire construction still basically the same poor design/quality. I don't think they know how to make a wide tire.

No more Kendas for me.

.... I reported shortly after the Kanine's came out about the very similar construction of the old and the new .... not surprising news ...... Mike

[bikerbillone]

Sadly, I don't think BRP will ever drop the Kenda no matter what. The aggravation is, dealers has us by the short hairs by refusing to work with any brand but Kenda. However that has been discussed here at length and it is what it is.

[WilcoJunoHotel]

The aggravation is, dealers has us by the short hairs by refusing to work with any brand but Kenda.

Not to derail the thread but I guess it is pertinent: My local auto tire store changed all 3 tires for me without question ($75 total). I knew they couldn't balance the rear (neither could my local Can Am dealer) but was surprised when I went to pick them up and was told the arbor on their balancer was too large for the center hole (50mm?) on the Spyder wheels to balance the fronts. So, I took them to my local Cycle Gear store and they balanced them for free.

Will be static balancing the rear myself using a couple of jack stands. I had beads in the Kanine but will try a static balance on the Kumho this time.

To go this route you still have to take them off the Spyder yourself and the rear is a bear to change but the fronts are a piece of cake.

[GabrieleItalia]

In Italy the laws are very strict, in fact if you mount the tires that are not homologated or shown on the vehicle registration certificate, most likely at the first police checkpoint your spyder will be seized. So after this premise, I can say that I have always ridden kenda kanine and have always felt very comfortable with them. Maybe in the wet ,the Grip would still be improved at highway speed or in close corner.Like others, I would prefer the duration to be longer. At this moment the tire that is mounted is obiviously a kenda kanine kr20 and that, you can see in the photos.It have 14,000 km and I hope to reach 18,000 / 19,000 km before change for summer season.
So I m not a kenda fun, but they work fine for me. Hope to be helpful.

Mounted kenda kanine kr20 after 14000km:



New kenda kanine kr20:



Comparison new and mounted:

[spyder01]

I had a Kanine rear and it didnt last any longer than the OG tire and performed the same.

[milryder]

I still have decent life on my OEM rear Kenda on my '21 spyder RT at 6500 miles. My dealer will only install OEM tires so I picked up a new rear Kanine last fall when the supply was decreasing. I have Quatrac 5s on the front. The OEM seems to have performed well so far and I think the Kanine is somewhat improved over that one. Below is a description of the newer Kanine.

Kenda Kanine Kr20 225/50R15 Rear Motorcycle Street Tire
The First and Only Aftermarket Replacement tire for the Can-Am Spyder! Kenda Kanine KR20 Tires offer greater mileage than stock and better handling than passenger car replacements. Engineered with increased siping to evacuate standing water from excellent wet weather performance. High-performance tread pattern reduces rolling resistance, while keeping maximum lateral traction. MC-Spec, D.O.T. and E-Mark approved.

[Peteoz]

In Italy the laws are very strict, in fact if you mount the tires that are not homologated or shown on the vehicle registration certificate, most likely at the first police checkpoint your spyder will be seized. So after this premise, I can say that I have always ridden kenda kanine and have always felt very comfortable with them. Maybe in the wet ,the Grip would still be improved at highway speed or in close corner.Like others, I would prefer the duration to be longer. At this moment the tire that is mounted is obiviously a kenda kanine kr20 and that, you can see in the photos.It have 14,000 km and I hope to reach 18,000 / 19,000 km before change for summer season.
So I m not a kenda fun, but they work fine for me. Hope to be helpful

So does that mean you are not allowed to replace the Pirelli that comes stock on your bike/car with say an Avon of the same dimensions, Gabriele?

Pete

[GabrieleItalia]

the stock tyres on the spyder have written “mc” on the side of the tyre, (the same is shown on the registration certificate) therefore specific for “special motorcycles purpose only”. if you can find tires with the same dimensions and the same initials “mc” (therefore specific for special motorcycles) after the measurements, then you can replace them without problems. but I have not been able to find them. I find tires of the same size but without the initials mc,so not for motorcycle use. instead, on the cars, it is enough that they are of the same size as the registration certificate of the vehicle, because there is no need of a specific abbreviation or a specific use with a sigle,like “mc”. Italian’s regulations are unfortunately very restrictive, no one cares, but if you want to be sure with the law,you must follow those things.
I hope I have made myself clear with my poor English.

[nightcruiser]

Im using a kanine on the rear and it is wearing in the middle with 30 PSI. Went to the shop today and they have kenda but no other designation, really cool tread pattern,$150. but they would install, for motorcycle use only.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I still have decent life on my OEM rear Kenda on my '21 spyder RT at 6500 miles. My dealer will only install OEM tires so I picked up a new rear Kanine last fall when the supply was decreasing. I have Quatrac 5s on the front. The OEM seems to have performed well so far and I think the Kanine is somewhat improved over that one. Below is a description of the newer Kanine.

Kenda Kanine Kr20 225/50R15 Rear Motorcycle Street Tire
The First and Only Aftermarket Replacement tire for the Can-Am Spyder! Kenda Kanine KR20 Tires offer greater mileage than stock and better handling than passenger car replacements. Engineered with increased siping to evacuate standing water from excellent wet weather performance. High-performance tread pattern reduces rolling resistance, while keeping maximum lateral traction. MC-Spec, D.O.T. and E-Mark approved.

That may be " Decent life " for a two wheel cruiser , but not on Spyder using Auto tire ( very common ) .... jmho .. Mike

[Snoking1127]

the stock tyres on the spyder have written “mc” on the side of the tyre, (the same is shown on the registration certificate) therefore specific for “special motorcycles purpose only”. if you can find tires with the same dimensions and the same initials “mc” (therefore specific for special motorcycles) after the measurements, then you can replace them without problems. but I have not been able to find them. I find tires of the same size but without the initials mc,so not for motorcycle use. instead, on the cars, it is enough that they are of the same size as the registration certificate of the vehicle, because there is no need of a specific abbreviation or a specific use with a sigle,like “mc”. Italian’s regulations are unfortunately very restrictive, no one cares, but if you want to be sure with the law,you must follow those things.
I hope I have made myself clear with my poor English.

Given the the Spyder's have a car type J bead, no one but Kenda most like would label a tire with auto type bead as a motorcycle only tire.

[Peteoz]

Gabriele, I understood exactly what you were writing…..unlike what you would have done if I had tried to write my reply in Italian

The thing with the Spyder that creates the tyre uncertainty is that the wheel rims on the Spyder are actually J type car rims. As such, if you tried to put an actual motorcycle tyre on the Spyder rims, it would be a recipe for disaster. That’s why CanAm have had the Kenda tyres labelled as “Special Motorcycle Use Only”, as they aren’t motorcycle tyres. It is a real “can of worms”.
A Spyder rider in any country can only make their own judgement call on whether they are prepared to risk the possible ire of road authorities or insurance companies.
AND PLEASE…..THIS IS JUST AN INFO POST FOR GABRIELE…..IT IS NOT INTENDED TO TAKE THE THREAD DOWN A RATHOLE AWAY FROM THE INTENT OF THE ORIGINAL POST…..

Pete

[Papa103]

I've put the Kanines on my last 2 RTLs when the OEM wore out. I traded the last one before I wore the Canine out and only have 6000 miles on this Kanine. I like them. They handle fine wet and dry and seem to wear longer than OEM. I'm not concerned with getting 50000 miles out of a rear tire on my Spyder. If I get 10K I'm good to replace it. I think they (Kanines) will run between 10k and 12K. I think all these wide and flat tires will wear the center out first. My motorcycle did the same and would last 10000 miles also. The Spyder cost less to replace a rear tire by about $100. Just my opinion and experience with these tires.

[GabrieleItalia]

Many thanks guys for your informations! This forum is gold! Anyway, the kenda tires we were talking about meet my expectations so i think i will continue to use them. I am happy to have discovered something more thanks to you.

[Peteoz]

I've put the Kanines on my last 2 RTLs when the OEM wore out. I traded the last one before I wore the Canine out and only have 6000 miles on this Kanine. I like them. They handle fine wet and dry and seem to wear longer than OEM. I'm not concerned with getting 50000 miles out of a rear tire on my Spyder. If I get 10K I'm good to replace it. I think they (Kanines) will run between 10k and 12K. I think all these wide and flat tires will wear the center out first. My motorcycle did the same and would last 10000 miles also. The Spyder cost less to replace a rear tire by about $100. Just my opinion and experience with these tires.

I’m with you, Papa. I like the Kanines much more than the OEMs I had on my F3, and they run as well as my Kuhmos. I’m a happy Chappy …..plus, my dealer will mount them.

Pere

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I've put the Kanines on my last 2 RTLs when the OEM wore out. I traded the last one before I wore the Canine out and only have 6000 miles on this Kanine. I like them. They handle fine wet and dry and seem to wear longer than OEM. I'm not concerned with getting 50000 miles out of a rear tire on my Spyder. If I get 10K I'm good to replace it. I think they (Kanines) will run between 10k and 12K. I think all these wide and flat tires will wear the center out first. My motorcycle did the same and would last 10000 miles also. The Spyder cost less to replace a rear tire by about $100. Just my opinion and experience with these tires.

And folks thought " OIL Lamps " were great until the LIGHT bulb was invented ..... time moves on, for some it takes longer than others ....ride safe - ride happy .... Mike

[Papa103]

And folks thought " OIL Lamps " were great until the LIGHT bulb was invented ..... time moves on, for some it takes longer than others ....ride safe - ride happy .... Mike

If I had the bad experiences with Kumo tires that some of you had, I may feel different. I've been a Spyder rider since 2019. The tires are comparable to what I'm use to on my motorcycles. If I could get the proper size and construction to use the recommended air pressure, I wouldn't be opposed to trying a brand like Michelin. I'm just not a big fan of using the tire formula to get the same hight tire (making it narrower or wider), then running half the air pressure that is recommended so it will ride better. Now as far as comparing it to a light bulb and insinuating that those of us that don't feel the same and do as you do are dim witted or slow. I guess I'm glad I've never had the experience of meeting you.

[Peteoz]

Yeah, the Kuhmo is a funny beast, Papa…..they work really well out here in Oz, but so many in the US appear to have traction issues, especially in the wet. Running at 18psi, the Kuhmos performed a lot better than my original Kendas in the wet. My Kanines handle the wet just fine.

Pete

[RudyB]

Why do people even bother putting Kenda tires on their Spyders I get over 30000 miles out of a General Altimax RT 43

[Peter Aawen]

....... Now as far as comparing it to a light bulb and insinuating that those of us that don't feel the same and do as you do are dim witted or slow. I guess I'm glad I've never had the experience of meeting you.

I didn't read Mike's comment that way at all Papa - I read it to mean that until they tried electric lights, oil lamp users thought their lamps were great, cos they didn't know any better; inferring that until they try 'proper' car tires, Kenda users will think the Kendas are great too, cos they don't know any better!

As for the tire formula & the lower pressures that are recommended here when using car tires under our 'much lighter than your average car' Spyders, that formula isn't used "get the same hight tire (making it narrower or wider), then running half the air pressure that is recommended so it will ride better", it's basically just an 'easier for most to use' & a repeatable/fine-tunable version of the fairly complex formula that tire developers/designers use to work out the pressures they recommend for any pneumatic tires when they're used on a given vehicle, including under those heavier cars, heavy transport trucks, other lightweight vehicles running pneumatic tires, and even under motorcycles - the result varies according to the load imposed... So since it works pretty well for all those other vehicles & the range of loads they impose upon their tires, it only stands to reason that it still applies for the lighter loads that Spyders place upon their tires too, with the capability of checking & adjusting if/when the operator is so inclined &/or conditions change....

But, once you buy them, they are your tires, & it's your Spyder, so you can do whatever you will with them.... but it does seem a little odd to me that you'll happily use the formula derived recommended pressures in the tires you've got fitted on your car, but you'll balk at using the same basic formula to optimise the ride, handling, traction, & tire life et al in any car tires you might want to fit to your Spyder?!?

But like I said, they're your tires, & it's your Spyder.....

[Little Blue]

Why do people even bother putting Kenda tires on their Spyders I get over 30000 miles out of a General Altimax RT 43

I asked myself that question last year. Annnnnnnd the answer was 'for me' I could not find anyone to install my 'car tire '. Soooooo I was forced to go with the OEM. ...