2016 RT - any suggestions for a longer lasting rear tire? estimated mileage?

[jbs1218]

In the next month I will be replacing my Yokohama rear tire. I average about 10K miles a year and I am a solo rider and not an "aggressive" rider. About two years ago after purchasing the trike used, my mechanic replaced the original Kenda's with Yoko's. He told me that the front tires would probably last 50K miles. After 16K miles, the front tires still look new and I am very happy with that selection and I believe the 50K plus expectation will be a reality. I was also told that the rear tire would last approximately 18-20K. After 16K miles I believe that projection is correct.
I would like a tire that would get me a lot more than 18-20K miles. It appears that I can use either a 205-55R-15 or a 215-60R-15 with a symmetrical tire pattern. Can you guys suggest to me a longer lasting rear tire and estimated mileage? I will appreciate your suggestions and thank you.

[Deanna777]

In the next month I will be replacing my Yokohama rear tire. I average about 10K miles a year and I am a solo rider and not an "aggressive" rider. About two years ago after purchasing the trike used, my mechanic replaced the original Kenda's with Yoko's. He told me that the front tires would probably last 50K miles. After 16K miles, the front tires still look new and I am very happy with that selection and I believe the 50K plus expectation will be a reality. I was also told that the rear tire would last approximately 18-20K. After 16K miles I believe that projection is correct.
I would like a tire that would get me a lot more than 18-20K miles. It appears that I can use either a 205-55R-15 or a 215-60R-15 with a symmetrical tire pattern. Can you guys suggest to me a longer lasting rear tire and estimated mileage? I will appreciate your suggestions and thank you.

HI jbs1218,
What spyder model do you have?

What year is your spyder?

I am running the General Altimax RT 43 tire on the rear of my 2014 RTS -SE6. The tire size I am running is: 215/60 R 15 at 26PSI. The oem tire was changed at 5,824 miles. The mileage i am getting is ???.

I am on my 2nd General Altimax RT 43 tire on the rear. I have roughly 30,000 miles on the spyder.

Maybe some other people on this website can chime in on the size tires that you are looking for.

Deanna

[2dogs]

Almost any quality auto tire. Or, exactly what Deanna has. I have the same year spyder and I run Altimax also. Great tire among many. Do a tire search on this site and you'll have enough reading to keep you busy for the rest of the year. Good luck.

[BertRemington]

The higher the UTQG Treadwear number the longer it will wear.

I think Yokohama makes superior tires.

[jbs1218]

Deanna, I have a 2016 RT. Thank you.

[jbs1218]

Thank you

[jbs1218]

Thank you.

[UtahPete]

I'm surprised you haven't had more responses to this question, which is a valid one and different than most tire-related questions I think.

I switched my wife's bike to Altimax rear about 20k miles ago and I would estimate it can easily do another 5k before needing replacement. The treadwear is even at this point. I'm not sure why the rear wears so much faster than the fronts, even with a car tire in place.

[2dogs]

Heat and torque I think Pete. It's the drive tire. If not rotated, the right rear tire on most cars will wear down first for the same reasons.

[JayBros]

I'm on my third Altimax; plan to try a Vredestein Quatrac 205/60R15 or 205/65R15 when next change is due, probably at about 98,000 on the Odometer.

Take your pick:
Stock Size 225/50R15.
General Altimax RT 43 215/60R15 94T. Shop for best Price.
Michelin Defender 205/65R15. Shop for best price.
Vredestein Quatrac 205/60R15 or 205/65R15 -- Tire Rack.
Riken Raptor HR 215/60R15 -- Tire Rack.

[Air Force PAO]

JBS1218,

If it helps, I am sending you a PM.

John

[Dmetcalf]

I have a Kumho on the front & rear along with Centramatic wheel balancers so with that combination I am looking for an increase in mileage. I have about 12,000 on the rear tire and still have decent tread left. I’m pretty easy on take offs and stops when possible…!

[jbs1218]

Utah Pete, thank you.

[Navydad]

I got 24,000 from my first Altimax. As far as wearing faster than the fronts. The rear lives and works in a hot and dirty environment. Not near as nice conditions as the front. Plus the rear is the drive tire so it works harder.

[jbs1218]

Thank you Navy Dad. 24K miles is getting closer to what I want.

[jbs1218]

Thanks JayBros, I will check out those tires.

[Little Blue]

...Remember you get what you pay for most times. Just don't go with the cheapest option.
Do your homework and get what best suits your needs.

Stay Healthy and Enjoy Life. .......

[Peter Aawen]

......
I would like a tire that would get me a lot more than 18-20K miles. It appears that I can use either a 205-55R-15 or a 215-60R-15 with a symmetrical tire pattern. Can you guys suggest to me a longer lasting rear tire and estimated mileage? I will appreciate your suggestions and thank you.

All good suggestions from others above, especially the "Almost any quality auto tire...." & the " ...Remember you get what you pay for most times." comments, but aside from the obligatotry comment from me'n Mike along the lines of "Always run any stronger, heavier constructed auto tires (that are capable of carrying maybe 3 times the weight of a Spyder at 28/30 psi) at a lower pressure than that on your tire placard (16-18 psi is good for most Spyder ryders & their loads ) when you're running them under your Spyder in order to ensure the tire & its tread compounds reach their ideal operating temperature & traction, & so they can maintain full contact across the contact patch/under the tread during riding/cornering with the lighter load on them..." there's a couple of other important things you should try to keep in mind....

1. It doesn't need to be a symetrical tire tread, as even asymetrical tire treads can work well as a single drive wheel like those on our Spyders, altho by using some of them you do run a risk of reducing the overall 'useful/working' area of your rear tire's contact patch under some conditions - but many general use or All Season Asymetrical tires available out there don't have the distinct wet/dry tread pattern split in their tread patterns &/or their compounds that can realise this risk; and

2. The harder the tread compound, then broadly speaking, the longer that tread is likely to last; but as a result of that harder compound, then the less traction it will provide if all other things remain equal... especially in the wet! So if you choose to run a harder compound tire to get significantly longer tire life, expect some reduction in traction under some conditions (ie wet roads?! ) and remember that you might need to run it at an (even) lower pressure than you'd generally expect to use in order to achieve their optimum operating temperature & tread traction (see 16-18 psi in Note 1 above).

Note 2 above means that if/when you are riding in cold conditions &/or on wet roads, you may need to drop your (auto) tire pressure another 2 psi or so to maintain their best level of traction for the cold/slippery/wet conditions; &/or if you're ryding for long periods at high speed or in hot conditions/on high temp surfaces, you may need to increase your tire pressure by 2 or so psi to avoid unnecessary tread shedding/wear - but either way, it's probably not a good idea to purposefully drop below 14 psi ever, nor will it be good for your non-OE spec auto tire's life to go much above 20 psi unless you & your pillion/load weigh in well above that more commonly found/expected on Spyders, ie. anything totalling above about 600 pounds - in which case, you should probably check the max load limit on your Spyder too.

All up, if you choose an auto tire in a size between 205/65R15 & 225/60R15 (205/65 or 215/60R15 is good! that meets or exceeds the OE load & speed ratings that best suits YOUR ryding needs & wants you'll most likely do well! Without knowing the conditions you ride in or the specifics of things like the pressures you run & your ryding style, the Yoko's you've run before probably sacrificed a little potential tire life for better traction, but there are others that will work the other way round. So choose an auto tire that suits YOUR needs & wants, one that performs well in the conditions YOU are likely to meet, and that way it'll likely be best suited to how YOU load & use YOUR Spyder!

Good Luck!

[AeroPilot]

We have been running the General Altimax RT43 on our 15 RT and 16 F3T both one up on mostly secondary roads, summer touring since the originals wore out. On the last four tires we got between 21,000 and 23,500 miles (average of 22K for the 4) and will probably need to put another Altimax (ready in the garage) on the F3 sometime this fall. Currently at 79Kon the F3T and 74K on my RT with some fair tread left... works for us. YMMV

IMG_0086.jpg

[ButterSmooth]

... at a lower pressure than that on your tire placard (16-18 psi is good for most Spyder ryders & their loads )

1. It doesn't need to be a symetrical tire tread, as even asymetrical tire treads can work well as a single drive wheel like those on our Spyders, altho by using some of them you do run a risk of reducing the overall 'useful/working' area of your rear tire's contact patch under some conditions - but many general use or All Season Asymetrical tires available out there don't have the distinct wet/dry tread pattern split in their tread patterns &/or their compounds that can realise this risk.

I found a tire website that had a simple formula that confirms and supports these pressures on a Spyder. Divide the max load rating of the tire by the max pressure to get the pounds load per pounds inflation ratio. Divide that into the load on the tire to get your starting inflation and adjust from there.

For me (I have a scale near by) with 450# on the rear tire (single, 1/2 tank fuel), and a 92H tire (1400# @ 51psi) that's: 450# / 27.5 # per psi (1400#/51psi) which = 16.4psi. Add my wife and gear and it becomes: 550# / 27.5 (#/psi) = ~20psi. Note that a 92H tire is at the low end of the load range for a car tire. 94H - 96H is more common and reduce the spread in loaded/unloaded pressures.

I'm trying a mildly Asymetric tire on the rear this time. We'll see how it goes...

[MeudtPG]

Last summer I changed my 2018 RTL rear tire at only 7618 miles Only 7618 miles on Kenda OEM 4.jpg from original crap to a new VREDESTEIN Quatrac 5 - 205/60R15 running at 18 PSI cold New Rear VREDESTEIN Quatrac 5 205 60R15 18PSI 7618 miles installed.jpg
Have experienced awesome ride and feel confident in all weather. Love this!

[jbs1218]

Little Blue, you are correct. The tire cost is secondary to me. I want a good tire with good mileage.

[Deanna777]

Deanna, I have a 2016 RT. Thank you.

jbs1218,

You are welcome!

Deanna

[Deanna777]

In the next month I will be replacing my Yokohama rear tire. I average about 10K miles a year and I am a solo rider and not an "aggressive" rider. About two years ago after purchasing the trike used, my mechanic replaced the original Kenda's with Yoko's. He told me that the front tires would probably last 50K miles. After 16K miles, the front tires still look new and I am very happy with that selection and I believe the 50K plus expectation will be a reality. I was also told that the rear tire would last approximately 18-20K. After 16K miles I believe that projection is correct.
I would like a tire that would get me a lot more than 18-20K miles. It appears that I can use either a 205-55R-15 or a 215-60R-15 with a symmetrical tire pattern. Can you guys suggest to me a longer lasting rear tire and estimated mileage? I will appreciate your suggestions and thank you.

jbs1218,

The General Altimax RT43 tire has "Replace Tire" embedded into the tire.

Deanna

[jbs1218]

Peter Aawen, thank you very much for the detailed information about symmetrical versus asymmetrical tires and very much appreciated. Part of what you said was told me by my mechanic, James Thorne here in Houston. My Yoko's have worked well and traction has always been good, but like I stated I would like more than an 18K tire life. I ride solo and I am not an aggressive rider and average about 10K miles per year. Due to the cost of rear tire installation I would like to get at least 2 plus seasons of riding. As it sits now, I postponed a long tour because I was concerned that my rear tire might have issues as I approached 18K. I live in "damage control" mode and always ride with good rubber. I will not buy a cheap tire. Again, thank you.