my rear tire is completely shot in the middle

[ARCTIC]

This is the most confusing post ever....how would different rubber cause warranty issues on the tranny???

I would guess their concern is because a street tire would be heavier? what is the actual weight difference? Has anybody compared?

[ARCTIC]

Everyone mentions either the toyo or Michelin tires. Do they have a certain quality to them that makes them suitable for the spyder? There's a ton of other brands out there

[Carold571]

I just had my back tire replaced at 15,000 miles. Same ware in the middle. I kept it inflated at 28

[BajaRon]

the man is right!! just replaced mine at 10,000 and it looked identical.(worn into the wear bars) the spyder tech at my dealership explained the dynamics of it, coupled with a two ply and that's what you get!!! unfortunately I replaced mine with the same, because I have heard some horror stories about warrantee work on trannies etc. not being covered with off label tires on the roadster. didn't want to take the chance.done last week, $223.00 tire and labor! I ran mine the whole time at 24 to 25 and I still got the wear!

Put bluntly, I don't believe it. I'd like to see some proof that this happened even one time. Warranty rumors are always rampant, but reality is quite a different thing. You'll get the same tripe about oil, filters, you name it. One thing is for sure, it keeps a lot of people coming back to the dealership for replacement parts. And for that, the rumors work like a charm.

Of course your Kenda rear tire wears out in the middle. It is simple physics. The OEM tire is 2 ply sidewall and 2 ply tread. On a tire this wide you have quite a tread span with not enough support. 2 plies are not strong enough to overcome both tire pressure and centrifugal force at speed. The center of the tire bulges out and you get center tire wear. You also have to realize that the wear area is all that is touching the pavement at freeway speeds.

The car tires I've been running (since my 1st Kenda wore out in the middle) have the same 2 ply sidewall, but 4 plies in the tread area. This is a picture of my Toyo Proxes that I then replaced with a Falken tire. As you can see, at 18K+ it is worn out but it has a nice, even wear pattern. Which means I had the entire tire tread in contact with the pavement at freeway speeds with 30-32 PSI.

I was concerened about weight also. But I should not have been. This Toyo weighed less brand new than my Kenda did when it was worn out!

So why does a better tire cost less? Because volume always costs less. The Kenda is only used by one vehicle in the entire world, a few thousand Spyders. This is Extremely small volume. How much competition is there? Really zero as there isn't anyone else making a similar, 2 ply tread tire.

How many Toyo, Falken, Michelin tires are sold each year? A few hundred million! How much competition is there? A lot! So these companies are continually upgrading and improving their tires while at the same time keeping prices as low as they can to compete.

So, this Toyo tire cost less, lasted longer, gave me a better traction footprint at speed, weighed less and had better wet/dry traction than the Kenda. And people still ask me why I'm running a car tire on my Spyder. The answer is, the stock tire is a car tire. I just put a BETTER car tire on for less money. I just cannot fathom what people see as the downside to this....

I realize that many dealers will not mount a non-Kenda tire and you can't blame them. If I were a dealer I wouldn't do it either. And if you call a tire shop and tell them you want a motorcycle tire mounted they will say no. But it isn't a motorcycle tire. It's a car tire on a car rim. They may not be able to balance it because it won't mount to their balance machine. But there are ways around this as well. The real kicker is for those who cannot dismount and mount their rear wheel. Then you have to take it to the dealer and you're usually then stuck with a Kenda.

I suppose it sounds like I'm trying to tell everyone to put a car tire on their Spyder, which really is not what I am trying to accomplish here. I just think the facts need to be laid out on the table in every choice situation so that people can make an informed decision without all the erroneous flack that seems to accompany these things.

The Kenda is a decent tire and was specifically designed for the Spyder. Just like the seat, the exhaust, the shocks, the sway bar, the headlights, and everything else that some of us decide to upgrade.

[ARCTIC]

Thanks Ron,
Very well thought out post. Are you running 205/60/15 or 215/60/15? I would like a speedometer correction. Mine reads 62mph at 60mph actual

[jerpinoy]

Too much and sudden acceleration causes the ballooning of tires and smoke brakes follows. . Keep the air pressure at 26 psi will extend the life of the tire.

[KX5062]

Put bluntly, I don't believe it. I'd like to see some proof that this happened even one time. Warranty rumors are always rampant, but reality is quite a different thing. You'll get the same tripe about oil, filters, you name it. One thing is for sure, it keeps a lot of people coming back to the dealership for replacement parts. And for that, the rumors work like a charm.

Of course your Kenda rear tire wears out in the middle. It is simple physics. The OEM tire is 2 ply sidewall and 2 ply tread. On a tire this wide you have quite a tread span with not enough support. 2 plies are not strong enough to overcome both tire pressure and centrifugal force at speed. The center of the tire bulges out and you get center tire wear. You also have to realize that the wear area is all that is touching the pavement at freeway speeds.

The car tires I've been running (since my 1st Kenda wore out in the middle) have the same 2 ply sidewall, but 4 plies in the tread area. This is a picture of my Toyo Proxes that I then replaced with a Falken tire. As you can see, at 18K+ it is worn out but it has a nice, even wear pattern. Which means I had the entire tire tread in contact with the pavement at freeway speeds with 30-32 PSI.

I was concerened about weight also. But I should not have been. This Toyo weighed less brand new than my Kenda did when it was worn out!

So why does a better tire cost less? Because volume always costs less. The Kenda is only used by one vehicle in the entire world, a few thousand Spyders. This is Extremely small volume. How much competition is there? Really zero as there isn't anyone else making a similar, 2 ply tread tire.

How many Toyo, Falken, Michelin tires are sold each year? A few hundred million! How much competition is there? A lot! So these companies are continually upgrading and improving their tires while at the same time keeping prices as low as they can to compete.

So, this Toyo tire cost less, lasted longer, gave me a better traction footprint at speed, weighed less and had better wet/dry traction than the Kenda. And people still ask me why I'm running a car tire on my Spyder. The answer is, the stock tire is a car tire. I just put a BETTER car tire on for less money. I just cannot fathom what people see as the downside to this....

I realize that many dealers will not mount a non-Kenda tire and you can't blame them. If I were a dealer I wouldn't do it either. And if you call a tire shop and tell them you want a motorcycle tire mounted they will say no. But it isn't a motorcycle tire. It's a car tire on a car rim. They may not be able to balance it because it won't mount to their balance machine. But there are ways around this as well. The real kicker is for those who cannot dismount and mount their rear wheel. Then you have to take it to the dealer and you're usually then stuck with a Kenda.

I suppose it sounds like I'm trying to tell everyone to put a car tire on their Spyder, which really is not what I am trying to accomplish here. I just think the facts need to be laid out on the table in every choice situation so that people can make an informed decision without all the erroneous flack that seems to accompany these things.

The Kenda is a decent tire and was specifically designed for the Spyder. Just like the seat, the exhaust, the shocks, the sway bar, the headlights, and everything else that some of us decide to upgrade.

I completely agree with you, with one exception. That being the rear rim is a motorcycle rim design. Not the bead portion, but the hub and bearings with a cush drive is all straight off a motorcycle.

When I mounted my Falken car tire on the rear rim, I took it to my local indy motorcycle shop (with prior approval) and he mounted and balanced it with standard motorcycle tire equipment. If a motorcycle shop is capable of mounting the fatty tires found on the rear of some chopper type bikes, then they can easily mount and balance the Falken, Kuhmo, etc.

[ma and pa]

I'm picking my spyder up from the shop today for a rear tire. I only had 8500 miles on mine with 28 psi and I check my air pressure weekly.Cost of new tire with labor 233.75

[NancysToy]

I'm picking my spyder up from the shop today for a rear tire. I only had 8500 miles on mine with 28 psi and I check my air pressure weekly.Cost of new tire with labor 233.75

That is less than average tire mileage...but it is still better than anything I have ever gotten on my BMW, and the tire costs less than the BMW tire. Maybe we should count our blessings and compare to motorcycles, insteading of comparing to our cars.

[BajaRon]

I completely agree with you, with one exception. That being the rear rim is a motorcycle rim design. Not the bead portion, but the hub and bearings with a cush drive is all straight off a motorcycle.

When I mounted my Falken car tire on the rear rim, I took it to my local indy motorcycle shop (with prior approval) and he mounted and balanced it with standard motorcycle tire equipment. If a motorcycle shop is capable of mounting the fatty tires found on the rear of some chopper type bikes, then they can easily mount and balance the Falken, Kuhmo, etc.

You make a good point. The argument has been put forward that the bead/tire/rim contact area is not the same as a car because the Spyder is a motorcycle and therefore it is not a good idea to mount a 'Car' tire on the Spyder, which is not true.

But it is true that the mounting to swing arm and drive system are definitely motorcycle, which is why some car tire shops are reluctant to work on them. Because they can't balance it, they don't want to send it out of the shop that way.

Good point!

[MikeinGA]

It is normal for the Kenda tire. The ballooning problem gets worse as the tire wears. It is also worse at freeway speeds. Pressures within the recommended range seem to make little difference.

This is true and if the rear wheel is out of alignment the tire wil wear out quicker.

Mike

[r1100rider]

This is true and if the rear wheel is out of alignment the tire wil wear out quicker.

Mike

You can't be out very far because the belt tracking adjustment is the alignment

[Coyne Spyder]

Put bluntly, I don't believe it. I'd like to see some proof that this happened even one time. Warranty rumors are always rampant, but reality is quite a different thing. You'll get the same tripe about oil, filters, you name it. One thing is for sure, it keeps a lot of people coming back to the dealership for replacement parts. And for that, the rumors work like a charm.

Of course your Kenda rear tire wears out in the middle. It is simple physics. The OEM tire is 2 ply sidewall and 2 ply tread. On a tire this wide you have quite a tread span with not enough support. 2 plies are not strong enough to overcome both tire pressure and centrifugal force at speed. The center of the tire bulges out and you get center tire wear. You also have to realize that the wear area is all that is touching the pavement at freeway speeds.

The car tires I've been running (since my 1st Kenda wore out in the middle) have the same 2 ply sidewall, but 4 plies in the tread area. This is a picture of my Toyo Proxes that I then replaced with a Falken tire. As you can see, at 18K+ it is worn out but it has a nice, even wear pattern. Which means I had the entire tire tread in contact with the pavement at freeway speeds with 30-32 PSI.

I was concerened about weight also. But I should not have been. This Toyo weighed less brand new than my Kenda did when it was worn out!

So why does a better tire cost less? Because volume always costs less. The Kenda is only used by one vehicle in the entire world, a few thousand Spyders. This is Extremely small volume. How much competition is there? Really zero as there isn't anyone else making a similar, 2 ply tread tire.

How many Toyo, Falken, Michelin tires are sold each year? A few hundred million! How much competition is there? A lot! So these companies are continually upgrading and improving their tires while at the same time keeping prices as low as they can to compete.

So, this Toyo tire cost less, lasted longer, gave me a better traction footprint at speed, weighed less and had better wet/dry traction than the Kenda. And people still ask me why I'm running a car tire on my Spyder. The answer is, the stock tire is a car tire. I just put a BETTER car tire on for less money. I just cannot fathom what people see as the downside to this....

I realize that many dealers will not mount a non-Kenda tire and you can't blame them. If I were a dealer I wouldn't do it either. And if you call a tire shop and tell them you want a motorcycle tire mounted they will say no. But it isn't a motorcycle tire. It's a car tire on a car rim. They may not be able to balance it because it won't mount to their balance machine. But there are ways around this as well. The real kicker is for those who cannot dismount and mount their rear wheel. Then you have to take it to the dealer and you're usually then stuck with a Kenda.

I suppose it sounds like I'm trying to tell everyone to put a car tire on their Spyder, which really is not what I am trying to accomplish here. I just think the facts need to be laid out on the table in every choice situation so that people can make an informed decision without all the erroneous flack that seems to accompany these things.

The Kenda is a decent tire and was specifically designed for the Spyder. Just like the seat, the exhaust, the shocks, the sway bar, the headlights, and everything else that some of us decide to upgrade.

Have they changed the specs on the rear tire? I had mine replaced at Pitbull in May and it says tread 3 ply(1 ply polyester, 2 ply steel) sidewall 1 ply polyester.

[BajaRon]

Have they changed the specs on the rear tire? I had mine replaced at Pitbull in May and it says tread 3 ply(1 ply polyester, 2 ply steel) sidewall 1 ply polyester.

If that is the current spec. then yes, they have changed the design. Does anyone have this 'New' ply rated tire on their Spyder? How is it wearing?

[Flanker]

OVER INFLATED.....
drain some psi out'a that sucker....

Ditto! Don't be afraid to play with air pressure (within reason).

[jwmcclellan]

I have a 2012 RT Limited and keep the OEM rear tire at 28 psi. The salesman who sold it to me thought my rear tire was cupping (this was after 6k miles), but I couldn't see what he was talking about. The tire has 8000 miles on it now and the wear looks even to me.

[Flanker]

That is less than average tire mileage...but it is still better than anything I have ever gotten on my BMW, and the tire costs less than the BMW tire. Maybe we should count our blessings and compare to motorcycles, insteading of comparing to our cars.

I've got a nice flat wear pattern across my rear (and front) tire/s with 26 lbs in the R. It's obvious the center is wearing faster than the sides though, and I've been wondering about that. Thanks for the good "ply" explanations posted! Makes sense; I'd already decided when it comes time, I'll replace it with something other than the Kenda, and I haven't read anything here to make me change that opinion. NT is spot on about the motorcycle R tire mileage issue and cost factors. Same experience/s I've had over the years. I've gotten as few as 2000 miles out of a R tire (1980 GS1100 with a seriously stepped on motor, and my throttle wrist was much heavier than now). Dunlop, Bridgestone, Avon, or Continentals...................didn't make any difference; they're all more expensive than a replacement car tire for the Spyder.


This is an excellent example of a R tire that "could have" gone more than 2500 miles, but didn't (oddly enough). Hey! BRP! Now that I think about it........it's a darn shame we can't do this on our Spyders! What's up with that??!!

[rock]

hey cync that is what ours looked like at 26000 and i agree with you it was time for a change...yesterday we had a kuhmo asta installed and am very pleased with the tire..

[Greenhorse]

There seems to be some good suggestions on tire switching in this thread but it would help if the tire company and style along with size were mentioned. Also, are we talking about replacing all three to the same company and tread pattern? I too have to think about what to put on the back end. Just bought my spyder (used) in Utah and drove it home. Now have a little over 10,000 miles on it and see the center wear. I sure would love to know what other options are out there. New to spyders and the tires that go on it.

[KeithInAurora]

For those of you who have purchased new tires from online vendors, where did you get them mounted and balanced? In reading this and other threads, it sounds like the Can-Am Dealers won't want to mount any other tire than OEM Kenda's and the local Discount Tire or NTB may not be able to use their equipment to mount and balance the car tires on the Spyder rims. So for those of you who purchased Toyo's, Kumho's or Michelin's, who did the mounting and balancing for you?

[NancysToy]

For those of you who have purchased new tires from online vendors, where did you get them mounted and balanced? In reading this and other threads, it sounds like the Can-Am Dealers won't want to mount any other tire than OEM Kenda's and the local Discount Tire or NTB may not be able to use their equipment to mount and balance the car tires on the Spyder rims. So for those of you who purchased Toyo's, Kumho's or Michelin's, who did the mounting and balancing for you?

Ask around. Every dealer, tire dealer, or motorcycle shop is different.

[Just Doo Me]

Taking my wheel into Wilson tire shop[do all the local dealers spyder tires] to put a Falken ziex 912 on Friday. The oem tire I'm having replaced has 27500 km. is 3ply tread [1poly,2 steel] 1 ply sidewall.This will be the first car tire I will try. The original oem tire had 22500 km. BRP Dealers in Canada are now charging $199. for the Kenda plus tax and installation.The Falken will be $148. install,balanced.taxes and inviro. fee included.

[KX5062]

Local indy motorcycle shop did it with ease. No problem mounting or balancing. However, I did have prior approval and didn't just walk in cold.

[3Willie]

My OEM Kenda wore out at 12,000 miles so replaced with the same profile Kumho Ecsta. I now have about 3,000 miles on that tire and can not even tell it has been ran. The ride is better also and using 26 psi has been a good compromise for ride and tire recommendation. The Kenda did seem to stick to the road a little better especially when starting quickly or at a slightly wet spot where air conditioners had dripped at traffic lights. Really happy with the Kumho and expect to get much better tire wear.