Hello fellow Spyder fans! I have had a 2013 Spyder RT Limited since August of last year, and have never posted anything to this web site until now. Prior to buying this machine, however, I did read many of the posts on this site. Because of that, I was prepared for many of this machine's short-comings. Short-comings like poor fuel economy, lack of extensive dealer network, somewhat difficult to work on, etc. I was prepared for those. After numerous test drives, I decided the pluses outweighed the negatives, and made the purchase. Nothing prepared me for the rear tire situation though. Maybe I didn't read enough posts after all?

Here's the thing: My new Spyder has not yet reached the 5,000 mile mark (due at least in part to the terrible winter Michigan had this year). And yet the center portion of the rear tire is already down to the wear bars. It looks as if it has been over-inflated the whole time (it has not been). A few days ago, I asked one of my "local" dealers (2 hour round trip) what they've been seeing for average rear tire life on Spyders. I was told about 7000 miles, and in a manner that implied it was normal, and acceptable. I would never expect a Spyder to get automotive type mileage from a tire, but 5 to 7 thousand miles? What's up with that? The 2009 Harley Ultra Classic I traded in was getting 17,000 miles on a rear tire (with their new dual-compound rubber design). If a Harley rear tire can do that with no adverse handling quirks, why shouldn't a Spyder rear tire be able to do at least that well?

BRP implies that something evil may happen if you do not replace the tire with their special design. I have read on this site that many of you out there have switched to an automotive tire. For those of you who have -- have you noticed any difference in handling, ride comfort, etc.? And, if any of you are privy to BRP engineering information relating to this topic (Lamonster?), can you explain why a Spyder rear tire would need a soft and sticky a rubber compound like a 2-wheeler? Please help me to understand.

I better not end on a sour note though. I do love this machine. It's not only a great ride, but my wife can drive it too. I look forward to hearing from ya'all.

Luchy13