Advise re; tire wear

[fulltimer]

I have 22,3xx miles on my '13 STL and still have the original front tires. They are getting ready to be replaced and the wear pattern has looked even and good for their entire life. I run the pressure at 17 PSI. I have a little over 12,000 miles on the rear and it seems to be wearing the center much quicker than the edges. I run 28 PSI in the rear. I am rather anal about tire pressure and check and keep them very close most of the time. The bike is bone stock in suspension with the exception of the Bajaron sway bar and links. We ride 2 up almost all the time.

I Have no complaints regarding the front but is this typical wear characteristics and mileage for the rear?

[Chupaca]

Well for most....ever watch a drag race..? the rail kind..? did you pay attention to those super wide rear tires..? you should, there is no better visual to demonstrate tire wear.... this is what my rear tire looks like at the wear limit at 20,000 miles... 20160324_085157.jpg

[ARtraveler]

On five different 's I have averaged 13K on each rear tire. Most of the fronts get 20K. My 2014 is up to 23K on the fronts.

I must use OEM Kendas as the dealer will not install any other brand.

I did have an issue with the rear OEM on the 2014. They changed rubber compounds and I only got 8,900 out of that one. The replacement lasted 11K. I am now on my third rear tire on the 2014.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

This info is Gospel .... any tire will give good mileage ( ON THE FRONT ) ( even crappy Kenda's ) if you have perfect ALIGNMENT ( ie Rolo/ Tru-Trac Lazer ) ...... The best ALL-around performing rear Tire has shown to be the General Altimax RT 43 in size 215 /60- 15....if you believe this great ....if not I wish you lots of luck with your choice ........Mike

[Larry rt]

Mike, 215/65/15 or 215/60/15 ?

[Peter Aawen]

.....I Have no complaints regarding the front but is this typical wear characteristics and mileage for the rear?

Certainly IS typical of the OE Tires!!

The Kenda tires are very lightly constructed relatively soft compound tires that need that 28 or so psi to carry the load our Spyders & their ryders place upon on them & to keep their heat build-up during use down to manageable levels so they don't wear out even quicker!!

Generally, wear in the centre of the tread like that occurs when a tire is run over-inflated, but with the Kenda tires pretty much regardless of what pressure you run in them, because the tires are so lightly made, the centre of the rear tire tread will balloon out in the middle as revs increase from idle, & that wear pattern results! The soft compound tread is necessary because the lightweight tire needs a fair bit of air in them (& therefore less heat build up to make the tread compound 'sticky') in order to provide any grip!! Yet they are still very easy to spin, even with the Nanny being as restrictive as she is!

That rapid tread wear & pattern is often one of the main reasons that many Spyder Ryders swap from the Kenda tires to more robustly constructed passenger car tires - then they find out how much better the ride, handling, & traction etc can be if you fit real tires onto your Spyder!! They're not usually just a bit better either, get the air pressures in them right & car tires can be magnitudes of order better in all respects!! They will need a tad less pressure in them to let the heat work the more robustly constructed tire & make the tread 'tacky' & grip better, but once they do get warm, they can stick like the proverbial to a blanket! However, if you run the same pressures in most car tires as you would in the Kenda tires, the traction will probably be disappointing, especially in the wet. Dropping them down to the low 20's will usually give much better traction & still provide significantly better tire life, as well as softening the ride a bit & improving the cornering grip, allowing you to ride closer & more predictably to the Nanny's limits.

So just about any car type tire in an appropriate size will be better than another Kenda anywhere on your Spyder, but the tires mentioned above for the rear have proven to do very well for most if not all ryders - try them, play with your tire pressures a bit to get them right, and experience how much better your Spyder can be given a reasonable tire!!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Mike, 215/65/15 or 215/60/15 ?

Thanks Larry, correction made ............ and it was supposed to be 215/60-15 ....... Mike

[fulltimer]

Thanks for the feedback.

Now, if I remember, last year there were several posts about tires and it seems that many of the dealers wouldn't mount anything but the OEM tire. And if I also remember, there were reports that Discount Tire would not sell the appropriate size tires if they knew they were to be used on motorcycles. Are any of you still running in to those issues? I will be wintering in Phoenix and will be using the local dealers there.

What brands make the size tires we need?

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Thanks for the feedback.

Now, if I remember, last year there were several posts about tires and it seems that many of the dealers wouldn't mount anything but the OEM tire. And if I also remember, there were reports that Discount Tire would not sell the appropriate size tires if they knew they were to be used on motorcycles. Are any of you still running in to those issues? I will be wintering in Phoenix and will be using the local dealers there.

What brands make the size tires we need?

I already addressed your rear tire ( Altimax ) which you could get in the 205/60-15 because it is slightly smaller and might fit better in your fender. Someone else can recommend front tires ...... As far as purchasing, because there isn't going to be ANY warranty available, to remove all hassles with questions - just buy them on E-bay ....... with FREE shipping option .... type in the EXACT tire ( & size ) you want and they get sent to your home....... If you can't find a co-operative dealer for mounting, any place that does CARS can do Spyder wheels ---- if you bring them in ..... they won't take them OFF ...... Mike

[PW2013STL]

I am currently running -
Front Kumho Solus KH 16 in 175/55R15 at 20#
Rear Michelin Premier A/S in 205/60R15 at 25# - Currently over 12,000 miles and wet weather handling is still fantastic (best of all)

This is the best combo that I have tried to date.

Previous
Front Kumho Solus KH 16 in 155/60R15 -better than stock, but not as good as the 175 size
Rear General Altimax RT43 in 215/60R15 - good but wet weather issues after 11,000 miles
Rear Kumho Ecsta AST in 225/50R15 - much better than stock and I had no issues fot 11,000 miles. Changed out to General at that time due to Alaska trip.

Not listing the stock tires as they are so bad that anything in a car tire is better!

PS - I Purchased the front tires at Tire Rack and the rear at Costco. I took the wheels to Costco and they changed them out and balanced them for $15.00 each.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I have seen many complaints about WET roads and Hydroplaning etc., especially with Car tires. If the rear tire pressure is lowered to 21 psi , the WET Grip of the tire will improve Greatly. ...........Mike

[PW2013STL]

I have seen many complaints about WET roads and Hydroplaning etc., especially with Car tires. If the rear tire pressure is lowered to 21 psi , the WET Grip of the tire will improve Greatly. ...........Mike

Mike,
No issues with the Michelin Premier A/S at 25#

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Mike,
No issues with the Michelin Premier A/S at 25#

I am sharing what I was taught by EXPERTS in " accident re-construction school " which gave me the Credentials to Testify in Court about matters related to accidents like - HYDROPLANING etc............. so when I give my opinion on the " TIRE " thing it's not S.W.A.G. .................. I'm glad you haven't had an issue, I love my Hydro-Edge ( at 21psi ), everyone has a reason for what they do...... I know EXACTLY why my PSI is 21 ..... I'm not dissing you, just explaining my reasoning ........ ..............Mike

[PW2013STL]

I am sharing what I was taught by EXPERTS in " accident re-construction school " which gave me the ability to Testify in Court about matters related to accidents like - HYDROPLANING etc............. so when I give my opinion on the " TIRE " thing it's not S.W.A.G. .................. I'm glad you haven't had an issue, I love my Hydro-Edge ( at 21psi ), everyone has a reason for what they do...... I know EXACTLY why my PSI is 21 ..... I'm not dissing you, just explaining my reasoning ........ ..............Mike

Thanks Mike!

[IGETAROUND]

If you want to order or buy in person @ discount tire tell them the tires are for a morgan kit car.

The above posts have you covered for make, model, size. Hope this all is helpful

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

If you want to order or buy in person @ discount tire tell them the tires are for a morgan kit car.

The above posts have you covered for make, model, size. Hope this all is helpful

Although I personally have NEVER had a problem using Discount Tire " DIRECT "( which is different )...... If you use E-bay ( Free shipping option ) usually the exact same tire is cheaper and ................YOU DON'T TALK TO ANYONE - EVER .........jmho........Mike

[palover]

I have 22,3xx miles on my '13 STL and still have the original front tires. They are getting ready to be replaced and the wear pattern has looked even and good for their entire life. I run the pressure at 17 PSI. I have a little over 12,000 miles on the rear and it seems to be wearing the center much quicker than the edges. I run 28 PSI in the rear. I am rather anal about tire pressure and check and keep them very close most of the time. The bike is bone stock in suspension with the exception of the Bajaron sway bar and links. We ride 2 up almost all the time.

I Have no complaints regarding the front but is this typical wear characteristics and mileage for the rear?

17 front and 25 rear

[fulltimer]

I see some of you running 205/60's and some 215/60's, The stock on mine is 225/50. Is it just brands that designate the 205-215 difference, or is there a difference in performance?

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I see some of you running 205/60's and some 215/60's, The stock on mine is 225/50. Is it just brands that designate the 205-215 difference, or is there a difference in performance?

To clarify - the 225/50-15 size is not common, at least not in well known quality Car tires.... So the 205 & 215 have been used as an alternative ,....... the 215/60 is the MAX , I would put even on an RT, it has to do with the aspect ratio and how close this will put the tire to the SWINGARM ....... I mentioned the 205 size to you because I believe the fender on the ST is a TIGHT fit for the 215/60 ( maybe someone with this combo can clarify for the OP )................. The performance difference because of size is NEGLIGIBLE ....what is important is how the tire rates based on testing...... The Altimax is excellent and the NEW Pirelli P4 all season PLUS is very, very close behind .......Read post #13....... Mike

[fulltimer]

Finally getting back to the tire issue. Rear is getting pretty bald in the center. I ordered the General Altimax in 205/60 on Ebay today and have found a small bike shop that does work on Spyders so when the tire comes in I will be good to go. Based on your general recommendations I think I will start at 22 PSI and see how that handles.

I can't believe the difference in cost of the tire and install. I am paying less than 1/2 of what I paid a dealer for a far less quality tire. Ouch. I don't begrudge the dealers, we need them there, but holy cow...........

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Finally getting back to the tire issue. Rear is getting pretty bald in the center. I ordered the General Altimax in 205/60 on Ebay today and have found a small bike shop that does work on Spyders so when the tire comes in I will be good to go. Based on your general recommendations I think I will start at 22 PSI and see how that handles.

I can't believe the difference in cost of the tire and install. I am paying less than 1/2 of what I paid a dealer for a far less quality tire. Ouch. I don't begrudge the dealers, we need them there, but holy cow...........

I think you were thanking me ???? if so I appreciate it ....... At any rate ... you will really like the Altimax, others here who have tried it have had good things to say ....... and YES that psi will be more effective in wet weather than a higher psi ..... also the tire will feel more comfortable ,........ Mike

[SPYD3R]

I TOOK DELIVERY OF 6 MICHELIN HYDROEDGE TIRES TODAY.... 215/60R15's....
1 for my SPYD3R, 1 for FISPYDER SPYD3R and 4 for my wifes Camry.... these tires were $65 + S&H... they have an 800 CTQG rating, and i hope to witness no less than 40,000 miles (if i keep my F3 that long)...
20170106_155807.jpg
the '60' series also correct the discrepancy between the speed-0 & your GPS...
right now i'm still running on the KUMHO in the rear, and still love that tire, but i can't find them anymore... the HYDROEDGE also has been discontinued, but still available... mine were shipped in from Massachusetts... and i'm still thrilled to the MAX on the HANKOOK's up front....
but hey, each to their own....
hope this helps somebody out there....
Dan P
Easley, SC
SPYD3R

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I TOOK DELIVERY OF 6 MICHELIN HYDROEDGE TIRES TODAY.... 215/60R15's....
1 for my SPYD3R, 1 for FISPYDER SPYD3R and 4 for my wifes Camry.... these tires were $65 + S&H... they have an 800 CTQG rating, and i hope to witness no less than 40,000 miles (if i keep my F3 that long)...
20170106_155807.jpg
the '60' series also correct the discrepancy between the speed-0 & your GPS...
right now i'm still running on the KUMHO in the rear, and still love that tire, but i can't find them anymore... the HYDROEDGE also has been discontinued, but still available... mine were shipped in from Massachusetts... and i'm still thrilled to the MAX on the HANKOOK's up front....
but hey, each to their own....
hope this helps somebody out there....
Dan P
Easley, SC
SPYD3R

​SO WHO DID YOU GET THEM FROM !!!!!!!!!!!.............THANK YOU - MIKE

[jcthorne]

Those Michelin HydroEdge tires have been out of production for a number of years. The tires you bought are already OLD. Tires only live 7 years. No matter if you use them or not. I would not go looking for old tires for my bike.

We sell, install and use on our own bikes the Yokohama S-Drive 205/55-15 its a near EXACT match in physical size to the OEM tire and MUCH better wet and dry road traction than the general use passenger car tires. The Yokos are high performance sports tires. These work very well on the Spyder. Yoko just released a tire that will fit the front as well so we are going to try a pair before recommending them. For the last couple years we have been recommending and installing the Continental ContiProContact for the front. Far better than the Kenda but we have high hopes for the Yoko performance tires up front.

[SPYD3R]

​SO WHO DID YOU GET THEM FROM !!!!!!!!!!!.............THANK YOU - MIKE

BROWN'S TIRE & MUFFLER
GREENVILLE, SC

he searched his 'tire website' and found a bunch in Taunton, Massachusetts... i have no idea of the warehouse name....
Dan