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FEDERAL EVO 595 TIRES

JKMSPYDER

JKMSPYDER

Active member
I was wondering if anyone could comment about the Federal Evo 595 tires for the front tires on the Spyder. I currently have 23,000 miles on my OEM Kendas with no problems and should be able to get another 5000 miles out of them. But I have read some disturbing posts regarding defective Kenda tires that needed to be replaced due to balance issues, uneven wear, etc. If I replace with Kendas again I don't know if I will be happy or will be unlucky and get some defective tires? My dealer has no problems with installing aftermarket tires.
 
Car tires are usually much more cheaper, durable and longer lasting than Kenda, but you seem to be doing great with them. Car tires are excess of what the Spyder needs compared to the weight and forces a car has, you may not even notice a flat or low pressure. Just beware of getting to cheap/hard compound of a tire, it could be much more difficult to stop as quickly and the ABS will be quite busy. Falken was the brand I used up front, they have had some track and twisty time, look untouched and stick great.
 
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Since Federal and Kenda are the only available replacements for the 15" fronts we installed a pair of the Federals on Louise RT. She now has a few thousand miles on them and they ride smooth and balanced with very little weight when installed. I was not keen on the chinese Federal brand but they were a significant step up from the crappy Kendas.

Her OEM Kendas were separating and would no longer balance at 8000 miles. I was not interested in a repeat performance.

I do wish there was a top tier tire available for the 15" front size but guess its too small a market.
 
if you are a gambling man.... use the OEM's again... maybe you will be lucky again... maybe NOT.... Kenda's have a reputation for being crappy...

osm
 
I had over 43000 miles on my 2012 front OEM Kenda tires so was pretty pleased with them. However, less than 8000 miles on my 2014 RTL resulted in both front tires looking like they belonged in a junk yard. My dealer replaced them with Federal EVOS and I have 28000+ on them now with very little sign of wear.. Pretty certain I will get over 40000 plus I am extremely pleased with handling and traction.
 
BikerDoc said:
I had over 43000 miles on my 2012 front OEM Kenda tires so was pretty pleased with them. However, less than 8000 miles on my 2014 RTL resulted in both front tires looking like they belonged in a junk yard. My dealer replaced them with Federal EVOS and I have 28000+ on them now with very little sign of wear.. Pretty certain I will get over 40000 plus I am extremely pleased with handling and traction.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear this as my front tires look like crap and the right front has a broken belt.
I have found a good deal on a pair of Federal EVOS and will pull the trigger asap and
put them on. I have 16,000 miles on them and they still have lots of tread but they are
cupped and make the bike shake a little. I just had the laser aglinment done so I should
be all set. Thanks for your info.
Toby
 
There are a few that are using the Federals, they seem to like them. I researched them heavily and decided against them, as they are primarily a "drifter" tire and many users reported terrible wet traction. I personally do not like the characteristics of a "drifter" tire on the front of my Spyders. Intentionally breaking traction is not what I want.

So, I instead chose to try the Kumho Solus KH 16. Not available in the OEM 165/55-15 size, but available in the 155/60-15 and 175/55-15 sizes, being very very close in diameter and only -10 mm or +10 mm in width, very negligible. So far I am impressed with how they have been performing and wearing, not exactly the performance tire I was looking for but they are round and balance well, unlike the many sets of Kendas I had that were terribly out of round and unable to balance. Yes, the 4-ply tires are a tad stiffer but I like my Spyder to corner flat, not wallow like a boat. yes I have Baja Rons sway bar as well, and Fox shocks on my ST-S with the Kumhos. Funny thing is I will not run the Kumho ECSTA tires on the rear any more, not good enough.

So I have not tried the Federals up front, some have, if you do some research on them you might be scared to use them, I was. Drifter tire. Please be careful.
 
Sled (Or should it be: "Mr Master"?),

Since I'm completely unfamiliar with what a drifter tire is; can you explain (to a complete moron :shocked:), how they can design a tire to break loose like that at it's limits, and what are the chances of a low-performance rider ever finding that limit? :dontknow:
Thanks ;)

Oh! I also have a question about the Spyder's belt drive for you: I'll PM you with it...
 
SpyderAnn01 said:
I got almost 30,000 on my last set of Federal Evo's and so I put them on again.
Click to expand...
Ann,
I know that you're not a rider who babies their mount... :clap: Did you EVER feel as if you were coming up against the limits of the tire?
On my 2010; as the front tires got up to 17,000 miles or so; I could notice a bit of unsteadiness in the really fun corners... nojoke
 
Federal 595 tires

I have these Federal tires on the front of my 2014 RTS for several thousand miles and I'm VERY HAPPY with them...

Tread wear is 260, Temperature is A, Traction is A, (which is next to the BEST rating for straight- line wet road traction...

No where on the tire does it have a "special purpose rating"...I suppose anyone can use any tire for anything they wish...

They are far superior to my "cupping Kendas"

larryd
 
Federal Evo's

larryd said:
I have these Federal tires on the front of my 2014 RTS for several thousand miles and I'm VERY HAPPY with them...

Tread wear is 260, Temperature is A, Traction is A, (which is next to the BEST rating for straight- line wet road traction...

No where on the tire does it have a "special purpose rating"...I suppose anyone can use any tire for anything they wish...

They are far superior to my "cupping Kendas"

larryd
Click to expand...

So have you done much rain riding, stopping etc. ratings can be decieving, actual road usage is what tells the tale. Reports I read said they were great on dry, but terrible on wet roads.
 
The only drifting I do...

...is off to sleep! :thumbup:

Ann and Doc have probably 60,000 combined miles on these tires...
How about it: what is their "wet conditions" performance like? :dontknow:
 
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