Apologies to others that have posted about poor wet handling

[lonestar2112]

Being out west I have not ridden in much wet weather with the RTL. Today was different. Thunderstorms, rain pouring down, hail the whole works. I am on OEM Kendas, to say they were quirky would be an understatement. I found if I got on the gas the rear tire spun. As I negotiated corners I felt unstable at best. I was soaked but I was glad that the rain stopped, it was not a pleasant ride. I am cheap and want to wait until Kendas are done, but I do not know. I may just toss the tires!

My apologies are for thinking that the people that complained about wet performance were "Nellies" and just whining. Nope, I get it.

I have a Baja Ron antisway bar, other than that my Spyder is stock.

 

[dginoregon]

I ride in the rain a lot here in Oregon and haven't had any issues (street and highway)? I'm on standard kenda's and no special equipment, totally stock set up. I can only remember one time that the rear tire let loose at all and that was accelerating from a stop and turning left.

 

[askitee]

Hi Lonestar,

Yes the Kendas can be a handfull in the wet, and I prefer a bigger margin for those unexpected events in the wet. I moved to an Arachnid and now have a Nankang - it really is chalk and cheese.

Because we are in drought here rain is rare, but if we return to normal conditions before my two front Kenda's wear out, they'll be heading for the waste disposal before you can Spell Kenda backwards

 

[Spyderlass]

Being out west I have not ridden in much wet weather with the RTL. Today was different. Thunderstorms, rain pouring down, hail the whole works. I am on OEM Kendas, to say they were quirky would be an understatement. I found if I got on the gas the rear tire spun. As I negotiated corners I felt unstable at best. I was soaked but I was glad that the rain stopped, it was not a pleasant ride. I am cheap and want to wait until Kendas are done, but I do not know. I may just toss the tires!

My apologies are for thinking that the people that complained about wet performance were "Nellies" and just whining. Nope, I get it.

I have a Baja Ron antisway bar, other than that my Spyder is stock.

You do realise that although a sway bar keeps your Spyder more level, it transfers load from the inside tyre to the one on the outside of a curve, don't you?

 

[C. Lee]

All of these types of things are subjective, I ride in rainy weather frequently because I live in Ohio and I have felt the stock tires to be adequate. I have never felt out of control or unstable but obviously that is just me. I slow down when it's raining and don't expect things to be the same as when they are wet. In fact, I find riding in the rain pretty enjoyable. Be safe when riding in the rain and make sure you son't out ride your trike or your abilities. Chris

 

[billybovine]

The Kenda rear tire is not that bad in the wet. If you have a problem with it. Then try a kumho ecsta tire. It's far worse.

 

[Jetfixer]

All of these types of things are subjective, I ride in rainy weather frequently because I live in Ohio and I have felt the stock tires to be adequate. I have never felt out of control or unstable but obviously that is just me. I slow down when it's raining and don't expect things to be the same as when they are wet. In fact, I find riding in the rain pretty enjoyable. Be safe when riding in the rain and make sure you son't out ride your trike or your abilities. Chris

Couldn't agree more, Chris. The stock tires were adequate, but better tires take these machines to another level!

 

[ARtraveler]

If you are spinning the rear tire on the wet pavement...you are probably going to fast for the conditions. The only thing you missed (as in did not mention), was hydroplaning. That too, will happen with speed (over 50) and a couple inches of water.

I have used Kendas for the first 150,000 miles of my Spyder experience and have NOT had any issues with them, wet or dry conditions. I am now using "other" tires because they are now available to me in AR.

I would not worry about changing brands for now. Just slow down a bit for the conditions. I would not ride in hail either.

 

[Lew L]

Being out west I have not ridden in much wet weather with the RTL. Today was different. Thunderstorms, rain pouring down, hail the whole works. I am on OEM Kendas, to say they were quirky would be an understatement. I found if I got on the gas the rear tire spun. As I negotiated corners I felt unstable at best. I was soaked but I was glad that the rain stopped, it was not a pleasant ride. I am cheap and want to wait until Kendas are done, but I do not know. I may just toss the tires!

My apologies are for thinking that the people that complained about wet performance were "Nellies" and just whining. Nope, I get it.

I have a Baja Ron antisway bar, other than that my Spyder is stock.

Good morning Lonestar,

We just went through the SAME rain/lightning storm you did. 1/4 " of rain in less than 15 min. Serious rain for the desert------- but------ if it's the first heavy rain in a while, the oil dripped from cars and trucks floats up and makes for a very slippery ryde on 2,3,or 4 wheels.

Off topic--------- Are you going to the NorCal rally next week???? If so, PM me to caravan to the event.
Lew L

 

[Mikey]

Ride the conditions, if it's raining slow down, if it's snowing or hail, slow down, it's not a road race, there's no winners out there just dumb dead ones!

 

[Chupaca]

Depends...

I find that all tires have a tendency to not work well in the rain until the roads are wet enough for run off. Glad you made it through without a problem and there is now enough data in the tire threads to help you choose other tires and gain your confidence back. Any tire I have used will spin out wet or dry if I get on it more so wet so don't let that weigh to heavy on your decision...:thumbup:

 

[SuperG]

I ridden several hundred miles in the rain on my stock kenda's and found them to be just fine. There's nothing dodgy about them.

 

[askitee]

SuperG, you may just be the 1st person I have seen state that

 

[SuperG]

SuperG, you may just be the 1st person I have seen state that

Heh, I take into consideration what others here post, so I'm well aware of what I could "possibly" expect in performance from my spyder. It's just that I'm personally not seeing those negatives. That's why I pipe up from time to time. I'm just short of 7K on the spyder, and other than an OEM hitch, it's bone stock. Could probably use a stiffer sway bar when 2-up, but when solo, no.

 

[lonestar2112]

I have ridden a bunch n the rain on other vehicles, both 2 and 4 wheels. Nothing I rode in seemed as unsettles as the Spyder did.

Lew, I am in school to get a CDL A long story why but all September I will be in North Reno!

 

[Kiry]

I've done two big rides with my ride, one last year and one this year....of course during both I rode in a storm. (can't avoid it sometimes!) Pavement conditions are a huge factor for sure. The WA/OR ride was fine in the rain, in fact, I was more dismayed over the water going up my seat from the splashup then the handling by far. The MT ride was a little tougher, only because the road from time to time was uneven, and had more curves.

I tend to be a more cautious rider in questionable conditions. So there is that as well.

 

[ARtraveler]

SuperG, you may just be the 1st person I have seen state that

In case you missed it:

I have over 150,000 miles on Kendas. Came from AK where my dealer would ONLY put Kendas on Spyders. IMO...they are not perfect, but they were fine for me. Over five different Spyders, I consistently got 20K miles on the fronts, and up to 15K on the rear tires. The ONLY exception was 2014 and the "soft" rubber compound. I got 8,900K on that rear tire. Every one of my five Spyders got at least one set of replacement tires. I am still driving two of them.

 

[Lew L]

I have ridden a bunch n the rain on other vehicles, both 2 and 4 wheels. Nothing I rode in seemed as unsettles as the Spyder did.

Lew, I am in school to get a CDL A long story why but all September I will be in North Reno!

Well, PM me and we'll get together for coffee. I'm in South Reno---- a whole different city.