Had my local tire dealer install my new Continental "pro-contacts" (155/60R15) yesterday. Cost me $38.00 for the two. Took the wheels in and they removed the original Kendas, which had 18,000 miles on them, and mounted & balanced the two new ones and did not even ask me what they were off of. Still cold here in Wisc. but I did the caulk test and set them at 18psi., and appears the full width of the tread is meeting the road. Hope riding season starts up soon, we need a couple of heavy rains to get the salt and sand off the roadways around here. Mac:doorag:
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FRONT TIRES FINALLY REPLACED
- Thread starter Mad Mac
- Start date
BigGuy66
Member
I am not familiar with the "caulk test." Can you help me know what that is? Still cold here in Northern Indiana - c'mon summer! Thanks - Jim
Well I will explain how "I" do my tires on my 4 wheeled vehicles, since I'm sure to get criticized in some way or form. But here goes. I take a piece of chalk and mark a line across (horizontally) the tread of one tire (front and rear of a car/truck, 1 front tire of a Spyder in this case and if I change the rear tire, I'll mark that one when appropriate). Then I roll the vehicle fwd or back, your choice, to make sure the chalk mark gets rubbed off, if it only rubs off in the center, lower the press., if just on the outer edges, increase press. Do it until the complete chalk mark get rubbed off and you should be good. Of course as you ride, temperature, altitude, road surface temp., blah, blah, blah, is going to increase the tire pressures. I've used this technique for all my oversized tires on 4x4 vehicles, my wife's cars, and I have gotten considerable wear/mileage out of my expensive tires and since I'm cheap, I try to get the most for my buck. Good luck and I hope this makes sense. Mac:doorag:
ThreeWheels
Active member
I think he means "chalk", instead of caulk. Mark the tread of the tire with chalk, and then ride around for a few minutes. If the tires are properly inflated, the chalk mark will wear evenly. If it wears in the center and not the sides, the tires are overinflated, if it wears on the sides and not the center, the tires are underinflated.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong. If I am, I'm sure someone here will let me know about it.
You are absolutely correct. Must have been "auto correct" and I did not catch the "caulk" thing.Thanks for simplifying my lengthy post, Three Wheels! Mac:doorag:
ARtraveler
R.I.P. Dwayne
Thank you for posting the info. :yes::yes:
You're very welcome! Mac:doorag:
I was dealing with Discount Tire Direct, and they did not have the stock tire size for the fronts in the Conti's. I bought a rear Yokohoma and the two Conti's and man did I have quite the time convincing the person on the other end of the phone about why I was buying miss-matched tires! I think it went like this, I needed the Yokohoma for my son's Monte Carlo and the Conti's for a trailer. I read on S-L's, that somebody had installed the 155/60R15 size on the front of their '14 Spyder, and were happy with them. So at the time it was all I could get from them. After the install I did notice they are about a half inch narrower. Heck it might make it more "responsive" in the turns! Mac:doorag:
Deanna777
Well-known member
I am also running the Continental Contiprocontact's (165/60 R15) on my 2014RTS-SE6.
The dealership replaced the ( Kendas) @ 12,807 miles these were changed 2 years ago. The Continental's run great in the rain, no problems, matter a fact the day the I had the new tires put on it was raining. The tires push's away the rain on the road, and the spyder handles fantastic. Also I have 9,259 miles on the front tires. I am the fronts @ 19PSI.
Total miles on spyder is 22,066.
Deanna
Deanna777
Well-known member
Dan P
I am running 165/60R15 on my 2014RTS-SE6. I could not run 175 (wider) tires on my spyder, the screws on the fenders would have cut into the side of the tires, so I went with the 165/60 R15 on the fronts.
Deanna
canamjhb
Well-known member
I am running 175s on my 2014 RTL. I was concerned about the fender bolts rubbing too so I just took them out, one by one, and snipped a 1/4 inch off each one with a bolt cutter. They are unnecessarily too long for some reason. No rubbing issues.....
Deanna777
Well-known member
To each his own. Do what you have to do to make it work.
Deanna
From what I read on the tire description, the Conti's were rated highly for wet weather traction and that is the reason why I decided to give them a try. I thought going with the narrower ratio would be better than the 175's, so I wouldn't have to do any fender mods and the 160/170's weren't available at the time of purchase. I bought all three tires at the same time and only installed the Yokohoma on the rear, due to the Kenda being wore out at 8,000 miles. I've had the Conti's in the corner of my shop for two years waiting for the fronts to wear out. also my Rt. front Kenda had a blemish on the sidewall that made the tire unbalanced and gave me a vibration in the handlebar and I could not get my dealer to replace it. So I am looking forward to a "smoother" riding experience from the Conti's. I also figure with the narrower front tires at 18PSI, I should have less hydroplaning due to a bit more contact pressure on the road surface. I guess we'll see. Mac:doorag:
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Deanna777
Well-known member
Mac, Before I went with the Conti's on the fronts, ( the right front Kenda tire I had a slight vibration, only when I applied the brakes, and it had 5 weights on the it). After I replaced the front tires to my current tires I didn't have any vibrations. Deanna
The Rt. had a "bump" on it. As you rode the bike at speed, you could look down at the inside of the wheel and it would run true, but when you looked at the inside of the tire on the sidewall, you could see a defect which would cause a "shake or buzz" in the handle bars. I took it to my purchasing dealer and the tech rode it and said " I don't see or feel anything", and that was that. It wasn't terrible but was annoying and I knew it was there. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm looking forward to no shake in the bars. Since I've installed the new tires and Lamonster's NBV brackets & pegs, it will be like riding a new machine! Mac:doorag:
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