Front Tires

[txknight67]

I'll admit it up front, I'm being lazy. I remember a thread discussing this, but don't want to go look it up.

My front end alignment is not right (going to be taken care of when the DPS gets changed this weekend) which caused my right front tire to wear out prematurely.

So, I got to looking on Tire Rack the other night and noticed that the overall diameter of the OEM 165/65R14 tire is 22.5" but costs $70 or $77 a piece and only has two choices. (@ TireRack anyway) So after some searching I found that the 185/60R14 has an overall diameter of 22.7", costs anywhere from $46-$98 (w/one $124 option, a DOT track&competition), and has 26 choices.

So my question is, has anyone tried a 185 width tire? Does it fit under the fender? I don't want to go the fenderless route because I don't like that look for my bike and riding without fenders in inclement weather would be "interesting" to say the least. I've passed big rigs running naked and seen the rear tires throw water up past the top of the sleeper.:yikes:

 

[j45p3r]

Post number 16 in this thread.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16040&highlight=front+tire

 

[txknight67]

Post number 16 in this thread.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16040&highlight=front+tire

Thanks!

Yep, that was the thread I was remembering. Post 23 has a good photo of the 185.

 

[Firefly]

OEM tires can be bought for $60 each online from various Spyder dealers......

 

[txknight67]

OEM tires can be bought for $60 each online from various Spyder dealers......

The tires I am looking at are $53 and have the benefits that were discussed in the other thread. I'll try and keep ya'll posted on my observations after I get them swapped out.

 

[bone crusher]

OEM tires can be bought for $60 each online from various Spyder dealers......

I'll stick with OEM...call me old-fashioned, but the bike was crafted and tested with these tires...the limits of what the bike can handle were determined with the OEM tires...for those who try other tires for harder/softer rubber, more width, sidewall softness/hardness, etc...one cannot knock the OEM tire if the air pressures are correct...it's made for the bike to maximize its potential.

If you look at better made cars, the same is true as well. My Lexus came with really nice, expensive tires (they were Michelin or Good Year...can't remember)...I replaced them with a different tire that was a little cheaper but had better ratings and reviews...the vehicle runs great, but they're not as quiet as the OEM tires...as far as what I gained, I do not know...not a huge difference...

Three things you shouldn't mess with are brakes, steering, and tires. Being the Spyder already has steering issues for many, knowing the capability of the brakes and tires is quite important...thinking you have done better and being wrong could lead to a big mistake.

 

[altonk]

Cornering ability is all about the tires the bigger, stickier contact patch you put under the vehicle the better the handling. racers don't put those wide sticky tires on their cars for looks.

I put 225/45 r 15 all the way around and it handles like a different machine. Of course you need to put the stiffer sway bar and Penske or Elka shocks on it to keep them on the ground. With the front fenders off in the wet you do get a nice muddy shower but i just clean the leathers more often.

The big issue with more contact patch is that it tends to let go more abruptly and you need to find the limits of adhesion and not push beyond it.

the nanny still works it mainly kicks in when you do stuff you shouldn't with any tires like accelerating while turning in but you can still three wheel drift out of the corners with no complaints

 

[txknight67]

I'll stick with OEM...call me old-fashioned, but the bike was crafted and tested with these tires...the limits of what the bike can handle were determined with the OEM tires...for those who try other tires for harder/softer rubber, more width, sidewall softness/hardness, etc...one cannot knock the OEM tire if the air pressures are correct...it's made for the bike to maximize its potential.

If you look at better made cars, the same is true as well. My Lexus came with really nice, expensive tires (they were Michelin or Good Year...can't remember)...I replaced them with a different tire that was a little cheaper but had better ratings and reviews...the vehicle runs great, but they're not as quiet as the OEM tires...as far as what I gained, I do not know...not a huge difference...

Three things you shouldn't mess with are brakes, steering, and tires. Being the Spyder already has steering issues for many, knowing the capability of the brakes and tires is quite important...thinking you have done better and being wrong could lead to a big mistake.

Tires can change the handling of any vehicle, and every manufacturer chooses tires based on many factors. But ones choice in tires depends on what one is looking for, which may not be what the manufacturer was looking for when choosing that particular tire. What is more important to you, ride, handling, noise, traction (wet/dry/snow/mud), etc? Myself, I am willing to pay more to get better handling and better traction. If it hardens up the ride and/or is noisier, that is acceptable to me. If I don't gain anything in handling and traction yet it is harder and noisier, I won't buy those tires again.

Every time I get a new set of tires, I start out easy on them to get the feel of them, then get successively more aggressive on them until I find their limits. I pick the time and the place to do that too so that if I lose it, I am the only one to pay the price should the exceeding of those limits also exceed my driving abilities. So far it has not.

Car&Driver has done several tests through the years where they take a vehicle and get full sets of the different tires available and run that vehicle through their battery of performance tests with each set of tires. The differences are quite dramatic, but at the end of the article they always point out what I just said above, it depends on what you want.

But, I am beating a dead horse here. I know I won't change anyone's mind on what they wish to do with their vehicle or what they are comfortable with. However, I will always be one of the ones out on the ragged edge trying different things to see what happens. Just who I am.

 

[txknight67]

Cornering ability is all about the tires the bigger, stickier contact patch you put under the vehicle the better the handling. racers don't put those wide sticky tires on their cars for looks.

I put 225/45 r 15 all the way around and it handles like a different machine. Of course you need to put the stiffer sway bar and Penske or Elka shocks on it to keep them on the ground. With the front fenders off in the wet you do get a nice muddy shower but i just clean the leathers more often. Yeah, but I'm riding to work. Also I just don't like the fenderless look for my bike. If you like it kewl.:2thumbs:

The big issue with more contact patch is that it tends to let go more abruptly and you need to find the limits of adhesion and not push beyond it. This also tends to depend on the tire and the tread compound. I have had the same size tires, same vehicle, same set up and one brand/model tire will just let go with no warning, the other will let go in a nice predictable manner. I have noticed this with two different vehicles.

the nanny still works it mainly kicks in when you do stuff you shouldn't with any tires like accelerating while turning in but you can still three wheel drift out of the corners with no complaints That is a blast isn't it?

tk

 

[altonk]

I raced karts for 10 years and this is the closest thing to that experience that is road legal. Now that i've got the suspension and tires worked out it's time to go looking for 50-60 more horses. Ken from evoluizone says he has the pistions heads and cams to hook me up

 

[altonk]

i ride to work too but change when i get there

 

[altonk]

there are some pictures of the wide fronts in this thread

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16684

 

[txknight67]

there are some pictures of the wide fronts in this thread

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16684

From straight on looks like an Indy car.:2thumbs:

Like that tire size, but I think I would have to see if I could get a set of Prowler fenders to fit or something.hyea:

 

[txknight67]

i ride to work too but change when i get there

Guess I'm lazy. Don't want to deal with the hassle of that. I did for the first week I had my bike until my leathers came in, haven't bothered since. I wore jeans while riding, then had to change to slacks for work. Now I just put on work clothes and put the leathers on over.

 

[Firefly]

I raced karts for 10 years and this is the closest thing to that experience that is road legal. Now that i've got the suspension and tires worked out it's time to go looking for 50-60 more horses. Ken from evoluizone says he has the pistions heads and cams to hook me up

I contacted Ken a few weeks ago and he said he's not doing the pistons and cams anymore... Might want to look into the turbo kit.

-----------------

 

[altonk]

same here leathers over work clothes but the leathers get a little nasty when it rains

 

[Firefly]

Cornering ability is all about the tires the bigger, stickier contact patch you put under the vehicle the better the handling. racers don't put those wide sticky tires on their cars for looks.

I put 225/45 r 15 all the way around and it handles like a different machine. Of course you need to put the stiffer sway bar and Penske or Elka shocks on it to keep them on the ground. With the front fenders off in the wet you do get a nice muddy shower but i just clean the leathers more often.

The big issue with more contact patch is that it tends to let go more abruptly and you need to find the limits of adhesion and not push beyond it.

the nanny still works it mainly kicks in when you do stuff you shouldn't with any tires like accelerating while turning in but you can still three wheel drift out of the corners with no complaints

And thus the reason I won't mess with it. The Spyder can hydroplane pretty bad as it is--- can't imagine how bad it would be with a larger contact patch.

 

[altonk]

that sux i talked to him in november and he said he still sold them

i really like the sound of a high compression normally aspirated engine

but if a turbo is the only way so be it.

 

[altonk]

i just don't drink as much monster when it rains :roflblack:

so far the wide tires handle pretty predictably and don't hydroplane that bad
my bigger issue has been the oversteer. Largely due to the hard kenda rear. The larger relative diameter on the front puts some more weight to the back and i lowered the ride height on rear Penske shock and it is handling a lot more neutral now

of course neutral means they all three let go at the same time hyea: