Thanks Peter. I did notice that with the current Kenda tires, when my speedometer reads say 37, I'm actually going 35 (according to those speed signs they put up). Good to know it's the tire that is actually the issue. I can I could inflate it more and that would help. But I just wanted to know in case I decide a tire change is something I want to do. Those kenda's do run a bit on the hard side.
That would certainly help you wear out the OEM Kenda quicker, but probably wouldn't do much else that's good for you, the tire, or your safety! :lecturef_smilie:
As for the Kendas running 'a bit on the hard side', that's largely due to their relatively low profile & the amount of air/air pressure they contain - the tires themselves are a very lightly constructed & relatively soft car type tire that already has a marked tendency to 'throw' the middle of the tread out as they rotate because the tread plies aren't strong enough to hold it flat on the road surface! That's why the middle of their tread wears so quickly - not because of 'over-inflation', as that wear pattern would normally indicate on most other car tires, but rather because that's the only bit actually in contact with the road due to their light construction!! :yikes:
And
THAT's ^^ largely why running almost any other car tire in a size that safely fits on the rim & into the space available (at an appropriate lower pressure for the lighter load
). will give you such an improvement in ride, traction, handling, tread wear, et al - if you run a normal car tire, the stronger construction of that tire
WILL hold the entire width of the tread flatter on the road surface so that you actually have significantly more grip & surface area of tread on the road!! With the OEM Kendas, you might
think it's got a nice wide tire with lotsa grip & surface area on the road, but the reality is that once the tire starts rotating as you move, your only contact patch is about 2-3" wide & long in the middle of the tread, instead of the much longer & wider full tread width that'll be in contact when you run a proper car tire at an appropriate pressure for the Spyders' light load!
hyea:
It's due to this 'lightweight construction' they have that dropping the pressure you run in the OEM Kendas from that recommended by BRP is really not such a great idea - the Kendas
REALLY NEED the 'relatively high for the load' recommended pressures to
safely carry the load your Spyder imposes, cos the thickness of the 'rubber' and the material used in the threads, plies, & belts etc of the Kendas is that much smaller/lighter/thinner than that used in normal car tires. Dropping the Kendas pressure to minimise the 'centre of tread' wear pattern that's usually due to over-inflation won't work - in fact, not only is it reducing if not eliminating the safety of the tire, it's more likely to make that centre of tread wear pattern
even worse, cos with the OEM Kendas it's
not over-inflation causing them to wear out in the centre of the tread, it's their lightweight construction allowing that tread 'throw-out' & the width of the tire on the relatively narrow rim 'pinching' the centre of the tread up!
So
always run the Kendas at or near their recommended pressures in order to keep them (& you/other road users) safe & able to do their job to the best of their ability, but
don't run any a/mkt replacement car tires you might fit to your Spyder at pressures that high, most of them usually only need about 16-18psi to safely carry a loaded Spyder, optimise their contact patch, and still allow for enough flex & heat generation for them to reach their ideal operating temp! :lecturef_smilie:
