Tire search - what is everyone going to these days?

[Jackhartjr]

My OEM Kenda rear tire has worn completely smooth in the center third, and very evenly across the tread surface.
I'm at a little over 11,000 miles.
All three OEM tires have a lot of balance weights added, but they do run very smooth, even at speeds over 100mph.

I have a Kumho Ecsta AST for the rear, but I'll probably go with the updated Kendas for the front, mainly for the weight savings.

Updated kendas, is that the same as old coke, new coke?
I'm trying to understand why anyone would trust a kenda anything! No disrespect intended sir!

 

[BajaRon]

The Kenda Kanine's are a better tire than the OEM Kenda which comes on the Spyder. Kenda built the OEM tires to BRP specs and price point. They built the Kaninies to their own specs. How much better is the question. We've found them to be round (novel concept for a tire) and requiring less weight to balance.

I've got one on the back of my 2008 GS and I like it. The jury is still out on wear as I've not been able to put enough miles on to know.

 

[Mikey]

Hello all! Its finally time for a new tire on the rear, ~15K mi on my 2018 RT (and it really was overdue)! Rhetorically, I find it interesting that the wear is so uneven across the tread. Hmmm!
View attachment 249685

After a thorough look at the options available I'm going with the latest General AltiMAX RT45.

View attachment 249686

The OEM fronts are not down to the wear indicators so I'm staying with those for now.
Not wanting to start another conversation here, but the only spec I have not seen comments on is the speed rating. The AltiMAX is T-rated and the Kenda (and some other "appropriate" car tires) are H-rated. The way I look at it, it doesn't really matter... who's going over 118MPH (T), let alone 130MPH (H) on their RT; this is a cruiser, not a race car! I'll post some more technical results (later) on the other "What Tires are on YOUR Spyder" thread. I also included below a tire size comparison (which has been discussed) that I found helpful in visualizing the difference between the OEM Kenda and my size choice.

View attachment 249687

Thanks to all for the many thoughts on tires that helped me come to this decision!

You will LOVE it!!

 

[doncanfix2]

Belt is running true and, she tracks dead straight, just a spent tire! Looking at the tire slowly rotating on my static balancer, yeah, significantly non-uniform all around!
And Cobranut reminds me of another aspect on tire changes, weights, and hence balancing. Weights-wise, my rear wheel had 25 gm (5x5gm) but is now (as measured) a minor amount out of balance; didn't notice at all in the ride. Also want to mention, my RT45 AltiMAX does not have the usual red and yellow index marks on the sidewall; these marks indicate alignment relative to the valve stem. In any event, I'll be stripping all weights and re-balancing.

 

[Peter Aawen]

... < snip> ... Also want to mention, my RT45 AltiMAX does not have the usual red and yellow index marks on the sidewall; these marks indicate alignment relative to the valve stem. ... < snip> ...

Those marks aren't mandatory, and on better quality tires like the AltiMax, while it's not all that common, it does happen that every now and then, the tire gods intervene/all the markers align and a really well made tire comes thru the manufacturing process without any significant high/low spots, light/heavy spots, or radial runout in the finished tire; so it's not completely unusual for there to be no marks. It basically just means that you've got a good tire, one that doesn't need any special orientation on the rim to minimise the impact of any of those shortfalls in its construction, cos whatever is there is too small/minor to have any impact &/or be varied whichever way it's oriented on the rim!

The tire guys for race teams go looking for these, or they take tires with the index marks and then treat/shave them to produce tires that are just as good.

 

[doncanfix2]

Those marks aren't mandatory, and on better quality tires like the AltiMax, while it's not all that common, it does happen that every now and then, the tire gods intervene/all the markers align and a really well made tire comes thru the manufacturing process without any significant high/low spots, light/heavy spots, or radial runout in the finished tire; so it's not completely unusual for there to be no marks. It basically just means that you've got a good tire, one that doesn't need any special orientation on the rim to minimise the impact of any of those shortfalls in its construction, cos whatever is there is too small/minor to have any impact &/or be varied whichever way it's oriented on the rim!

The tire guys for race teams go looking for these, or they take tires with the index marks and then treat/shave them to produce tires that are just as good.

Yes indeed! When inspecting my newest set of truck tires, Yokohama's (which has index marks), I took note of the interior construction before mounting. The belting overlapped at one point and that surely would contribute to a non-uniform weight (unbalance) of the tire; again, unlike better built tires that have no marks. Somewhat of a factor when I choose General over Yokohama for the RT! The RT45 looks well constructed inside and out! May your tires run true!

 

[Snoking1127]

Those marks aren't mandatory, and on better quality tires like the AltiMax, while it's not all that common, it does happen that every now and then, the tire gods intervene/all the markers align and a really well made tire comes thru the manufacturing process without any significant high/low spots, light/heavy spots, or radial runout in the finished tire; so it's not completely unusual for there to be no marks. It basically just means that you've got a good tire, one that doesn't need any special orientation on the rim to minimise the impact of any of those shortfalls in its construction, cos whatever is there is too small/minor to have any impact &/or be varied whichever way it's oriented on the rim!

The tire guys for race teams go looking for these, or they take tires with the index marks and then treat/shave them to produce tires that are just as good.

I have AltiMax rear tires on both 2018 Spyder RTs. Neither is balanced and they run nice and smooth, RT43 on Hooker and RT45 on Hookie. Both have Vredestein Quatrac on the front and they run smooth without balancing. I would not to put a Kenda bicycle/wheelbarrow/golf cart tire on anything I own.

 

[Mr. Bruce]

Hello all! Its finally time for a new tire on the rear, ~15K mi on my 2018 RT (and it really was overdue)! Rhetorically, I find it interesting that the wear is so uneven across the tread. Hmmm!
View attachment 249685

After a thorough look at the options available I'm going with the latest General AltiMAX RT45.

View attachment 249686

The OEM fronts are not down to the wear indicators so I'm staying with those for now.
Not wanting to start another conversation here, but the only spec I have not seen comments on is the speed rating. The AltiMAX is T-rated and the Kenda (and some other "appropriate" car tires) are H-rated. The way I look at it, it doesn't really matter... who's going over 118MPH (T), let alone 130MPH (H) on their RT; this is a cruiser, not a race car! I'll post some more technical results (later) on the other "What Tires are on YOUR Spyder" thread. I also included below a tire size comparison (which has been discussed) that I found helpful in visualizing the difference between the OEM Kenda and my size choice.

View attachment 249687

Thanks to all for the many thoughts on tires that helped me come to this decision!

That wear pattern is indicative of too much air pressure. It "ballooned" the middle. Forget the tire mfg recommendations. Your only 1/4th the weight of a car.

 

[Deanna777]

Belt is running true and, she tracks dead straight, just a spent tire! Looking at the tire slowly rotating on my static balancer, yeah, significantly non-uniform all around!
And Cobranut reminds me of another aspect on tire changes, weights, and hence balancing. Weights-wise, my rear wheel had 25 gm (5x5gm) but is now (as measured) a minor amount out of balance; didn't notice at all in the ride. Also want to mention, my RT45 AltiMAX does not have the usual red and yellow index marks on the sidewall; these marks indicate alignment relative to the valve stem. In any event, I'll be stripping all weights and re-balancing.

View attachment 249712

Hi doncanfix2,

Question about the RT 45 Altimax Tire, Does it the tire still have the " Replace Tire" inbedded into the tire( like the General Altimax tires)?

Deanna

 

[Peter Aawen]

That wear pattern is indicative of too much air pressure. It "ballooned" the middle. Forget the tire mfg recommendations. Your only 1/4th the weight of a car.

Actually, that wear pattern on a Kenda is NOT indicative of too much air pressure, it's the extremely lightweight construction of the tire and its width that causes the centre of the tread to balloon out as soon as they start rolling - they'll even do that with only 5 psi in them!! And yes, I have done that to confirm it still occurs - and I don't recommend it to anyone!

The Kendas, and all their clones, including the 'new' XPS tires (that are still basically just the same old construction Kendas, only with a different tread pattern! ) actually NEED those higher pressures in them to carry the load of a Spyder, even tho it's much less than that of a car.

I'd surmise that it may have even been a deliberate choice on BRP's behalf when specifying the tires - they likely directed Kenda to make them out of lightweight/less strong material so that they'd still NEED about the same pressure as most other car tires when run on cars, so that the Spyder owners, who can't possibly be smart enough to learn what is the best pressure for their Spyder's tires instead of their car's tires, won't hafta think too hard; and also, any 'straight off the street and basically unskilled' tire fitting tech won't need to do anything different to whatever they'd normally do when fitting any other car tire onto a rim, or think of putting any other pressure into them!!

There's really not much you can do to stop a Kenda/clone rear tire from wearing in the middle except maybe for riding so gently that it never rotates fast enough to throw that centre strip of tread out - they pretty much ALL wear out in the centre cos once you start going over about 30 mph, cos once they start spinning that fast, THAT'S BASICALLY ALL THE TREAD THAT'S TOUCHING THE ROAD SURFACE!!

However, the 'Lower pressure to avoid that tread wear pattern' thing certainly DOES come into play if you run a 'real' car tire on your Spyder, one that is manufactured well/strong enough to carry the weight of a car, ie. much more weight than a Spyder!! That's why you only need about 18 psi in just about any other 'real' car tire fitted to a Spyder - as you alluded in your post Mr Bruce, the stronger car tires just don't NEED that sort of pressure to carry the lighter weight of a Spyder, they're waaaayy more than strong enough to carry a Spyder with less pressure in them, hence the reason for running them at about 18 psi when fitted to a Spyder - anything much more is gross over-inflation!

 

[Cobranut]

My front Kenda Kanines came in yesterday.

One OEM tire had 1/4 oz of weight while the other had a full 4 oz. Both ran smooth.

The new Kanines look to be well made, and they feel pretty lightweight, which is a GOOD thing for a lightly loaded vehicle.
I removed the old weights and cleaned off the goo with Goo-Gone, (Wonderful stuff, btw). and I cut some old radiator hose to go over the clamps on my tire machine, to protect the powder coat on the wheels.
The new tires are mounted, but I ran into a snag when I tried to mount them on my balancer. The spring bottomed out before the wheel reached the flange. I ended up making a shorter centering cone and will get them balanced and back on the bike tomorrow.

I'm waiting to get a good smokey burnout video before I replace the OEM rear. Yeah, I'm still a teenager at heart.
I'm interested to see how true these run, and how much weight it takes to balance them.