Tire update. Just for info, not starting a discussion or argument.

[RICZ]

215 on the rear doesn't get it too close to the belt?

 

[Peter Aawen]

215 on the rear doesn't get it too close to the belt?

There's usually MORE space between the belt & the tire with most 215's vs the 225 OE Spec tire; admittedly it's only going to be about 5mm per side or thereabouts, but it's still more! :thumbup:

The increase to a 60 profile vs the OE Spec 55 profile usually makes up for the difference in nominal tire width, & on many 215/60's is just enough 'extra' sidewall height to increase the rolling diameter enough to make the speedo almost correct instead of reading something closer to 10% optimisticly!

So what's to lose; a better range of tires in that size, better belt clearance, speedo & odo/trip meters closer to correct, more sidewall height to better absorb road shocks from pot-holes etc pounding your tail-bone, usually better tire life fm the taller tire too, and then they are invariably cheaper than the OE Spec tires too! hyea:

 

[RICZ]

My mistake Peter. I was thinking 205 was the OEM width. I'm in the learning process here.

 

[dcarver]

I agree Kendas are a very bad choice. Change oil and change tires. Totally unaceppetable on any other vehicles. Running KUMHO directional on back . can am dealer will not help you in my neck of the woods KC MO. Go to where they sell sling shots have equipment and know how. I took new kumho tire and bike. they changed balanced installed rear wheel $150. US Very pleased ran great to Spyder fest in all weather. Can Am wants to sell tires is what I think. What a money maker for them. What a POS product for life depending and we have no spares. Safe riding everyone see you at the next rally.

 

[Jimboregon]

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I am looking for a tire for the rear ,be nice to know what size people are using .And why the change in size .

I bought a Federal Formoza FD2, 215/60R15 94V from my local Les Schwab tire store. They were even able to mount it for me. (A fellow biker friend who was willing to give it a try.) The reason why I changed was the higher mileage I expect from the standard tire. I notice no change in handling.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

These are the tire sizes. Sorry for any confusion.

Kumho Solus KH16 Front Tires 175/55/15. These tires seem about an inch wider than the OEM Kendas. The Kendas had started to cup.
Cooper Mastercraft LSR Grand Touring rear 215/60/15. This replaces a Kumho Ecsta I had tat was wearing out.

If I remember, I'll post back in about a month with more impressions.

One inch = 25.4 mm ….. so actually less than 1/2 inch …………...just for info purposes …. not a DISS …. Mike hyea:

 

[SpyderAnn01]

How about coming back and posting when you have some real time on those tires. 90 miles is not enough to know.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I for one, appreciate it when those who ditched their Kendas for another tire give us their impressions. Its obvious that the Kendas are problematic, to say the least and I wonder what possess BRP to continue using them. Two brands top the list of replacement car tires and some day, I will be making my choice, so post on all you who have made the switch and I will gladly read your comments.

" Money "

 

[RICZ]

Jimboregon......Is that a tire and size the Les Schwab normally stocks?

 

[Mazo EMS2]

How about coming back and posting when you have some real time on those tires. 90 miles is not enough to know.

Kinda what I thought.

 

[askitee]

Thanks for the Info Threewheels. I too appreciate the information as it's handy to hear what others are trying, what fits, what works and their followups. Different people have different riding styles - mine is more agressive than some, so I like the grip to be there.

Here Downunder we have less of a selection of aftermarket tyres that fit the Spyder (mine an 2017 RT Ltd). Where I live summer temps get to 45 Deg C (113F) and down to -4 Deg C (25 Deg f) and I cant wait to get rid of the Kenda's. The two biggest issues for my riding are Wet Weather grip and aquaplaning all the time.

 

[Wildrice]

The greater question is what was the reason for pointing it out? Simply move along or thank for the post and everyone’s fine. Hopefully no one is posting for the sake of argument.

Were any of you related to my ex-wife??

 

[Wildrice]

" Money "

Mike--your photo is getting better looking as the night gets later.
D

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Mike--your photo is getting better looking as the night gets later.
D

:roflblack::roflblack::roflblack:....Darrell, that's not me , that's MAX my BullDog …… Mike hyea:

 

[Peter Aawen]

..... Here Downunder we have less of a selection of aftermarket tyres that fit the Spyder (mine an 2017 RT Ltd). Where I live summer temps get to 45 Deg C (113F) and down to -4 Deg C (25 Deg f) and I cant wait to get rid of the Kenda's. The two biggest issues for my riding are Wet Weather grip and aquaplaning all the time.

Similar driving conditions here in South Aust Askitee, and I've been running Kumho KH17's front & rear, with some pretty good results once I got the pressures down to 14-16psi up front & 16-18 on the rear. I got better than 35,000 km outta the 1st Kumho on the rear, while the first set of fronts are still going strong with a fair bit more kms under them than that. One significant thing about the Kumho KH17's (at least here in Aus anyway) is that they are sold here as a 'sport/touring' tyre and the make-up of their tread compound reflects that - they have a reasonably grippy tread pattern & compound to start out with that hardens up as the kms rise. I believe that's because as they go thru repeated heat up & cool down cycles when you ride, which means the aromatics etc that keep the tread soft are cooked out, so they tend to 'go off' a tad and get a little hard as the kms get up there (so their wet weather handling suffers a bit!) This happens even more so & likely quicker (but I haven't tested that yet) if you don't drop your pressure down a tad as the tire wears further into the harder tread compound. Once the first rear hit about 20,000km or so, it became obvious that I needed to run it at the lower 16psi end of the suggested range in the wet to let the harder tread compound heat up properly, and by doing that, they continue to handle well in the dry AND the wet, which means you can wear them easily into the 35K plus realm without significant issues. I did swap the rear for a new one before our last long trip, cos I was looking at over 10K of fairly warm high speed travelling with the Missus & our Mini-Max aboard, so I didn't want to risk it! Anyhow, the second rear is well into it's wear cycle now, and I'm looking at getting better than 38K out of it too.

Other alternatives- there's actually quite a few tire brands that make sizes that are close enough to be worthwhile on our Spyders - anything between 205 thru 225 & 50 profile thru 65 profile should work. So pretty much any of those sizes in tire brands like Toyo, Bridgestone (Turanza or Potenza's), Yokohama, Hankook, Kumho, Cooper, Federal, General (no, those tires that are so popular in the US aren't readily available here?!) & others should be fine - just check your preferred size option & search for a brand with the grip, handling, & weather capabilities you want most... I generally go for Sport/Touring because I do want high traction tires but I also want something that'll stand up well to lotsa relatively high speed & hot kms, with a bunch of flooding rains & a bit of hail, sleet, & snow thrown in! We are in the right spot here to get any or all of those whichever direction we ryde away from home! And we frequently do the Adelaide to Bega (NSW Far South Coast) blat across the Hay Plains then thru the Snowy Mountains & down the Escarpment into Bega a few times a year, which neatly bundles all the extremes into one or two solid days of ryding, so we need tires that handle everything from 'wide open plains, thru endless miles of sunburnt country, into the twists, turns & climbs of snow clad mountains, then down the corkscrew precipitous excuses for roads shadowed by temperate rain forests, & out into the undulating hills of the Eastern Seaboard'.... Do this 1400 or so km on Friday, enjoy spending the weekend with the rellies, then repeat the trip only in reverse on Monday or Tuesday - what better ryding can you get! And the Kumho's lapped it up and went back for more! :2thumbs:

Only now, altho I haven't yet worn out the first pair of Kumho fronts or the Kumho second rear, I've been asked to do some performance & durability testing on the smaller Bridgestone Turanzas, so I'm hoping to wrangle a set of them for the Spyder too. Just gimme some time to get them sorted & then rack up some miles on them & I'll report back! :thumbup:

 

[ThreeWheels]

These are the tire sizes. Sorry for any confusion.

Kumho Solus KH16 Front Tires 175/55/15. These tires seem about an inch wider than the OEM Kendas. The Kendas had started to cup.
Cooper Mastercraft LSR Grand Touring rear 215/60/15. This replaces a Kumho Ecsta I had tat was wearing out.

If I remember, I'll post back in about a month with more impressions.

215 on the rear doesn't get it too close to the belt?

I've got 21 psi in the front tires.
You'd think that the 215 would be fine for the rear tire.
I've found that when riding 2 up, and going over bumps, I get a little bit of rubbing. I think the sides of the tire balloon out a little over the bumps.
The rear tire is inflated to 22 psi. I think I'll try 28 psi and see how it goes.
We're going to the New Holland Spyder Clutter this weekend.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I've got 21 psi in the front tires.
You'd think that the 215 would be fine for the rear tire.
I've found that when riding 2 up, and going over bumps, I get a little bit of rubbing. I think the sides of the tire balloon out a little over the bumps.
The rear tire is inflated to 22 psi. I think I'll try 28 psi and see how it goes.
We're going to the New Holland Spyder Clutter this weekend.

21 psi front ---- 22psi rear :roflblack: ……. " ballooning over bumps " ...only if it's a Kenda …… jmho ….. best of luck with those ….. Mike hyea:

 

[ricford]

I think it is very generous of BRP to put Kendas on their bikes. What they are doing is improving tire sales for other companies. Think of it as a public service.

 

[ThreeWheels]

Another quick update:
Getting ready to leave for Spyder Clutter in New Holland PA.
The rear tire pressure was 19 psi. This might account for the ballooning over the bumps that caused a little rubbing.
More info when I get back.

 

[ThreeWheels]

Just returned from the Spyder Clutter.
On the way down we got caught in some on and off again rain
The increased tire pressure eliminated all the rubbing noise, not that there was much to begin with.
After another 650 miles, I'm still loving the new tires.
The moderators can close the thread now.