tires

[doug1950]

:bowdown:Hey what does everyone think on what type of tire for rt for best mileage out of them

 

[BajaRon]

:bowdown:Hey what does everyone think on what type of tire for rt for best mileage out of them

In my opinion, best mileage is not what you're looking for. A high mileage tire that puts you in the ditch isn't all that great a deal. You want high rated wet traction first, then high rated dry traction 2nd. Most any car tire will give you better mileage than the OEM tire. But tires specifically designed primarily for high mileage will usually not give you good traction characteristics. With the light weight of the Spyder, any traction deficiencies will be magnified.

 

[Cruzr Joe]

:agree:

Cruzr Joe

 

[Chupaca]

Have to agree..!!

what BajarRon says...your ryding style and area will be what you need to consider. Lets call it a sport ryder vs a tourer. You will find no end to tire discussions here but you will see none have gotten the same distance on any one tire. As a sport ryder you really need the best wet/dry traction tire. Sticky hug the road type which traditionally don't last as long. As a tourer (mostly freeway types) you can go for the longer lasting tires. I do find that having purchased a ryde like this tires are not where I want to skimp even though they hit the wallet hard. I knew this going in....happy hunting there are a lot out there...:thumbup:

 

[NancysToy]

One of the most difficult adjustments new motorcycle riders have to make is the tire mileage. Motorcycle tires don't last nearly as long. The Spyder tires are somewhat better, the rear gets 2-3 times what most touring bikes do, and the fronts last even longer. Still, average rear tire mileage on the Spyder is only a fraction of what tires on your automobile get. As Ron said, traction is the important factor. Softer tires that give adequate traction for safety on a lightweight vehicle just can't last as long as the harder rubber compounds that may be acceptable on a car or truck. Go for a tire that performs well, and take the reduced mileage as a bargain, considering what your skin is worth.

 

[Raptor]

I'm glad this discussion came up. So far I have only used the Kenda's. I don't really like them, but since I'm not riding these machines much any more they are doing much better. I can't get more than about 11,000 out of them. I wanted to go with something different (preferably wider) on the front, but I have never really heard of anyone putting something on the fronts that worked well. I think there are some who have found success with Kuhmo's and perhaps some others on the rear. But I have always wondered about using a car tire on these wheels. Motorcycle tires and car tires don't typically have the same inner diameter and I worry about the tire spinning on the rim.

I also had a thought to try and see if the newer 15" front Spyder wheels would fit to replace the 14" wheels, but there is no data available on this and I don't know if anyone has done it yet.

Any case studies or info would be good to hear. Thanks!

 

[NancysToy]

I'm glad this discussion came up. So far I have only used the Kenda's. I don't really like them, but since I'm not riding these machines much any more they are doing much better. I can't get more than about 11,000 out of them. I wanted to go with something different (preferably wider) on the front, but I have never really heard of anyone putting something on the fronts that worked well. I think there are some who have found success with Kuhmo's and perhaps some others on the rear. But I have always wondered about using a car tire on these wheels. Motorcycle tires and car tires don't typically have the same inner diameter and I worry about the tire spinning on the rim.

I also had a thought to try and see if the newer 15" front Spyder wheels would fit to replace the 14" wheels, but there is no data available on this and I don't know if anyone has done it yet.

Any case studies or info would be good to hear. Thanks!

You can use automotive tires on the Spyder rims without problems. The main hurdles in selecting an automotive replacement tire are sufficient wet & dry traction, limited availability of sizes, the need to keep the ratio of front and rear diameters within limits the nanny will not have trouble with, and a tread pattern that will pump out water to limit hydroplaning. Someone posted here about successfully swapping to the 15" fronts, but replacement tires in the necessary sizes may be even more scarce in that diameter.

 

[Raptor]

You can use automotive tires on the Spyder rims without problems. The main hurdles in selecting an automotive replacement tire are sufficient wet & dry traction, limited availability of sizes, the need to keep the ratio of front and rear diameters within limits the nanny will not have trouble with, and a tread pattern that will pump out water to limit hydroplaning. Someone posted here about successfully swapping to the 15" fronts, but replacement tires in the necessary sizes may be even more scarce in that diameter.

This is good to hear. I agree completely about the ratios. We must be mindful of the sensitive nature of the electronics aboard. Extremely good to hear that the 15's will work. As I understand it, the new Kenda that mounts to that wheel are much improved over the originals that came with the 14's. I could live with that for sure, as I am a much more casual user now. As you may recall, I used to ride 14 pretty hard. If I want true performance, I have my bike now, and the Spyders are joy riders, so this would work nicely. Many thanks for the input! I have always respected your expert insight into these machines.

 

[Spyder601]

I went with yokohomas 175/65r14 for the front I have had zero problems. Plus no altering the fender. I have a 2009 GS FYI!

 

[Raptor]

Thank you, 601. I have always liked Yokohamas, so that would be an excellent option. And it's a straight up replacement as well, so no worries about modding anything. They are on my list! A while back I was going to put on a set of Yokohamas that were 185s, but I would have had to mod the fenders just a bit, which I would not have minded. Especially since they had the rear size in the same model! But they stopped making the tire and no like replacement ever came out. I think they were the ES101 or something like that.

 

[Bob Denman]

I also had a thought to try and see if the newer 15" front Spyder wheels would fit to replace the 14" wheels, but there is no data available on this and I don't know if anyone has done it yet.

A couple of folks have made this swap... no worries at all! :thumbup:

 

[SPYD3R]

KUMHO

the 3 best tires are: KUMHO, KUMHO & KUMHO......
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Ecsta+AST
225/50 R15....
:yes: :bowdown: I'm on my 2nd 1, n these r just gr8..... :thumbup: :clap:

 

[Raptor]

A couple of folks have made this swap... no worries at all! :thumbup:

Hmmm... Evil plotting ensues! And I also see another vote for Kumho. If I can get 175 Kumho's for the front that would fit the 15" wheels and have Kumho's all around, that would be the ticket I think.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

THIS TIRE WORKS

Thank you, 601. I have always liked Yokohamas, so that would be an excellent option. And it's a straight up replacement as well, so no worries about modding anything. They are on my list! A while back I was going to put on a set of Yokohamas that were 185s, but I would have had to mod the fenders just a bit, which I would not have minded. Especially since they had the rear size in the same model! But they stopped making the tire and no like replacement ever came out. I think they were the ES101 or something like that.

YOKOHAMHA ," S " drive 185/55-14......V speed rated & according to The Tire rack people it is a great all around tire.....Mike :thumbup:.....PS can be bought for around $ 77 each.

 

[bluestratos]

I made the change to my rear tire (Kumo) mileage went up, wet traction went way down. Until you have lost traction at 70 mph on a wet free way you don't know what your missing, lol. I am a masochist so I repeated several more time just for good measure, lol.... Tires are cheap so I will stay with what worked in the future.

 

[Bob Denman]

Hmmm... Evil plotting ensues! And I also see another vote for Kumho. If I can get 175 Kumho's for the front that would fit the 15" wheels and have Kumho's all around, that would be the ticket I think.

Be aware that aftermarket 15" front tires are pretty limited right now...
I think that Federal has one; I haven't seen any others yet...

 

[SPYD3R]

KUMHO

KUMHO Solus KH16 185/65 R14
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Kumho&tireModel=Solus+KH16

I have over 25,000 miles on these, and they have yet to show much wear.... the UTQG rating is 440 AA A... i run the PSI at 22... and ride, 1 up...

 

[SPYD3R]

FOUND MY TIRE LIST

I FOUND MY TIRE LIST, HERE IT IS:

SPYDER TIRES
For front tires:
MINE: Kumho Solus KH16 185/65-14 165/65R14 BARUM POLARIS 2
165/65R14 KLEBER KRISALP 3
165/65R14 UNIROYAL MS PLUS 5
165/65R14 SEMPERIT WINTER-GRIP
165/65R14 PIRELLI W190 SNOWCONTROL
165/65R14 GOODYEAR ULTRAGRIP 7
165/65R14 DUNLOP SP WINTER SPORT M3
165/65R14 CONTINENTAL TS 800
165/65R14 MICHELIN ALPIN A3

For rear tire:
MINE: Kumho AST 225/50-R15
Federal 225/50R15 SS-595 91W
Fulda 225/50R15 Cart extremo
Michelin 225/50R15 PI.Exalto PE-2
Toyo R888 225/50R15, approved for road, but not good under rain (aquaplanning).
Pirelli P Zero A
Dunlop SP9000
OTHERS;
REAR - Toyo Proxes 4, Michelin HydroEdge 215/60R15, Falken ZE912, Kumho Sabji.

FRONT - COOPER CS3 185/60 R14

GOOD LUCK.....

 

[Highwayman2013]

I see Michelin is coming out with a new tire this spring, I think it's called premier.

 

[Raptor]

I FOUND MY TIRE LIST, HERE IT IS:

SPYDER TIRES
For front tires:
MINE: Kumho Solus KH16 185/65-14 165/65R14 BARUM POLARIS 2
165/65R14 KLEBER KRISALP 3
165/65R14 UNIROYAL MS PLUS 5
165/65R14 SEMPERIT WINTER-GRIP
165/65R14 PIRELLI W190 SNOWCONTROL
165/65R14 GOODYEAR ULTRAGRIP 7
165/65R14 DUNLOP SP WINTER SPORT M3
165/65R14 CONTINENTAL TS 800
165/65R14 MICHELIN ALPIN A3

For rear tire:
MINE: Kumho AST 225/50-R15
Federal 225/50R15 SS-595 91W
Fulda 225/50R15 Cart extremo
Michelin 225/50R15 PI.Exalto PE-2
Toyo R888 225/50R15, approved for road, but not good under rain (aquaplanning).
Pirelli P Zero A
Dunlop SP9000
OTHERS;
REAR - Toyo Proxes 4, Michelin HydroEdge 215/60R15, Falken ZE912, Kumho Sabji.

FRONT - COOPER CS3 185/60 R14

GOOD LUCK.....

Excellent list. Many thanks! :thumbup: