Would love many times over to have a Baja Ron quality dealer out here in the west.
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Another tire thread…but different¿ New Kenda XPS Roadster Tires - more durable...
- Thread starter Bfromla
- Start date
OldStuff74
New member
Vredestein make several models of tire. Which one did you chose for the bike? In what way did your ride improve? Reduced hunting, softer ride?
troop
Well-known member
Vredestein fronts are a firmer, more controlled tire. No car tire will provide a softer ride than OEM Kenda/Kanine.
Jetfixer
Well-known member
After riding on various car tires on my 2020 RTL, I traded it in on a 2025 S2S with the XPS Roadster tires. The front tires were promptly switched back to Vredesteins at the 42 miles it took to get home from the dealer! I'll run the XPS rear tire until it's worn out (maybe) and then put a Vredestein on it. The XPS tires may or may not last longer than previous Kendas, but believe me the handling is the same crappy looseness. It's obvious there is still no sidewall strength.
Jackhartjr
Active member
I'll look at it tomorrow and let you know.
I'm not looking for a softer ride. I want to know that when I go into a curve that it will stick!
The General Altimax I had on the first Spyder, an RTL, gave me confidence that it would stick. The Kenda on the rear of the RTS didn't!
The Vredestien I had put on yesterday felt really good today, but I only ran it 19 miles home.
And I have to say, I really miss BLUEKNIGHT 911!
I'm not looking for a soft ride, I'm looking for a tire that sticks! And I wouldn't put a Kenda on my mother-in-laws vehicle! Total crap!
troop
Well-known member
I was replying to @OldStuff74 with his question.
Mikey
Well-known member
Wish he would set up shop in Maine!!!!
Snoking1127
Well-known member
I replaced my '23 RT Limited with a '25 (don't ask), and the Kenda tires are different. As others have said in this thread, they are now the Roadster XPS and the tread pattern is very different to anything that I can find on the Kenda site and they are different than the tires on my ex-2023.
I went to check my pressure on my first ride after picking it up from the dealer. They were around 40 Psi on all 3 tires and I figured "idiots at the dealer". I brought them down to 20/20/18 and I couldn't turn the steering even when riding.
The side walls have "maximum pressure 44 Psi at cold" on all 3 tires. Usually a tire states the maximum pressure around 6 psi over recommended, so I brought them to 38 psi, but it still was sloppy and I found the pressure that works best is 42 all around.
Does anyone else have a 25 RT Limited, and if so, what pressure do you use?
The label under the seat still says 20/20/28. I called the dealership and they were as surprised as me, which means they didn't even check the pressure when they uncrated it.
I went to check my pressure on my first ride after picking it up from the dealer. They were around 40 Psi on all 3 tires and I figured "idiots at the dealer". I brought them down to 20/20/18 and I couldn't turn the steering even when riding.
The side walls have "maximum pressure 44 Psi at cold" on all 3 tires. Usually a tire states the maximum pressure around 6 psi over recommended, so I brought them to 38 psi, but it still was sloppy and I found the pressure that works best is 42 all around.
Does anyone else have a 25 RT Limited, and if so, what pressure do you use?
The label under the seat still says 20/20/28. I called the dealership and they were as surprised as me, which means they didn't even check the pressure when they uncrated it.
What's the Max load for the tires??
It should be in the same block of text as the Max pressure - that block usually says "Max Load xx lbs/yy kgs at Max Pressure zz Bar/44 psi.
It should be in the same block of text as the Max pressure - that block usually says "Max Load xx lbs/yy kgs at Max Pressure zz Bar/44 psi.
Remember that's the tires' MAXIMUM LOAD, and that Maximum pressure of 44 psi is only necessary when the tire is carrying that much weight! Most of the time, your Spyder's front tires are probably only going to be carrying about half that weight, if that!
So a quick calculation suggests that given the above, even the OEM recommended pressures for your front tires are juuust a little high for the weight they're carrying, and a fair bit too high for the rear tire, which will possibly be good for lighting it up & letting some of the smoke out; but regardless, running that pressure in the rear is good for BRP, cos it'll wear out the middle of the rear tire fairly quickly and you'll hafta get a new tire!
So your new front tires will likely be grossly over-inflated running at 42 psi; and despite how easy it'll make it for you to turn/steer due to your tire's contact patch at that pressure being so small that there'll be minimal resistance - and minimal traction too, at least in the odd moments the tires will actually be in contact with the road surface! 
Meaning that besides the safety risks you'll personally be running and those you'll be causing and putting the road users around you to, you will also be doing all sorts of irreversible and nasty things to the tires themselves and to your Spyder/it's suspension/any dental work you may have, given the sub par ride, handling, wear, and traction, et al by running them at 42 psi!! 
Think of an 'over-inflated balloon' and how one of those might 'roll' easily on any surface... but also how it will bounce & skip a lot at the slightest bump, as well as bursting at the slightest provocative projection! 
Check these out:
Tire Pressure Guide
Tire pressure is the single easiest maintenance task you can do for your vehicle — and the one most people neglect. It takes 60 seconds, costs nothing, and di
tiregrades.com
Over inflated tires Symptoms, Cause - Is it safe to drive?
Wondering if over inflated tires cause and symptoms are still safe to drive with or dangerous? The topic of over inflated tires helps answer.
worldtirereview.com
But it is your Spyder, so if you really want to...
Still, I'll be very interested to hear how long the Kenda Roadster XPS tires will last like that, and it'd be quite interesting to see the results of a tire contact patch test, say, by putting a broad band of chalk mark across the whole width of the tread, like a 6" wide strip right across the tread from halfway down the outer sidewall to halfway down the inner sidewall and then riding for maybe a hundred yards before looking at it/taking a pic of the tread and what's left of the chalk mark & posting it here??
Jetfixer
Well-known member
I traded in my 2020 RTL on a 2025 RT S2S. I kept my front wheels with Vredestein's and put them on the 25 immediately. I had no choice but to leave my Vredestein on the rear, and made the decision to ride out the (still crappy) stock Kenda XPS rear tire before I get another Vredestein. I do regret that I cannot switch out the rear tire immediately. I can definitely feel the difference in the rear tire, it just wants to squirm around in the twisties, where the Vredestein is like riding on rails. They can market the "new" XPS Roadster tires any way they want, but there is still no sidewall strength in them regardless of possible longer tread life.
BajaRon
Well-known member
It will be interesting to see how long the center of the rear tire lasts if someone is willing to run it at these pressures (32-42 PSI). There is no saving the center of the OEM Kenda's regardless of tire pressure. But running this high is likely to exacerbate excessive center tread wear.
mecsw500
Member
Well my new 2026 Spyder S2S came with the "XPS" branded tires on it. They are very obviously still Kenda tires branded as XPS for BRP.
Having ridden it long enough now to have bedded them in so I thought I'd give you my opinions (which are worth what you are paying for them):
1. I have no wear information of course, but the tread looks deeper.
2. I liked the previous Kenda tires for their predictable break away and was not a hater of them unlike some folks, I thought they were OK.
3. These XPS versions retain predictable break away, yet seem to have slightly stiffer side walls and hence have less tire roll in corners.
4. The dry weather braking seems to be quite good, not a step backwards at any rate.
5. I think they are quieter and smoother running. They corner just fine to my mind in the canyons.
6. They track good and true of both the freeway and cambered side roads.
7. The wet weather performance is a lot better than the previous Kendas, both in braking and cornering.
8. Even for me who thought the Kendas on my 2021 RT LTD were kind of OK, I think these XPS versions are a distinct improvement.
However there is one big problem. If you suffer from any kind of level of OCD I have really bad news for you. The tread is asymmetrical, so as you look at the bike from the front, the front tires are not mirror images of each other.
Why for the love of all that is holy would Kenda do that when the obvious platform is a Spyder where you can look at the tread of the tires every time you go to get on it? I didn't notice it at first, but once you see it you cannot unsee it.
So, as I wasn't tempted to fit anything else other than the original Kendas on my 2021 machine, I am certainly much less inclined to go and swap these XPS tires for passenger car alternatives. I am trying to deal with the asymmetry issue, it's good practice for me, but overall I think they are a definite step up from the originals.
So, are car tires better, or better enough to need to swap them? That's a personal opinion. Do I think Can Am listened to some of the complaints? Yes, I think they really did.
Time will tell to see if others think the same way.
Having ridden it long enough now to have bedded them in so I thought I'd give you my opinions (which are worth what you are paying for them):
1. I have no wear information of course, but the tread looks deeper.
2. I liked the previous Kenda tires for their predictable break away and was not a hater of them unlike some folks, I thought they were OK.
3. These XPS versions retain predictable break away, yet seem to have slightly stiffer side walls and hence have less tire roll in corners.
4. The dry weather braking seems to be quite good, not a step backwards at any rate.
5. I think they are quieter and smoother running. They corner just fine to my mind in the canyons.
6. They track good and true of both the freeway and cambered side roads.
7. The wet weather performance is a lot better than the previous Kendas, both in braking and cornering.
8. Even for me who thought the Kendas on my 2021 RT LTD were kind of OK, I think these XPS versions are a distinct improvement.
However there is one big problem. If you suffer from any kind of level of OCD I have really bad news for you. The tread is asymmetrical, so as you look at the bike from the front, the front tires are not mirror images of each other.
Why for the love of all that is holy would Kenda do that when the obvious platform is a Spyder where you can look at the tread of the tires every time you go to get on it? I didn't notice it at first, but once you see it you cannot unsee it.
So, as I wasn't tempted to fit anything else other than the original Kendas on my 2021 machine, I am certainly much less inclined to go and swap these XPS tires for passenger car alternatives. I am trying to deal with the asymmetry issue, it's good practice for me, but overall I think they are a definite step up from the originals.
So, are car tires better, or better enough to need to swap them? That's a personal opinion. Do I think Can Am listened to some of the complaints? Yes, I think they really did.
Time will tell to see if others think the same way.
Snoking1127
Well-known member
Have you ever ridden a Spyder with good car tires like the Vredestein's I pictured in post #28? I believe that Kenda "thing" is a bean counter issue, in that they get them dirty cheap in exchange for BRP only installing them for customers when replacements are needed. In the US that is called "restraint of trade"!
mecsw500
Member
I have indeed, but not for an extended months long period. I think they were an improvement over some of the issues of the original Kendas, but I’m not of the view that the original Kends were not fit for purpose.
I found the Kendas had ultimately lower grip in the dry, but gave a more predictable break away on the limit, which was probably what BRP was looking for in the original design. The original Kendas were not so good in the wet.
Whilst not having the luxury of having a back to back scenario to test, I would say the new Kenda XPS tires are a big improvement over the originals. BRP have seemingly addressed some of the biggest issues like sidewall integrity and wet weather performance. I suspect longevity is improved but we will have to see if that’s by how much given time and miles.
The one good thing about the new XPS tires is that they have retained the original’s feel on the limit. They don’t seem to do anything unpredictable or scary when pushed which of course is what BRP was looking for with the average new rider.
Will the new XPS suit everyone and will it stop people wanting to fit car tires, probably not. Will it reduce the number of people who need to fit car tires, it possibly might.
Do I like car tires especially on the front of a Spyder. Yes, they gave better ultimate dry grip, tons better wet grip, but where I thought the didn’t offer and improvement was sidewalls could be a tad stiff and transition from grip to break away could be more harsh.
I think as more 2026 vehicles hit the road, the discussions over the need to fit car tires might narrow a bit and advantages of car tires, certainly for experienced riders, over the XPS OEM fitments might not be the same discussion that it was. The assumption that car tires were always going to be a positive improvement for all riders might not be as true as it once was.
It will of course take time for people to modify their opinions as the number of vehicles with the XPS tires is yet very small. Time will tell.
BajaRon
Well-known member
Two of the unfixable issues with previous Kendas (not counting the weak tread area on the rear tires) was the Out of Round and great amount of weight required to balance them. They weren't all Out of Round, but many were. And virtually all took too much weight to balance, indicating poor quality construction.
A quality car tire will usually take no more than 1/2 the weight to balance.
How much weight is on the wheels? That can give you an initial indication of construction improvements.
A quality car tire will usually take no more than 1/2 the weight to balance.
How much weight is on the wheels? That can give you an initial indication of construction improvements.