What 145/R/13 tire do you guys recommend?

I had a hard time hunting down a tire for mine, you have to be careful as it is tight for room. stay with the recommended size. I ended up getting the Firestone F-560 145R13 can't remember exactly what I paid but I don't think it was over 100. thing to remember is that tire barring damage will last forever if your rig is set up good

I put one on my other side car and when I sold it 3 or 4 years later that tire still looked new 

 IMO shop for Car tires not trailer tires.

They are out there just have to look

https://simpletire.com/brands/achilles-tires/122#v=1&tireSize=145-80r-13&mpn=maf148013&pageSource=sizeCatalog&itemId=106080&curationSeq=1&curationPos=1&badge=Best%20rated&curationSource=top-pick-top-picks&pick=best-rated&delivery=Del3&rad=ED

Quote from AceinSav on November 21, 2022, 3:58 pm

I had a hard time hunting down a tire for mine, you have to be careful as it is tight for room. stay with the recommended size. I ended up getting the Firestone F-560 145R13 can't remember exactly what I paid but I don't think it was over 100. thing to remember is that tire barring damage will last forever if your rig is set up good

I put one on my other side car and when I sold it 3 or 4 years later that tire still looked new 

Cheapest I can find that Firestone is $115. Really would like cheaper,,,lol.

Quote from smitty901 on November 21, 2022, 5:33 pm

 IMO shop for Car tires not trailer tires.

They are out there just have to look

 

https://simpletire.com/brands/achilles-tires/122#v=1&tireSize=145-80r-13&mpn=maf148013&pageSource=sizeCatalog&itemId=106080&curationSeq=1&curationPos=1&badge=Best%20rated&curationSource=top-pick-top-picks&pick=best-rated&delivery=Del3&rad=ED

 

Yup. That one pops up at walmart,,, or they can get it.

Not sure is the cheapest the way to go? Does it really matter in this situation?

Cal, I think you said in another post that this is your first rig?  One thing you'll discover is that once you have the rig set up correctly the sidecar tire will last forever.  Well, not forever, but when it's ready to be replaced in 6-8 years due to age it will still have plenty of tread.  So the cost of the tire over the life of the tire is pretty inconsequential.

Also, little known fact, a tire with sidewall markings of 145R13 is the same as a modern tire size 145/80-R13.  Knowing this, you can broaden your Google searches.  I think you'll find some decent car tires in that size (assuming you're in the USA).

Case in point -- Walmart carries the Achilles 122 which is a well-made summer tire, UTQG is a respectable 440AA, and Walmart sells it for $48 delivered.  Only 6/32nds tread depth but it's $48 for crying out loud!  If you want to step up to a premium tire, Tire Rack sells the Vredestein Quatrac 5 for $68 shipped.  All weather tread that's got the snowflake certification, UTQG of 400AA, and tread depth of 10/32nds.  Guess what? That's the one I've got on my Champion!

I just picked up a set of Vredestein tires from Tire rack for $68 each in the 145 13 sizes, have not put them on my wife's Fiat 600 yet so no long term experience. The price is right, they are also all season.

Jay G
DMC sidecars

Quote from DRONE on November 22, 2022, 1:47 am

Cal, I think you said in another post that this is your first rig?  One thing you'll discover is that once you have the rig set up correctly the sidecar tire will last forever.  Well, not forever, but when it's ready to be replaced in 6-8 years due to age it will still have plenty of tread.  So the cost of the tire over the life of the tire is pretty inconsequential.

Also, little known fact, a tire with sidewall markings of 145R13 is the same as a modern tire size 145/80-R13.  Knowing this, you can broaden your Google searches.  I think you'll find some decent car tires in that size (assuming you're in the USA).

Case in point -- Walmart carries the Achilles 122 which is a well-made summer tire, UTQG is a respectable 440AA, and Walmart sells it for $48 delivered.  Only 6/32nds tread depth but it's $48 for crying out loud!  If you want to step up to a premium tire, Tire Rack sells the Vredestein Quatrac 5 for $68 shipped.  All weather tread that's got the snowflake certification, UTQG of 400AA, and tread depth of 10/32nds.  Guess what? That's the one I've got on my Champion!

Thanks for all that.

There is a Dunlop on there now. It has great tread. But I'm sure it is timed out, and the sidewalls are cracking. So it has to go.

I'm just about sold on the Vredestein Quatrac 5 but have a couple of concerns. These may very well be a non issue on a sidecar. After reading a hand full of reviews they say this tire can get a bit loud. The faster you go, the louder it gets. But geez. We're on a motorcycle with wind blowing all around us,,,lol. Do you find the possible noise to be an issue?

Secondly they say it is not the best in its class for hydroplaning. Not the worst either. But again we're talking about an all season car tire on a sidecar. The hydroplaning is more of a concern. But is it an issue in our application?

Thanks for all your input.

I'm going to shop around and see if anyone has a black Friday sale coming up.

 You must understand So called tire reviews are done from the view point of a car.  Not the same as a sidecar. The 12 and 13 inch tires you see are either for trailers or small cars.

We are using them on sidecars ,a big difference. The 12 inch I run on mine are listed for higher speed, better wear and traction than trailer tires.

Tire reviews are like oil reviews.  Pretty much meaningless if coming from the keyboards of individual users.  The only "tire review" I trust is an actual tire test performed by professionals comparing the chosen tire to other similar tires in the same size.  Even then I look for test results, not opinions.

As respects hydroplaning, a 145 has far less rubber in actual contact with the road than say a 205 or a 215 which is a width that most car owners will have experience with. So, apples and oranges.  I wouldn't listen to those guys for a second!

On the other hand, "float" or hydroplaning is highly dependent not only on vehicle speed but also on the load being carried by the tire.  A typical sidecar rig will carry 20% of its weight on the sidecar tire.  For a GL1500/CSC hack with passenger, driver and gear you're looking at a max of maybe 1500 lbs GVW.  That translates to only about 300 lbs on the sidecar tire for a tire that's rated for 853 lbs.  Only 35%.

The other consideration is whether hydroplaning the sidecar tire even matters.  You asked that question in your post.  I suspect if you asked 50 hack owners you'd get 50 different answers.  My opinion is, no, doesn't matter.  If it floats during straight line driving, I'll make micro adjustments to the steering to deal with it.  If it floats on a right hand curve, I don't care.  If it floats on a left hand curve and I end up actually getting some understeer as a result? -- I'll need to get off the throttle now, won't I?

My suggestion is -- pick a tire for dry road performance.  When there's water on the road, slow down.  Visibility in the rain sucks anyway so just do it.

Edit: you also asked about noise.  My wife and I both wear earplugs to protect our hearing while riding.  So tire noise is not even on my radar.

Got the Vredestein Quatrac 5 ordered. Should be here Friday.

Thanks for all the help