Cheap Tires eh? Reivew.

[robfriedenberger]

Hey guys ,

So when I picked up my bike a month and a half ago, amongst the many things wrong with it was the tires, I knew this from day one and thats kinda how i got my bike for $1000 along with some other things, with that being said I was in the market for tires. Ever one on here that has a GS500 knows that the tires for these bikes usually cost $100 a tire, this dose not seam like much until you add in all the other cost of life and what not so need less to say I was in the market for cheap tires. I've been looking every where, on line, in person, even on CL. I remembered when I had my other bike that I picked up a pair of Shinko's for a good price. Well i found Shinko 740, and 741 on line for about $100 for the set, so I figured why not give it a shot. I got them the other day and had them installed yesterday, When i went to pick up my bike I got all kinds of crap from the installer saying they were not good tires, and they wont last. First thing I noticed was they were a slippery but that was to be expected. I rode about 100 miles yesterday and noticed a few things. Once they got warmed up it was like a whole new bike some vibrations were gone, i wasn't slowing as much before twist and turns, breaking was improved. Now only time will tell if these are good tires but so far so good. Ill try to remember to repost after a few miles on them and see how they are holding up. Ill be sure to add some pictures because we all know it didn't happen if there isn't pictures

[The Buddha]

I put cheng shin on many many bikes.
I have run it on a GS but I didn't like the hting's tendency to catch the rain grooves. But decent tar and a good price.
Shinko may be similar. I got 5K from the rear, never ran it on the front.
Cool.
Buddha.

[robfriedenberger]

This past week I took my bike in for PA inspection..........it almost didn't pass. Every thing was all well and good besides the tires, front tire had 3/32" and rear had 2/32" in the middle. I use this bike to get back and forth to work and a little bit of week end riding but after 2,500 miles I'm going to be replacing them. I ride it like a stole it every time I ride and the tires couldn't keep up.

So I confirmed 2 things I already knew.

1. You get what you pay for
2. I'm hard on tires (I usually replace my truck tires in 10,xxx or less)

I plan on replacing them with the bridgestones once I get a few bucks put aside.

[rexpepper651]

i got these kenra tires on my bike. came that way. i dont like the front tire. it looks like they belong on a goldwing or some other large cruiser.

[tireeater]

i have a set of shinko's on my gs right now and really didnt like them. As a racer and daily rider (put about 12.000 miles a season)  i had no problem with the tread life. i ride really hard and my tires got minimal chicken lines on them. The traction was horrible. Any slight rain they suck. When they get hot the have their moments of stickiness. i just bought a bridgestone battelax tire for the rear. so we will see how it handles.

[robfriedenberger]

I really didn't mind the tires at all for the price they were not all that bad, its just they didnt last. I got my self a set of bt-45s now and they seam to ride the same, less weight was needed to balance them though. Only time will tell if they hold up longer.

[tireeater]

I really didn't mind the tires at all for the price they were not all that bad, its just they didnt last. I got my self a set of bt-45s now and they seam to ride the same, less weight was needed to balance them though. Only time will tell if they hold up longer.

how do you like those tires? i just installed mine and the top of my motor and carbs are tore apart still and havent got to ride it yet?

[robfriedenberger]

I ride really hard and shinkos take the turns a little better but the both seam like good tires


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[Funderb]

last set of tires i put on my gs were IRC roadwinners.
They were great tires, I felt far more confident than, well, the xiang chang barracuda that tended to slip out all the time on everything that used to be up front. I believe they were 60-$70 each, shipped free from american moto tire. Best quality and durability i've seen for the price range.

For my bandit 12 the tires are, as expected, much pricier than the GS, but i was still able to get a pair of shinko verge tires for under $200.
I honestly was expecting a so-so tire, but after installing and riding a few hundred miles...
They are awesome. I haven't yet worn my chicken strips completely down (had to raise the bike back up 1" to stock height) but I have not felt the slightest slip or squeak. Even with the 1200cc motor and the way I drive. I'm impressed.

Now, I've never ridden a high end tire, so lets be real here, I'm no expert. I do know i ride hard, I ride in the rain, I ride in the cold, I've ridden on the track, I ride all the time, and I ride hard. I have no complaints and full confidence in both the IRC road winners and the shinko Verge tires.
My best advice is to extensively read reviews with a prudent eye. (remember, stupid people complain the loudest, believe the moderate and objective reviews)

[radodrill]

Don't forget that a given tire may be great for one bike, but not so good on another.

I had put BT45s on an '07 Ninja 250 and they felt great.

When I bought my '09 GS last fall it came with the original BT45 tires.  They had 2678 miles on them with decent tread remaining and some center wear.  These tires did not feel nearly as grippy or reassuring in the turns compared to the new BT45 on the 250, but were still way better than the used Dunlop K630s on the 250.

I'm now running Pirelli sport demons with a 140/70 rear and they feel amazing and turn in a lot faster.  They actually perform better than what I'm comfortable riding at.

[yamahonkawazuki]

gsjack is the guru of all things tire. ive used the cheng shîts before. theiu shinkos not so much.  did the cheap tire thing at first. on my first gs, like you mainly for economic reasons. got the bike for 600. in 2003. it was a 97replaced forks for a hundred. tires were mediocre at best. IIRC at the time I dropped about a hundred in tires. ( btw, you save ALOT of money if you remove the wheels and bring those to installer. ) time I got bike roadworthy, I think I had about 850 tied up in it. sans registration

[jsyzdek]

Don't forget that a given tire may be great for one bike, but not so good on another.
I had put BT45s on an '07 Ninja 250 and they felt great.
When I bought my '09 GS last fall it came with the original BT45 tires.  They had 2678 miles on them with decent tread remaining and some center wear.  These tires did not feel nearly as grippy or reassuring in the turns compared to the new BT45 on the 250

Well, it could be how the tire matches the bike, but it could also be the age. A new tire will feel different than the same tire when it's a few years old. Soft, grippy rubber will stiffen a lot in heat and sun over the time. That's why you need to replace rubber hoses every once in a while.