TIRES, TIRES, and more TIRES,help me make the right decision

[ACE]

I just bought my 2000 gs and both of the stock bridgestones are bald. I need to find some tires that are ungodly cheap in price but still a decent tire. i found some cheng shins for 40 bucks each on this one website. anyone have good luck with those my budget is pretty limited considering I just dropped over 2 grand on the bike and left my account naked. Also is 20 bucks for mounting and blancing each tire a good deal? thanks

Grant aka ACE

[Rollin668]

Which Cheng Shin tires?  In general they are very hard tires - not grippy at all and tend to slide around in the wet or when pushed.  I had looked at a set of Hi-Max some time ago for a friend's old honda cruiser, but he decided on some other tires...
I know Cheng Shin makes a brand called Maxxis - which is SURPRISINGLY a pretty decent tire.  I would recommend either a set of Maxxis Promax tires (set can be had from some places for $80-$90) or a set of Avon AM51/52 (set can be had for about $100).

If you have a Cycle Gear local to you (www.cyclegear.com), give them a try to mount your tire.  You'll need to remove the wheels yourself, but I think they charge $15 per mounting and balancing... cheapest way to go that I've found...


Rolly

[JamesG]

Don't skimp on tires.  They are much cheaper than parts and hospital bills.

[JeffD]

Battleaxe BT45's   for ~ $90 each.   I've got 14,000miles on front and back and they are still going.     (80% was highway riding though)  the rear needs to be replaced but its not down to the wear bar, and I can still corner at ~ 30mph (it will start to slide though...)

[TheGoodGuy]

i paid around 70 - 80 for my BT45's at dtmaonline.com

170 shipped or so.

[yamahonkawazuki]

hey ace, call j's atv in clinton. talk to ronnie tell them aaron sent ya.
he can point you in the right direction. $20 m&b is close to what i paid for mine, but i brought them the wheels. i bought irc (roadwinner?) for mine.
rode in the wet in the ice :x  wont do that again. all around had great experiences with these tires btw their num is 1-865-463-0760

[pantablo]

chen shin are crap. you get what you pay for. having said that, the fastest rider of the group I usually ride with (bandit 1200 owners generally) has one f%$king fast dude on a nighthawk 700s on shen shin tires and he leans so hard he's scraped pretty much anything you could imagine (and a few things that leave you wondering)...no one can keep up with him.

My feeling is that the tires should be much better than I am. He is a vastly experienced rider so if something does happen (slipping, etc) he will know how to handle it. I wouldnt want to be in that situation.

Chen shins are notoriously poor wet weather tires.

get some BT45's. Pony up the money-its all that is between you and asphalt surfing.

[gsJack]

I just bought my 2000 gs and both of the stock bridgestones are bald. I need to find some tires that are ungodly cheap in price but still a decent tire. i found some cheng shins for 40 bucks each on this one website. anyone have good luck with those my budget is pretty limited considering I just dropped over 2 grand on the bike and left my account naked. Also is 20 bucks for mounting and blancing each tire a good deal? thanks

Grant aka ACE

Cheng Chin tires have not had the best reputation here over the years, but their new Maxxis tires are better.  I would consider the Kenda tires myself for a budget tire.  

You can get a pair of Kenda 671 tires in 110/70 and 130/70 OEM sizes delivered to your door for $105.90 from Southwest.  They don't charge shipping on a pair of tires.  Did you figure shipping on those $40 Cheng Shens?   http://swmototires.com/

I put a Kenda 671 on the back of an old CM400 that I used for a winter bike and a 2002 GS500 that I bought last Sept with about 4k on it had a new Kenda 657 on the rear.  I was in a hurry at first to get my new radials on it for this comming season, but after putting about 4k plus on it I am pleasantly surprised.  Dry traction is quite good and I am running the twisties at my usual rapid pace.  Wet traction is not nearly as good, but I have been spoiled by having Metz and Avon radials on the back of my 97 for the last couple years and not slowing down at all when it is wet.  I really think the Kenda's are as good as the OEM tires in the wet.

The going rate around here is about $25 per wheel carried in for mount and bal.  Others in other areas of the country have reported prices as low as $10-15 per wheel.

[ACE]

Man those maxxis pro max or whatever look like a good buy, pretty decent looking tread design too. thanks for the help. sound good to you? pay about 100 bucks shipped

[Rollin668]

I'd get them... in my order of cheaper tires I'd rank those up at the top.  I've heard mostly good things about Maxxis tires (not Cheng Shins, just the Maxxis...).  I was interested in the Promaxx tires also, but for about the same price you can mount a set of Avon AM51/52 (which I have a feeling may be a LOT better, we'll see...)

Good luck and let us know how they work out for you...


Rolly

[gsJack]

Man those maxxis pro max or whatever look like a good buy, pretty decent looking tread design too. thanks for the help. sound good to you? pay about 100 bucks shipped

I wouldn't hesitate to try the Maxxis Promaxx or the Avon AM51/52 tires if I was looking for a tire in that price range.  The Avons would be a little more cost than the Promaxx or Kenda tires and probably worth it.  Still waiting for a report from someone here that has worn out a set of those Avons.   :lol:  :lol:

[gsJack]

I'd get them... in my order of cheaper tires I'd rank those up at the top.  I've heard mostly good things about Maxxis tires (not Cheng Shins, just the Maxxis...).  I was interested in the Promaxx tires also, but for about the same price you can mount a set of Avon AM51/52 (which I have a feeling may be a LOT better, we'll see...)

Good luck and let us know how they work out for you...


Rolly

It's my feeling that the Avon AM51/52 tires are a lot better than the price would indicate.  I think it's an introductory price and once they are accepted by our market they will be priced more in line with the BT45, ME330/550, and Demon tires.  Let us know what you think after you have used them longer.