Hello all,
I'm looking for new tires. Recently my mechanic told me that he could get me Shinko 740 series 110/70 (front) and Shinko 741 series 130/70 (rear). I just want to know if anyone has an idea about them. Are they too cheap to be good? Are they decent for daily street riding/random rides throughout LA? The tires I had from this bike are not great (dry rotted). The faster I can get these the better. I'm a beginner rider, so any advice is helpful. just want some ideas. Thanks all, and keep on riding.

There's nothing wrong with those tires. There are better tires, there are worse tires.

I had a Shinko 740 on the front on mine when I got it, and the Pirelli Sport Demon that I replaced it with was very noticeably better. But there wasn't anything wrong with the Shinko. Any time you replace a worn tire with a new one, the new one is going to feel a whole lot better, so maybe the differences were not that great.

If you can spring the extra cost, Pirelli Sport Demons will be a better tire. Michelin Pilot Street Radial, with a 140/70 rear, could also be a good choice for a bit more money. I actually really liked the combo of a Sport Demon on front and a Pilot Street Radial rear, which I had on my GS and then moved the tires to my Triumph and they were terrific on there.

Do you want a cheap tire or a high performance tire?

If you want a cheap tire, do you want cheap purchase price or cheap per mile of use?

For a cheaper tire I think the Shinko is fine.

I think the best all around tire available for the GS500 right now is the Michelin Road 5 or 6. They cost ~2x the Shinko but they last at least twice as long and have much better performance during that time. I think the Pirelli Sport Demon is a really good tire but a terrible value. Its good while it lasts, but doesn't last very long for how much it costs. The Road 6 is just as good in the dry, much better in the wet/cold, and lasts a lot longer.

The Bridgestone Battlax BT46 is probably the best all-around option. Its almost as good as the Road 6 for less money. BT45s were the OEM tire for the GS500 so you know its a good option. The BT46 is just an updated version with more modern tire technology.

Road 5/6 don't come in the right size for the GS. That's the main problem with those. I'm not sure 120/150 are going to be a great choice especially for a beginner. My GS with this size combo of tires is very tippy and feels borderline unstable unless the tire pressure is PERFECT.

If you want a pricier sport touring tire that comes in 110/70R17 for the front and will keep the bike more planted, then maybe the Avon Spirit ST like I have on my Triumph will work ... but like the Michelin Road 5/6 they are more than 2x the cost of the Shinkos.

The Road 5 and 6 come in 110/70/17 which is the correct size for the front. Its the rear that is not available in the correct width, but I find the 140/70/17 that is available to be just fine. I've run a lot of 140 width tires on the GS. Maybe you are thinking of the Michelin Power series of tires? They have a similar looking tread pattern but those are a true Sport tire, not a sport touring tire. Much stickier/shorter lived. I wouldn't run one on the GS except maybe for track use, even if they made the correct size. A tire like that is kind of wasted on a GS.

I agree that the Road 5 and 6 are expensive tires. I would only recommend them to someone who expects to put 20,000 miles on their GS in the next 6 years. Not a good tire just to get an old bike running, or a bike you won't ride much, or one you might sell soon. But if you consistently put at least 3,000 miles on the bike per year I think its worth the cost of entry for something like the Road 6. For a commuter in a cold/wet climate there is no substitute for the Road 6. That's not much of a concern for bmckzari, being in the Los Angeles area. For commute duty there I would recommend the BT46.

Michelin web site says the Road 5 and Road 6 are not available in 110/70. I considered them when I replaced my Triumph tires and wound up with the Avons because apparently only Avon makes a premium sport-touring tire in 110 width. I guess because the Brits built a whole bunch of bikes that need them.

I agree 140/70 is good on a GS for the rear, that's what I had with Pilot Street Radial. In fact I think a set of Pilot Street Radials might be a really good choice. My PSR rear tire only lasted about 7K, most of that time it was on the heavier Triumph. And when those tires get worn near the end, they are REALLY SOFT.

I remember reading that on their website when the Road 6's came out, which worried me because I have the Road 5's on my bike in a 110 and 140 size. I guess their website is wrong for both tires because Revzilla now carries the 110 and 140 17s in the Road 6.

I run Dunlop sportmax they are the cheapest radial tires. Downside they don't have a 130 for the rear but 140 is available and its a great compromise. And for the price the best deal.

Shinkos are great for the price. I think that they are the best cheap tires. I had good handling wet or dry with mine. Also, they required very little balancing.