I am actually using a 110/90-18 for my rear tire right now with no problems but will need to change over to a front metric sized tire shortly when my current inch sized tire wears out. The front tire size is more important concerning handling and I am wondering if anyone has noticed any difference in handling by using different front tire sizes. I think that the 100/90-19 is the more popular size?
Does anyone have much experience with Shinko Tires? The CX-500 is not a drag racing or high performance machine and so what I search for is a high mileage tire. I ran Continental tires for years with the occassional Dunlop thrown in for good measure but Continental seems to have cheapened up their tires to the point where I get about half the mileage life from a new Continental tire as compared to the older tires.
The only problem that I have read about Shinko tires from some reviews is that some people have had problems with either vibration or out of balance / round tires. I don't know how widespread this problem is but there seems to be a few people out there who have experienced this problem.
The old joke about Shinko's was that they were a great tyre (tire) until you came to a bend in the road-I think this myth was dispelled by the introduction of the 230's--Their off-road tyres are crap.
I have heard the variant, "Shinko's are a great tire until turn 1" from several AFM members who gave them a spin for practice, only to say, "fuck this shit, I'm going back to _____" (fill in the blank with a high end tire manufacturer)
However, it is almost universally agreed that they are great tires on the drag circuit.
You do know that there are still a lot of tires made in inch sizes, don't you? I haven't a clue how well they would work on a solo bike, but I like the Duro HF308 on the front of my GoldWing sidecar machine. It feels good, hasn't caused any drama on dirt/gravel roads or wet pavement and the first one lasted over 21,000 Km (pretty good on a sidecar outfit).
BTW: I ran Shinko Tourmasters on the 'Wing for several years (before the sidecar) and really liked them until I got one that went bad fast. It felt OK when I first mounted it but within a couple of hundred Km it started rubbing on the swingarm (the previous one was the same make/brand/size and had lots of clearance, even when worn out) so I shaved the corner of the tread a bit to stop the rub. That was a dumb move that I would not do again because it should have voided the warranty but it started rubbing again within a few Km so you couldn't tell I had done anything. Then it sort of twisted on the rim as if it had thrown a belt and started rubbing heavily at one place. The dealer replaced it under warranty but the replacement started rubbing within 20 Km. This time I took it to them still mounted and they went over it and agreed that it was not anything I had done. I replaced it with a Kenda and the problem went away.
A couple of years ago my parts guy talked me into trying a Shinko E240 on the back wheel of the 'Wing (now with sidecar). It is a great sidecar tire and I am very happy with it, but I don't think its square profile would be very good on 2 wheels (although lots of people run them on old Harleys and on retro-bobbers).
I am currently using a Shinko 712 for my rear tire. I ride about 10,000 miles per year and so I wil never have a problem with dry rot. I change tires each year. The cost of this metric size tire is around $45 versus a metric Dunlop which costs around $95. Vintage tires in the original 4.00Hx18 size all cost well over $100 and more and more are being discontinued. I don't need a drag racing or performance tire and the overall value of the Shinko (cost, mileage, performance) makes it the best tire for me. I ran Continental's for years and would get around 10,000 miles for the rear tire life but in the past 5 - 10 years the tires were cheapened up so much that I am lucky to get around 6,000 miles now for a rear tire and the purchase price has gone way up.
Manufacturers will continue to make inch size tires as long as people need them for classic bikes. And they aren't necessarily all that expensive either.
Looks promising. Unfortunately they don't have a category for sidecar and I can tell you from experience that my favourite tires for solo use were absolutely terrible on 3 wheels
I am on a set of Michelin Commander II. Very good tire for all conditions IMHO. A little more expensive but not greatly. I paid about $220 USD for the set mounted and balance. No weights required for either front or rear.
Independant 3rd party tests seem to confirm Michelin's claim of 2X the mileage. At this point I can't state about mileage. My current situation has me roughly 9000 miles away from my bike. To date, I have about 2,000 miles on them. I have not noticed any apparent wear or decrease in tread depth. I ride year round, when I am in the US. All weather, rain, hot, cold (19F is my limit).
Handling is positive and precise in all weather conditions, wet or dry. They do not follow road grooves or tar snakes.
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