Purchasing Tires Soon...any strong opinions?

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Rlauchard

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I've searched all over the site and have seen the various opinions on tires. From all of that it really looks like the one that's tried and true for price, durability, performance are the Shinko 712's. Some time in the next few years (sarcasm), I want to have my xs back together as a cafe style bike. Here's my thoughts for tires:

Shinko 712 Motorcycle Tire
- Front, Tubeless, 4-Ply, 19, Tire, 100/90-19, Bias Ply, Blackwall, H
- Rear, Tubeless, 4-Ply, 18, Tire, 110/90-18, Bias Ply, Blackwall, H

My rims won't run tubeless (spoked wheels) without work, so I was going to get tubes for these as well. I read multiple threads that the 100/90 and 110/90 are good for handling, etc.

Any strong opinions that this is the WRONG way to go?

Thanks as usual!
 
Well, I tried the Shinko 712's and I was not as happy as I was with Bridgestone SpitFires, so I took them off and sold them and went back to the Bridgestones.


The size you mention for the rear is not for an '81 which has a 16" rear wheel. It uses a 130/90-16
 
Thanks Pete for the opinion....anything specific on why you weren't happy? Or was it just that you liked the bridgestone spitfires better in comparison?

My 81 originally had the mags 19/16....but I've switched them out to run spokes 19/18.
 
Just an opinion, I've run the S-11 before on multiple bikes and really liked it. Tires are NOT a good place to try to save money. Every time I've ran a "bargain" priced tire (Dunlop 404, Cheng Shin Barracuda) I've paid for it in durability, ride quality, grip, and handling. Neither of the 2 above is worth a shit for the money, and you might as well drop another 20 bucks a tire and get good ones.
Best price to performance ratio I've experienced is the Bridgestone S-11 and the Pirelli MT-66 (As far as tires suited to the XS) I run Michelin Commanders on my big bike and they are awesome. I have Continental Conti-Motions on my SV (Radials) and am blown away by how well they perform for the price.
I've heard everything from "best tires I've ever ran to handled like crap, wore twice as fast as my old tire to out of round when new on Shinkos, but have no direct experience with them.
 
Thanks JD....the Bridgestone S-11 looks to be the same as the Spitfire that Pamco was speaking to.

I haven't saved shit for this build...so I'm not going cheap. That seems to be 2 for the spitfire.
 
Rlauchard,

Correct. The Bridgestone Spitfire is the Bridgestone Spitfire S11.

When you buy the tires, ask the seller what the date of manufacture is, which is coded on the sidewall. Tires generally have a shelf life of 7 years but it takes a long time for the tires to make their way through the distribution system from the factory so most are at least two years old before they are sold to the end user. Stay away from tires that are 5 or more years old. A lot of bargain tires are 5 to 7 years old, so you only get what you pay for and tires are not something that you want to skimp on. Same for the tubes. Don't go cheap and replace the rubber band in the rim that protects the tube from the spokes. Also, make sure that the tube size is correct for the tire. Too large a tube can have folds that eventually will wear through and you will have either a blowout or an air out, neither of which you ever want to experience on a motorcycle. Don't ask me how I know this, but it has to do with a shop that sold me the wrong tube because he was out of stock of the correct tube.
 
I personally will be running the commander II front and rear on my build. I replaces stock tire on my vstar last fall with a commander II and have logged over 5K miles and still looks new. Great wet, dry, hot and cold traction. Plus with them being the newest model out they haven been sitting around long.
 
First thing on the tires is you need round ones!:D Ditto on checking the date code on the tires. This is important. I did actually have a friend report that he bought an egg shaped Shinko 712, but I expect this is possible with any brand.

I have Bridgestone S11 Spitfires on my XS650. I have no long term experience with them, but I live in the mountains and I'm giving them a workout. I have no complaint. In the past I have run several sets of GT501 Dunlop tires. I like them very much but they are expensive. I need to say here that there are people who tell me they hate how they feel, but for me, they're a favorite, even though they seem to wear quickly.

I've been trying to find a better price on tires than JakeWilson.com, but so far, no joy. They even ship for free! Also, they have not yet sent me an old tire. :bike:
 
Rather than the S-11 get BT-45. The BT-45 is Bridgestone's high performance bias tire and perfect for a Japanese cafe racer. I don't like Dunlop 404 but the GT-501 is a track favorite. So considering this is a cafe racer:
Bridgestone BT-45
Dunlop GT-501

Avon Super Venoms are great but are made in England. I have these on my old Triumph.

The Shinko's are fine for a price leader. They are Yokahama's motorcycle tire but made in Korea. The main problem I see with the Shinko's is the perception of cheapness for a nice bike. My take is, if you don't want to cheap out, go with the above two premium Japanese sport tires.

tom
 
jriehl08 said:
I had BT-45 's on my gs500f and hated them.
Click to expand...

WHY???? You hated the looks, the ride, the price? Bridgestone kicked your dog? Why did you hate them.

Tomterrific said:
Rather than the S-11 get BT-45. The BT-45 is Bridgestone's high performance bias tire and perfect for a Japanese cafe racer. I don't like Dunlop 404 but the GT-501 is a track favorite. So considering this is a cafe racer:
Bridgestone BT-45
Dunlop GT-501
Click to expand...

It sounds like the recommendation to NOT do S-11 is that the other two mentioned are a cosmetic recommendation? Thanks for clarifying the why...
 
To me they felt hard. Slick if you will and wore out fast. 8k miles or so. I went to shinko ravens on that bike and loved them. Soft and sticky on all road conditions. I run rain or shine so I dont like a tire that feels hard. For me price is nothing for a bike since theres only 2 tires 1 fails and your done. I have never understood those who look for the cheapest tire they can find for there bike.
 
Go to a website that sells lots of tires and read the reviews from people that have used the tires you are interested in. Motorcycle Superstore is a good one:

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/

I have Shinko 712's on both my KZ400 (much lighter than my XS650) and on my XV920RH (much heavier than my XS650), and love them on both. No issues with out of round, balance, etc. The profile is such that you can lean the bike way over with confidence. I have Avon Roadriders on the XS650, and can't say that I notice a difference.
 
I have about 2000 miles on a pair of shinkos on spokes 19-18 and am quite happy with them. I moved them to a bike I am selling at the buyers request, and the next set of tires going on my rider are a pair of Michelin Pilot Activ, 100 90 19 and 4.00 -18 the Shinkos were about $130 the pair, the pilots about $210
 
I'm going to try the 712's real soon. I'll be satisfied enough with them. Regarding the Spitfires, for the same price Kenda Challengers are almost identical and seem to me to feel stickier on wet streets. I agree motorcycle-superstore.com is a fine source for tires.
 
Last edited:
I've run the Kenda challengers, Bridgestone Spit Fire II's On my 75. They both work well. The Spit Fires seem to be wearing just a bit longer, the Kenda's are a bit stickier.
I have the Pirelli Route MT66 tires on the 81, I like them, hold really well in the wet.
On my Harley I run the stock Dunlop D401's. They run well and I get over 12k on a set.
I shop Ebay by brand, model and size then have Ebay list them by price with S&H lowest to highest. Usually get tires less than a year old. Never got them over two.
Leo
 
Im a huge fan of the tried and true Dunlop K70. I run them on both tires on my vintage Triumph and in the back of my xs chopper. I have a Avon Speedmaster in the front.

new_tires-6.jpg
 
Also running K70's on my stocker. No more hotrod riding for me, but these K70's work very well on country type gravely roads, cowpattie infested fields, slick algae-coated low-water crossings...
 

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