The rubber game

[nutz4spd]

I'm looking at putting new tires on the GS. Originally they are 100/90-19 in the front and 110/90-18 in the rear, modern sizes. Currently the bike has a 130/80-18 in the rear and a 100/90 in the front. I want to go with a set of Shinko 777's but the only sizes they offer for the rear are either a 120/90-18 or a 130/70-18. Could either one be used in conjunction with the 100/90 front tire and not be an issue?

[Nessism]

The rear wheel is only 2.15" wide which is too narrow for a 130; sidewalls pinch in too tight which causes the tire to have a more rounded profile than intended.

[GS1150Pilot]

Kenda makes some decent low price tires in the correct size.

[Steve]

Given only those options, I would go with the 120/90.

Personally, I avoid ANYTHING “Kenda”. Yes, it’s a personal opinion, but it happens to be shared by many others here.

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[GS1150Pilot]

Given only those options, I would go with the 120/90.

Personally, I avoid ANYTHING “Kenda”. Yes, it’s a personal opinion, but it happens to be shared by many others here.

.

I haven't run their tires on much of anything other than dirt bikes in years, but as long as he's not planning to rail through canyons in the rain, the 657 would at least fit right. If he's willing to spend more money (since he was looking at Shinko, I assumed he was looking to keep costs low), Continental makes rubber that fits.

[nutz4spd]

You're both right. I really don't want to spend $100 per tire but at the same time there are certain brands I don't really trust. I was looking at the Shinko's because many people had commented about how well the handle the road. I've also looked at the Continental's. The GS is more of a weekend thing for me. For days I just want to rip around a little instead of beating on my Indian.

[Grimly]

I'm looking at putting new tires on the GS. Originally they are 100/90-19 in the front and 110/90-18 in the rear, modern sizes. Currently the bike has a 130/80-18 in the rear and a 100/90 in the front. I want to go with a set of Shinko 777's but the only sizes they offer for the rear are either a 120/90-18 or a 130/70-18. Could either one be used in conjunction with the 100/90 front tire and not be an issue?

Sure; my XJ has a 100 section front and 120 section rear, handles fine. I've just replaced the rear with a 110 with no qualms.

[Gorminrider]

Try Duro. Cheap and seem ok on my 400 but a bigger bike would wear them out quicker than I do. Also Avon, Bridgestone...

[Grimly]

Try Duro. Cheap and seem ok on my 400 but a bigger bike would wear them out quicker than I do. Also Avon, Bridgestone...

I have a Duro on the front and only recently noticed that it's starting to get a bit worn after about 7 or 8K Probably have to replace it before the winter.
So, it stands up to heavy loading ok. My fronts wear fairly evenly across the entire width, with the amount of twisties around here. I'm not gentle with the tyres.
I've noticed, time after time, that tyres others say are crap are actually fairly reasonable performers on this old beast, and I attribute that to the extra weight they carry and the punishment they're subjected to. I break them in, then give them some welly.

[mmattockx]

And here I thought Shinko WERE the low cost option. I can't believe anyone trusts anything much cheaper than them. This is not a knock on Shinko, I am on my second set of 230's on my 1100E and I run them on several off road bikes as well. But the stuff that is cheaper than Shinko seems to really fall off the edge of the cost/value spectrum.


Mark

[Steve]

Several years ago, bwringer did a test by mounting a set of Shinko 230 Tour Masters on his 850. To say that he is not gentle on his tires would be a humble understatement. There are a few riders at the Brown County get-together that can (mostly) keep up with him, but they are also riding bikes that are about 30 years newer and cost a LOT more.

At the end of the test, he pronounced them "good". Not great, but good. Predictable throughout the life of the tire, but rather short-lived. I think he managed about 4-5000 miles, but others are reporting over 8000. On the other hand, the Kenda 657 Challenger is barely adequate when new and degrades sharply within 1000 miles or so, getting downright dangerous before the tread disappeared. I don't ride with nearly as much "enthusiasm", and I have even managed to get the Kendas to slip.

The cost difference between the Shinkos and Kendas is not that much, and certainly worth the peace of mind.

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[bwringer]

Agreed -- Kendas are Krap. Yes, that's personal experience. Like a bar of soap in the rain.

They do make some decent dirt tires, which is why some folks have positive experience with the name. But their street tires are legitimately awful.



Anyway, yes, I've used assorted Shinko tires on all my bikes many times, and the 230s are what's on my GS850G right now. Bang for the buck is fantastic. I've also used the 712 on my GS (couldn't tell any difference from the saddle, honestly), and mounted up several sets for others.

Original tire sizes for your bike are:
3,25-19 front (1.85x19 wheel)
4.00-18 rear (2.15x18 wheel)

Your bike will handle best with tires as close to original sizes as possible. Wider is sometimes better on cars, but not with motorcycles.

However, the olde inch system is no longer in use, so you have to convert.

The front converts pretty directly to 100/90-19, so that part is easy and there are skrillions of options. One of the most common sizes on the planet.

For the rear, 110/90-18 is the closest conversion. 120/90-18 is too wide. Not as many options there, but still several good choices.

However, 110/90-18 is not available in the Shinko 777 or 230.

So.

Given all that, I'd go with the Shinko 712 front and rear.



If you'd like to look at other options, American Moto Tire lets you select a size and see all tires. Be careful, because many of the 110/90-18 options are front tires. Yes, there is a difference. (If you're mounting your own, and you should, AMT is a great source for tires and tubes in the USA.)

https://www.americanmototire.com/search-results/?q=110%2F90-18&narrow=%5B%5B%22Position%22%2C%22REAR%22%5D%5D&disable_semantics=1

The Shinko 712 is $51.09. Such a deal!

There are quite a few other options for other "big name" brands in 110/90-18 rears for $90-$125. There's a decent IRC Durotour in the middle for $71.83, but honestly I'd still prefer the Shinko for $20 less.

The higher-cost options worth considering, if you like the tread pattern better or something, would be:
Avon AM26 RoadRider (out of stock at AMT; may be available elsewhere. Sticky and long-lived.)
Pirelli Sport Demon (stickiest by a few percent, but short-lived and expensive)
Bridgestone Battlax BT45
Conti Go! Classic, or Ultra

Avoid:
Dunlop 404 (short-lived, turns evil as it wears)
Bridgestone Spitfire (short-lived, turns evil as it wears)
Kenda (just no)

[GS1150Pilot]

Now THAT is impressive information.

[nutz4spd]

bwringer....you are the man. Thank you for my enlightenment. Now you have me concerned about even riding my bike with the 130 that's currently on the rear. lol I will keep the sizes original. Mainly for handling purposes. I'm a big fan on how a vehicle handles. I'm also a big fan on wet weather traction whether it's on a bike or car. Obviously I'm not as well educated on motorcycle tires as I am car tires. You said there is a difference between a front and rear tire of the same size. What are the differences?

[bwringer]

You'll probably be amazed at how well your bike handles with fresh tires in the proper sizes! It'll feel about 100 pounds lighter.

I've found that the Shinko 712 (and 230) has great traction in the wet, and the handling remains very consistent start to finish; it doesn't turn evil as it wears.

To do this on a budget, they use a fairly soft compound, so in my case (heavy bike flogged mercilessly) I get somewhat less mileage; around 3,000. Normal riders usually report close to double that.

(Also, FWIW, Shinko is a Korean brand and the tires are made in Korea.)

Building a tire that wears longer yet is still sticky requires more expensive compounds, which is why the other options cost double or more. So if you're paying a lot for mounting, and/or riding a ton of miles, then the more expensive tires can work out to a lower cost per mile. I mount my own tires and only put about 2,500-3,000 miles per year on my GS, so a fresh set of Shinkos annually is perfect; I always have fresh buns and my tires are never more than a year old.



Anyway, front tires are usually made lighter and more flexible with less tread depth and load capacity, so they won't last very long if used on the rear. You won't burst into flame or anything, but you won't be happy with the result.

That said, Avon makes a few of its AM26 RoadRider tires, including the 110/90-18, reversible (you mount it one way on the front, and use the opposite direction of rotation if it's on the rear) so they can be used front or rear.