Which tires do you buy?

I always buy Shinko tires because they are soft and have perfect grip, they don't last long.
What is better than Shinko?

Pirelli Sports Demons work really well. Ed

I have 3217 miles on my Shinko 230 Tour Master rear tire and have at least 2000 more miles to go. I'll buy another one next month to have on hand when the time comes. I will note the total mileage then.
Steve

Bridgestone Battlax Bt-45. good wet traction & reasonably priced.
I think they're about $230/set from motorcyclesuperstore.

As opposed to $77.63 a piece on the net or $83.89 with tax in Californicate. :whistle:
Steve

+1 on the Shinko 230 Tourmasters, I just put them on mine and haven't been far on them yet, but they really heat up even in 30 degree temps and I can tell how well they grip already by how hard I could brake without locking a wheel when I was trying out my modified front and rear brakes. From reviews I've read people get big a good amount of miles 8k+, even on powerful, heavy touring machines, which is what they were designed for. They a also V rated and the price is unbeatable. The Shinko 712's last much less mileage and are all round a less substantial tire, although still good tires for the money, I have those on my KZ650B1. I like the Shinko tires because I have quite a few bikes and so often tires get changed for age rather than wear, so the low price is a huge bonus. I looked at all options before getting the 230's for my KZ1000, in the end based on the user reviews and the spec of the tire it was hard to see any other reasonable option compared to them, particularly as so many of the other much more expensive options were not V rated. One thing is for certain they are infinitely better in every way than the tires that would have been on there in 1978 when it was new.

I paid $120 for a 100/90/19 and a 120/90/18 shipped to my door. They also look good on the bike, modern, but enough tread pattern to look right on an older machine IMO.

I'm sold on them. Chaparral has free shipping over $100 and if you don't live in this left hanging state, there's no tax.
Steve

650ed wrote: Pirelli Sports Demons work really well. Ed

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+1
I haven't tried the Shinko's or Avon's because I'm hooked on the Pirelli's, I couldn't be more happy with them
excellent grip even on wet pavement
Pete

I get 12,000 miles on Avon AM26 Roadriders and will be buying my third pair next year.
They are the only set that are made exactly for my rims.
3.25-19 front and 4.00-18 rear.
260 bucks delivered with Pirelli inner tubes included from Motorcycle superstore

Another vote for Avon Roadriders if you want more mileage. The Shinko 230's stick fine and are cheap, but the Avon's will yield about the same value when you consider the extra mileage. One issue though, the Roadriders tend to get sidewall cracks, particularly from guys that store their bike in a cold garage over the winter. The Sport Demon's are sticky, but mileage isn't up to the Avon level. Regarding BT45's, they stick well but a good many guys report cupping as the tires wear. On my latest bike I went with Conti Go's. No experience with them yet but Continental doesn't make junk and they can be found for decent prices. American Motorcycle Tire is my favor tire supplier (free shipping). Worst tires I've seen lately are Metzeler Lasertec's. This very much surprised me since Metzeler has an excellent reputation but the tires have proven to be very short lived and the sidewall's cracked all to crap. My friend using them hasn't experienced any riding issues with the cracks in the sidewall rubber, but talked him into switching to the Roadriders for the next go-round.

What I've noticed about the Shinko rear tire is, it lasts a long time until it gets close to being worn out, then it goes away quickly. I think I'm at that stage now. They have a harder rubber compound down the center for longevity. Being I am running a 130 instead of a 120, I had less tire patch on the road. I could tell by the patch on my dirt road and the tire still touched while on the center stand. I believe I lost some mileage because of this. The next one will be a 120. Not a lot cheaper but if I get more miles out of it, that will make it less expensive to run.
Steve

Personal experience with the following manufactures were all positive.
Goodyear original equipment Good
Continentals Good
Pirellis Phantoms Very Good
Bridgestones Battlax Better
Dunlaps on my Harley original equipment Fair
Avons on Harley and now on Kaw Great.
Almost bought Shinkos but went with Avons instead
Dave