Tire Advice

[Guest]

I want to confirm the dates on tires on the 1982 GS1100L I recently purchased (see pictures below).

front
front.jpg

(I'll post rear tire below this post)

Per the pics, I believe the front was made in 2007 and the back in 2008. Correct??

Both tires have good tread and no rot. I've put about 120 miles on them since I bought the bike with no problems (in good weather conditions, no rain). However, I have read that any tire over 6 years old should be replaced. And that these brands may be less than optimal. What do yo you all think?

Front tire is C.S. Hi-Max (cheap tire, right?)

Rear tire is IRC Durotour...

I bought the bike with replacing tires factored into offer to PO. What brand do you all recommend for replacement tires for this bike?

Thanks for any advice you may have.

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Here is the rear tire date stamp (I think):

rear1.jpg

[Steve]

The picture of the front tire, I'm not sure that is the date code. It is usually in a molded box, like the one for your rear tire.

However, if you just got a Cheng Shin Hi-Max, it likely IS that old. Yes, they were inexpensive, but I wish they were still made. They worked very well and had decent life.

I have no experience with any of the IRC line of tires.

For inexpensive, but surprisingly decent tires, the fourm favorite seems to be the Shinko 230 Tour Master. Just a couple bucks more than your Cheng Shin / IRC combo, but very nice tires.
The three GSes in my garage right now all have them, if that says anything, and I will be spooning another one on the rear on my bike in the next week or so.

.

[bwringer]

That pic of the front tire is worrisome -- it looks shiny, like it's really hard or someone put tire dressing on it (big no-no on motorcycle tires), and cracks in the rubber are visible. As Steve said, the date code is supposed to be in a box, so I don't know for sure what that number is.

I don't know exactly when the Cheng Shin HiMax disappeared, but it was a several years ago. If that rear is from 2008, then I'd bet that the front is from much earlier.

In any case, the decision is easy: both are long past five years old, and should be replaced. A set of Shinko 230 or 712 tires work great and will only run you about $112 shipped. It's really not worth screwing around with this.

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That pic of the front tire is worrisome -- it looks shiny, like it's really hard or someone put tire dressing on it (big no-no on motorcycle tires), and cracks in the rubber are visible. As Steve said, the date code is supposed to be in a box, so I don't know for sure what that number is.

I don't know exactly when the Cheng Shin HiMax disappeared, but it was a several years ago. If that rear is from 2008, then I'd bet that the front is from much earlier.

In any case, the decision is easy: both are long past five years old, and should be replaced. A set of Shinko 230 or 712 tires work great and will only run you about $112 shipped. It's really not worth screwing around with this.

Thanks. That is what I suspected. Will do it this week, before next ride. What is the difference between Shinko 230 and 712? I am definitely not riding this bike hard, mostly country roads on the weekend and some highway travel. Also, OEM rear tire, according to Owner's Manual, was tubeless, as is the current rear tire. So...Tubeless or not?

Thanks very much for your help with this.

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I see they are both tubeless. Any thoughts on which is preferable?

[alke46]

Search through the archives, there are a gazillion threads on tires and what to avoid plus numerous opinions on the tubeless vs. tubed tires.

Oh yeah, welcome to the site.

[mmattockx]

The three GSes in my garage right now all have them, if that says anything, and I will be spooning another one on the rear on my bike in the next week or so.

What are you seeing for mileage on your 230's? The ones on my 1100E are at 5800km and the front looks mostly new and the rear has a wide flatish spot on it, but it is not really squared off (no weird handling yet at all) and there is still maybe 40% of the center tread groove remaining at this point. I am going to finish the season on it, which is only a few more weeks at absolute best up here, and then put a new rear on next spring.

A set of Shinko 230 or 712 tires work great and will only run you about $112 shipped. It's really not worth screwing around with this.

+1.

I see they are both tubeless. Any thoughts on which is preferable?

Welcome to the forum.

All the street tires you can buy these days will be tubeless type. You can run tubes in them with no issues if you desire. As for running tubes in them or not, that is up to you. Many here have converted to tubeless on rims not so marked with no trouble, but it is a subject of much debate. About the only thing that generates more religious fervor than tubeless or not is an oil thread.


Mark

[Steve]

What is the difference between Shinko 230 and 712?

The difference is 483.


From the catalog:

Shinko 712
- Designed for mileage & performance
- Staggered tread pattern provides excellent wet weather performance
- H Rated Tubeless
- 4 ply nylon carcass




Shinko 230 Tour Master
- Designed for long distance, high speed riding.
- Aramid belted
- Staggered tread design offers a quiet ride with excellent handling
- V rated tubeless, 4 ply rated





In the sizes for your bike (front 100/90-19, rear 130/90-16), the 712s will be about $111.82 from Tires Unlimited (chosen only because they are about 20 minutes from my house). The 230s run about $132.55. The only negative thing I have heard about either one is that they are not the longest-lasting tires, but they DO last a bit longer than some of the super-sticky sport tires that some riders prefer.

.

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What are you seeing for mileage on your 230's? The ones on my 1100E are at 5800km and the front looks mostly new and the rear has a wide flatish spot on it, but it is not really squared off (no weird handling yet at all) and there is still maybe 40% of the center tread groove remaining at this point. I am going to finish the season on it, which is only a few more weeks at absolute best up here, and then put a new rear on next spring.




+1.




Welcome to the forum.

All the street tires you can buy these days will be tubeless type. You can run tubes in them with no issues if you desire. As for running tubes in them or not, that is up to you. Many here have converted to tubeless on rims not so marked with no trouble, but it is a subject of much debate. About the only thing that generates more religious fervor than tubeless or not is an oil thread.


Mark

Got it. LOL....and apologies to all for stepping in it! My question wasn't too clear. I was wondering what the difference between Shinko 230 and 712 is, and if the OP had a preference. My bad! The info from all on this thread has been very helpful. I will replace the old tires this week...and search the past threads for Shinko related posts.

Thanks very much!

[1MoreX]

The difference is 483.


From the catalog:

Shinko 712
- Designed for mileage & performance
- Staggered tread pattern provides excellent wet weather performance
- H Rated Tubeless
- 4 ply nylon carcass




Shinko 230 Tour Master
- Designed for long distance, high speed riding.
- Aramid belted
- Staggered tread design offers a quiet ride with excellent handling
- V rated tubeless, 4 ply rated





In the sizes for your bike (front 100/90-19, rear 130/90-16), the 712s will be about $111.82 from Tires Unlimited (chosen only because they are about 20 minutes from my house). The 230s run about $132.55. The only negative thing I have heard about either one is that they are not the longest-lasting tires, but they DO last a bit longer than some of the super-sticky sport tires that some riders prefer.

.

Thanks Steve. Terry

[mmattockx]

Got it. LOL....and apologies to all for stepping in it!

No worries, you just don't want that debate to get going too far, it turns loud pretty fast.

My question wasn't too clear. I was wondering what the difference between Shinko 230 and 712 is, and if the OP had a preference.

I am running the 230's on my 1100E. They are a bit stickier and generally higher performance than the 712's, but I have not tried the 712's myself. I am completely happy with the 230's and will be replacing the rear with another next spring. There is a Tires and Suspension forum farther down the main page, a search there on '230' and on '712' or on 'shinko' should find lots of reading material. I don't think I have heard anybody say anything very negative about either Shinko model, they are well regarded here as a solid performing lower cost tire that offers great value. About the only thing wrong with them is they tend to not last a very long time. I have 5800km of mixed solo and two up riding on mine and the rear is getting flattened off but still has decent tread left at the moment while the front looks very lightly used. The rear will be replaced next spring with another the same.


Mark

[alke46]

I currently have around 4500 miles on a set of 230 tour masters and the sticky feature of the tires is great.
I just arrived in Harrison, Arkansas today around 4 pm and got a quick 120 mile ride in before dinner. I will be here for 3 more days of hard riding and from the looks of my tires, they will need replacing when I get back home. Hopefully they still have another 1000 miles in them but it is questionable right now.

My replacement tires will be Avon Road Riders. A bit more money with supposedly the same sticky compound but longer wearing from what others have told me.

[Steve]

My replacement tires will be Avon Road Riders. A bit more money with supposedly the same sticky compound but longer wearing from what others have told me.

A couple of years ago bwringer did a test of the Shinko 230s. He rides hard, so it wasn't just a test, it was a torture test. He pronounced them rather decent overall, but a bit short-lived. When they wore out, he said he would go back to his preferred Avon Road Riders. They seem to last about twice as long as the 230s, for less than twice the price, meaning they cost less per mile. And, with all the miles he puts on in a year, one or two fewer tire changes simply adds up to more riding time.

.

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Thanks for the helpful info Mark & Larry.