Shinko 230 Torture Test

[mmattockx]

Regarding squared off treads, that's pretty normal for guys that don't ride in the twisties all the time. I've never noticed any handling issues with tires worn this way though. If you really get into a corner you will be past the square edge anyway.

I have had bikes get nervous and imprecise around center with a flat spotted rear, along with a noticeable 'step' off the flat onto the rounded shoulder of the tire when tipping into corners. Once they are leaned over they are fine as you are onto the regular profile at that point.


Mark

[bwringer]

To be honest, I really can't say there's a hell of a lot of difference between the 230 and the 712 in my experience. Then again, a few years on Avons passed between my 230 torture test and spooning on the 712s last year. The 230 is V rated and the 712 is H rated, but I can't point to any real world difference that affects a GS.

I think the 230 is about $5 a set more expensive (less cheap?) than the 712.

And, uh, the 230 looks sorta weird. The 712 is a lot more conventional-looking. Not that any of us really care.

That's all I got... maybe I need to toss a set of 230s on this spring in The Name of SCIENCE! A back-to-back comparison might be somewhat useful to someone somewhere someday. It's an excuse to ride more, anyway.

[Chuck78]

In the wholesale catalogs, Shinko markets the 712 as a sport tire, and the 230 is obviously called the Tour Master.

The speed ratings would indicate that the 230 is the more performance-oriented tire, and I can vouch that it works very well everywhere aside from being a little greasy on the pavement on sunny 100+ degree days. The rubber is definitely quite soft then! Even at that though, they are very predictable. Will always at this point in my life be running the soft sticky sporty short-lived tires, I like to really lean the bike in turns while pushing the suggested speed thru the curve warning signs, and also the stickier tires make your brakes more effective, they grip the pavement more/longer/better before they will lock up after increasing braking force is applied. One of the bigger limitations on your brakes can often be just the tires themselves, not even the brakes!

I may be slightly biased because I have my own tire changer and balancer here, and I do ride "a little" more aggressively than most of my friends, but you get the most in-depth reviews from that type of perspective anyhow!

For the average rider, the Avon Road Rider will probably be the bestimate overall choice, all things considered. Unless price is a big factor & the bike does not get that many miles. If you can't wear out a set of tires in less than 3 seasons, then you should not be getting high mileage tires anyway. The rubber has a very definite shelf life that needs to be observed. Once they pass the 3 or 5 year mark, they likely may get a little questionable in terms of your safety when leaning the bike over or under hard braking. Depends on the rubber compound, but you can't rely on it past a certain age. We only have 2 wheels in contact with the ground, not 4!

Of course, this (Avon overall recomnendation for average riders) is all subject to change upon further review of the Shinko 712 if it proves to be a very good competitor to the Avon AM26...





Brian, how many miles of hard use do you get out of a rear AM26?
5,500 I'm guessing???
I'm curious to see if the 712 lasts you 4,000...

The reviews I remember hearing of the 712 from fairly aggressive riders said that when you lean over to near the very edge of the tread, the grip gets a little vague and does not give you good feedback, whereas the 230 Tour Master grips very excellent all the way to the edge and has the more sporty feel/grip by far.


On the flip side, the Shinko offerings in a 17-inch sportbike radials are very questionable. A few of my friends have ran those, and said they were terrible tires. I can't remember which one exactly, but I've heard from numerous sources including 2 or more friends of mine that they are not very good vs the competition (Continental Road Attack 2's, Michelin Pilot Road's, etc)

However, my friend on a newer Ninja was following my friend on a ZRX 1200 with very highly regarded Michelin Pilot Road radials, who was following me leading the pace. I was definitely riding my usual style, and my ninja buddy said the guy on a ZRX was sliding all over the road trying to match my pace... I'm sure that was a slight exaggeration, but this was coming from a very good rider observing the ZRX Rider with the well-regarded Michelin 17" Sport Touring radials, so even a slight bit of slippage from the back end on that thing would be enough to make the rider following him pucker up real good! The thing that gets me with all of those tires is that they are all 20,000 mile high silicon content tires and they try to get the most grip out of the long tread life, but riding with him even with new tires on his bike, and hearing this feedback, I was not impressed by the high mileage ultra-modern compounds when I was flowing through the turns at a fairly aggressive pace on a much more dated frame and suspension, but having zero issues on then.a 140/70-18 Shinko SR741 & 110/90-18 230 Tourmaster, vs a bike running a 180/60(?)-17 modern sport touring radial...
I will stick to what I know works very well on our vintage 18-inch wheel diameters, even though it has to be changed out at least once a season!

[Chuck78]

On this Rickman chassis project that I am slowly collecting parts for, I'm VERY excited to try out a set of Bridgestone Battlax BT016 Hypersport 18" radial tires... they are a cornering-oriented high performance street + track day tire that comes in sizes to fit mid 1980's & late 1980's sport bikes. The 1st 2 years slabside GSXR's and other similar bikes are the intended target for half of their size range - which will fit the 2.50x18 front rim and 4.25x18 rear rim that I have for the Rickman CR (Suzuki GS1000E/1100GK-1135cc powered) project. That will be a 110/80-18 & a 150/70-18 (if I had a 4.50x18 rear I could've run a 160/60-18 BT016).
My other options are BT45V Battlax bias ply tires (proven street and track say performer), & for actual track use, the AM22/AM23 Avon Super Venom race-only tires will do really well from what I've been told.Same sizes I'd be running in the BT016...


The BT45V Battlax rear I am very pleased to be running on the GS750 street bike, as it is a dual compound rear, but still a very grippy compound, but even more grippy on the softer side tread areas for maximum cornering. I haven't gotten past an estimated 3200 miles or so on that (guessing), but the rear isn't squared off at all yet and is doing very well.
I went with a Shinko 230 up front still because I know they do great in the rain, and one GSR buddy of mine said he had a scare on the wet with a BT45 front... all other feedback I've heard says they do fine in the wet though.

[Downs]

I'm on my second set of 712s. I replaced the first set due to age but I really like them

[bwringer]

Brian, how many miles of hard use do you get out of a rear AM26?
5,500 I'm guessing???
I'm curious to see if the 712 lasts you 4,000...

The reviews I remember hearing of the 712 from fairly aggressive riders said that when you lean over to near the very edge of the tread, the grip gets a little vague and does not give you good feedback, whereas the 230 Tour Master grips very excellent all the way to the edge and has the more sporty feel/grip by far.

...

On the flip side, the Shinko offerings in a 17-inch sportbike radials are very questionable.

- I can count on 6,000 miles from a rear Avon AM26, and 12,000 from the front. The only front tire I've ever been comfortable running 2:1.

- I haven't noticed any edge issues on the 712. I also hang off a good bit when riding hard so I always have a goodly traction margin to work with, so maybe I just haven't gotten into that ragged edge (nor do I want to). Before I learned the correct, complete technique (Total Control Riding classes from Lee Parks -- HIGHLY recommended), I dragged parts more often, went slower, and didn't have nearly as much margin for correction.

- My 712s won't see 3,000 miles. To be fair, if I ran them down way past the TWIs like I did the 230s (I was 500 miles from home when I noticed they were roached; they had 3,000 miles at that point, and were smooth at 3,500 miles), then yeah, they would probably achieve approximately the same mileage.



- Not that Shinko's other tires have any relevance whatsoever to this discussion of GS tires, but...

I've also not heard good things about Shinko's sportybike tires. And the price difference in those sizes isn't nearly as compelling.

I've been impressed by the 705 on the KLR650 (blocky chevron dual-sport tread). Great on the street, passable off pavement. They're less impressive, but serviceable on the V-Strom -- the current 705 has a very strange feel on the Strom, and although I've used three sets on my V-Strom thanks to their crazy low pricing, I've never been all that happy with them. I'll just pay a few extra bucks for better tires.

I tend to keep knobbier rubber on the KLR650 nowadays, and the Shinko 805 (square block knobby) is OK on pavement, but not nearly as good off-pavement as other options, like the Metzeler Karoo 3. Plus, there's not much of a price difference, so I won't be installing a new set when these poop out.

In sum, Shinko is a mixed bag. It depends on your bike and the competition. They're good, safe tires made in a first-world country (South Korea) and they have a certain niche in the market.

In this case, on a GS, both of Shinko's offerings are very, very good, and the pricing is compelling, but they are short-lived. As noted in the original review, if you ride your GS a lot, or have to pay to have tires mounted, the cost/mile equation may lean toward a more expensive but longer-lived tire like the Avon AM26 (or others).

[Chuck78]

I should also note that, although my friends confirmed that the 17" Sport bike rubber by Shinko is not very good, I am ecstatic about my Shinko 520 rear dirt bike tire... the 520 front felt sketchy on hard pack clay, but the Shinko F546 turned out to be an AWESOME front as well...
The 520 rear looks SERIOUS, & is a total mud hog, it does GREAT in the mud and loamy soil... just okay on hard pack at 10-12 psi (around the recommended max for woods riding in general), decent at 9 psi (lowest with tubes), but does really well down at 5-6psi running a NeuTech TuBliss system...
I may try a Sedona 907 on the rear of the next bike for comparison on hardpack, but the Shinko 546 gers my vote on the front again hands down...

So Shinko will be the dominating tire brand amongst my bukes, with a little Bridgestone here and there, & trying out a Sedona...


Shinko makes some pretty great tires, but you have to do your research first.

For a lighter rider on a light/middleweight bike, it seems as if the 230 and 712 both are a great great buy for the DIY'er or someone whose buddy has a tire changer...

[Downs]

- I can count on 6,000 miles from a rear Avon AM26, and 12,000 from the front. The only front tire I've ever been comfortable running 2:1.

- I haven't noticed any edge issues on the 712. I also hang off a good bit when riding hard so I always have a goodly traction margin to work with, so maybe I just haven't gotten into that ragged edge (nor do I want to). Before I learned the correct, complete technique (Total Control Riding classes from Lee Parks -- HIGHLY recommended), I dragged parts more often, went slower, and didn't have nearly as much margin for correction.

- My 712s won't see 3,000 miles. To be fair, if I ran them down way past the TWIs like I did the 230s (I was 500 miles from home when I noticed they were roached; they had 3,000 miles at that point, and were smooth at 3,500 miles), then yeah, they would probably achieve approximately the same mileage.



- Not that Shinko's other tires have any relevance whatsoever to this discussion of GS tires, but...

I've also not heard good things about Shinko's sportybike tires. And the price difference in those sizes isn't nearly as compelling.

I've been impressed by the 705 on the KLR650 (blocky chevron dual-sport tread). Great on the street, passable off pavement. They're less impressive, but serviceable on the V-Strom -- the current 705 has a very strange feel on the Strom, and although I've used three sets on my V-Strom thanks to their crazy low pricing, I've never been all that happy with them. I'll just pay a few extra bucks for better tires.

I tend to keep knobbier rubber on the KLR650 nowadays, and the Shinko 805 (square block knobby) is OK on pavement, but not nearly as good off-pavement as other options, like the Metzeler Karoo 3. Plus, there's not much of a price difference, so I won't be installing a new set when these poop out.

In sum, Shinko is a mixed bag. It depends on your bike and the competition. They're good, safe tires made in a first-world country (South Korea) and they have a certain niche in the market.

In this case, on a GS, both of Shinko's offerings are very, very good, and the pricing is compelling, but they are short-lived. As noted in the original review, if you ride your GS a lot, or have to pay to have tires mounted, the cost/mile equation may lean toward a more expensive but longer-lived tire like the Avon AM26 (or others).

I've ran Shinkos since they were fairly new and have had no bad experiences with them. From Ravens, to Verges, to 705s, to 712s to 805/804s. All have been great tires that have out performed my expectations.

[Boriqua]

Earlier this summer, I spooned an unsuspecting set of Shinko 230 Tourmaster tires onto my GS850G in the name of Science.

Bear in mind I am a large galoot and I ride like a flaming bat out of hell. Normal people get a LOT more miles out of their tires. The numbers below represent extreme abuse -- your mileage will probably be a lot better.

114,000 miles: Set installed. Poor lil' guys didn't know what they were in for...

114,800 - 115,000 miles: Somewhere in here I caught a large nail in the rear that made two oddly angled punctures. Not the tire's fault. Couldn't fix it, so I replaced the rear tire.

117,900 miles: rear tire at or past tread wear indicators. Since I was 450 miles from home in the middle of a trip to Wisconsin, the only option was to shrug and ride on.

118,500 miles: Got home from Wisconsin. Rear tire completely, utterly beyond shagged. Bald. Done. Avon RoadRiders ordered, bike parked until new tires arrive.



In a nutshell:

- They stick great in all conditions and under extreme cornering -- dry, wet, cold, etc.


- They feel great -- very neutral.


- They didn't last long at all. The rear was at the TWIs in about 3,000 miles, and WAY past worn out at about 3,500. The center tread is completely smooth.

- The front shows pretty normal wear (fronts don't flat spot like rears, so you have to look closer), but it is visibly very worn and also needs to be replaced at about 4,500 miles -- not sure if you could get away with running two rears for each front with these.


- In their favor, they felt great all the way up to the end. This indicates to me the tire is very well-designed and well-built (it's V-rated), but uses a soft tread compound to achieve a high level of performance. I suspect that more expensive tires use more expensive rubber compounds to achieve adhesion along with better wear.


- No, I personally would not buy another set. I ride too many miles and go on too many long trips, so cost per mile matters to me. I know that I can reliably and safely get at least 6,000 miles out of each rear Avon RoadRider, and that I can use one front through two rears. Two Avon rears and one front will take me 12,000 miles easily at a far lower cost than four sets of Shinko 230s. A new set of Avons is on its way to me right now, in fact.

However, I would not hesitate to put Shinko 230s on a bike that doesn't get ridden as much, or if budget for purchase price is a big consideration. (They're about $80 less per set.)

Conclusion: The Shinko 230s work great, they're inexpensive, but they don't last very long.



Now let's do some accounting. Math R hard, but I need to make myself feel better about dropping all this cash on rubber.

The set of Avon RoadRiders I ordered cost $212.09. (100/90-19 front, 130/90-17 rear). (American Moto Tire)

The Shinko 230s are $136.35 a set in the same sizes. (Motorcycle Superstore)

I know I can get 12,000 miles easily and safely from one front and two rear Avons, a total of $328.38 at current prices -- 2.7 cents per mile.

I can only get 3,000 safe miles from a set of Shinko 230s, so the total for 12,000 miles (four sets) would be $545.40, or 4.5 cents per mile.

Even if I suddenly get religion or something and slow down enough to get 4,000 miles out of a set of Shinkos, the cost per mile would be 3.4 cents, plus all that extra time spent 'rassling tires.

Conclusion: the more expensive tires are cheaper.




Edit: after EPIC struggles with getting my phone to cough up usable photos, here's a pic of a shagged Shinko. You can see traces of the center stripe here and there. Not down to the cords, anyway :

I know .. necro but I am in need of a rear tire and have a question. I did the Shinko Tourmaster on the front. My current rear says its a 130/80 18 but there doesnt seem to be a tourmaster 230 in that size but they do offer a

130/90V18

https://www.shinkotireusa.com/product/230-tour-master/211903

What size did you use on your rear and if anyone knows .. can I get that tire on my rim?

[Nessism]

A 130 is way too big for the narrow 2.15" wide wheel on the '82 750E. You might want to reconsider the sizing. A 120 is pushing the size envelope but more doable.

[Boriqua]

130/80 18 is what is on there right now so I assumed it was the appropriate size for the rear. I am digging through clymer right now to find a spec. My computer which has the shop manual is down right now

[Nessism]

130/80 18 is what is on there right now so I assumed it was the appropriate size for the rear. I am digging through clymer right now to find a spec. My computer which has the shop manual is down right now

Your bike originally came with a 4.00x18 tire. Closest to that size would be a 110/90-18, which actually is a little larger.

[Steve]

I am a bit surprised that the rear is an 18", but there is a LOT about the chain-driven bikes that I don't know.

I do agree that the 130 is a bit too large for the rim. 110 is the exact crossover, but most of us get away with one size larger, so look for a 120. You will also probably do better to look for the /90, rather than an /80 aspect ratio.

Bottom line: look for a 120/90-18.

.

[Buffalo Bill]

I dunno, Brian must be getting a discount from Avon for shilling them here…
Plus, he don't mention a couple broken legs from crashing. How did those cost?

[Boriqua]

I am a bit surprised that the rear is an 18", but there is a LOT about the chain-driven bikes that I don't know.

I do agree that the 130 is a bit too large for the rim. 110 is the exact crossover, but most of us get away with one size larger, so look for a 120. You will also probably do better to look for the /90, rather than an /80 aspect ratio.

Bottom line: look for a 120/90-18.

.

So that guy?

https://www.amazon.com/90-18-Shinko-Master-Motorcycle-1989-1990/dp/B079NBP7P6/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=SHINKO+230+TOUR+MASTER+120%2F90-18+71V+REAR+MOTORCYCLE&qid=1553031788&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

This week may be the prettiest, nicest riding all year in AZ and I CANT RIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!