Shinko 230 Torture Test

[GS1150Pilot]

I've probably run more Shinko tires on my bikes than any other brand, and I've remained a fan. They're on the Harley, they were on my Bandit and 1150, and I used them on the Max and FZ1.

[salty_monk]

I could get somewhere around 4500-5000

[Chuck78]

The Shinko 230 and 712 are undoubtedly the best tires for the money that I have ever ran on these bikes, and I really really push them to the limits. They grip far better than Avon Road Riders and Bridgestone Battlax BT45/BT46 tires.
The Pirelli Sport Demon might be the only comparable gripping tire or slightly better, but for their cost I don't know if they are worth it, as they also wear excessively fast, or even more rapidly, yet cost almost double.
One member once said that the Shinko grip 90% as good as the Pirelli Sport Demons, with the Pirelli being basically untouchable by any other 18-inch/19-inch vintage tire.

Also I have found that dirt bike tires made by Shinko are of equal quality if selecting the right tread. And this is pretty common knowledge across the trail riding community. Their front 546 & 216 tires are unbeatable, they actually used to manufacture GoldenTyre Gummies, and a couple of their Shinko brand tires (216 models) are basically the GoldenTyre design which they owned, but with the Shinko logo. The GoldenTyre rubber cost about as much as one could spend on dirt bike tires ($110) and ran by a large amount of professional racers, yet the Shinko version was just a touch higher priced than Chinese tires! Same tire!
I'm running a MotoZ Arena Hybrid Gummy on the back of my Kawasaki KDX220R right now, best dirt tire I've ever owned, but for $105 a piece, I will be trying out the new dual compound semi gummy Shinko 520DC next.

[Chuck78]

They don't last very long on a heavier bike or an aggressive rider, but they sure do grip! Shinko has the best rubber compounds at least for being on a budget! It helps if you can change and balance your own tires due to the price paid for best grip equates to more frequent tire changes.

I'm currently running some 18" Continental Road Attack 3 radials (on wider aftermarket rims) which cost about as much as one could spend on tires for our bikes, but they grip excellent, and wear incredibly well and will last a lot longer. I just finished my second extended road trip and have approximately 3,200 mi on the tires with no significant tread wear noted. They grip phenomenally in the tight twisties. Although next time, with my 3.5 inch rim, I would look to see about getting a 140 rear perhaps, I get to the very edge of the rear tread on the 130/80-18 for scraping my stator cover, despite Continental I believe rating this as best fit on a 3.50 rim. 3" I recommendation for that size. 2.75 might work, but pinched in slightly, too much tread arcing for the engine/chassis available lean angle


UPDATE 5/23/22:
The treadwear is phenomenal despite the higher lean angle portions of the sides of the tread looking very "balled-up like a race tire" as my friend calls it. The tread sides look scuffed up like pencil eraser shavings, although the center of the tread is still nice and round with no substantial tread wear despite blazing through a massive amount of twisty roads very aggressively on the two major road trips which I've done on them.

Continental also makes the Conti Classic Attack radials which do come in the stock sizes for our bikes, although I believe I had read that they wear rather quickly, akin to the Shinko & Pirelli tread compounds. If this is the case, Continental probably was trying to compensate for the heavier weight of our vintage bikes to not have any compromise in traction with a skinny tire on a heavier bike.

Also, with my taller shocks and slightly shorter than stock forks, increasing the head angle rake/caster, and reducing the steering trail spec, ALL of the bias ply tires I ran, Shinko, Bridgestone, Avon, all created a minor steering head shake issue between 35-45, or 45-55 mph OY noticeable when taking hands off of the handlebars completely. The speed at which this occurred changed, lowered by 10 mph, when switching from 110/90-18 to 100/90-18 (Avon & Shinko, did not test a larger Bridgestone front).
Switching to 100/90-18 & 130/80-18 Conti RA3 radials COMPLETELY eliminated this issue entirely.
Best buy tires in this configuration in similar sizes and steering geometry alterations, would really necessitate the use of a mild steering damper to remediate this issue.

[Burque73]

It didn't occur to me until the other night how many miles I had on these Shinko 230's. They hit the ground in November 2017 and now have 9112 miles on them. Front measures 1/16" and rear 3/32". This is really close to the mileage I got from the Dunlop 404's.

Figured I'd give this thread a bump.

Just ordered another set of the Shinko Tour Masters. Not sure how my local dealer keeps prices so low, but the front was $55 and rear was $73, total was $138.08 with tax and they'll be here in a few days. I got 8k miles from the last set. Not as good as the previous which is interesting, but still for inexpensive tires that's pretty good bang for the buck.

[salty_monk]

I've ridden with Brian only briefly over the years so I don't really know but I would say we can be similarly motivated at times

[Steve]

Oh and as usual my Shinko's still look brand new at 1,000 or so miles in

Did you get a chance to ride with Brian at the Brown County rally?

How do your riding styles compare?

.

[salty_monk]

That is a cool setup Grimly. I might have to make one of those!

I use Ruglyde as it's cheap at NAPA and a gallon lasts forever but I would think one of the biodegradable fabric washing soaps such as would be the best alternative if available. On a trip I'd use Shower gel or shampoo/conditioner in a pinch...

Oh and as usual my Shinko's still look brand new at 1,000 or so miles in

[Grimly]

I've seen what dish detergent does to motorcycle wheels after a year or two and it ain't pretty. That stuff is EXTREMELY corrosive.

Tubeless GS wheels, or at least some, seem to have sort of a clear coat inside, and most modern motorcycle wheels are powder coated. Coatings can protect the wheels from corrosion to some degree, but dish detergent can get into the slightest nick or crack and cause all kinds of nasty corrosion.

As I understand it, Ruglyde and other tire mounting lubricants are simple soaps with anti-corrosion additives. I'm a little hazy on the exact chemistry, but there's a big difference between soap and detergent. Detergents are very corrosive, and should not be left in contact with metals.

Plus, as you mentioned, soap-based tire mounting lubes are slipperier and just work a heck of a lot better. (Murphy's oil soap actually makes a tire mounting lube variant that smells awfully nice...) Another important property is that they dry slightly sticky and rinse away easily. I've seen all sorts of insane substitutes on motorcycle forums for tire mounting lubricants... it just doesn't make sense when a lifetime supply of the right stuff is maybe $17 at Napa.

I've been using hand-soap recently when stuck for slippy stuff. Previously I was using glycerine that was a throw-off from a few years back of biodiesel production, but it was impractical this time as it had gone quite nasty in the tubs.
In the past I've used detergent the very odd time, but was always wary of the salt content of it - many of the cheap dishwashing detergents are diluted from base stock and thickened back up by slinging a load of common salt in them - try it to see, sometime.
Quite often I've simply used a cake of cheap laundry soap and lathered it up on to the rim and bead, but it's nothing as neat as having a tub of the proper stuff and a brush.
Sometime I'll get some Ruglyde, or the local equivalent, but it's quite annoying when I've got dozens of gallons of glycerine if I can get to it.

[mmattockx]

It didn't occur to me until the other night how many miles I had on these Shinko 230's. They hit the ground in November 2017 and now have 9112 miles on them. Front measures 1/16" and rear 3/32". This is really close to the mileage I got from the Dunlop 404's.

That is great mileage. My 230's have ~9500km on them and the rear is toast, near smooth in the center and heavily squared off. Front is OK and will live through another rear easily. I have a new 230 rear ready to go, but didn't ride the GS at all this past summer except to move it to a new acreage we bought. Next year it will get some love again with the new tire on.


Mark

[Burque73]

How about antifreeze for tire lube? It has anti corrosive agents in it, among other similar ingredients like both ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, according to the MSDS. They're both slippery liquids. I know there are many other ingredients in antifreeze, just wondering.

[bwringer]

I've seen what dish detergent does to motorcycle wheels after a year or two and it ain't pretty. That stuff is EXTREMELY corrosive.

Tubeless GS wheels, or at least some, seem to have sort of a clear coat inside, and most modern motorcycle wheels are powder coated. Coatings can protect the wheels from corrosion to some degree, but dish detergent can get into the slightest nick or crack and cause all kinds of nasty corrosion.

As I understand it, Ruglyde and other tire mounting lubricants are simple soaps with anti-corrosion additives. I'm a little hazy on the exact chemistry, but there's a big difference between soap and detergent. Detergents are very corrosive, and should not be left in contact with metals.

Plus, as you mentioned, soap-based tire mounting lubes are slipperier and just work a heck of a lot better. (Murphy's oil soap actually makes a tire mounting lube variant that smells awfully nice...) Another important property is that they dry slightly sticky and rinse away easily. I've seen all sorts of insane substitutes on motorcycle forums for tire mounting lubricants... it just doesn't make sense when a lifetime supply of the right stuff is maybe $17 at Napa.

[Burque73]

In the kitchen, good idea. I've always liked the smell of new tires. Pair that with fresh baked bread and.....ok that's weird, but whatever works.

Last year on a cold day I helped a friend swap some tires. We struggled for hours with them. Not sure what brand they were or what their born on date was, but it was rough. After that I demounted my shinkos to change valve stems, warming them in the sun first, and it was a night and day difference in the effort. Oh, we used dish soap for lube on his which didn't work nearly as well as Ruglyde. Live and learn.

[bwringer]

If it's chilly in the garage, I usually put the tires in the kitchen until I'm ready to mount them. (My wife's usual comment is something like "Didn't you just buy motorcycle tires last month?" Yes. Yes, I did. These are different tires for a different bike.)

I've always found that warm tires make things a little easier, but it's certainly not a show-stopper.

[Burque73]

That's an amazing difference, Brian. I got to thinking how a lot of my stuff lasts longer than usual. I just put on a pair of jeans that are over a year old and I wear this pair to work at least once a week. Boots last many years, heck, my riding jacket is 15 years old. I just am not that hard on things I guess.

Seeing how this bike is already 36 years old, at the rate I wear things out it should till the end of time. Well, my time anyway.

I'll be ordering another set of Shinkos soon. I was hoping to get through the winter since it really sucks changing cold tires. The riding season never really ends here, there are just short breaks here and there. Worst case scenario, I suppose I could warm the tires up with a space heater and work quickly to change them.