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Shinko tires

brianfisk

New member
I am looking to compare tire prices. There is one tire out there that I don't what models fit my my 97R1100RT. Shinko, I have tried most of the brands already. I like the Road Smarts from Dunlop. But price may be a factor on this bike.
Thanks, Brian
 
I am looking to compare tire prices. There is one tire out there that I don't what models fit my my 97R1100RT. Shinko, I have tried most of the brands already. I like the Road Smarts from Dunlop. But price may be a factor on this bike.
Thanks, Brian
Ran Shinko Ravan's on an FJR and the rear was IMO as good as RS's in every way. The front was one of those tires that you had to work to make them turn.
 
After three sets of Shinko Ravens, I'm done. These dimples and several bubbles appeared on the front tire on our R1150RT after about 4k miles. Made for a bit of a scary ride home. After sending these pics,and further evidence I had destroyed the tire, Motorcycle Superstore refunded 100% of the purchase price. Good on them, but ruining a weekend ride by discovering this 200+ miles from home made for a less than relaxing return trip.

shinko.jpg
 
1998 r1100rt

Running Shinko Podiums right now. I'm guessing around 3000 miles on them.
I would estimate maybe 2000 left to go, maybe less on the back.
My experience with them has been good. They were certainly the cheapest tires I have ever put on.
On the weird 18" rear the 170mm will fit. Alters the handling only slightly at the more extreme leans.
Dry grip is good. They have not been wet, other than a sprinkle or two.
I have actually had the front cupping problem on more expensive tires, and not on this one.

I have heard of issues with the block pattern tires shedding blocks under normal GS conditions,
but I have not heard any street horror stories (other than the earlier response) with Podiums or Ravens.

If you want the best tire IMHO get Michelin Pilot Road 2 or 3. And they are not the most expensive.
 
I have actually had the front cupping problem on more expensive tires, and not on this one.
.

Mine were not cupping, I think they were just randomly delaminating... In all fairness, the first three fronts didn't do this, and this one had a lot of high speed two-up interstate miles
 
Mine were not cupping, I think they were just randomly delaminating... In all fairness, the first three fronts didn't do this, and this one had a lot of high speed two-up interstate miles
Shinko isn't the only company that has delaminating issues. Michelin did too and Avon Storms when they first arrived in the states had those problems. I agree with Scott, PR2/3's are hard to beat. IMO, that Ravan front was not of tire of choice even if they ran without cupping or delaminating. The only good thing I could say about them is when you set a direction with them they did not deviate from it. The problem I had was the same as the good point were when you wanted to change direction they wanted to stay where they were at.
 
I am looking to compare tire prices. There is one tire out there that I don't what models fit my my 97R1100RT. Shinko, I have tried most of the brands already. I like the Road Smarts from Dunlop. But price may be a factor on this bike.

If price is a factor, you might want to try Continental ContiMotion tires. They wear quite well, handle quite well, and they cost $200 a set. Dirt cheap.

I've run Michelin Pilot Power, Dunlop D220 and Dunlop RoadSmarts. All great tires but I'll be sticking with these Contis on my "S".
 
...Yeah, I think chunks coming off the tire would tend to freak me out a bit. Even more so if I was two-up at the time.
My wife doesn't ride with me and I'm pretty lightly loaded most of the time, and that may have a lot to do with my sheer luck with tires over the years. My flats usually happen in the garage, overnight, presenting themselves before I get on and ride.

The Podiums are an experiment with "cheap" and "sport" for me. I have to say they are pretty good tires.
I have not tried Avons or Dunlops. I think I have tried everything else that will fit the bike.

I don't think anybody, not even Shinko, makes a bad tire that will fit the R1100RT.

I started riding in the late 60's, on Japanese bikes with wobbly frames and drum brakes.
Let me tell you we had some bad tires back then.
I had tires that would drift me right the hell off the road on a Honda 350.
Might as well just use the chrome steel rims and forget the tires.

I have not figured out yet why one set of tires will "like to turn" and another set won't.
There's a lot of physics converging on the front axle from a lot of different directions.
You can measure the different tires and only find tiny differences in profile, and those probably go away after 500 miles.
Sidewall stiffness? Gyroscopic forces due to heavy steel belts versus lightweight Kevlar belts?
I don't know. I just have to try stuff and take notes.
 
After three sets of Shinko Ravens, I'm done. These dimples and several bubbles appeared on the front tire on our R1150RT after about 4k miles. Made for a bit of a scary ride home. After sending these pics,and further evidence I had destroyed the tire, Motorcycle Superstore refunded 100% of the purchase price. Good on them, but ruining a weekend ride by discovering this 200+ miles from home made for a less than relaxing return trip.

View attachment 40034

I had the same thing happen on my '04 RT. Also had a front tire crack at the end of the sipes. Both replaced by Shinko.
Then a de-lamination on the front, which I only used because it was a replacement provided by Shinko.
After three tires going bad, I decided it was enough and have since used Michelins. Never had an issue with the rear. Ran 42/36 rear/front.
I still use the Ravens on my 2000 Suzuki Bandit 600, but it is a much lighter bike.
 
I had Ravens on my 1150R & they were as good as any I've ever used. The picture shows something that might not be Shinkos fault? A split bothers me more than the cupping as a way to blame the mfg. & a guy showed a split (I think I'm remembering ok here)Shinko scoot tire elsewhere recently. Most times you show a split there is too much PSI involved or also aging. Per the pic, hard to imagine that there are/were tread rubber imperfections evenly spaced on a tire & also that is not evidence of a typical carcass defect either. Lets hear from the "tire experts",:bow
 
Lets hear from the "tire experts",:bow
And where do we find them??? :laugh Surely not on a MC forum. :D When I was having issues with tires in the past, I contacted both Dunlop and Avon with really little to no success in finding the "why." Both would replace the tire with no problem.

The pic is very curious. The pattern seemed to be in exactly the same symmetric place and the same shape. The only thing I can think of that would create a hole like that would be a bubble in the rubber, maybe. Sure didn't look like a chunk letting go. It almost looks like a spoon scooped out the rubber and then the edges just wore some. Strange.
 
My opinion, tires are the MOST important safety component on a vehicle PERIOD!

The best brakes, best suspension, best engineering is all out the door on crappy tires. Not saying Shinkos are, but I don't get paid to test tires, so I want something that I can trust the engineering, quality control and rubber compounds.

Mileage is secondary to safety. The $100 extra I might spend on every set is miniscule to cost possible damage to the bike and the body, let alone, a funeral. We wear $2000 worth of protective gear, in hopes we don't need it, then why save penny's on what could save us from using it?
 
My opinion, tires are the MOST important safety component on a vehicle PERIOD!

The best brakes, best suspension, best engineering is all out the door on crappy tires. Not saying Shinkos are, but I don't get paid to test tires, so I want something that I can trust the engineering, quality control and rubber compounds.

Mileage is secondary to safety. The $100 extra I might spend on every set is miniscule to cost possible damage to the bike and the body, let alone, a funeral. We wear $2000 worth of protective gear, in hopes we don't need it, then why save penny's on what could save us from using it?

Paying more for a tire or buying a well known brand does not guarantee quality or safety. Just look at Firestone 500's. A well known brand and also one of their premium tires.
 
Paying more for a tire or buying a well known brand does not guarantee quality or safety. Just look at Firestone 500's. A well known brand and also one of their premium tires.

There are no guarantees in life...but that was 40 years ago. Methinks a lot has changed since then. :thumb
 
The scary part is I had a set of those Firestone 500's that failed 35 years ago... Never bought another Firestone Product.

We had them as OE on a new 74 Ford company car. All 5 of the tires failed. I have not had a Firestone tire since then.
 
I quit using Firestone tires about 25 years ago. Every Firestone tire that I had never got wore out, it always failed for one reason or another on what I considered a manufacturers defect. Of course, the dealer always claimed that I did something that caused the failure.
 
Well now this has switched lanes into a Firestone thread. All the American companies had issues when they tried to produce radials in the 70's. Gas was going up, and radials offer a clear economy advantage, the Europeans were making big strides into the US market, so the US companies tried to jump in with out the proper knowledge and techniques.

I went to buy a set of radial tires in the 70's from a friend that owned a tire store (still in business too), and he said he would love to sell me a set, but he advised all his customers that were insistent on Radials to buy Michelin's, even though he wasn't a dealer. (Honesty and integrity is probably why the store is on its 4th generation of family operation!)

I look at the Korean, Taiwan and China manufacturing the same way, they are walking, but still taking wobbly baby steps, which means they sometimes fall. ;)
 
Shinko Podiums

Just wanted to add another wrinkle.
I got the bike out after a long winter's nap the other day and went down scenic 10 in Oklahoma.
The Podiums felt weird and I took an early fuel stop.
I felt of the tire surface with my fingers and nails.
They had developed a slick "skin" sitting in the garage a few months and needed another scrubbing in as if they were new again.
Weird. Wasn't a big problem for me since I was a little winter-wobbly anyway and taking it easy.
Is this weird or just a sport tire thing? I wonder if anybody knows for sure, with the short wear life...
 
The pic is very curious. The pattern seemed to be in exactly the same symmetric place and the same shape. The only thing I can think of that would create a hole like that would be a bubble in the rubber, maybe. Sure didn't look like a chunk letting go. It almost looks like a spoon scooped out the rubber and then the edges just wore some. Strange.

I thought it was strange, too and sent pics to the Shinko North American distributor.
Never heard back from them.

I think a partial cause may be the weight of the bike.
 
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