Cheng Shin or Cheng S*&!

[birch]

Well, last month I went to my local Yamaha dealer to order up a another set of Bridgestone Spitfires. The last one's I had were a perfect tire. They lasted about 9,000 miles and handled beautifully. I cringed when the dealer told me that they went up another $30.00 a set. I asked him (Dave) if he would suggest a tire that was comparable and a little less money. He suggested the Cheng Shin Hi-Max tires. I laughed. He then told me that he has been running them on his V-Max for two years and absolutly loves them.

$115.00 later and I had a brand new set of tires--Front and Rear. Since I do all the work on my bike myself, I am on fresh rubber for a buck-twenty. I have since put over 2000 miles on my bike and there is not a hint of wear on the front or the back.

I have not had my bike out in the rain, but I can tell you that the feel and performance of this tire is no different than the Spitfire's. They are smooth, comfortable and grab the curves very well. Although I do not like to make sparks fly, they do not scare me a bit on a high speed corner. They are great.

I know that Cheng Shin tires have a very bad rep, but so far, I highly recomend these tires for people who might be on a tight budget.

Here is a link to some user reviews that I found a couple of weeks ago. As far as I can tell, they seem like an actual representation of the tires on my ol' girl.
http://www.concours.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=39786

Has anyone ever used this tire?

[trbig]

I do have a Cheng Shin on the front. It did slide out from under me in the rain, but I caught it, so be careful there. I only got @ 6k miles out of the front tire and it is way past time to change it. BUT... not sure of the exact name on the tire. I know they do make a cheaper and a better tire. The Maxxis they make is supposed to be a good tire, and I'm about to put one of those on the front in the next day or two. Elite 3 in the back.

Good luck, and be careful in the rain initially.



Tod

[Cobia]

CS - Hi Max tires

Hey Birch,
I'm running CS - Hi Max on mine w/out a problem. Actually I installed the front one 4k miles ago and it still looks new. When it came time to replace the rear I went with CS also and they feel great on the road. I don't ride in the rain but when running on wet pavement I do not sense any loss of grip or anything.
I'm running a 130/90/17 in the back.... $74 from my local bike shop.

[prometheus578]

"I'm just saying..."

Had Chen Shin on the front... Tire wore and cupped badly. Plenty of tread left... but was useless.
I've worked on Chinese made bikes...
I've worked on Chinese made quads...
I've worked on Chinese made scooters...
Uhm... I won't be buying Chinese tires.
Can I say for certain that they're crap?
No.
But I'm comfortable paying the extra $20 or $30 bucks for a tire I can trust.
Cheap tires, like cheap helmets, are a poor investment.

[birch]

I am also in the same boat.

When my wife buys laundry detergent, she always goes for the Tide. It does the job far and above all other detergents. If our local grocery was out of Tide, she would drive to the next store rather than buying the cheap stuff.

Once, I told her that my clothes were washed in the cheap stuff when she met and fell in love with me. I hinted that the smell of my clothing, and not my endearing personality, is what she fell in love with.

She still uses Tide.

[jetmechmarty]

I had Chen Shin Hi Max tires on my XS1100 when I bought it. As they say, "YMMV". I found those tires to be horrible. I won't have them again.

[The Lorax]

I have a set of Hi-Max tires on my ride, got no complaints so far, I have approximately 4000 miles on them, they handle pretty well, I did have an occasion last summer in the rain where life got a little squirrley, I cannot honestly say whether it was the tires not gripping due to the tires or perhaps some oils on the road, I managed to avoid hitting the ground, scared the hell out of me, I still ride in the rain, to me its just another weather condition that one has no control over. I like to ride more than I like to stay dry I guess. have a nice day and ride safe.

[SanDiegoMike]

Just changed the rear CS Hi Max on mine to another of the same. I got 7800 miles out of the last one. $80.00 out the door mounted and balanced vs. $134.00 for a Dunlop Elite III or $145 for a Metzeler 880.

[Hammerhead1st]

I run a CS front, came with the bike. It's hard, bouncy, and is beginning to cup after 5k miles. Cornering sucks with it and I've almost gone down 3-4 times when turning. It's like running a hard plastic tire. I hate it and won't be replacing it with the same. I'll dump the extra into Dunlops or Champions. I have a Champion on the rear and love it. It sticks well and gives me confidence to ride wet. It does seem to wear fast though.

One vote here for Cheng-Shi*

[DiverRay]

I run the Elite II on Daily Ride. 15,000 miles and counting on this SET of tires! Rides and handles good, wears like iron. I put on too many miles to change the tires every 6-8K miles. I DO ride in all weather here, although the cold is only one or two days a year..

[birch]

15,000 MILES!

[DiverRay]

YES, and that is just since September of 2007. As I said, I RIDE .

[Paintman]

Which rubber is best

I robe my CBR last night and on way back it started acting funny pushing every where when i stopped i found a nice 3 inch nail in it. S%^T i though well 368$ dollars later i got a new set of Michelin Pilot Pro sports so i will nver complain about 200$ or so for a set for the 11.
john

[tarzan]

I just put dunlop 404's on mine a few weeks ago.Paid about $75 apiece.These things handle great.The shop across town had chinese ones for about $20 cheaper per tire ,but I need to feel secure with tires on my bike.It's not always like having a blow out on a car where you know you can just pull over and change it.On a bike you could be picking yourself off the ground after a blowout.
Or worse yet someone else could be picking you up.I do realize it'spossible to have this happen with any tire,I just thinkl it's less likely with a proven product.
Now I'm not suggesting that all chinese tires or products are junk.I just pick and choose the things I will take a chance with.
Just my .02 worth.

[ross]

finally a post worth posting to....

hey there folks....not 2 sure about those chinese tires, but i do know that i have dunlops front and rear and they are the sh*t....like others here, i ride! ...got over 1k since i peeled her outta the garage...with only one 140 mile road trip so far.....not bad considering up here in michigan, the weather has been cold, wet and miserable at best....already have ridden this season when it was 24 degrees out there.....no snow, but cold and sh*tty....my XS is my only ride 2 work right now so keeping her on the road is utmost important....riding the dunlop's, i have never had any slip, braking problem, or other misforturne (knocking on wood!).....i'm a cheap b*stard, but when it comes 2 safety and repairs, buy the good stuff...your life is not worth a $20 savings per tire......ross