New tire time- feedback

[kflyboy]

Hi guys-New tire in about 2k miles for my 80G. The D404 rear has 6300 on it.I can get the Shinko 712 on sale for $60 and mount and balance for $20. New D404 is $125. What are you guys thoughts in comparison? No problems with the D404, but the Shinko is a LOT less expensive. BTW-the bike is a full Vetter touring set up and I ride mellow. Thanks for the input.

[GLoweVA]

I run the shinkos too and get decent mileage out of them. I do also like the D404, but I'm on a budget, so I went with the shinkos the last few times.
Pricewise, the shinko is the better deal. it won't last as long as the D404, but for 1/2 the price you can go thru 2 of them and then out last the D404.
Sure changeing the tire twice as often may be a bummer, but look at it this way, it's twice as often that you'll look at those wheel bearings and brake pads.

You can get away with balanceing them yourself with 2 jackstands to support the axle and spin it until it settles out on the heavy spot then add some weight to the top to even the distribution out. Done this 3 times (with TC's help)

[kflyboy]

New tire

Thanks for the input George. Sounds like the way to go.

[BA80]

The 712's are the best tire for the money but as George said they are kind short lived on the rear. I've heard some negative things about the D404. If your going to go for the Dunlop get the Elite 3.

I run a 712 on the front (110/90/19) and an E3 on the rear and they both wear out about the same time. I got 9 - 10K out of the last set.

You'll be looking at about $180 for the pair from Motorcycle Superstore but they will wear well and they work REAL well together.

[650mark]

tires?

fwiw, i also have shinko 712's on my '80 special and i really like them. for an inexpensive "cruiser" tire they work very well(at least on dry roads, i'm in arizona) they're quiet, and they hold the road well. i just got home from a 500 mile ride through death valley and even at VERY illegal 3 digit speeds they were stable, no worries. i'l probably buy them again when needed.

[trbig]

????? I have never in my life heard of anyone getting 6-8k miles out of a D404. Last one I had was gone in under 3k miles.

The Elite 3 used to last me 14-16k miles out of a rear. I wrote Dunlop and they say they haven't changed the formula, but I only got @ 7k out of the last one after they had started getting progressively worse mileage. I call B/S. They were lasting way too long for the average bike rider who would take years to wear one out, so they reduced the rubber quality to get more sales. Just my opinion. I've been running the 712's on the rear and get 5-6k out of them at 1/3 the price of the Elite 3 and the work decent... BUT.. I also mount and balance my own. If you have someone else do that, you need to take that into consideration when choosing a tire, the mileage you'll get, and the total cost to get it on the bike.

If price isn't a factor for you, the very best combination for handling I've found on these old bikes is the Avon Venom front with the Elite 3 rear. The Elite 3 sticks like glue in the corners if you'll actually lean the bike and get to the sticky soft stuff, but the harder center rubber has been known to give some straightline traction problems (I've never had that experience) and the Avon Venom is prone to cupping after half the tire's life. Elite 3 fronts work well if you never plan to ride in the rain. What I really love about them is how thick the sidealls are. It makes them a royal PITA to get on, but once you do, you don't have to worry about a catastrophic front tire blowout. With ZERO air pressure in the tires, they look like they've still got at least 20 pounds of air in them. After I drilled a guardrail and had to be towed by another bike, I thought the front tire was just low, but after inspection, there were two big holes in the sidewall. I honestly think it wouldn't be a problem to slow down and ride 20+ miles if needed on a completely flat front E3. The Avon Venoms are pretty thick as well, but I've seen nothing to compare to the sidewall thickness of the E3.

So short story long.. the 712's will do fine for you if that's what you're wanting to do. The other info is just my two cents, if it's even worth that. Now..... What is the best oil for these bikes?

[Courtney]

I'm running the Kenda K657 Challengers on mine, and they are almost an exact clone of the Bridgestone Spitfires. They are really reasonably priced tires, and last a long time with good traction in the wet. I'll be putting another pair on when I wear these ones out.

[motoman]

????? I have never in my life heard of anyone getting 6-8k miles out of a D404. Last one I had was gone in under 3k miles.

The Elite 3 used to last me 14-16k miles out of a rear. I wrote Dunlop and they say they haven't changed the formula, but I only got @ 7k out of the last one after they had started getting progressively worse mileage. I call B/S. They were lasting way too long for the average bike rider who would take years to wear one out, so they reduced the rubber quality to get more sales. Just my opinion. I've been running the 712's on the rear and get 5-6k out of them at 1/3 the price of the Elite 3 and the work decent... BUT.. I also mount and balance my own. If you have someone else do that, you need to take that into consideration when choosing a tire, the mileage you'll get, and the total cost to get it on the bike.

If price isn't a factor for you, the very best combination for handling I've found on these old bikes is the Avon Venom front with the Elite 3 rear. The Elite 3 sticks like glue in the corners if you'll actually lean the bike and get to the sticky soft stuff, but the harder center rubber has been known to give some straightline traction problems (I've never had that experience) and the Avon Venom is prone to cupping after half the tire's life. Elite 3 fronts work well if you never plan to ride in the rain. What I really love about them is how thick the sidealls are. It makes them a royal PITA to get on, but once you do, you don't have to worry about a catastrophic front tire blowout. With ZERO air pressure in the tires, they look like they've still got at least 20 pounds of air in them. After I drilled a guardrail and had to be towed by another bike, I thought the front tire was just low, but after inspection, there were two big holes in the sidewall. I honestly think it wouldn't be a problem to slow down and ride 20+ miles if needed on a completely flat front E3. The Avon Venoms are pretty thick as well, but I've seen nothing to compare to the sidewall thickness of the E3.

So short story long.. the 712's will do fine for you if that's what you're wanting to do. The other info is just my two cents, if it's even worth that. Now..... What is the best oil for these bikes?

All mostly true Tod. I found from a reliable tire supplyer here that in fact the compounds used towards centerline of tires was in fact the compounds used OFF centerline of tire earlier years. The center portion compounds ARE softer. Also, the higher the speed rating, the softer the compound. I have a set of the 'Flop' 404's on my Venturer, just because of cost at the time. Half worn out, looks like they'll get the bike some 6-8k. Other than that, they hold air and don't impress me. E-3's are a good option, but with a 17" rolling on the rear.......NA. Lots of good choices out there for those on a Special with the 16" rear........not as many options for the 17".