I need tires!

[eddielo]

So where should I go. The dealer? (expensive) Private shop? Buy online and get them installed by a shop? Buy from a private party? What is a good price for two new tires, mounted and balanced?
Suggestions appreciated.

[Jerry]

There are multiple approached:
Cheap. (Tires usually not rated for weight of the bike)
Maximum grip but shorter life span (Your life is your tires.)
Middle of the road compromise, (Good mileage plus reasonable price.)

Cheap: Shinko. Rated at around 600 pounds load capacity
Max grip: Metzler.
Middle of the road: Dunlop Elite III, rated at around 800 pounds load.

Where to buy: Who has tires on sale? Motorcycle Accessory Warehouse is kind of the benchmark on prices, particularly when on sale. I just bought a Dunlop Elite III front tire for $157.00 from them. Rears run a bit more. Cheap pair will go for around $160 - $180 plus mount and balance. High-end pair will run $450 plus M&B. Medium will run $300 - $350 plus M&B.

Mounting: I used to mount my own, now use a local shop that charges $25.00 for mount and balance if you bring in the rim off the bike. Other shops run up to $40.00 - $50.00. Call and shop around. More if they have to take the tire/rim off the bike. Shop charges around here are running about $75.00 per hour, minimum of 1/2 hour some places, 1 hour other places. Shop will charge that labor plus the M&B or, in some cases, charge you a flat rate based on their per-hour fee.

If you buy from eBay or private, check tire code. While debated, tires over 5 years old start to degrade even if new. How much depends a lot on storage and conditions where you live. Look on-line for info on reading tire codes.

I buy on-line and take "bare wheel" into a shop for mount and balance. You will also pay tax and tire disposal fee in most cases.

Now, if you are looking for a recommendation, that depends on your style of riding. I do long-haul, mostly interstate, some canyon carving but not a lot. Dunlop Elite III works for me. Full dresser with faring bags, and occasionally pull a small trailer. I am overweight at 265 pounds.

If you are a skinny guy, never carry a passenger, have a very tight budget and think you are invincible, the Shinko brand may be all you need.

There are pros and cons of any selection you make. Hope this very brief into is of some use and gets you to think before making a choice.

[bikerphil]

Suggestions appreciated.

Buy the Shinko 712's front and rear from here, about $110 shipped to your door. Find a shop to mount and balance or do it yourself.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...FUtJ2godynkI1g

[crazy steve]

If you have the 17" rear wheel, that will limit your choices. +1 on the Shinkos..

[eddielo]

Buy the Shinko 712's front and rear from here, about $110 shipped to your door. Find a shop to mount and balance or do it yourself.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com...FUtJ2godynkI1g

Jerry. I'm not skinny. I weigh in at around 158 with clothes. I don't carry passengers. I don't do long distance inter-state travel. Mostly run around locally, half freeway, half surface streets.
Shinkos sound ok to me.
Phil, I went to the link but don't see 712s. And is that price *per tire* or for both? I can handle the price and can take to a bike shop for M&B.
Thanks both of you.

[eddielo]

Phil, I found the 712s. Do you know what size the Eleven has? I found this on the tires. Front: 700/90 - 19 M/C. Rear: MC 880 Marathon. Both are Metzlers.
Am I missing some numbers?
Thanks again
Eddie
btw, the seller said I may need tires soon. But when I look at the tires they seem fine to me. They even have those little thingies sticking out the sides. I measured tread depth and both are around 1/4 inch deep.

[bikerphil]

Front is 100/90/19 or 110/90/19
Rear is 130/90/16 for Specials and 130/90/17 for Standards

Just type in Shinko 712 front or Shinko 712 rear and choose your size.

[eddielo]

Front is 100/90/19 or 110/90/19
Rear is 130/90/16 for Specials and 130/90/17 for Standards

Just type in Shinko 712 front or Shinko 712 rear and choose your size.

Placed order. Total $117.98. ETA 4-11-13.
Thanks for all the help Phil.
Eddie

[bikerphil]

No problem, you should be happy with them.

[hamjam]

" I'm not skinny. I weigh in at around 158 with clothes."

I had a Great Dane Lab cross that weighed more than that

[Tat2demon]

Jerry. I'm not skinny. I weigh in at around 158 with clothes.

Fat ass!!

Are you talking kilos? Hell Im 340lbs and my Shinko 712s are just fine.

[eddielo]

" I'm not skinny. I weigh in at around 158 with clothes."

I had a Great Dane Lab cross that weighed more than that

I also had a female Great Dane named Roxanne Prinkleton Arbuckle, but she was not as heavy as yours (yours must have been a male)
I used to weigh 195 until I contracted cancer five years ago. Weight dropped to 160 just after the surgery. I've managed to keep it in the 158 to 160 since then. I cannot swallow anymore so am on a feeding tube for the rest of my life.
But I still ride! No stinking cancer going to prevent me from riding. (my first ride was on a Harley in 1949 [I was a passenger])
I'm 75 yrs old.

[eddielo]

Fat ass!!

Are you talking kilos? Hell Im 340lbs and my Shinko 712s are just fine.

Great to know that my Shinkos will be hauling less than 1/2 your weight.

[Bonz]

Shinko tires should be the best selling tire in America, but there are many folks shying away because they are a Shinko.

SHINKO tires are fantastic don't be fooled into believing otherwise.

I just took a Shinko Raven 009 off the back of my ZRX 1200 after 10,500 miles. That bike puts down 130 hp to the rear wheel and more importantly in terms of defining tire life, 80+ ft/lbs of torque. I love to twist it's tail, so the Shinko got plenty of ponies and ft/lbs to the ground for many miles! I consider that kind of tire life damn good.

Still had another few hundred miles at least until the wear bars, but riding season is here more or less, so I put on a new Shinko when I did the chain and sprockets. Going with the Shinko Verge 011 to try something different. Also have a Verge 011 for the front, but the 009 on the front still has some good miles in it.

Had a set of 712's on my 1983 Nighthawk 550 (same size front and back my 80SG uses), that little bike could rail around corners and the 712's did great for my 275 lb butt (6'11" tall, so it's spread out vertically...).

When I got my 80G project bike last fall, front tire needed replacing, the Shinko Tourmaster 230 got the nod. I figured I may as well try the full meal deal with Shinko's and see how they do across a wide variety and different models of tires. Finally got the bike on the road last weekend, looking forward to getting some miles on the bike and the tire.

So, good choice on going with Shinko's, they are a good tire for a great price!

[Jerry]

Just pointing out that the Shinke rear 712 does not have the load capacity of the Dunlop Elite III bias.

Shinko 712R: 661 or 677 (load range 66 or 67) depending on which web site you can find it on. Shinkousa.com does not list this figure.

Dunlop Elite III bias: 930 pounds (load range 78) MU90-16

Given the typical XS, with fuel, comes in at 630 pounds or so, and then add the weight of a rider / passenger or options and you are maxing out the Shinko but still have a comfortable margin on the Dunlop.

The Shinko was designed for a lighter bike such as my old Yamaha XS 400 which ran the same size tire, 130/90-16 but weighed a lot less.

Personal decision, but if you go with the 712 rear know that you are running up to and probably over the tire's design limits.