odd turn of events with new tires

[650mark]

I installed a set of shinko 777 tires about 500 miles ago after a set of their 712's. no problems until last Saturday night in the rain(first ride in the rain with these tires). here in phoenix it doesn't rain often but when it does I don't want to be riding on shinko 777's. they scared the heck out of me. VERY squirmy when wet. I replaced them yesterday with my old standby's, Dunlop d404's. I've had 6 or 8 sets of dunlops and never had a problem of any kind with them, and trying something new(shinko) didn't work out. as if that wasn't problem enough, the guys who mounted and balanced the dunlops did a poor job and the new tires were pretty rough going down the road. I removed the 9 OUNCES of weight from the rear tire and the 6 OUNCES from the front and installed dynabeads into both tires. smooth as glass now, those things really work. at least on this bike, with these tires. well worth the $15.00 cost and only took about 15 minutes to install them.

[motoman]

I installed a set of shinko 777 tires about 500 miles ago after a set of their 712's. no problems until last Saturday night in the rain(first ride in the rain with these tires). here in phoenix it doesn't rain often but when it does I don't want to be riding on shinko 777's. they scared the heck out of me. VERY squirmy when wet. I replaced them yesterday with my old standby's, Dunlop d404's. I've had 6 or 8 sets of dunlops and never had a problem of any kind with them, and trying something new(shinko) didn't work out. as if that wasn't problem enough, the guys who mounted and balanced the dunlops did a poor job and the new tires were pretty rough going down the road. I removed the 9 OUNCES of weight from the rear tire and the 6 OUNCES from the front and installed dynabeads into both tires. smooth as glass now, those things really work. at least on this bike, with these tires. well worth the $15.00 cost and only took about 15 minutes to install them.

Don't surprise me a bit..........old tread die designs bought from other manufacturers.........underneath, same ole' cord designs from 35yrs. ago. Not an opinion.....came from a VERY knowledgeable bike tire purchaser. I run a front Kenda(Shinko owns Kenda) three decades ago on my Venturer cause short of cash. Two thousand miles later, wear was uneven and if road was wet, bike had the 'ditch darts'. Luck of the draw if you get a Shinko/Kenda that performs normally throughout its wear. Would not put either on any of my bikes, even if given to me new, period. I value my hide and life more than the little savings that might be accured.

[trbig]

I go through lots of the Shinko 712's a year. Though they only last 5-7k miles on the rear, they're great dry and stick well cornering, and they're as good as anything I've had in wet.

I've never tried the 777s, but my guess is what normally happens in any place that it doesn't rain much. Oils from the road and vehicles sit there in the dry, then when it finally rains, it's slick as ice until all that oil gets washed away. ANY tire would have had problems. If you somehow think a D404 (Worst tire Dunlop makes) is a step up... not much I'm going to be able to tell you. Actually the 404 wasn't a bad tire for 1500-2k miles.. then it was slick and almost to the chords. Easier riding will get you a tad farther.

Shinko bought out Yokahama, and they are a very good tire for our bikes. Knocking them without trying them doesn't tend to add very much weight to an opinion. Somehow you think that because something made with brand new materials is somehow inferior or won't work because the technology used isn't up to date? Why are you riding an XS11 or Venturer then? They're 30+ years old. They're way out dated, so they can't be any good. And better make sure you only use radials instead of those antique technology bias-plies.

[BA80]

I've never tried the 777s, but my guess is what normally happens in any place that it doesn't rain much. Oils from the road and vehicles sit there in the dry, then when it finally rains, it's slick as ice until all that oil gets washed away. ANY tire would have had problems. If you somehow think a D404 (Worst tire Dunlop makes) is a step up... not much I'm going to be able to tell you. Actually the 404 wasn't a bad tire for 1500-2k miles.. then it was slick and almost to the chords. Easier riding will get you a tad farther.

+1 on all these points

[trbig]

And one other thing... ANY tire (And especially a little motorcycle tire) that you have to add 9 ounces of weight to.. or even 6.. is a blem and would NOT be on my bike. That's over a half pound of lead. Something is wrong with your dear 404s. You seem to blame the people mounting the tire. If it's holding air and the bead is out all the way around, it's not the tire guys' fault.

[motoman]

I go through lots of the Shinko 712's a year. Though they only last 5-7k miles on the rear, they're great dry and stick well cornering, and they're as good as anything I've had in wet.

I've never tried the 777s, but my guess is what normally happens in any place that it doesn't rain much. Oils from the road and vehicles sit there in the dry, then when it finally rains, it's slick as ice until all that oil gets washed away. ANY tire would have had problems. If you somehow think a D404 (Worst tire Dunlop makes) is a step up... not much I'm going to be able to tell you. Actually the 404 wasn't a bad tire for 1500-2k miles.. then it was slick and almost to the chords. Easier riding will get you a tad farther.

Shinko bought out Yokahama, and they are a very good tire for our bikes. Knocking them without trying them doesn't tend to add very much weight to an opinion. Somehow you think that because something made with brand new materials is somehow inferior or won't work because the technology used isn't up to date? Why are you riding an XS11 or Venturer then? They're 30+ years old. They're way out dated, so they can't be any good. And better make sure you only use radials instead of those antique technology bias-plies.

Oils on the road, and the initial following rain making roads slick IS a good point, and very true. My antiquated Venturer compared to atiquated tire CORD, not tread design is comparing apples and oranges.... totally unrelated. No doubt there's been SOME improvement. As for radials, I'd be runnin' them on my antiquated scoot as I do on my ST, but not available in 17".

[trbig]

They aren't making the cords from antique materials.. or anything else on the tire from antique materials, it's just the technology, which has been around a lot longer than our bikes. It's like saying you'd never have one of those internal combustion engines in a new bike. Every item in that motor is new, but hey, that technology is so anitquated...

If something works really really well on something, why would it matter when it was invented?

[trbig]

Just got my order of three more 712s delivered to the house.

[650mark]

tires

I've gotten 8-10,000 miles out of every d404 I've had, with no problems. on everything from an xs400 to a gl1200. and as far as the huge amount of weight the guy put on- the problems disappeared as soon as I removed the weights so it is not the tires. the guy simply didn't know what he was doing. I just got back to Mesa from Big Bear California, no issues at all with these d404's even in the light rain on Friday and downpour on Saturday.
problem solved.

[BA80]

I've gotten 8-10,000 miles out of every d404 I've had, with no problems. on everything from an xs400 to a gl1200. and as far as the huge amount of weight the guy put on- the problems disappeared as soon as I removed the weights so it is not the tires. the guy simply didn't know what he was doing. I just got back to Mesa from Big Bear California, no issues at all with these d404's even in the light rain on Friday and downpour on Saturday.
problem solved.

I guess that makes you the winner. Good luck with that.

[650mark]

winner?? no, just glad I got the issue resolved.

[madmax-im]

Gonna try my 1st Shinko 712...coming this week...will be rally ready...

[BA80]

Just sayin'.......this D404 has about 2500 highway miles on it.......

[650mark]

I don't know why the huge difference in mileage. i'm not an aggressive rider and I rarely ride on anything but main roads and freeways and not heavily loaded with gear. prior to the 777's my xs1100 had a set of shinko 712's on it for 9,000 miles and I had no issues, but then I never rode in the rain with them. with the 777's maybe it was the rain, maybe it is the tread pattern, dunno. at any rate, like I said problem solved and i'm happy with the bike again.

[BA80]

That is what makes you the winner