Bandit Alley
GENERAL MOTORCYCLE FORUMS => GENERAL MOTORCYCLE => Topic started by: China Greg on October 09, 2008, 12:07:37 AM
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Well, in line with the economic slump, I took a chance and bought some cheap Korean tires on Ebay that looked interesting.
I didn't have the $400 needed to go back to Bridgestone BT-021's.. so I opted to risk $165 and try a set of SHINKO "Raven" sport-tour tires. The pattern looked good in the photos, as did the compound, (visually, anyway).
Delivery from a Midwest dealer was prompt.. a few days. I peeled off the horribly-worn Bridgestones (my third set this Summer.. I did a lot of miles). Since I was going On The Cheap, I popped the beads myself using 2x4 levers (against my Jeep rim), and sweated it out with small tire irons. I MAY have tweaked the front bead to the point of damage... maybe not. Anyway, they were on and I paid the shop for balancing them. Slap it all together...Cool enough.
Results after 200 miles:
Tires immediately seemed a little TALL... and fell into a corner surprisingly QUICKLY. I realized that they had a rounder profile than the Bridgestones (maybe more of a sporting profile?).. after a lot of cautious leaning I found them to be pretty stable at high lean angles. So far I've had them leaned pretty far over without musg drama, although the large-sipe blocking pattern allows a little bit of squirm. Still, fairly stable.
There's a slight wiggle around 50 mph, especially when tires are cold.. but that may be due to my heavy-levering during mounting. ?? Also, the tall profile (sidewalls are about 1/4" taller than the BT's) may have affected my rake/trail slightly.
Overall, after 200-300 miles, the tires seem CREDIBLE. They should suffice long enough for me to save up for Springtime replacements.. and actually may last a lot longer than the Bridgestones.
These tires should be good for burning-off on a long trip, or as end-of-season fill-ins. So far so good.
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Yup.... Shinkos rock for the price with reasonable expectations. We have a long running thread around here with several other's opinions - the vast majority are positive. Good mileage life and decent grip for such long life - not to say you can't break them loose... use common sense. I have a spare rear wheel set up with the Raven for work commute - the other has a Pilot Power for the weekend twisties.
Glad your liking them...
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Yeah.... click here (http://forums.banditalley.net/index.php?topic=649.0) for lots of feedback on Shinko. We have a bunch of fans here.
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Yup. I'm another Shinko fan, for the money that is. Personally I like how easily the bike falls into the corners. I have over 3k miles on mine and it has hardly any wear on it. They have a pretty deep tread on them. I had a problem getting mine ballanced, but it might have just been my tires.
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I had a problem getting mine ballanced, but it might have just been my tires.
Same here.... not really a problem but I use more weight with some Shinkos than others... My last Raven took 2 (very good IMHO) and the most recent Advance took 6. Since I do my own changes it's easy to try different locations by spinning the wheel within the tire... that will cut the weight in half usually.
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Wow... surprising that so many know about this brand! I never HEARD of Shinko's before this.
I spent ten years in China working Quality Assurance for a US ball-bearing company (there is just about ZERO bearing production in the US nowadays, sadly). When I was over there, I eventually tried a number of Asian products (flat-screen TV, surround-sound system, tools, etc.), and found that generally the quality was DECENT in most cases. This is what enticed me to try the Shinko's.
My one complaint with the Ravens is a nagging 55-mph wiggle, especially when cold. I don't know if this is -
A)a tire defect
B) glitchy mounting (mine.. heavy-handed with the irons)
C) The tire definitely is taller than the Bridgestones, and I wonder if this isn't changing my geometry enough to cause an over-steer.
Anyone?
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The Raven front tire has a groove down the center IIRC.... that groove has been reportedly the cause of many steering wobbles in all different brands of tires. The other things to check would be steering head bearing tightness, tire balance, tire pressure and fork pre-load. A lot of stuff to check out I know but it honestly could be any one of those or a combination. I have not run a 009 Raven front... I have run the 005 Advance front and found it caused a 45 mph steering wobble but only when you took your hands off the bars.
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The Raven front tire has a groove down the center IIRC.... that groove has been reportedly the cause of many steering wobbles in all different brands of tires. The other things to check would be steering head bearing tightness, tire balance, tire pressure and fork pre-load. A lot of stuff to check out I know but it honestly could be any one of those or a combination. I have not run a 009 Raven front... I have run the 005 Advance front and found it caused a 45 mph steering wobble but only when you took your hands off the bars.
Jay turned me on to them and they are great tires for the money. I've got about 3 in my back stock :bandit: I have the front tire too and I get no wobbles on a 1G B-12. My steering head bearing are new and properly adjusted.
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Okay....
WHAT is the proper stearing bearing adjustment? I recently replaced my head bearings,.. a job I have done a few times before.
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Start by CLICKING HERE (http://forums.banditalley.net/index.php?topic=11263.0) then come back with additional questions.
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Wow... surprising that so many know about this brand! I never HEARD of Shinko's before this.
Something else you may find interesting about Shinkos then... Remember Yokohama motorcycle tires? Well, they decided to get out of the m/c biz and sold their tooling and tech to Shinko in 1998. Shinko has been making bicycle tires & tubes since 1946 and is based in Japan. Currently, their m/c tire engineering is in Japan and the production is carried out in S. Korea.
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I notice that no one talks about how they perform when wet, (white knuckle time :yikes:). Comments, any of you guys?
Nothing but rain up here in soggyland, but the kelp, clam and sea enema crop is doing fine... just be careful of the latter.
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I'm on my 2nd set of Shinkos and they are good in the rain for me. I am in Texas so we don't have a huge amount of rain.
I'm going to put a Shinko on the Sportster soon. I need the extra grip since I try to throw it into corners like my Bandit.
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I notice that no one talks about how they perform when wet, (white knuckle time :yikes:). Comments, any of you guys?
Nothing but rain up here in soggyland, but the kelp, clam and sea enema crop is doing fine... just be careful of the latter.
You don't have snow flying up there yet???? :stickpoke: How did the Walleye hit up there this year?
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I notice that no one talks about how they perform when wet, (white knuckle time :yikes:). Comments, any of you guys?
Nothing but rain up here in soggyland, but the kelp, clam and sea enema crop is doing fine... just be careful of the latter.
You don't have snow flying up there yet???? :stickpoke: How did the Walleye hit up there this year?
We had a bit that mostly melted on contact -now long gone. It is an anomaly that southern Ontario is south of quite a few parts of U.S.A. One of the stangest phenomenom happens in Detoit. If you cross the bridge to Windsor Canada... you go South! Take a look at a map sometime for shts and giggles.
Don't know about the Walley, (we call 'em pickeral for some reason). I haven't chased 'em for years, though LOTS do and they get 'em too. I've been chasing their big brother, Muskie's. This year family problems followed by a funeral of a previous generation, put the kybosh on my fishing. I usually go northeast, though, and get about one a night... out of a canoe, no lessl. We fish at dusk and continue well into total darkness. They can put a lot of water into the canoe when you land 'em... taste good too.
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Riding a motorcycle in the rain isn't the smartest thing to do in the first place. Sometimes it's unavoidable, and the one time I couldn't avoid rain the tires seemed to do fine. They have a pretty dang good tread pattern!
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I was one of the biggest advocates of Shinko tires. I got a set of the 005 Ravens (sport-touring) for $144 and free shipping a couple years ago. Money really wasn't a determining factor for me... I'm not real harsh on tires and they last me a long time... but I was curious about all the good press they received, and I like bargains.
At that time, it seemed that not many Bandit owners (In the USA anyway) had experience with them... and at that price, I thought they were unquestionably the best-bang-for-the-buck for the 90% of us 'mere mortal' riders.
The wet & dry grip of the Shinkos completely transformed the bike. I thought my ten year absence from riding was the cause of my handling woes, but I went from a pussy-footer-rider with the stock Macadam 100's... to being MUCH more confident in the curvy stuff again.
However.... the price has gone up on them to around $180 a set PLUS shipping... and although I think they are still good and underrated tires, that's just too close in price to other brands that I would like to try... like the Pirelli Diablo Strada, Conti RA's, or a few others.
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I was one of the biggest advocates of Shinko tires. I got a set of the 005 Ravens (sport-touring) ........
Hmmm... must be a hybrid :stickpoke: :stickpoke:
005 Advance or 009 Raven.... I prefer the Raven for sport-touring and the Michelin Pilot Power for hard cornering.
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Ooops... yeah... 005 Advance. :duh:
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2000-mile review on the Raven sport-tourers
Still have a slight "wiggle" at lower speeds (30-50)... don't know if that is due to my rough mounting methods or tire deformity. But it has gotten slightly better.
I dropped the steering head about 1/4 on an inch, and that helped the "tall" feeling.. also tightened-up the front suspension about 1/2 a turn... now handling is better and stable enough. I'm not afraid to lean the bike over moderately hard or quickly. Wear so far (2000 miles) is minimal. No rain experience yet.
So far, my feeling is that they don't feel as performance nice as, say, Bridgestone BT021's... but a LOT cheaper (cost me $170, including shipping), and seem decent enough all around.
Maybe a great tire for burining-off on long-trips, or if you're strapped for cash.
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I defenently agree with that.
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Yup.... Shinkos rock for the price with reasonable expectations. We have a long running thread around here with several other's opinions - the vast majority are positive. Good mileage life and decent grip for such long life - not to say you can't break them loose... use common sense. I have a spare rear wheel set up with the Raven for work commute - the other has a Pilot Power for the weekend twisties.
Glad your liking them...
Had to replace a badly worn rear tire last week. All I could get on such short notice was a used "Shinko Advance" ($20). It seems to have a little more than half ite tread left. A ride today left a positive impression with regard to road feel and handling. What's the difference between the "Advance" and the "Raven" models of this brand?
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Yeah.... click here (http://here) for lots of feedback on Shinko. We have a bunch of fans here.
Either the link to the Shinkos in your post ("here") doesn't work or my confuser is timing out looking for it.
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Had the B12 out today here in New York... an unusually warm December day, (about 60 degrees), with a fair amount of snow-melt water on the roads.
I find the rear tire to be a little skittish on the wet patches. Like, it would kick out slightly.. an inch or two... occasionally, but nothing scary or dramatic. Just a little twitch. Seems like the compound is a little bit hard or "plastic-y".
Wear so far (about 3000 miles) is very good; better than Bridgestones or other expensive tires. Strengthens my hard compound theory.
The front "wiggle" I have experienced from the beginning is still there, but not so pronounced. If I lean out over the front of my bike at speed I can see the center-line of the tire moving back and forth slightly, so I'm guessing the tire itself is out of true, (not damage resulting from my heavy-handed mounting method). And yes, the balancing was done professionally.
The tires are TALL. The front sidewall is about 1/2 an inch taller than those on my old Bridgestone BT-020's. I wonder if these are REALLY "-70-" s as they claim... seems more like an "-80-" height.
Still, I'm having fun beating the zhit out of the things, and they wear and hold DECENTLY enough so far. For $179 a pair, they are doing the job.
But when these wear out, I'll probably go back to ($$) Bridgestone's for the Summer.
More later as they wear!
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The Shinko Advance 005 is a sport-touring tire.
The Shinko Raven 009 is a touring-sport tire.
Comparing the Raven 009 to the Bridgestones isn't really a fair comparison. You're going to get about twice as much life out of the Ravens... at the expense of some grip and handling capabilities.
The Advance 005 would be a better comparison.
Personally, Bridgestone & Dunlop would be last on my list. Pirelli, Metzeler, and Michelin all have better offerings that seem to give much longer wear with similar or better grip.
Just my $.02 worth.
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Either the link to the Shinkos in your post ("here") doesn't work or my confuser is timing out looking for it.
Link fixed and HERE IT IS AGAIN (http://forums.banditalley.net/index.php?topic=649.0) for those too lazy to go back a page.... :rofl:
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Paul -
WHICH Pirelli's, Metzler's etc. would you recommend?
(PS.. from the things I read about the Raven's, I expected I WAS buying a "sport-touring" tire. Oh well... saves me a little money in these tough times to have the extra mileage!)
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Paul -
WHICH Pirelli's, Metzler's etc. would you recommend?
First off... a couple of caveats....
1. I'm very anti-Bridgestone/Dunlop. I never have heard of a tire that either company has made that gives both good grip and long life. Seems that I mostly hear things like "My Dunlops were toast at 1800 miles". Or, "My Bridgestones got slippery after 2000 miles."
2. My opinion on tires is not based on first-hand experience in most cases. I have, however, done a ton of tire research on various motorcycle forums, and found a lot of common opinions about most of the various tires that are available.
So that being said, my 'short list' of tires would be:
Pirelli Diablo Strada
Metzeler Z6
Continental Road Attacks
Michelin Pilot Road 2
Avon Storms
Shinko Advance 005
The best (streetable) handling tire from what I've heard is the Michelin Pilot Power... at the expense of longevity. Still... it'll grip better than anything Bridgestone has to offer... and will probably last as long or longer.
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Interesting. Can I see some more Bouncies, please?
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Yeah.... click here (http://here) for lots of feedback on Shinko. We have a bunch of fans here.
Either the link to the Shinkos in your post ("here") doesn't work or my confuser is timing out looking for it.
Uh yeah... That didn't work so well, did it? Sorry! (MUST stop drinking and posting!)
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Yeah.... click here (http://here) for lots of feedback on Shinko. We have a bunch of fans here.
Either the link to the Shinkos in your post ("here") doesn't work or my confuser is timing out looking for it.
Uh yeah... That didn't work so well, did it? Sorry! (MUST stop drinking and posting!)
Rob: No foul. No offense taken. I do a fair amount of that meself (doing it now).
Up to now, I have experience only with OEM Bridgestones on my '99 Bandit and their first replacement with Metzler ME-Z4's. After hitting a curb hard evading a trucker who wanted my lane without looking first, I noticed a slight bend in the rear rim. I took the wheel to my favorite M/C shop (RTM in Tampa) to see if they could straighten it out. The mechanic immediately noticed that tire wear was under the wear bars (it was!). He offered to sell me his own used rear tire, A Shinko Advance 005 "tar" (southern for "tire"), that he had removed before attempting a 5,000 mile ride on his GPZ. The used tire came to $20, the rim job cost $45. Great workmanship as usual from Scott.
Now that I've gone on a 200-mile ride on the Shinko rear tire, here are the results:
- Profile identical to Me-Z4, Shinko Advance 005 is a 180-55x17, except no middle ridge. Same height.
- Handling is very different from Metzler. Feels twitchy. Instead of "falling into" a turn, I can now just "wish" the bike into a turn, just as if the steering geometry had been changed to make the front fork steeper. I have the rear adjusted to maximum stiffness - may back that off to change the handling.
- No experience with wet roads on the Shinko rear tire yet. The Metzler was superb in this department. Apparently, the Metzler's silica content has something to do with good adhesion, wet or dry.
- Have to wait and see what the Shinko delivers in the wet. So far, I don't really mind the twitchiness. It feels more like a race bike now, making avoidance maneuvers easier. The "heavy" feeling of the Metzler Z4 rear is gone.
- Have yet to check Shinko prices vs. Metzlers. Suspect a substantial difference. Expect trade-offs.
Herb
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3000-mile progress report on the Shinko Ravens-
- They are wearing very well; considerably less wear than on the BT-021's that I previously preferred. I think this is due to their harder compound.
- The front (at least) is TOO TALL. It seems like the tire height is wrong.. almost like an "80" instead of a "70".
This forced me to drop the triple-trees down on the fork tubes a few millimeters.. which helped some... but there's still that weird feeling like the rake has been raised. I didn't mind it at first, but it's consistently annoying, especially when trying for those ultra-smooth approaches to stoplights with hot blondes watching you from a blue Camaro. DAB!
- yes, they "fall in" to a corner very quickly, which took me a long time to become relaxed with... but no signs of dangerous slippage.
- I've decided that I don't like them in the rain.
Last weekend got stuck in upstate New York and had to ride two hours home in the rain. The tires were frighteningly SQUIRMY on wet concrete, in 70-mph, nasty traffic, dodging 8" deep, square-edged pot-holes.
The tires are also very sensitive to tar-snakes; everytime I just touch one, the bike lets me know it for sure.
- There's that WIGGLE. This was prominent when the tires were new... later subsided a little; but it's still there. Annoying, at best.
Since I still have plenty of wear left on them, they'll stay a while longer. I intend on using them up during a Spring ride south to Georgia; after that, I think i'll go for some Continental "Road Attacks".
Anyone use them before? they're pretty cheap on one particular website (motorcycleproshop.com).... $139 rear, $107 front. I liked Conti's years ago, before radials came along. Haven't used them since.
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I put on a set of "street attacks" this weekend and put
about 300 miles on.Seem to be a great tire so far.
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3000-mile progress report on the Shinko Ravens-
Careful to not compare apples to oranges...
The 009 Raven's are intended to be decent long-wear slabbers.... You could get up to 12,000 miles out of a set. But as with any tire, higher mileage comes at an almost linear cost relative to handling & grip.
I know people who love the Pilot Powers, but then are cursing them when they're worn out with <2000 miles on 'em.
To me, the Shinko Advance 005 Sport-touring tire is the 'hot deal' on the tire market. Or at least it was until their prices went up about $40 a set)
I've got over 3500 miles on mine, and the grip, wet or dry, is great, the handling exceeds my abilities... and they look like they'll be good for a couple more thousand.
I'd still buy them again without hesistation... but since they've gotten in the price ballpark of other tires, (they're still cheap) I may try something new next time... and Continentals are on the list.
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3000-mile progress report on the Shinko Ravens-
- They are wearing very well; considerably less wear than on the BT-021's that I previously preferred. I think this is due to their harder compound.
- The front (at least) is TOO TALL. It seems like the tire height is wrong.. almost like an "80" instead of a "70".
This forced me to drop the triple-trees down on the fork tubes a few millimeters.. which helped some... but there's still that weird feeling like the rake has been raised. I didn't mind it at first, but it's consistently annoying, especially when trying for those ultra-smooth approaches to stoplights with hot blondes watching you from a blue Camaro. DAB!
- yes, they "fall in" to a corner very quickly, which took me a long time to become relaxed with... but no signs of dangerous slippage.
- I've decided that I don't like them in the rain.
Last weekend got stuck in upstate New York and had to ride two hours home in the rain. The tires were frighteningly SQUIRMY on wet concrete, in 70-mph, nasty traffic, dodging 8" deep, square-edged pot-holes.
The tires are also very sensitive to tar-snakes; everytime I just touch one, the bike lets me know it for sure.
- There's that WIGGLE. This was prominent when the tires were new... later subsided a little; but it's still there. Annoying, at best.
Since I still have plenty of wear left on them, they'll stay a while longer. I intend on using them up during a Spring ride south to Georgia; after that, I think i'll go for some Continental "Road Attacks".
Anyone use them before? they're pretty cheap on one particular website (motorcycleproshop.com).... $139 rear, $107 front. I liked Conti's years ago, before radials came along. Haven't used them since.
Thanks for the confirmation. I'm using an old Shinko on the rear wheel. The front is still the Metzler Z4, but I had exactly the same twitchiness at first that you mentioned with your new set of Shinkos. However, my bike's twitchiness has disappeared, replaced by a razor-sharp responsiveness that inspires great confidence. The heavy feel of the rear Metzler is gone, and the Shinko 05 rear has settled in nicely. I'm taking street corners at a much greater lean angle than before and loving the feeling. Can't say anything about handling in the wet - it's been dry here in FL.
Many moons ago, I got set of Contis for a 1980 Yamaha XS850SG. The bike wasn't exactly a road-burner, but it had enough power to put the tires through some paces. When I sold that bike in 2001, it still had the same Contis on it. If I remember correctly, that put about 12,000 on the Contis and they still looked good!
Recently, I received a set of Shinko 005 Advance tires from BikeBandit.com (called "sport touring") for the Bandit and am waiting for the front Metzler to wear out. The Shinkos cost $175.96. I was lucky to happen upon BikeBandit because no one else was cheaper or carried the Shinko brand. Delivery was very fast, and their customer service follow-up fantastic. So far, so good. More later.
Thanks for your reply - keep the news coming.
Herb
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I dunno... that "sharp handling" has left me feeling insecure, in the long-run.
I used to THROW the bike into corners with confidence, with the Bridgestone BT-021's. They really did me well...but had short wear-life. Probably why they felt so much more sticky.
I just don't like that big DROP when leaning over on the Shinkos, and I DID lower the bike in the head clamps to improve things.
I feel like the physics are too dependent on the sidewalls CATCHING you at the end of that big drop-off! They HAVE... so far.
In the rain, as i said, the things really had me gritting my teeth last weekend. Nothing LET GO or anything, but that front sure did feel twitchy on a wet concrete road anytime I encountered a parallel pavement line or crack.
Then, there's that mysterious WIGGLE.
Ah, well... enough complaining; they were a great price and I didn't expect Prime Rib. They're probably great tires if you're headed out on a very long highway drone and need a lot of wear.
I'm not done with them yet, (maybe only 1/3rd worn) and the season's just starting... so I'll post more later. Maybe I'll change my mind about them.
But I think I'll go for some Continental Road Attacks after the Shinko's finally do wear out. Never tried Conti radials.
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3000-mile progress report on the Shinko Ravens-
Careful to not compare apples to oranges...
The 009 Raven's are intended to be decent long-wear slabbers.... You could get up to 12,000 miles out of a set. But as with any tire, higher mileage comes at an almost linear cost relative to handling & grip.
I know people who love the Pilot Powers, but then are cursing them when they're worn out with <2000 miles on 'em.
To me, the Shinko Advance 005 Sport-touring tire is the 'hot deal' on the tire market. Or at least it was until their prices went up about $40 a set)
I've got over 3500 miles on mine, and the grip, wet or dry, is great, the handling exceeds my abilities... and they look like they'll be good for a couple more thousand.
I'd still buy them again without hesistation... but since they've gotten in the price ballpark of other tires, (they're still cheap) I may try something new next time... and Continentals are on the list.
You're right about comparing apples and oranges. Checking back, I notice that we've been loosely comparing both the "Ravens" and the "Advance" Shinkos as if they were the same tire. They are definitely not. The 009 designation, standing for Ravens, and the 005 for the Advance give the game away. Only the 005 Advance tires should be considered for use on the Bandit 1200's, in my opinion, as these are rated at 168 mph and marketed as "sport-touring" tires.
I actually prefer the Shinko 005 for handling reasons. You said it well when you stated that the Metzler Z4's feel "heavy" in the handling department. Since I'm only running a well-used Shinko 005 Advance on the rear, and a Metzler Z4 on the front, I noticed a definite change in the handling of my '99 bandit after installing a Shinko 005 on the rear, and it's a good change, as far as I'm concerned.
I started my riding career on an Italian bike in 1958, so I'm thoroughly spoiled when it comes to a bike's handling qualities, but I definitely prefer the feel of the rear Shinko 005 as compared to the rear Metzler Z4. I say this on thin evidence, I know, since I have not yet put both front and rear new Advance 005 Shinkos on the bike yet. In the meantime, we ought to get feedback on both the Raven 009's and the Advance 005's from their users. Let's see if there's a problem being caused by differences in profiles by taking accurate measurements of both tire types. It would also benefit us to know what the speed rating of the 009's is, according to sidewall data on the 009's.
Herb
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Only the 005 Advance tires should be considered for use on the Bandit 1200's, in my opinion, as these are rated at 168 mph and marketed as "sport-touring" tires.
FYI... the Raven's (009) are also rated to 168. Whether the "sport" part of "sport-touring" should eliminated from the Raven's description is debatable there's no doubt the Raven is a good all-around tire choice for the Bandit given the cost.... in my opinion.
What I know about the 005 Advances is comparable mileage to a Pilot Power without the stickiness or handling qualities - certainly no where near "touring" mileage life and borderline "sport" performance. I have personally run 3 of the Advances and 6+ of the Ravens - I prefer the Ravens for what they do and continue to run the Powers if I need a more sport oriented tire profile and compound.
Note that I'm speaking solely about the rear tire. I have run a couple of 005 Advance fronts and did not care for them at all compared to an Avon 45 or similar.
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I agree that tire preferences are a very individual thing.... really I was just making the point that too many people compare a grippy sport tire to a long-wearing touring tire, and vice-versa.
Both have advantages & drawbacks... but obviously you give up grip for longevity, or longevity for grip... and never-the-twains-shall-meet. It all depends on what characteristics are important to the specific individual.
Not really so much on this forum, but I see a lot of statements around the web like "Those Ravens are crap, get the Pilot Powers!"
Kinda like saying "That Chrysler mini-van is crap! Get a Corvette!"
Oh yeah? Can you get 7 people in a Corvette? :grin:
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I really like the 009 Ravens on my Bandit 1200.
The profile gives a nice predictable turn-in and they give good grip wet or dry.
So far they seem to be wearing much better than other tires I have used.
When they do wear out, I will replace them with another set of the same Shinko 009 Ravens - but that might be a long time.
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I have the 009's. Great wear, it's true, but seemingly at a price:
- Abrupt "fall-in" due to the tire TALLNESS. Unsettling for me; some people apparently like it.
- Long warm-up period, due to the (relatively) hard compund.
- That damn oscillation in the front, which I now believe is due to some sort of production defect: out of round... out of skew... out of parallel... out of something. A light wiggle; not re-assuring when diving into a fast corner.
Ya get what ya pays fer.
Still; they're credible long-distance rubbers, if you're off to see the Other ocean.
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I have the 009's. Great wear, it's true, but seemingly at a price:
- Abrupt "fall-in" due to the tire TALLNESS. Unsettling for me; some people apparently like it.
- Long warm-up period, due to the (relatively) hard compund.
- That damn oscillation in the front, which I now believe is due to some sort of production defect: out of round... out of skew... out of parallel... out of something. A light wiggle; not re-assuring when diving into a fast corner.
Ya get what ya pays fer.
Still; they're credible long-distance rubbers, if you're off to see the Other ocean.
I think you got a bad set of tires.... or your bike has some problems.
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Hmmm... myself and the local Zook mechanic checked the front wheel for out-of-true. It looked fine on the spin-balancer, and there hadn't been any signs of the Wiggle when the previous tires were on. The head bearings are relatively new and seem to be functioning properly... forks had Gold Valve kits installed a year ago and seem in fine condition.
When I look over the front-end of the bike at speed, I can see the tire's center-line oscillating back and forth slightly.
I think others on this forum have experienced some sort of oscillation as well with Shinkos, as I remember.
Anyone?
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LOL... if you have VISIBLE oscillation with the center channel of your your tires... something (tires or suspension) is wrong. :stickpoke:
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yeah... no zhit. I'm quite sure I got a defective tire. Bought it off of EBay from a shop unloading them. Maybe he got hold of factory rejects. Dunno.