cheap vs. expensive tires, is there a difference??

[kris]

The Metzelers on my bike, when I picked her up, were in excellent-looking condition....but they were ancient. The mechanic said that they looked hard and shiny...hardly worth the risk. It's not like they would blow up or blow out rather the traction component had been compromised. That and the tread was below acceptable.

[gkanai]

Reviving this thread in 2021.

I'm looking at either the

Continental ContiRoadAttack 3

Bridgetston Battlax BT-46

Dunlop Arrowmax GT601

After doing a search, there's no discussion of this new Continental tire or the Dunlop. Where I live, the Continental is 2X the price of the Bridgestone or the Dunlop. I'd prefer to have sticker and less mileage, all things considered.

[frankenduck]

Reviving this thread in 2021.

I'm looking at either the

Continental ContiRoadAttack 3

Bridgetston Battlax BT-46

Dunlop Arrowmax GT601

After doing a search, there's no discussion of this new Continental tire or the Dunlop. Where I live, the Continental is 2X the price of the Bridgestone or the Dunlop. I'd prefer to have sticker and less mileage, all things considered.

I'd go with the RA3s. RA3s are radials while the others are bias ply. They'll handle much better dry/wet and they'll wear well too.

[gkanai]

I'd go with the RA3s. RA3s are radials while the others are bias ply. They'll handle much better dry/wet and they'll wear well too.

Good point- thank you! I'll go for the Contis.

The Conti RA3 only comes in a 130/80-18. I assume that will fit on the 18" rear wheel?

[Laitch]

Yes, a 130 width tire will fit on the the stock K75C rear rim. 10mm is an acceptable tire width increase on a 2.75" width rim. The Conti rear tire is 130/80-18. The 80 numeral on the Conti indicates a tire diameter difference of ≈13mm less than a stock 120/90 K75C tire. Your moto will be that much lower in the rear, which isn't much lower. Here's a tire sizing explanation from Dennis Kirk and a graphic from goodyearautoservice.com.

[gkanai]

Thank you Laitch!

[triplek]

Someone earlier said, "NO company will sell you a tire that will put your life at risk":

I beg to differ.  I bought a set of literally the cheapest tires I could find for a KZ650d many years ago.

I went half way through a clean, dry traffic lighted intersection at the first red light after I picked up the bike and slid partially through the next two. Each takeoff spun the rear wheel, every corner found a slip. Rain was an absolute impossibility.

I swear to this day those tires were made of bowling ball rubber. No exaggeration.

Those tires were an absolute death trap, for real. There truly is a broad range of possibilities out there.

K's have a limited and largely known world of tires to pick from, but for other bikes - be extremely wary of the off brands.

[pinhead]

I use Shinkos about $200 for both front and rear.  Just replaced them again yesterday.   Never had a problem with them, am on my 3d set, they get around 7-9000 miles on them on the hot california roads I ride on.  I don't ride in the rain, but if I get caught in a storm, I ride like a very old grand ma so I could tell you how they perform on wet roads.  But on dry roads, they are great. 

[Poconoeagle]

Well my '91 K75S was  back on the road after years. I got it 2 yrs ago and repainted all the plastic,new master cylinder, odyssey battery, etc....   the decades old lazertecs are skinny like my wallet and cracked worse than our economy but the bike worked flawless. :) 
 now im befuddled regarding the tires.  im leaning toward the bt46's but the shang hi shank ho's  sure look good to the bank account.  I drive at O' dark thirty on twisty P poor Pocono roads AND also on  the highway with a large group in formation at 80mph. 
any guidance is appreciated

Eugene

[The Mighty Gryphon]

First off, Shinko tires are made in South Korea, not China. 

That said, I have used them for about 8 years and at least 50,000 miles.  In my experience, they are good tires that wear well, give good handling and offer great value.  I have used other brands as well, Metzler, Continental, and Bridgestone, and honestly can't tell the difference in performance. 

People will ask how much your life is worth, but when you buy a tire the question is how much are you paying for advertising, mention in magazine articles, promotional events like sponsoring races and race teams, and the socialist activities of the home country.  While the fact that some racing team uses the same brand tire as you do is pretty cool, does the cost of sponsoring that team REALLY get you a street tire that is that much better?  How do the taxes paid to support a socialist government get you better handling or rubber compounds for wet performance? 

As near as I can tell, when I buy a Shinko, all I'm paying for is a tire.  A tire made by the same incredibly hard working people who make excellent phones, televisions, cars, robots, machinery, and appliances for your house.  I kinda like that.

[frankenduck]

K bikes ride and handle noticeably better on RADIAL vs bias ply tires.

For a 91S (with 3 spoke wheels) get 110/80-18 front and 150/70-17 radials. I run Bridgestone T31 or T32 tires.

[K1300S]

Modern good brand bias ply tires are outstanding.  In a blind test, I bet 99.99% of riders would have no clue what kind of tires, bias or radial, were on their bikes.  I have been running Michelin Activ bias tires for a long time on my K75S... On street and on track.  Traction and handling are amazing.  They don't give up anything to a radial.

[frankenduck]

Modern good brand bias ply tires are outstanding.  In a blind test, I bet 99.99% of riders would have no clue what kind of tires, bias or radial, were on their bikes.  I have been running Michelin Activ bias tires for a long time on my K75S... On street and on track.  Traction and handling are amazing.  They don't give up anything to a radial.

I have Activs on a K75 that I bought last year. They're good tires and all but the K75s I have running T31 radials are more "planted" and a better ride. I agree that most people couldn't tell the difference but if you ride one set of tires and then the other right after you can tell the difference.

[triplek]

K bikes ride and handle noticeably better on RADIAL vs bias ply tires.

For a 91S (with 3 spoke wheels) get 110/80-18 front and 150/70-17 radials. I run Bridgestone T31 or T32 tires.

What do you see as the difference between the T31 and T32? 

Is it only the three spoke (when wanting radial K75s?) that have radials available?

 I've never quite understood the subtle difference in the three spoke vs standard - someone once told me that to put radials on a K75  you needed a K75 three spoke front but had to get a K1100 three spoke rear to get radials.....

[frankenduck]

What do you see as the difference between the T31 and T32? 

Is it only the three spoke (when wanting radial K75s?) that have radials available?

 I've never quite understood the subtle difference in the three spoke vs standard - someone once told me you needed a K75 three spoke front but had to get a K1100 three spoke rear to get radials.....

T31s and T32s ride the same. When they came out with the T32 Bridgestone claimed a little better mileage and better wet performance.

The difference between Y and 3 spoke wheels is the width of the rear wheel. Y-spoke rear is 2.75x17. 3-spoke rear is 3x17. (The K1100LT rear is also a 3x17.)

There are radials you can run on Y-spokes - Continental Road Attack 3
Front: 110/80-18
Rear: 130/80-17

I put the Conti RA3's on a K75RT I restored for a friend and they're what I'd use on Y-spokes.

[triplek]

Thank you, super clear.

[milq]

That said, I have used them for about 8 years and at least 50,000 miles.  In my experience, they are good tires that wear well, give good handling and offer great value.  I have used other brands as well, Metzler, Continental, and Bridgestone, and honestly can't tell the difference in performance. 

Mirrors my experience, I've run Shinko 705 on a 148hp KTM as well as others and the tires stuck well on pavement and faired better than many 80/20 tires in dirt/gravel. The KTM was a rear-tire eating machine and they fared as well as anything else I ran on it.

[KCinSB]

Riding. ‘93 K1100RS, 3 spoke wheels, and I’m up for new tires front and back. Currently have ME880 Marathons, but don’t think I need to spend the money on them this time as I am not riding aggressively. One thing that is confusing about tires is the different “series” offered by a single tire manufacturer. How do you pick one? I’d like to try the Shinkos but need to know which model or series to look for.  There is also the concern about the rating for the bike weight etc. Anyone help me with Shinkos info for a K1100RS? 

[KCinSB]

I use Shinkos about $200 for both front and rear.  Just replaced them again yesterday.   Never had a problem with them, am on my 3d set, they get around 7-9000 miles on them on the hot california roads I ride on.  I don't ride in the rain, but if I get caught in a storm, I ride like a very old grand ma so I could tell you how they perform on wet roads.  But on dry roads, they are great.

Please tell me what series or model Shinko tires you are using. I am thinking I’d like to try them on a K1100RS.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

There are two series of Shinko readily available for the K11.  The Tourmaster is their long range tire that will take a fully loaded touring bike up to 10,000 miles on the rear and 12,000+ on the front.  Handling wet or dry is acceptable if you aren't a peg dragger.  I have taken my bike through mountain passes in the Rockies on them.  I've done 600 mile days in rain and snow on the interstate with them, crossed the desert in New Mexico and Arizona, been to the bottom of Death Valley to the top of Pikes Peak.  They may be inexpensive, but they work for me.

The other series is the 712.  I had them on my daily rider K75S.  They handle well wet or dry.  I suspect they have a softer compound because they get about 8-9,000 miles on the rear with 10,000 on the front.  The tread pattern on the 712 is a bit cooler looking than the Tourmaster which looks like it was designed in the 60's.

As far as price, they are pretty similar.  I get them online and mount them myself.  A set will go for about $200 or there about from Chaparral or Revzilla.

[KCinSB]

Excellent! Thank you. I’m certainly no “peg dragged”.  I will price, select and expect to give them a try.  ME880 Marathon 120/70R-17 front and 160/60R-18 rear is on the bike now.

[KCinSB]

Spent some time on the web searching for Shinkos to fit the K1100RS.  120/70R-17 front, and 160/60R-18 rear.
Not much luck, so opened the Shinko web address, tried their “figment” button, no ‘93 K1100RS in the drop down options. Searched around for size possibilities, and got confused with the series notations. (What works on my bike?) decided to try an email question, and sent it off….   “ Please tell me what tires are recommended for a BMW K1100RS…..”
Got this back, so waiting for the response:
“….Due to the growing popularity of Shinko Tires we have loads of inquiries to attend to. Please allow up to 48 hours for our team to reply. Our business hours are 8am – 5pm Mountain Standard Time, Monday thru Friday……”

[The Mighty Gryphon]

I didn't see that you have an 1100RS.  The series you want are the Shinko Podium radials.

https://www.chapmoto.com/shinko-006-podium-radial-rear-tire.html

https://www.chapmoto.com/shinko-006-podium-radial-front-tire.html

I'm running 150/60R18 rear  and 120/70R17 front on the 16 valve K100RS in my avatar.

Love 'em.

[pinhead]

Please tell me what series or model Shinko tires you are using. I am thinking I’d like to try them on a K1100RS.

I use the tour master Shinko and have had good luck with them

[KCinSB]

I use the tour master Shinko and have had good luck with them

Thanks, I was not having any luck finding my sizes in Tour Master radials. Are you using Radials/

https://www.chapmoto.com/shinko-006-podium-radial-rear-tire.html[/url]
https://www.chapmoto.com/shinko-006-podium-radial-front-tire.html
I'm running 150/60R18 rear  and 120/70R17 front on the 16 valve K100RS in my avatar.
Love 'em.

Thank you! The links are a big help.  Still waiting to see what Shinko offers in response.