Shinko Ravens

[HaulinAshe]

Bumped, see Post #34 for details.

 

[twowheelnut]

Now, this review I'm eagerly awaiting...

 

[vectervp1]

Now, this review I'm eagerly awaiting...

Gunny!

I've got a set on my Feej right now and I don't care too much for them. Interested to see what Jeff thinks of them. They seemed fine at first, but as I've racked up the miles, they have become a little more slippery and haven't been inspiring alot of confidence. I've had a few "Oh Shit!" moments with them that I've never experienced before.

They have been wearing well though, so its gonna be a while before I get rid of them. I've got about 3k on them and they still look decent. Probably keep them on through the winter, then ditch them around Feb. even if they have some rubber left on them.

 

[HaulinAshe]

Only thing I know about the Shinkos thus far, is that my homemade durometer used only for comparison between tires, indicates the Shinko compound to be very close to the same durometer reading as the center area of the BT021 sitting beside them. At least the Shinkos are definitely harder than the sidewall readings of the BT021.

Oh, and it took for freakin' ever for the tires to arrive!

 

[borrec]

Rear has about 8,300 on it so far and it is an adequate tire. Front has about 400 and no problems so far. They are good enough that I ordered another set from RideNow. They were about $150 delivered and had them in 4 days. E1Allen put on the front before EOM, so he has more information on that tire.

 

[keithaba]

Wow, why are these tires so freeking cheap. I want to order a set just because of price. Hurry up Jeff, review, review, review.

Don't make me come up there and slash your current tires! :assassin:

 

[Scab]

They seemed fine at first, but as I've racked up the miles, they have become a little more slippery and haven't been inspiring alot of confidence. I've had a few "Oh Shit!" moments with them that I've never experienced before.

Perhaps temperature related? Maybe a better warm weather tire?

(Still debating which tires to mount for a mountaing ride next weekend...these shinkos or some bt014's? They are both just sitting there looking at me with longing.)

Where is E1Allen anyway? He needs to jump in here with some comments. Especially since he rides like a squid "spiritedly."

 

[HaulinAshe]

I'll see E1Allen this afternoon. I'm doing plugs, TBS and some other service work for him.

Maybe I can talk him into swapping bikes for a short ride. That way I can feel out the Shinkos on his bike and he can try the BT021s on mine?

Sounds like a plan to me!

 

[.paul]

Where is E1Allen anyway? He needs to jump in here with some comments. Especially since he rides like a squid "spiritedly."

HAHAHA

In for a review. Although I'm really loving my BT021's

 

[vectervp1]

Perhaps temperature related? Maybe a better warm weather tire?(Still debating which tires to mount for a mountaing ride next weekend...these shinkos or some bt014's? They are both just sitting there looking at me with longing.)

I don't think its temp related because I left AZ and went to northern Nevada where it was 45 degrees most of the time. The tire felt great the first 1500 miles. It wasn't until I was about 80 miles from home and I had to make an emergency stop that the tires felt like moist ass-cheese. The front end wiggled more than a bowl full of jello as I tried to come from 70 to -10 mph in a hurry. I had to actually left off on the brakes a little because I just wasn't sure if the front end was going to wash out on me.

Ever since then I've noticed the tires sometimes wiggle around a bit going down the road and are alot more sensitive to rain grooves, tar snakes, and any anomaly on the road.

On the bright side, they are wearing well. Its somewhat of a mixed blessing for me because right now I'm flat broke and really can't afford a new set of rubber, but I really won't feel confident tearing up the road with these tires. Of course, that's why I have a sportbike as a second bike too...

I'll be moving back to BT-021's when these wear out.

 

[FJRay]

Well its Friday and I haven't found the dogpile yet so I will jump in here. I have close to 2k on the Shinko rear and it is working well for me. I haven't pushed it to the limits and don't intend to because pavement rash sucks but it feels and performs just fine. It is starting to show a little flat in the middle but a lot of the miles were in Nevada where you can see where you are going to be in an hour. Haven't tried the front because I had a new Metzler sitting around and Avon just gave a new front Storm so if the Shinko works out I will order a couple more for the rear.

Now where the hell is the dogpile.

 

[keithaba]

O.k. No one answered my question?

WHY ARE THESE TIRES SO CHEAP!!???

there did you hear me now?

Did they just start making motorcycle tires or something? Sweatshops based in China?

 

[vectervp1]

They're made in Korea.

 

[keithaba]

So apparently these tires have been around since like 2005. I'm surprised no one has really mentioned them much on the forum. I only found a few threads, mostly positive reviews, nothing really too informative.

Will be keeping a close eye for Jeff's report. I'm going to need a set of tires in about 1000 miles and am seriously considering these since they are so cheap.

 

[mdisher]

I need to order up tires too, and was thinking about trying these simply based on price. (PR2's are literally double the cost delivered).

I figured they should get me through the winter then I could put on the PR2's in the spring.

So if you have these and like em (or hate em) post up yo!

 

[Charlie Hoss]

Probably keep them on through the winter, then ditch them around Feb. even if they have some rubber left on them.

Rub it in!

 

[HaulinAshe]

Turns out that E1Allen only has a front Shinko installed. He is still running a Strada rear. I made the bike swap with him this evening and we went out for a short 20-minute ride. You can learn a lot in 20 minutes if you try hard.

The front Shinko was "bouncy", not out of balance but bouncy on irregularities. It was hard to tell if the minor lack of stick on the front was bothering me, or if it was the huge difference between the front Shinko and the rear Strada. Given a choice, I would MUCH rather have the rear breaking loose (mildly of course) than the front. The sticky Strada rear and obviously harder compound front Shinko was an unnerving combination.

The combination of an "average hardness" compound and the tire profile, makes the front very loose. Turn-in was quick and predictable on smooth surfaces. But high speed sweepers with tar snake stripes, pot hole edges etc., produced a large amount of tracking error.

I'll have to wait a couple weeks and put the Shinko pair on my bike for a true evaluation. I can definitely say now that a Shinko front does NOT belong with sticky rear such as a Strada, Z6, BT021, or D220. It might handle okay with a Pilot Road or perhaps even a ME880 if you stay away from triple-digit sweepers.

More later...

 

[ohiofjr]

The Ravens are one of the best buys I have made yet. I got four sets really cheap in a one time deal and am pretty happy with them. I have smoked two sets of Avons, one each of Metzler, Michelin, Bridgestone. The Ravens compare well with all of the previous. I live in the flat straightlands of Ohio with the nearest decent road about an hour away so I seldom get to really lean it over. It looks like I will get about 6k mile out of the rear and about double that on the front. I would rate the tires as Avon sucks, Metzler right by the Avons with the Michelins bridgestones and Ravens way out with personal preference the deciding factor.

 

[ohiofjr]

I agree about the bouncy feeling. That went away when I dropped pressure down to 36 psi.