Wee-Strom on Gravel - Shinko 804/805 Make it all Good!

[bigjohnsd]

Decided it was time to test the Wee One on some of the local gravel roads. The first few had been Magged, treated with Magnesium Chloride, for dust control. The Magged roads were like riding on the highway. After 20 miles of that I hit a road with fresh gravel about an inch deep. This was not much fun, the front kept hunting all over the place and several times I was almost to the edge of the road at 25 mph before I regained what I felt was good directional control. The Wee has the stock Bridgestone 90%/10% pavement/dirt tires so I really can't expect much better.
I'm going to order a set of 50%/50% Shinko 804/805 tires for her and see how they do. The bike is certainly a pleasure to ride on the dirt and packed gravel, maybe it will be better on the looser stuff with the more aggressive tires, hope so.

 

[Fontanaman]

Hi BigJohnSD,

I put about 80,000 miles on a 2005 DL1000. Off pavement gravel roads included the Notom Bullfrog Road, Burr Trail, Shafer Canyon Road, the Magruder Corridor, Warren Wagon Road, and the Lolo Trail Motorway. I always used 90/10 tires it always felt like it was 15% out of control 100% of the time in anything loose. I decided this was not sustainable and my time for a crash was gonna come so I sold it before the time came.

I hope the 50/50 tires provide the stability I never experienced. Sorry if I am sounding like Debbie downer.

Last year I road a DR650 in Mexico on some off pavement roads. That was pure joy. The only thing I didn't like about the DR was the damn seat. After 75 miles it was a pain in the butt.

 

[Bugnatr]

Get a KTM.

Problem solved.

Just here to help you spend your money.

 

[BobCo]

They will be pricey, but take a look at Michelin Anakee Wilds. They will be the next tire on my Vee.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Stinkos will help a lot in the loose stuff John. Decent tires make all the difference.

On our trip north to Bella Coola last summer, the Tenere was awesome with TKC70s over the ~130 miles of dirt we rode. The only negative if there was one, the front TKC70 cupped badly and I removed it at just over 5,000 miles. However, I knew this going in and wouldn't hesitate to use a set again if dirt is on the menu!

--G

 

[bigjohnsd]

Muchas Gracias Gorge!

Bugs, no KTM on the Horizon, though i can get a sweet deal on one, a 690 if i want one.

Shinko's on order Front and Rear for $188.98 including shipping!

Will put the Mojo Block equipped Harbor freight tire machine and the new MojoLever to work next Thursday I think.

 

[900gc]

The 804/5's will help, also air them down a bit if you're doing extended dirt/gravel. If the gravel is loose/deep enough, no matter the tires, it's gunna' move around. More than anything, just get used to the bike moving around under you by practicing. I have a dirt section of road not far from my house that is twisty and potholed. I'll ride it back and forth on my DR650, pushing a little harder each way as I get used to the bike sliding/moving. I'm afraid to say that my DR is turning me into a hooligan!

Cheers with the new Wee!

 

[SouthernCruizer]

Yep, the Strom is not an ideal off road bike. Like 900gc says, lowering tire pressure helps a lot. Make sure you have your compressor on board to air them back up again when you hit the pavement. I lower my WeeStroms tire pressure to 20psi front, 18psi rear when I take extended dirt/gravel roads. I also usually stand up on the pegs as much as possible and let the bike move under me in it's natural attitude.

 

[Fred W]

I have the 804/805's mounted on my ManStrom now in preparation for riding to WV - FODS. They make a big difference in front end tracking in loose stuff. The rear will still slide out pretty easy under power, probably due to the large center blocks, but that just makes it easier to steer with the throttle. I think you'll like them a lot, and the price is great, at least for now anyway.

I had gone through a couple of sets of the Shinko 705's (first set was Full Bore USA, but they are the same tires) just previously, and those were better off pavement than the Michelin Anakee II's I had been running previously. But the Shinko 50/50 knobbys are twice as much better than the 705s.

The 804/805's are bias ply tires with a 33 psi max pressure. I have been running them at 30 front and 33 rear and see no reason to air them down, especially if you'll be on and off pavement, as I generally am. One nice thing about the 804/805 combo is they seem to hold the pavement about as well as the 80/20 705s did, and reports are showing that they get about the same mileage, which is considerably better than the much more expensive TKC80s.

 

[Chiefblueman]

Just got a set of 804/805 Shinkos for the KTM. One thing I have read on the ADV site is they are quite greasy on pavement for the first few miles, more so than most.

Fred, did you experience this?

 

[Fred W]

No, but I generally take it easy for the first couple hundred miles on any new tire. I also headed for the dirt roads right away, since that was what I bought them for.

 

[bigjohnsd]

Thanks for the insights and confirmation that I made a good choice.

 

[El Toro]

I absolutely hated my 2005 DL 1000 on loose gravel. I have a friend who rode his late model DL 650 to Newfoundland a few years back, and a major part of this trip was on gravel. He thought it sucked, but the fellow with him on a R1200GS thought the heavy BMW sucked even worse. The guy they passed with the badly scuffed up with broken mirrors K1600GT was even more disgruntled with his bike though. Gravel is always a challenge, especially on a long run.

The fellow with the DL650 is now sporting a KTM.... he complains bitterly about the cost of parts, and the inaccessibility for some maintenance issues, but he generally has a pretty big smile when he's riding it on those Maine frost heaves.

 

[Gramps]

I used the

for my Moab trip & they were awsome. More expensive than Shinkos but cheaper than the Heidenau K60 Scout.

 

[bigjohnsd]

I looked at the Mitas too.

 

[Spork]

Took my 2004 K1200GT (PR4s) on a gravel road by the smokies. This was a thickly laid gravel road, only a few notches above a sand dune as far as sink goes, but this was the only camp site left so ... whatever. Total butt pucker the whole 3 miles to the camp site (and back). The key was to just keep going at a moderate pace and let the bike squirm a little, it's gonna do that. Got through it and so did my buddies with a 08 Goldwing and a 13 ninja 650.

 

[bigjohnsd]

I'm no stranger to gravel here in SD

,but I'm betting the 804/5 are gonna be a big improvement

 

[bigjohnsd]

Shinko 804/805 installed last week.

250 miles on them so far, most on USFS Gravel and packed dirt.

Put on about 100 miles this morning mostly on gravel.

Home before the Thunderstorms start and have a big grin on my face.

These tires were/are transformational for the Wee-Strom!

Not bad on the Slab either, took I-90 on the way home and the tires are fine at 80 mph.

Looking like we have a winner; and I love buying two tires for less than the cost of an FJR Rear!

 

[Gramps]

I'm a Shinko convert as well, (705's) I've had nothing but a good experience with Shinkos.

I even ran the Journey 890's when I had my FJR, which was a good tire also.

Just can't beat the price.