Our forecast is for the monsoon to start here...Pacific NW USA...tomorrow rain with snow in the mountains. I was hoping to get a ride in and just in time, my new rear tire came UPS..My old Bridgestone (came with the bike) developed a corded spot just a few days ago...Anyhow, I decided to try the Shinko tires (formerly Yokohama, I am told) because they are cheap and I liked the Yokos in the past. Plus, the 2000 VFR I just bought is un-sorted in it's ride and I will be messing around with adjustments and changes anyhow for some miles...
I got just a rear(I have a good Diablo on front) in 180 55 in their soft compound (the Stealth comes in Soft or Super soft) $119 to my door..you can't beat that. A giant improvement over the one I was running...though it being a cold clear day here (in the low 40s) I didn't feel like really pushing it much on my afternoon's ride, which took me up in elevation......cold temps and fresh tire is not a good combo for edgy riding and there are lots of wild turkeys running all over my local roads right now...
I mounted and balanced it and put 90 miles on...A nice feeling tire..I'll know more if I get a warmer day.
I didn't like the profile of the shinko I had on the 5th gen, but I don't think it was a stealth. For the price, it's a good tire. Would not pick it for fast twisty riding.
Who is Jake Wilson (grin!) and does he deliver to Lyle Washington for free? and what is a Power, is that some icon of the VFR List?
On these Shinkos: There are about 5 distinct and quite differently constructed tires they offer for Sport and Touring. The Stealth is their sporty-ier tire though they also offer one that is a 'track slick'. Their tire line seems quite diverse, with some pure touring and commuting tires also. The tread pattern is 'odd' on the ones I have. The profile is round and seems pretty well suited to what I feel from the VFR. I will say...The strange little wiggle I was feeling (with my old worn Bridgestone sport touring rear tire) as I passed through vertical, transitioning from side to side under hard cornering...that is gone...Not a surprise. After feeling the old tire I took off. It had a flat center about 4" wide...I bet as the rear tire's contact patch switched across that flat, the somewhat 'weak' stock forks had a hard time following the change in the line of the bike... With the round section of this new rear, that little 'bobble' is all gone away, thanks.....
I am not wanting to start a Tire Thread...or tout these as 'the best....' Nope. I dunno, they feel similar to (equal?) the high priced tires I've always ridden...I recall some years back one of the magazines did a 'blind' tire test at Willow Springs with reputable racer/editors riding brands that were hidden from them....and they were quite surprised at how similar and how wrong they were about some tires...
After I put this "Stink-O" on a track, I'll report back....but since I have no prior experience with the VFR...my report probably won't be very meaningful... Just sayin', as a sporty rider and former racer with 20-odd years on many fast machines, the Shinko Stealth tire seems good.
Don Hanson
I have a relatively new set of Shinko Advance on my '95. I like them pretty well for the kind of riding I do. Be interested in knowing how yours wear and how long they last.
I have the Shinko Ravens on my 4th Gen & have put a little over 8k on them so far and am very pleased with them! For how I ride They work great I also put the 712's on my CX500 commuter & am happy with them also.
I'm glad you like them. I always wondered if anyone ever ran those. I only trust my Pilot Road 2 and 3s. I would cut corners with tires but that's just imho. Ride safe!
The rear Shinko Stealth lasted me just 2600 miles, mostly sporty riding. Center is bald now. I got a front Stealth and that is doing ok. The turn in is slow with the profile of the front tire. I just got a Dunlop Sportmax Q2 for the rear and I will be swapping the front soon for a quicker handling tire.
The Stealth Shinkos were a good try, but I probably won't use them again. Reading a tire comparo, done with lap times at Willow Springs, the Steath are a couple of seconds off the premium brands of sport tires.
Maybe the Raven or some of the more Touring orientated Shinkos are more worthwhile...The price is certainly good, but under 3k miles on the rear isn't enough for a tire that isn't a full race tire...and the front profile make that one more suitable to highway travel rather than canyon strafing, yet the rubber is soft...
Don Hanson
I use the Shinko Raven ST tires some years, sometimes the bt 021,s, and lately a few trips the Pilot road 2's (my longest lasting and favourite so far).Right now I have a set of road 3's and ravens in the garage, the ravens are going on for my 2 week trip.I can get a pair of Ravens for price of one name brand! I wear out 2 sets a year sometimes, so price matters! They have a different profile and take a few hours to get used to like most different brands, then they are fine for my mountain riding. I usually put them on for my long roadtrips as they last almost as long as the Pilots, longer than my bt021's and handle fine for normal quick riding and will be worn out by the time I get home so the deal is good! If you are not at the track every weekend, and have a budget, give them a try...:) And yes I do like the feel of the Pilots more..no real advantage, just turns in quicker at slow speeds. Wet roads? I dunno, never pushed them..
End of thread · 13 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 27 Jul 2012