Shinko 009 Raven sport-touring tire

I will snap a photo or two of the tires once I hit the 3000 mile mark if that would be useful for anyone.

So far I'm extremely happy. I have had the chance to try a bunch of different tires on a lot of different bikes (Pilot Powers, Corsa III, Diablo Rosso, BT-021, BT-45, BT-014, BT-016, Sport Demon, MT75 and lots more) and although they are definitely not the stickiest or most responsive, for the money you can't beat them. I'd say they are 85% of the tire for 50% of the price.
 
As promised, photos of the tires. Two photos of the rear, two photos of the front after about 2500 miles.

The wear on the rear shows promise for the kind of long life I was expecting. No complaints about these tires yet.
 
Update at the 1500 mile mark:

This morning, in my normal "S" exit off the highway where I love to push the envelope.... The front wasn't up to the task. I've pushed the stock worn Dunlops harder than these Shinko 009's and never had a slip but this morning, the front washed a bit and I had to scrub and stand the bike up in a split second or lowside into a curb. The tires were plenty warm and the surface was very dry, nothing to slip on and the temp was low 70's outside.

So, my reaction now is this is a great touring tire but not so much for a sport tire. I won't be pushing them that hard again. For touring and commuting, the tire is great. In the wet stuff, so long as you're not pushing them too hard, they hold quite well. I never push hard in the rain though and yes, I ride all the time in the rain. I'm not a fair weather rider at all. The tailbag always carries my rain suit.

Wear thus far has been unnoticeable. 1500 miles doesn't seem to have worn much at all and this is what I expected.

While I think they are an OK tire for the type of riding I spend MOST of my time doing, they are not what I want for that 10% of the time I'm able to find the corners here. I'll wear these ones out but I'd not buy them again unless I gave up hard cornering as a past-time.
 
Well Eric I guess it's the old "you get what you paid for" with these tires. Given the sporty nature and power of the FZ1 I personally don't think tires are a place to skimp. Sounds like you're the perfect candidate for some PR3s ;) Plenty of dry grip on the street and probably some of the best rain tires out there.
 
Thanks for the update Eric!

Seems like they are living up to what I said originally as being an 85% tire. Seeing as how 1500 miles has shown little wear for you, I guess it's not unlikely you will get 10,000 miles out of the rear; for a bike as heavy and powerful as the FZ1, that's pretty impressive.

I suppose it's too much to ask to have your cake and eat it too. As like all things in life, I guess it's all about finding the right compromise.
 
I had to go on budget tires so yes, I got what I paid for. A great touring tire and a not-so-great sport tire. I did not have high expectations but I did need tires. ;) They will work for now and once you know their limits, you can work around that. It's likely that with better suspension front and rear, the bike would work the tires better.

@Tony - That is my intended next set of tires for sure. :D By the time I am ready for them, the prices will be well below the current ones and probably the future PR4 will be out as well. :tup:
 
They must be slippery if the stock Dunlops could be pushed harder....and the Dunlops were slippery enough! $16000 bike and $200 tyres......sorry gents not for me.
 
....and that does not include "on road" costs. These consist of govt taxes, rego and a "dealer fee" (this is what the dealers charge us for preparing the bike before sale!). So, in short you can add another $1200 - $1500 to the $16k, depending on how hard you can bargan. Yep, we get shafted on the cost of bikes and then we get shafted on the cost of accessories (ie a set of tyres cost about $500-$550).....thats why we all buy accessories "on line". Of course, now our retailers are whinging about everyone buying stuff on line......

Now that's off my chest, I'll go for a ride!
 
5000 mile update: Nothing to report really. No issues with tire quality, balancing, holding air, nothing. 5000 miles and still seeing next to no wear on the rear. Honestly, with my light right hand and a bike without a ton of power, I don't even know what I'll wind up with

It snowed today and I can report that they 'work' in the snow. As in, I got home from work without crashing. Maybe those deep, deep treads help. They certainly feel better than the Pilot Powers I used on the FZ1 during last year's snow.

I really need to get a car :(
 
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I have a set as well, and while I probably wont run them again, but i am suprised with the wear. I don't care for the feel they give.. I have ran conti motions in the past with great success and only abouy 20 bucks more
 
Dustin I vote for the car option as well. I did a two year stint on two wheels back in my twenty's. Then again you do like working on throttle control:poke:

You cheeky bugger. ;) Admittedly, it is fun sliding around in my neighborhood but there are days when I groan at the thought of going outside on my bike.

I say every winter that I'll get a car 'next spring' and every year passes and I wind up without one. God only knows if I'll ever do it
 
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While I don't have any real complaints about mine, I'm not extremely satisfied. Yes, they handle ok and are not easily worn down. No issues with them but I just think they are all touring and no sport. It boils down to the profile of the tire. It is too flat and while great for touring, it is what gives the rider that uneasy feeling when getting the bike leaned over. It's almost like it doesn't want to lean and then it suddenly does and surprises you because it really does handle well a deep lean. Getting there is what the issue is. I'm not likely to buy them again but I'm too cheap to replace them until they wear out... sadly, with reports coming in and my eyeballing the wear on my own set, I'm stuck with these for a long time!
 
Based on the wear I've seen, I feel that I really don't need whatever ungodly treadlife these will offer. I think I may go with Shinko again next time around and will likely try something with a softer compound like the 011 Verge.

Seems that these tires are definitely more touring as you said. I think they also are better-suited for middleweight bikes than something bigger and more powerful like an FZ1 or FJR.
 
Will be replacing the 005s this spring, got about 7000 miles and pretty much shot. Got about .060 tread left in center, and they've been spun up more than a few times. Looking at 010 or 011s and Conti Motions.
 
Will be replacing the 005s this spring, got about 7000 miles and pretty much shot. Got about .060 tread left in center, and they've been spun up more than a few times. Looking at 010 or 011s and Conti Motions.

I'll be interested to see what you decide to go with and the reasons for it.
 
A lot of tire talk this week so I thought I'd post up a 7500 mile update. Based on how the rear looks, I should think I will see another 5000 miles before it needs to go.

The front still looks new. I haven't changed my opinion on these, I think they are perfect for a middleweight commuter.

I wouldn't mind something a bit sportier next time 'round
 
A lot of tire talk this week so I thought I'd post up a 7500 mile update. Based on how the rear looks, I should think I will see another 5000 miles before it needs to go.

The front still looks new. I haven't changed my opinion on these, I think they are perfect for a middleweight commuter.

I wouldn't mind something a bit sportier next time 'round

I always evaluate the state of my tire set by examining the rear. Well, my rear Dunlop Roadsmart is over 10,000 miles and doing fine. Regretfully, I hadn't monitored my front tire and it was almost bald. Worn down from sidewall to sidewall. Normal pressure: 36 PSI cold.

I was concerned with the condition with Pyro's Twisted Texas Tour coming up and my principal concern was the possibility of dealing with rain. I had a Conti Motion installed just for the Pyro ride and to use until the rear Dunlop has used up it's usefulness. It's just temporary, I have a set of Pirelli Angels standing by.

I only mention this as, I believe, most of us expect the rear to wear out first and, as we see here, that is not always the case.

Many of you, most I would expect, will be smart enough to monitor both tires.

PS: we did have some rain but not heavy, however, I was most judicious with control input with ZERO miles on the new tire. Some of those sections out there make Stanley Park look like a training area.
 
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