Shinko 712 Rear Tire – 150/70-17

Such a great buy! These tires are super grippy and are a real confidence booster in the curves. The price was the most economical and the seller got them to me in a couple of days. Makes me love my bike even more!

I purchased this tire for a 2007 Suzuki DL1000 (V-Strom). I had previously owned Bridgestone Battlewings and was able to get 7,000 miles from the rear, and the front wore quickly as well. Those tires are $100+ each, so I looked for more affordable alternatives. Shinko isn’t a brand many folks know about, but they purchased the motorcycle tire technology and molds from Yokohama Tire. I purchased a front and rear set of Shinko 712s and was able to get 6,000 miles from the rear. The front is still going strong, and I expect to get the usual 2X life out of it when compared to a rear tire. Going back to the rear tire, one might look at the 1,000 mile difference as significant, but when the price is factored in, it becomes apparent that the Shinkos should at least be given a cursory look. A rear tire is ~$70 depending on all the things that effect tire costs, among them oil, rubber and transportation. That’s almost a 2X savings when compared to other brands, and I’ll take that any day for a 1,000 miles less wear. For me, they have good traction and never slipped on clean pavement, and there weren’t any balance or bubble issues. I don’t do much driving in the rain but was able to make it home without issue when it did. The channels are deep enough, so you’ll likely make it home and not slide out if you don’t ride like a buffoon. A tire, regardless of brand, that’s not inflated properly or pushed too hard will always be more susceptible to failure. My point is that while most of us are set in our ways of battery, tire or oil selection, it’s beneficial to at least look at other options that may be equivalent.