Tires, Tires, Tires

1980 XJ650Maxim
I'm looking for some more been there done that, please. I got my 650 with 4.7K on the clock, and the tires installed looked new - even had the molding tits on them. PO said they had just been installed. Dunlop 404's both ends. I got 3K out of the rear, 3.4K front. When they came off, rear was bald, the front had a little left. Only complaint is low mileage. Now, PO said new and they did look it. I wear tires out from accelerating, cornering and braking, not spinning and sliding. Replaced the 404's with set of Shinko 712's last December. Now the rear has 4K and some life left, front looks half gone. No real complaints at all about the 712's- except they do seem a little stiff. Thinking about trying the Shinko 230's next. Opinions/experience? 712 vs. 230, or some other tire in a similar price range? Primarily mileage first, but acceptable handling required. I won't be grinding any pegs off, nor altering the OEM tire sizes. Many thank for your replies.

 

You are riding the heck out of it if the front is wearing nearly as fast as the rear. I typicaly replace the rear tire two or three times for every front, no matter what brand or model.

I've got a conti-Go on the front that's looking like it will give me 10,000 miles. The Conti-Go rear only gave me 4,500 miles, so I have a Shinko 230 on now (not enough miles yet to say how it will wear). So far the Shinko feels good for a touring tire.

I do know this: The Kenda K671 front that you put on because you overestimated how long your rear tire would last, and were 800 miles from home when you noticed how thin the tread was and couldn't get a rear tire, will last longer than you think (2,800 miles to the wear indicators). But don't do that, because it's stupid and unsafe.

 

It took 45 grams (1.6 oz), which is a huge leap from the Contental (10 grams). I moved the Shinko tire around for half an hour hoping that I could get it to balance with less weight. Even so it's not the most weight I've ever seen used to balance a tire.