It's almost time for me to change my front tire, a Battlex BT45 130/70x18. I decided instead of going with another of the same brand and also go wider, to go with a brand that is rarely mentioned. The Shinko! What I wanted was for a tire to be a bit more sticky than the Battleaxe and really, I don't care that much about how quickly it wears. Well, I do but I don't. Kind of the double edged sword sort of thing.

This morning I went ahead and purchased the "Shinko 777 Journey Touring Radial Rear Tire - 150/70x18" for $89.95 with free shipping, to give it a shot and purchased it from Amazon. I like that it is a bit on the sticky side, and I also like how the rain sipes cross over the center especially since I do ride during the winter months (rain, sleet, snow, slush over ice, black ice, water over ice etc) Even with that I expect to be able to take full advantage of the width of the tread.



The BT45 has done well though honestly I don't particularly like the way it wore. The dual compound is fine, but I do tend to do a lot of twisties and in doing so the sides have worn more than the center of the tire. Not because it was underinflated or overinflated, it's just my lean angle on the twisties can be a bit aggressive. Add in the flex of the tire along with the weight of my Street Glide and those stupid chips they coated the Blue Ridge Parkway with, they all add up to wear on the sides where the softer of the two compounds are. I'll see if I can get a decent picture later and post it.

If per chance the Skinko is crap, I really didn't pay that much for it anyway so it won't be a big loss. My CT on the back (205/60r16 Yokohama ENVigor) is still going strong with plenty of tread left. I really wish I could find a CT the size I need for the front!

I'll try to post updates after I have it installed, as well as how it feels. Then periodic updates along with longevity.

 

Here are a couple of pictures of the BT45. If you look at where the arrow is pointing, this is the dividing line between one compound and the second. The thickest area shows I could get a lot more miles, but the sides where the second compound is showing, shows there is hardly any tread left. I could probably ride on this tire a bit longer, if I keep my bike more upright!

I pulled my bike onto a white tarp so the tire shows up a bit better.

 

Let us know how you like the new tire compared to the BA. I plan to go DD again when my front tire wears out......

 

I sure will!

According to FedEx Tracking, the tire should arrive tomorrow, before the end of the day. I usually see their trucks go through around noon, though there has been stragglers that come through later. But if it's early enough, I may go ahead and change it then.

Yes, I do change my own tires, because I can! Just tire spoons and some lengths of 2x4's to keep the rim off the concrete floor. Plus whatever I decide to use to help break the bead. Although I'm tempted by a good number of folk using "Ride On," I still have some balance beads left that I'd like to use up.

 

The tire arrived late this afternoon. Figures!

I did eyeball the tire and this is what I found:
It does not have Journey on it anywhere which if fine. But it does indicate it is a Shinko SR777 H-D. It is not a Radial, but it is a reinforced bias ply with 4 ply for the tread area and 2 ply for the sidewalls. It has a weight capacity of 882# at 42# of air pressure, cold. The load index and speed rating is 76h. And as always with tires purchased online, the all important date of manufacture! It is stamped 0818. That means it was manufactured the 8th week (mid February) of 2018.

None of the above information is intended to be negative. It's just an error in the listing itself, but I already knew most of the details of the tire simply because when I copied the image, I enlarged it so I could see more of the writing on the tire. I just wanted to put the correct information out there so that it can help anyone considering this tire to evaluate if it fits their needs. That, plus it will help with checking the reviews.

This tire, being wider, appears it will still fit easily. Keep in mind it is also taller by 1.1 inch. Loosely translated it will raise the front of the bike up a little better than a half inch.

I will be doing the install tomorrow sometime and I hope to have time to scrub the tires with a 100 mile ride on the Parkway. Then I'll head to some regular paved roads with twisties as well as some highway miles to get the general feel of the tire.

 

I mounted the tire as soon as it was warm enough for me (45 degrees) and all total it took a little better than an hour which includes removing the tire and rim from the bike and breaking the bead. If y'all are curious how I break the bead: I have a 5/8ths lag bolt I stick in a 3/4 inch hole in the garage door frame. Then a short length of wood with at least a 45 degree cut on one end for doing the actual breaking of the bead. And an 8 foot treated 2x4 for leverage. Then two 3 foot 2x4's to keep the tire, rim, and disk off the concrete. Pull the valve stem core and place the tire assembly on the short 2x4's snug to the discs. Pull the lag bolt out to about 2 inches, put the short piece of 2x4 with the angle cut facing away from the rim and place the treated 2x4 under the lag bolt so the 3.5 inch side is verticle, but on top of the pointed 2x4 and press. Once broken, step on the tire to break it the rest of the way. Flip the tire over and repeat. It's all about leverage! Okay, moving on

The tire seated at 18.5# which isn't too bad. Currently I have the tire inflated to 38# but may reduce it to 36# and maybe give 40# a shot. The manual indicates 40# for the rear, and 36# for the front. And since this is a rear tire on the front, I figured 38# would be a good compromise. I dropped 4 ounces of balance beads into the tire while I was mounting it.

In the pictures below you will see the tire installed, but also some of the tools I used including the tire spoons and rim protectors, plus my tire gauge, and a bottle of anti seize. I managed to get some of the anti seize on my hand so I did leave a partial print on the tire (oops) The third picture is after about 15 miles into the ride just to show the scrubbing being done on the Parkway. Since I had a couple of slow cars in front of me I stopped off at Mabry Mill for that picture. The 4th picture is of course Mabry Mill. The 5th picture is the tire size difference I mentioned in an earlier post. Before y'all get too bored, My take so far on the tire is below all the pictures.














I do have video clips (5 minute segments) of the entire ride, but again any one of those might prove to be boring.

Okay, right after I turned onto the Parkway, I ended up behind a camper. I just stayed there until I was able to pass, and then proceeded to beat the crap out of the tire. I hit the twisties hard, both to scrub the tire but also to see what it could or couldn't do. Much to my surprise, it hung in there like it had claws or teeth grabbing on. I did expect it to slip since the tire was new. Heck, as I was turning my bike around in the garage, the tires actually squeaked on the old concrete floor. (no finish) Any other tire I've done this with, there was always a little slip in the tightest curves. After I left the Parkway, I took a few back roads and then on to the divided highway (2 lane) Tar snakes meant nothing to the tire along with other minor road irregularities. On each road, I will admit to pushing the tire to see what it couldn't do. There were a few areas I figured for sure it would slip but it held on like a trooper. If you look at the 3rd picture, note the scuff marks to the sides. That's how far I had the bike leaned.

My overall take: I really like the tire. It sticks where a good number of other tires I've had over the years would give it up. On the highway, it was smooth as silk. Quiet and unyielding. Curves, tar snakes and other irregularities it took with ease. However, be mindful this is my opinion only after a couple of hundred miles. I still have some other tests I was to put the tire through including riding in the rain to see how well it fairs. Knowing what a tire can or can't do does make a difference, at least to me. Pushing the limits even before it's broke in is usually a good indicator. In my opinion, this is a very safe yet economical tire. While it may not get the long mileage as the Commander II or other high dollar tires, in the end I believe this one will be more cost effective and safer to run. And isn't that what we really want. A safe reliable tire that can handle anything we might throw at it. After all, it is for our safety!

I'll have to see how it goes the second time I beat it and hopefully I'll also encounter a pop up rain storm. After that it will be my regular riding. It might take some time to do a 2000 mile review simply because winter is closing in, and I do have a lot of work I want to get done before hand. For now, even though the tires performance has been outstanding, I'll rate it a 6 out of 10. Why? Because I'm not done testing it! Even if it passes everything I can put it through, that would only bring it to a 9 out of a possible 10. The 10th point will be longevity!

ETA: I almost forgot to put how it fits under the fender. There is about 3/16this of an inch remaining between the tire and the fender on both sides. I could almost bet a 160 would fit with room to spare. As for aesthetics, the wider tire looks like it was supposed to be there originally instead of the 130. It was an easy fit, no jokeying of anything to get it up under the fender.

 

Great write up!
I agree that 150 series tires look better up front than the stock 130s and all things being equal more rubber on the road means more stopping power!

 

I almost forgot to show the star (my bike) since without it, none of this would be happening. I snagged a picture from the video while I was at Maybry Mill.

 

I did do some wet weather riding to see how the tire handled. Even with rain on the roads in the curves the tire gripped tight. I also tried some emergency stops on both wet and dry pavement with and without my ABS functioning as well as when it was fully functional (pulled the fuse) In each case, the tire gripped tight with no skidding or slipping. It doesn't like pea gravel, but then I don't think there is a tire out there that does.

Since I didn't mention it earlier, I will now. I mounted the tire in reverse as I have with my previous rear M/C tires on the front. And, here is a better picture of what the tire looks like under the fender. I probably should have taken a picture at a better angle instead of a foot off the ground, so maybe at a later date I'll get one at 45 degrees. I have to say every time I look at it, the way it fills the fender, it makes me smile.



ETA: I'm also upping it's score from 6 out of 10 to 8 out of 10 since it did well in hard braking with and without ABS, and handled well on the wet roads. I'm not throwing caution to the wind, but I am exceeding the limits of the previous tires, and I'm sure I can push these even further.

 

Good pictures! If you could educate me on the dyno beads. I am really leaning to the DDS. I researched a lot and seeing my mt are getting close to replace I said why not sooner than later. No w I do all my maintenance on my bike just saves me money for other things. But I've never change a tire on the rim, but very capable of doing it. I've youtube trying to find video's on putting a ct on a motorcycle rim but no luck. But educate me on the dyno beads, like are they like regulars tire weights like sticks to the rim when balancing the tire? What ever info yo can give me I'll appreciate it.