I’m on my third set of tires for the Final Motorcycling Yamaha Ténéré 700 Challenge Bike. The primary set was the inventory big-block Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires, and the second set was aggressively off-road Pirelli MT 21 Rallycross knobbies. This third set is 40 p.c on-road and 60 p.c off-road Shinko E-804 entrance (90/90 x 21; $120 MSRP) and E-805 rear (150/70 x 18; $200 MSRP).After I had a dirt-only bike in Southern California, the tire selection was straightforward—massive, tall knobs. With the various terrain and distances I cowl on the Oregon-based Ténéré 700 Challenge Bike, tire choice requires extra thought.
With summer time approaching, I’ve mapped out about 3000 miles of largely Pacific Northwest freeways and highways to fascinating off-road locations, together with ghost cities. I needed to vary to much less aggressive tires that gained’t be so noisy on the lengthy freeway stretches. The Shinko E-804/805 tires must be the suitable tire for this summer time.I love to do my very own upkeep and hoped to vary the rubber myself. Having a centerstand makes getting the wheels off the bike straightforward sufficient, however I struggled with eradicating and changing the tires.Realizing the entrance tire could be the simpler of the 2, I began there. I enlisted the assistance of a buddy with a home-use tire stand, and we spent about an hour taking off the outdated entrance tire and mounting the brand new one. I bought a home-use wheel-balancer, and fortuitously the outdated spoke-attached weight was the identical as what the brand new Shinko E-804 entrance tire wanted.
Unmounting the rear Pirelli MT 21 was past my functionality. After two hours of unsuccessfully struggling to get the outdated tire off the rim, I introduced the wheel and Shinko E-805 to Smitty’s Motorsports in Milwaukie to finish the job.From this expertise, I discovered that I can substitute tubes on the aspect of the street on the Ténéré 700 if I’ve a puncture, however altering tires can be left for the specialists.My first trip with the brand new Shinko E-804/805 tires was 280 miles of freeway and freeway and 77 miles of various gravel, filth, mud, and packed, moist pine needles. It rained eight of the 9 hours I used to be within the saddle. I’m very pleased with their efficiency on numerous moist paved surfaces. Freeway speeds are secure and quiet.
After our 77-mile off-road part, I rode moist asphalt twisties at as much as 60 mph and by no means felt a slip or inkling of misplaced traction. The entrance tire held higher on moist off-road than the rear did. I needed to be very straightforward on the throttle exiting turns, or the rear would slip out.A muddy, steep downhill was an uncomfortable sliding expertise. The one time the entrance slipped to the aspect was on moist pine needles, and all the opposite riders in my group had related pucker moments on these moist pine needles.We solely bumped into mud lower than an inch deep, however that was sufficient to interrupt free the rear. If there’s gravel—packed or free as much as an inch deep—the entrance tire tracks the place I need it to go.
Thankfully, the entrance and rear are very predictable. By wanting on the floor, I knew what to anticipate. I had a couple of pucker moments till I gained expertise driving over the assorted surfaces.Though Shinko charges the E804/805 tires for mud and snow, that could be a operate of the format of the knob blocks and never a mirrored image of real-life testing. In my real-life testing, they don’t do as nicely in mud as extra dirt-oriented tires, but they’re much higher than street-aimed ADV tires with out blocks or knobs.I set out the subsequent week to check the tires with factory-recommended air-down for off-road of 29 psi in each tires. I rode 10 miles on blended filth, mud, and gravel forest roads at street strain. I then aired all the way down to 29/29 and rode the identical route in reverse. I may see my tracks, so I actually rode over the identical terrain and potholes.
There have been so many potholes that I used to be apprehensive I’d dent the Ténéré 700’s entrance rim, however I didn’t. There isn’t any particular measurement for management really feel, however I’d estimate I had 20 p.c extra management and fewer slippage, particularly within the muddy sections. I may speed up longer out of the muddy sections earlier than my rear tire broke free. On free gravel in turns, I maintained speeds about 5 mph sooner than with the 32/36 psi association.Airing down makes sufficient distinction on the Final Motorcycling Yamaha Ténéré 700 Challenge Bike for it to be well worth the time to air down and again up if I’m going to be off-road for a number of hours. If I’m going to be doing the sort of trip the place I transition from on-road to filth and again to pavement all through the day, I’ll simply go away the strain on the larger setting. After all, if I get into traction bother like deep sand, I’ll actually air all the way down to get out of the scenario.
The Ténéré 700 doesn’t include rim locks, so I can be cautious to not air down an excessive amount of and for too lengthy. Ripping out the rear tire valve stem takes all of the enjoyable out of the trip.I actually had extra confidence and better off-road speeds with aggressive knobbies, however this trip was indictive of my upcoming summer time—lengthy on-road to hundred-mile off-road sections in dry nation. Sadly, driving aggressive knobbies on the freeway and freeway is noisy, and the tires put on out rapidly.
This 40/60 Shinko E804/805 mixture is a superb tradeoff for consolation on pavement and filth rideability. The summers actually do dry out within the Pacific Northwest, and these tires will get me to my locations. The Shinko E-804 and E-805 journey tires are very predictable and gave me nice confidence understanding how they’ll react on totally different surfaces.
Shinko E804 Entrance Tire Quick Details
Sizes/MSRP
- 100/90 x 19: $135 (tube kind)
- 110/80 x 19: $135
- 110/80 x 19: $143 (radial)
- 120/70 x 19: $195 (radial)
- 90/90 x 21: $120
Shinko E805 Rear Tire Quick Details
Sizes/MSRP
- 130/80 x 17: $165
- 140/80 x 17: $160 (tube kind)
- 150/70 x 17: $177
- 150/70 x 17: $163 (radial)
- 150/80 x 16: $175
- 170/60 x 17: $233 (radial)
- 120/90 x 18: $131 (tube kind)
- 150/70 x 18: $200
Bias-ply, except famous
Tubeless, except famous
