The Shinko 244.
Is it the best dual sport tyre in the budget range?
I always thought Shinko was a Chinese brand.
But it isn't.
Shinko is actually a Korean company making tyres since 1946.
And in 1998, they bought the rights to Yokohama motorbike tyres.
So they are actually Japanese designed tyres, now made in Korea.
A riding buddy of mine has used them for years.
When the 690 is not in motard mode, I use a Goldenboy.
This tyre has lasted quite a long time now.... thousands of kilometres.
For the price, these are an incredible value for money tyre.
They are a cheap tyre.
But a good tyre.
The Goldenboy is advertised as a 50 50 tyre.
50 dirt, 50 road.
But to my mind it's more dirt 70, road 30.
That doesn't mean it doesn't work on the road.
It actually works really well on the road.
And this rounded pattern here is actually what makes it grip really well on the bitumen.
The old tyre has gone a bit 'flat' with use, as all tyres do.
But it still works really well.
The grip is amazing all the time on this tyre.
I have had a few rides on Pete's 690 in the dirt.
Yes, the traction is surprisingly good.
On many tracks, the grip is almost the same as a fully knobby, although you can tell the
difference once you hit soft sand or mud.
They still do a decent job, but it's not quite the same as a proper knobby.
Also, when I saw Pete's tyres, I realised I used to run these tyres on my XR400 twenty
years ago.
Our group did a mix of dirt riding, but also chasing road bikes around twisties in our
local mountain ranges.
And knobbies slid around too much and wore out too fast on the road.
Most of us started using the Shinkos because they were incredibly cheap, long lasting,
and did a good job, on and off road.
Our little riding group was definitely impressed with the 244 as a true 50/50 dual sport tyre.
Regular viewers will know I don't normally review tyres.
It's such an individual opinion about what makes a good tyre.
So here are some other opinions I found on the forums.
The Shinko 244 consistently gets good reviews.
So while I don't know if it's the best 50/50 tyre in the budget range, it would certainly
have to be up there.
Mind you, there are problems reported as well.
A few guys reported a lot of tyre noise when road riding.
However, others say this disappears once you pump them up to the recommended maximum for
road use... 28 psi.
Pete and I both did this.
And yes, they were quiet on the road.
A few riders said they found the tyres did start to 'chunk' if run over 75mph on hot
tarmac for extended periods.
But obviously you should aim for a more road-oriented tyre in that case.
Pete and I have never encountered 'chunking' with the sort of riding we do.
And we do tend to punish the tyres a bit!
I never did road riding in the wet, but while some riders reported the Shinkos were fine
in the rain, one rider did comment that the grip was poor on wet roads.
A few of my riding buddies are getting into adventure riding.
I'm advising them to get the Shinko 244 tyres and I'll eventually post a long-term review
based on their experiences.
If any of you guys use them, let me know what you think in the comments.