Are cheng shin tires any good?

[katana_j]

My friend has a 99 Kat 750 and he needs to replace the rear tire,He likes the cheng shins for the affordability,But one of the guys at the local bike shop says that unless you have a cruiser to stay away from these tires because they're cheap and unreliable.Are these tires any good or would he just be better off getting another dunlop to replace the worn one that's on the bike now?

[Yellow]

Do some searching, and you will find what you need to know... but you won't find anyone recommending the Cheng Shins, that's for sure!

[arsenic]

+1, unless your riding a dirt bike with 12 inch rims I wouldn't go that route

[BraadaJim]

You get what you pay for and there is a difference. Your tires are everything and having good quality rubber is a must. You can skimp and go the cheap route on a lot of things but your tires should not be one of them. There are a lot better out there for just a few bucks more and worth every penny.

[soccersteve]

cheng who? my point exactly. i wouldn't buy one that i've never heard of. my $.02

[The CyberPoet]

Chen Shins: The single worst motorcycle tire on the market for a Katana or other sports-tourer/sports-bike built after about 1980. If you have a '78 CB400, they're a reasonable choice (but better is available).

Their tire is a bias tire, which means it won't hold it's shape if it gets punctured (almost a guaranteed spill as a result). I suspect also not rated for the speed and weight ratings of the Kats.

Their tire is about half the thickness as a stock main-stream brand, making it very light weight (good for faster handling but bad for grip). This also means it won't last very long.

Their tire has horrible tread pattern offerings and hard compounds, which don't handle well at all. The arc profile isn't suitable to handling either. You'll know what it means to slow down to under 5mph for any turns.

The three major advantages to this tire (all intended for third-world use):
(A) It's dirt cheap ($35 a tire or so)
(B) They come pre-balanced from the factory, so post-installation balancing isn't a critical.
(C) They can be patched readily with standard bicycle patches if necessary.

That said, I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy, and the only people I will suggest them for is the starving/at the very bottom end of the income scale who have a tire that's thread-bare; if it's a choice between food + Chen Shin, or a decent tire ($85 - $100), well, you need to eat.

KNOW THIS:
Their tires are sold by a variety of sellers under "house brand" and off-brand names, including JC Whitney, Barracuda, their own upscale-brand (Maxxim), etc. I won't recommend any of these.

With a set of Metzeler Z6's via mail-order running $84 front / $102 rear, and many dealers selling them for $100 - $120 mounted, it just doesn't make sense.

PS - the Z6's are my tire recommendation for his bike as both cost-effective, high mileage, well handling and a supreme choice.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet