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Shinko Ravens


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Just got these in the mail. Probably get them mounted tomorrow.

Really hesitant to try these since I've been running Metzler M3's and love them. But the M3's have the tread wear life of a mayfly and I'm tired of it.

So...we'll see what happens. Ride report to follow.

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I really wanted to get a Shinko rear, but the local supplier was out and it would have taken 2 days for the next consignment to be unloaded and delivered. I had to settle for a Pirelli Angel ST which is still a very good tyre from what I can tell so far. Have done 3 tanks (about 750 miles) and it sticks well. More confidence inspiring that the crappy Dunlop I had on before.

Please post a report on what you find when you have time - i REALLY want to know :o)

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I have a pair on mine. Got about 140 miles on the rear-just put it on last week. Front has maybe 1000 miles on it.

Initially the turn in felt a bit quicker but I'm getting used to it. I'm not an ultra aggressive rider but did about 80 miles of back road twisties last weekend and the tires felt great. Nice and sticky and smooth. Very confidence inspiring....just as good as the Pilot Road II for me so far....not as sticky as Pilot Powers though. I like em so far.

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I took a bunch of shit from the mechanic who put them on my wheels yesterday. Oh well.

Balanced them tonight and installed the wheels on the bike. They took LESS weight than my last set of Metzler M3's so we can dispel the rumor that they take a ton of weight to balance...well, this set anyway.

They feel pretty soft and sticky to the touch. Not what I was expecting.

The profile is noticeably different than the M3's. Taller sidewall and shallower rounder profile. I can't imagine that there is the same amount of rubber on the road at the same lean angles the M3's allow.

I'm running up to Claremont this weekend for a get-together with relatives. Will see how they work then.

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I just got my Ravens fitted to my 'bird this week.

My Blackbird started off with Michelin Pilots and my VFR800 has a set too and I can comfortably say that they are absolutely terrible tires (for me anyway).

I replaced the blackbirds tires with Metzeler M3s a while back and liked how much better they felt. They have been good, but wore out pretty quick, and I'm no knee dragger.

After reading about the Ravens I decided to try a pair on my Hayabusa and was immediately impressed, so much so that I was left wondering just how much was the tire and how much was the bike.

So when the time came to replace the Blackbird's tires, I went directly for a set of Ravens, but I decided to go back to a 180 rear as both the precious tires were 190s.

The difference is absolutely amazing, the smaller tire and rounder profile mean that the bike is an absolute joy to turn now. She just sweeps into corners with what seems like a fraction of the effort that I used before. Also, like on the Hayabusa, I noticed that even though the bike rolls more easily, that the turn in is not as quick as the Metzelers, BUT, it's a very fluid motion, I always felt like the transition on the Metzeler's was a little abrupt. Put a different way, Raven's will not hang with pure sport tires round a racetrack, but (to me) they feel much more smooth and predictable in a corner.

I will be buying a 3rd set for my VFR800 soon I think!

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Just got back from my first ride. Night, so I was behaving. Rode maybe 40 some miles. That's it.

38psi rear, 36psi front.

First impression, was "whoa!" these tires turn like they're reading your mind. Way "quicker" than the M3's.

I'll have to admit. The tires felt great. Seemed like a softer ride. Cornered great. Rolled in so easy I was having to make corner entry corrections.

Got home and hardly any chicken strips on the front. Have 3/4" chicken strips on the back. I was cornering at least 10-15 mph slower than I normally do in the day. Front tire has a very tall sidewall so the tread doesn't wrap around the tire like the M3's. I had to really get the bike leaned over to get anywhere near the edge of the tire on the front M3.

We'll see how they do long term and after hustling a bit. But, so far, I like the way they feel.

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Just got back from my first ride. Night, so I was behaving. Rode maybe 40 some miles. That's it.

38psi rear, 36psi front.

First impression, was "whoa!" these tires turn like they're reading your mind. Way "quicker" than the M3's.

I'll have to admit. The tires felt great. Seemed like a softer ride. Cornered great. Rolled in so easy I was having to make corner entry corrections.

Got home and hardly any chicken strips on the front. Have 3/4" chicken strips on the back. I was cornering at least 10-15 mph slower than I normally do in the day. Front tire has a very tall sidewall so the tread doesn't wrap around the tire like the M3's. I had to really get the bike leaned over to get anywhere near the edge of the tire on the front M3.

We'll see how they do long term and after hustling a bit. But, so far, I like the way they feel.

Cool, glad you like them.

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I'm considering getting a set of shinkos so I'm following this thread.

Why did you guys chose the 009's over the 005's or 003's?

Did shinko take over another tire manufacturer?

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I'm considering getting a set of shinkos so I'm following this thread.

Why did you guys chose the 009's over the 005's or 003's?

Did shinko take over another tire manufacturer?

I personally went with the 009's because they are a sport touring compound as against a pure sport compound. They still have all the grip I need for every day riding but they are apparently good for at least 9000 miles.

Shinko bought molds and compound technology from the old Yokohama motorcycle tire company.

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I'm considering getting a set of shinkos so I'm following this thread.

Why did you guys chose the 009's over the 005's or 003's?

Did shinko take over another tire manufacturer?

I personally went with the 009's because they are a sport touring compound as against a pure sport compound. They still have all the grip I need for every day riding but they are apparently good for at least 9000 miles.

Shinko bought molds and compound technology from the old Yokohama motorcycle tire company.

Seriously...9k, I'm going to give it a try. Need a new front soon for the price maybe I'll get a set and roll with em.

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I tried a set of Shinko 005's a couple of years ago after guys in the eastern states of Oz on OzBB.net said they really liked the 003's and they were ~$120 AUD a set cheaper than the Michelin PP/PR combo I was running :icon_surprised:

I went with the 005's as they were more of a ST compound than the 003's and the 003's had fuck all grooves and as I ride in all weather that had me concerned about drainage and grip and also the roads I ride on are quite coarse chip and bumpy and wanted decent life out of them :icon_think:

The rear was bald by ~7000km's and the front lasted ~13000km's, the turn in was slower although more progressive than the PP/PR combo, grip was OK when warm but not as good as the PR (and nowhere near the subsequent PR2) when cold but as they only saved me ~$70 AUD a set (everything seems to cost more in West Aus :icon_wall: ) over the Michi's and the Michi's lasted ~12k front and 10k rear they weren't really worth it :icon_nono: :icon_sad: Also they weren't as good in the wet as the Michi's either :icon_eh:

If I could get them as cheap as the guys over east I may have tried the 003's or 009's but have stuck to Michelin's, now on PPures front and back :icon_wink:

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Just rode up to the Eustis, FL area and rode in and around the Ocala National Forest. The Ravens were great. Absolutely no problems and I was going pretty good to stay up with my nephew on his 1,500+cc 'Busa. He even blew a high speed sweeper on his Pilots and did some offroading while I just railed around it.

I have nothing to report about the Ravens' wet grip or longevity. I suppose I can always slow down a bit in the rain if they suck. Somehow, I don't think they will.

I did notice the front tire wandered over the grating of a small bridge we crossed. Nothing horrible, but I knew it would behave that way since it has a sipe that runs right down the center of the tire.

Right now, I can't think of any reason why I wouldn't buy a second set.

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Just rode up to the Eustis, FL area and rode in and around the Ocala National Forest. The Ravens were great. Absolutely no problems and I was going pretty good to stay up with my nephew on his 1,500+cc 'Busa. He even blew a high speed sweeper on his Pilots and did some offroading while I just railed around it.

I have nothing to report about the Ravens' wet grip or longevity. I suppose I can always slow down a bit in the rain if they suck. Somehow, I don't think they will.

I did notice the front tire wandered over the grating of a small bridge we crossed. Nothing horrible, but I knew it would behave that way since it has a sipe that runs right down the center of the tire.

Right now, I can't think of any reason why I wouldn't buy a second set.

Before I bought mine, I researched them online. Every wet weather performance reviews said they were better than average.

The few times I have ridden mine in the wet, I have to agree.

I remember thinking a few months back that I can't believe that these tires are not spinning when I tried putting down some extra power or braking hard on the Hayabusa in the wet.

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  • 1 month later...

I have a lot more miles on the Ravens so I thought I'd give an update.

I love these tires. Haven't ridden them in the rain, yet, but they're the bees knees on dry pavement.

I don't ride stupid fast on the street but I get after it pretty good at times. No chicken strips on the front or back, but keep in mind these have a flatter profile than, for example, M3's and Diablos. Haven't had a slip, yet, and I'm still amazed at how nice these tires allow the bike to turn in.

Today, I noticed that some of the rubber flash between the sipes in the center of the tire is still intact and sticking out past the tire. lol. That's durability for you. Can't figure out how a tire can stick so good and still last so long.

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So , what is your mileage so far ?

Close to 2,000. The roads here are extremely hard on tires. The M3's would be showing significant center wear by now.

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I have Ravens on my Busa, and recently put Ravens on my 'bird and I'm so sold that I'm finishing out my trio by putting Ravens on my VFR800, just got the delivery confirmation ThumbsUp.gif

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