SHINKO E804-805 tyre review

This entry is part 113 of 320 in the series Adventure Rider Issue #1

With a few good get-off-and-stay-offs on moist, hard-packed, red clay lately running my usual aggressive tyre set – the last one resulting in separated ribs and a busted foot – my first proper recovery ride seemed like a good chance to run with something a little less aggressive that would still grip well for most of our chosen routes on a 950km long-weekend camping ride with a few friends.

These Shinkos have a nice soft compound with loads of grip on tar. They ran quiet and the rounded profile allowed plenty of confidence flicking through the twisties west of Drake, NSW. I loved the combo on deco granite and hard gravel and felt confident to push hard with plenty of feel and predictability. On some soft, loose, sandy twin track near Gilgai they were awesome, with plenty of drive and steer from the rear while the front held a line pretty well. It wasn’t until dropping down off wild, freshly reformed sandy deco into a wet, red, clay track in Girard State Forest that the front let go and my old clay demons got the better of me. I backed right off and snuck through.

To be fair, it doesn’t look like a great wet-clay tyre, but for everything else they were great, and at roughly $90 a set less than my regular hoops I’m keen to see what the next few-thousand kilometres offer. I’m planning a western NSW run soon and I think they’ll be perfect for it.

More info at Shinkotyres.com.au

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