Just found this video while researching the shinko 244's, and I have to say..... I've watched a lot of videos of people riding, but your audio is second to NONE! Idk how you get it so clear and the volume levels of everything (voice to road and bike noise ratio) so perfect! After hearing your thoughts and experiences with these tires I feel reassured that ordering the 244s to mount on my ebike was the right choice for me! Thanks for rhe great video! 🍻
Seen very many tire reviews. Ur's is the first one explaining the capability rating (80/20, 60/40, 50/50) which relates to "capability" rather than "time spent" on terrains. And basically, you give a very "real" review. Thanks! I do a klr 650, so I will do my due diligence per my weight.
My KLX300 came with the Dunlop D605 which i thought was a good 50/50 tire, but when I wore the rear down I thought I’d try the Kenda K270. Pavement and trail traction is pretty close to the D605, but I have noticed it breaking traction a little easier when throttling it to lift the front tire on dirt roads. It was a little squirrelly on pavement and hard dirt roads the first 100 miles. Now it seems fine. I wouldn’t buy again for the simple fact they are very soft sidewalls. I’m afraid of tearing the sidewall in the rocky areas of Arizona. Plus the D605’s have a stiff enough sidewall that I road it flat for 20 miles and half of that was on blacktop. Only broke the bead on one side and that was going about 20 mph. So except for the extra few minutes it takes to change a stiff tire, I’m going to stay away from the soft sidewall tires. I should have stayed with the Dunlop, it’s even a few dollars cheaper.
I’ve had the kenda’ s on my klr 650 for 3 seasons 1 of which was a 10k + km dual sport tour fully loaded, (I brought way too much gear lol over 100lbs of gear easily) and I probably have 1 more long tour like that left in the rear, and maybe 2 more seasons of commuting. By far my favourite cheap tire for my klr.. probably won’t use anything else anymore
Great video, I prefer shinko’s over the kenda when I had my klr650. I never had the 244/270 style tires. I was using each brands 70/30 tire which is shinko 705 and kenda k761 and the Kenda’s were only half worn when the large lugs started to tear off. Almost looked like dry rot cracks but the tires where only a year old from the manufacture date on the side. Ever since then I stayed with shinko and ended up using a shinko 244 on my Suzuki dr200 and came to the same conclusion you did. Confident on the road and adequate in the dirt 👍 look forward to more of your content
Good information ! Construction nails, rapidly become DEstruction nails any time they are introduced to any tire. Not to disagree, or contradict, you have your sense of feel & I have mine & I have not tried the Shinks. K-270’s are my go to on all dual sports. I love em. They have been on my klx’s, KLR’s, KTM xcf450, CRF250 & now on my xt225. & I would love to try them on my Versys 650, but we have a little sizing issue preventing that from occurring. All my dual sports except the Versys are geared way down & barely go 60mph. I do not performance ride on tar. (Not really off road either) I’m an average rider who has ridden in above average places, deep woods, mountain & desert technical single track, with little grace I might add. Lots of forest roads. & I will do 50 to 100 miles of tar to get there. The front on the k270 is a 2 ply. 2 nice thick plies. I air down a lot. I get 3000 miles out of the back & about 6 out of the fronts. I have friends who fret about an inch of suspension travel, ounces of clutch pull & seek every inch of performance edge they can find, I’m not that fussy. I’m an average rider on average bikes & I’m happy. Happy-est when my ponys are shod with K270’s, but I will surely try the Shinks next, just to see what I think. I have tried many tires in my 48 years of riding, I always go back to k270’s & get gobs of teasing about it too. I watch the sales & usually get a pair around 90 bucks. & we all like, what we like 👍
I have kenda K270 front and back on my 350 excf. I love these tires. They are good at almost everything. Exactly what they were made to be. I have 2 sets of wheels so when it's sand or mucky mud. I use IRC M5B
Thanks for your input on both brands of tires. I just picked up a 2014 KLX 250 that came with D605 but they've come to their end of life & I've been researching different types so your vid sure helps.
Great Video. I am running K270's on my recently restored 1974 Honda XL 250. I have so much more confidence on the sandy trail. The bike is lower and has some weight also. Beefy. On the road I do feel the side knobs a little squirmy. I also have a 2012 Yamaha XT250 with Trail wings that need to be replaced. So, I am going with Kenda in the front and Shinko in the rear. Great review.
Thought I'd do a follow up on the rear Kenda Equilibrium.. It is way oversized for my XT250 but somehow it's working great. Much improved mud and general traction in all parts of dirt riding. I don't ride fast on the street so I can't really comment on that. It was fine at 50 or a tad better if that helps. The biggest improvement is the ability to air it down 10 to 12 lbs and notice a big difference in the suspension. The rear is now far superior than before and has seen about as rough terrain as I could imagine a tire being subjected to. Contemplating a fatty front considering the huge improvement in the rear with an oversized tire. Hope this helps someone..
I've got an XT250 and I'm running Michelin AC10's front and rear (90 dirt/10 pavement). They are basically just street legal knobbies. I've put 3000km on them now (about half street, half offroad) and here's what I think: 1. For being a knobby tire they are surprisingly not that bad on the street. Main thing however, they have much less stopping grip and can lock up or slide much easier when braking. The rear tire would drag a bit when downshifting which it did not do with the stock trailwings. Now that the tires have broken in, they're grip on pavement has improved but it's still not that great. 2. They corner pretty well. Not as well as the stock trailwings did on pavement, but I'm not scared of taking corners somewhat hard. The side knobs are very strong and do not flex. However, they are still knobbies so I take it easy on the street. 3. They are very loud on pavement. Actually when they were new, they were very quiet, but after breaking in a bit it actually hurts my ears around 70-80km/h lol. Earplugs are a must for long rides anyway so not a big deal. Around 100km/h they are actually more stable than the stock trailwings were. A slight wobble, but it doesn't bother me very much. I never balanced the wheels so it can probably be fixed. Fun fact, the AC10's are rated to go 170km/h for some reason. 4. Fantastic performance offroad of course. Excellent in mud (from what I've tried. I rarely ride in mud). Most of the offroad I do is loose gravel/rock and I am very happy with them. They dig into the loose gravel when turning and hold on quite well. Massive improvement over the stock trailwings offroad, especially when climbing up steep rocky hills. 5. Rear tire is starting to get somewhat worn out. 3000km so far and it's a bit noticeable, although still not bad. I expect to get another 1000km out of it before getting another rear tire. Keep in mind I do a LOT of street riding with these, but they are on a very light bike and I only weigh 115 pounds. I don't think they would last as long on a bigger bike. Front tire is still doing good, not quite as sharp as it was when new, but still going strong. Originally, I was going to go for the Shinko 244s since I do a lot of street riding (commuting to school before covid, and it is my daily driver), plus riding pretty far to get to trails. But I decided to go with these since I wanted my bike to be prepared for the worst situations offroad, and so far I don't regret my choice! Last thing to add, the AC10s are more expensive and don't last nearly as long as the 244 or k270 so they aren't exactly cost effective.
Ham_ this is a GREAT review! Thanks so much for sharing this info, I'm sure it will be helpful to others. Because I was looking for a 50/50 tire the Michelin AC10's weren't even on my radar before. It sounds like you've gotten just what you were hoping for in the AC10's, a really good off-road tire with some acceptable compromises for the dirt. Sometimes I wish I had two XTs so that one could be outfitted a bit more for the road and the other a bit more for off-road. I really need to add an XT250 to the garage...
@@jimmytmoto no problem! Hope it helps someone out :) And I really love the xt250. I've never ridden an xt225 before, but I'm sure you'd miss the 6th gear after cruising down a highway haha. That being said it's still an excellent bike. Hoping whatever Yamaha replaces it with has a 6 speed again. Love these small and simple air cooled bikes!
What a bloody fantastic review. How do you keep the words flowing and informative and all points so well laid out...while RIDING? That's a feat in and of itself. My ~115lb 5'4" friend, who only started riding a year ago, is looking to upgrade her CRF230L tires so she can more easily handle the single track and sand in the Ganaraska Forest (in Ontario), and keep up with me on my 2003 CRF230F and its stock tires (I'm beginner/intermediate). Her main issue is front-wheel washout; 2nd issue is rear grip in sand/dirt. She'll be doing road/city rides a few times during the week, but NEVER in wet, nor on highway. My initial thoughts for her CRF230L is Kenda K270 on rear, and ummmm, maybe on the front as well. Or perhaps a Shinko 244...
Hey Em Jo, I really appreciate the kind words! I don't know if your friend has gotten the new tires yet or not, but my updated advice is that I love the Kenda K270 on the rear but AVOID it on the front. The Shinko 244 front tire is wider, has a higher ply rating, and doesn't create any surprises. So for me it's the K270 rear and 244 front. But...I can't give much report on how they do in the sand. Mud and sand is where a true knobby really shines. Regardless, the aforementioned tires will definitely be better than her stock tires. Let me know how it works out!
Had a K270 on my KLX. Took it off 200 miles later. Dangerous feeling. I wanted to love it cuz those knobs were huge and deep, but thats what u feel moving around underneath u at highway speeds. Nope!!! There is a even a clause on their site saying do not put on heavy dual sports
Jimmy That was me that passed you (1643 on video) on NE Prong Rd near Manville. As a subscriber to your channel I was wondering if that was you. I live in Central Indiana now but lived near Bee Camp Rd in the mid 1950's. Come down several times a year just to ride the back roads. Had a 2005 XT 225 sold it for the URAL sidecar experience for a few years. Missed the XT 225 . Purchased a Honda CRF 250L put about 4000 miles on it before going to the XT 25O which I greatly prefer. Thanks for your enjoyable and informative videos. I have been debating the Shinko 244 vs Kenda K270 tire selection. Gary
Hey, Gary, it's great to hear from you and...what are the odds we'd both be on NE Prong Rd on a random weekday??? If I'd seen you sooner I'd probably have waved you down to talk. I typically hit some gravel around Rising Sun and then work my way down toward Madison before heading up Bee Camp Road. It's good to hear you've found your bike in the XT250. Maybe we'll pass again. Thanks for the shout!
Great video, in regards to the knobs coming off , my guess is that the tire could be old and brittle, and possibly it happened in cold weather also, just my 2 cents worth of info 👍
The wobble is real. Kenda K270s front rear that's what I have. Happens at higher speeds around 40 to 80 mph but it happens when they're new.... I think. I've probably put down like a thousand or more miles on them at this point and I haven't felt it in a while. And I'm talking about just riding upright and not leaning into corners and I haven't actually felt the wobble whilst leaning into Corners maybe I haven't leaned in far enough but I feel like I'm leaning a lot like around 60 - 65° angle. I love how tall these tires are give me a solid half inch over competitors giving my ride height more ground clearance seems to perform well on Highway and on the dirt and don't lose traction as much as I thought I would. Answer that and I have a medium sized dirt bike trail bike kind of thing you know the XR250L 291 pounds wet leaning into corners I've gotten pretty comfortable doing it side knobs are pretty durable no chunking at all.
I love your impressions, I wished you had sand where you lived because in the area I like to ride, sand is everywhere and I would love your perspective on how they do on sand. Personally, I haven't found an adventure tire that can do both street and sand well. I am opting for more sand-oriented tires for this summer and will sacrifice my streetworthiness. If you find ones that work in sand please do a follow-up.
You do a great job on your videos and explanations. Very appreciated! Have you tried the IRC GP1? The Kenda was squirmy on my DR650 but kinda great on gravel. My 225 has MT21s. Only tire I tried besides the Kenda track masters that it came with. I find that the light smaller bikes are less picky about what's on there. Keep the 225 content coming please!
I am using kenda 2.75 21 and 4.10 18 on my 200 CC dirt bike..it has over 130kg of weight..not a light dirtbike..after about 10k km on and off road.. the front still has more than 70% and about 50% on the back so the durability is there..the problem i have like u said the tired are to skinny..not only for the look but it also struggle in muddy terrain espesially the front cause it has closer block pattern and not enough contact surface..in the asphalt i have only 1 complain on heavy rain..but i usually stop when rain start to drop😂
I appreciated the direct contrast. Sounds like i made the right choice for my dr650 with the shinko 244's. (I was looking at both, but just had to order something so i want stick on the death wings). Ps for street fun, you really out to try a little ninja 300 or r3. My dr is fun off road and technically slightly faster even on road, but it's not even close to at fun as my ninja as a daily rider/street use. That's a modded dr vs a stock 300. I'm considering modding the ninja vs saving for the 16k rpm 400 that just came out. Honestly, it makes more sense to mod the 300, but high rebound engines are just so much fun on the street.
Nice perspective. Just got an 82 XT200 that needs new tires. Was going to avoid the Kenda because of the cornering issues. Right now I can get the Dunlop 605 cheaper though and it looks pretty good to me.
605s are pretty good tire. Very smooth and very quite on the road. Ok off-road but will spin super easy in leaves and mud. It won’t bite and climb up and log across a trail if you get stuck on it. I put 2700 miles on my rear 605( mostly off road ) and the treads got a little bit left The 605 front tire is scary off-road
I have run the bigger 4.50/18 k270 rear on my wr250r it's ok like you say, it's a softer taller tire that tends to smooth out root, rocky terrain but when you get a nail you can't ride it with a flat, but it's a good inexpensive tire, my favorite hard core dual sport tires are shinko f546 fatty front and trackmaster rear but 2500mi under 60mph are all it's good for but you will not get any better traction off road period unless you use those sticky gummy tires
I do more road riding than I'd like to admit, but when I travel on gravel, I want the confidence that comes with the right tire. I wonder is the Shinko 244 right for me? I have a 2023 KLR 650S.
It's been over a year, the Equilibrium I got for the rear is nearing the end of it's useful life and next year I'll probably get another tire due to the wear of the soft rubber.. To be fair it really has been in the rockiest, nastiest terrain you could possibly imagine with no issues.. That same softness however, is a great asset when it comes to aggressive hill climbing and all around dirt/trail riding. The difference between the TW's in the mud is nothing short of astounding.. Downside ? Noisy on the road and an uncomfortable feeling at faster speeds.. In the dirt the uncomfortable feeling is reversed and it's good to go as fast as you want.. For folks that are over 50 percent road riders, it's not for them.. The TW's were better in that regard.. with no wobbling at all that some folks mention maxxed out at 75mph on the odometer though I suspect it was probably closer to 70 real speed.. I happened to buy a Kenda 270 3.25 x 21 and I agree even that one looks really thin compared to what I thought it would look like... So I may sell it and get a 90/90 x 21 instead.. At slightly over 50 percent tread left on the front TW I'm trying to wear it out a bit first.. 2800 miles so far and it looks good..
You should also consider IRC GP1 which are similar but in my experience provide better grip than the Kenda and Shinko. A little more expensive but worth the difference.
Good timing... I'll need a set come next year at the latest. I'm looking at the Kenda Equilibrium for the rear and a 90/100 as yet to be determined brand for the front on my XT250. The original Trail Wings have been... adequate in a word. Only real downer is the mud performance which is poor. In drier conditions is ok. There are many areas of tire performance that are important. For example sidewall strength, flex, weight, rubber compound and tire height which no one discusses. You did a good job touching on some of these in the allotted time slot. Talking about tires is like being at deer camp talking about which rifle and caliber is the best.. Good for hours of discussion.
All great points, NoBs. We're all searching for the perfect tire and it really does require compromise when it comes to a dual sport! The Equilibrium looks like a fantastic trail tire, keep us posted on how it works out if you go for it. I'm looking forward to wearing my current tires out so I can try something new next time. :)
I am experiencing these two sets of tires the opposite way. The Kenda’s I ran on my drz, I did not like the street manners on the rear tire. No complaints for dirt riding. I am hoping for the Shinko’s to behave a bit better on the street when leaning the bike over I’m the corners. The Kenda k270 rear I got 3600 miles out of. Plenty of life left in the front, but had some cupping of the center knobs.
If your DRZ is a 400 you cannot compare to any tyre on the XT225. The DRZ puts twice as much torque on the tyre under acceleration and becomes a completely different animal.
Great videos Jimmy! HAD TO subscribe, as you're my new "official" on anything XT related. I have a 2007 XT225 and your assessment of its strengths and weaknesses are spot on. I'm far more of a two stroke single track rider, but the XT has surprised me many times over in its ability to tackle terrain that most riders wouldn't dare take it. And it has been an EXCELLENT trainer for friends looking to make a beginning at the sport. Please, do tell: what handlebars and bark busters have you put on your machine? They seem to position your arms very well from what I've seen in the videos. Stock bars are one of my few criticisms of the machine from the factory. Thanks for all you've shared. Wishing you continued safety! If ever in NH, look me up. I'll show you all the best places! All the best.
On a Dr650 a rear K270 likes to walk in the turns on the pavement. Not a comfortable feeling. And knowing it does that can ruin a relaxing ride. So I made the 244 switch.
Have you ever tried dunlop d606? I know they are more expensive, I think I paid 80 dollars last rear I bought for my street legal xr400 iirc. I really like them both on and off road they wear like iron and still do good in my offroad conditions. not too noisy on road and are confidence inspiring in the corners. I'm not sure why they are biased so hard to dirt because I like them better than some more street biased tires. The only thing I didn't like was they sometimes wash out crossing wet slick rocks or creek crossings with big cobbles in the creek. Fortunately I live in the driest state in the country so I don't run into this often. If you had experience with these tires I would look forward to hearing what you thought about them. The only thing I wasn't impressed with was price but after sticker shock wore off I really like them. Sometimes I run a different rear (Sedona mx907xp or pirelli scorpion mx32 for hard trails mounted on its own rim for easy swaps) but always run d606 front.
Hey truckinmachine, thanks for the info. I've heard from other viewers what a great tire the Dunlop D606 is for both off- and on-road and I've been surprised to hear it does such a good job on the road. Looking at the knobs I figured it would be a handful on twisty roads! Comments like yours definitely have me leaning toward trying a more aggressive tire next time, though. Thanks, and thanks for watching!
Hey Jimmy loving your videos thanks. I’ve just bought myself an XT225 after 30 years of not having a bike so your videos have been brilliant in my decisions. I’m just wondering if you have any videos on motorbike clothing? Or what you wear when off roading or on the road and even best or most comfortable footwear/boots, waterproof gear. I’ve been given some clothing to get me going but just wondered if you wear different gear if you are out all day long in different weather conditions . Thanks again. Ian in the 🇬🇧
good video mate 😁i use D606 tyres on all my bikes and they are 90/10 dirt biast tyres 🤣👌 LOVE them , 50/50 tyres here are not good as we have mud all year round and crap 😖😉plus i like the grip off road 🤣🤣 keep well Sir and ride safe ish my friend 😎🍺
Great info Jimmy! What size Shinko 244's did you use? I'm having trouble finding the stock sizes and want to make sure I don't purchase anything that would cause any clearance issues. Thanks!
Great vid, spot on point, and glaring question answered re SR244 vs K270. Your next experiment : Shinko 700, 3.00-21 front and 4.60-18 rear. I've been riding them on my XT250 for a year now, and bought a second pair for my XT225, in case I take it for a long road trip sometime. Great 50/50 tire in my experience. Quiet on road, good 4 seasons, feel confident on cold wet paved roads in cornering. Go anywhere off road, got through up and over anything I pointed them at, including some real mud, rock bluffs, flowing rocky creek beds, raw BC forest, logs wet and dry, etc.. Run at 10 PSI rear for the gnarly stuff. What I can't speak to is the kind of faster-flowing track-style trail riding you do, including wet slick mud trails I have seen you ride, I have no equivalent here, and you have more experience, skill and drive to ride them faster than I usually would. The Shinko 700's replaced the stock Bridgestone Trail Wing tires that came on the XT250, which seemed OK at first, but by 50% wear became intolerable on road, very loud, and terrifying on wet cornering, they made me doubt myself, destroyed my confidence, something subtle and deadly wrong feeling. Good riddance. The 700's are fantastic. On my XT225, the stock Chin Shin's were about 50% worn when I bought the bike, and they were so bad I very promptly threw on Motoz Mountain Hybrid tires with TuBliss, front and rear, because I wanted to try some astonishing off-road traction. The rear is VERY loud on road, but they handle great, nothing sketchy like equivalent hard core knobbies might give you. Off road the Motoz have a particular magic: if you want more traction, slow down. No trail shredding pin-and-spin BS. They crawl and climb far more than the XT225 is capable of, and than I'm capable of. That's why my next project is a left hand rear brake plus clutch system, because I end up going up such steep and rocky stuff that I need both feet on the ground, and also need the rear brake to not slide back down the hills. I have a long list of places I'll be brave enough to ride when I get that working. Final concept to articulate: our light bikes often do just fine on 50/50 tires that get complaints on bigger bikes, especially with higher speed on paved roads. We hear about knob tearing, and hard cornering problems, and they all seem to happen to guys on the 650's. But our smaller bikes just don't have the power or the weight to find the limits of many of these tires. At that point, we aren't going to see a significant improvement going from a 244 or 700 to some street tire, the 50/50 tires are already enough to handle the sane limits of our bikes, unless we go riding crazy and dangerous. I don't think that applies as much on the dirt end of the spectrum, it is possible to find more extreme off road traction, that our bikes can actually make some real use of. Again, we can't fully make use of all that extreme traction as much as higher end enduro bikes can, but there is more possible gains than with going for extreme street tires. And of course that extreme traction comes with high costs for street performance, such as noise, tire life and handling, depending on the tires. The Motoz Mountain Hybrids at least handle well and have good life, compared to gummy, cheater or trials tires. But oh how they howl at speed, even on hard gravel roads that rear tire howls. No free lunch, that's why I bought a spare set of 700's.
Hey, exploder69, thanks again for sharing your insights, I always look forward to hearing them! You know, I've never, ever heard a kind word said about those Bridgestone Trail Wings (I guess people call them Death Wings for a reason). As for the Shinko 700s, I'm a big believer in Shinko and the 700 certainly has been on my radar. From what you've said and what I've heard, they'd be perfect for most of the riding I do and I'd love to see what they do on hard surfaces, especially. All of this talk really has me wishing there was a second dual sport in the garage so I could play with more stuff...I think you have it figured out! As for your final point about our bikes being more forgiving on tires, I've really realized that with this XT. Too many reviews don't take into account the specific machine that tires, etc., have been used on. Thanks always for the comments and keep them coming!
@@jimmytmoto I'm glad if I can give back at all, I owe you for letting me know to get the XT225, and it's probably my perfect bike for life, it means a lot to me. The most important thing I can say about the Shinko 700's is they are pleasantly quiet. Yes I can hear them, but not loud AT ALL, I basically have to think about it. I bet the 705's would be amazingly quiet, but would suck off road by the standards you and I expect, a good commuting tire with occasional gravel roads and the easiest trails. I don't know how the 244's are for noise, but my guess that pointed me to the 700's was that the angled knob pattern slaps the road less than any "rows of square knobs" could ever hope to avoid doing. The 700's seem to be lasting well, looks like they'll go at least 5000km if I have to guess. I will also guess the off road traction is at least nearly on par with the 244's. But the on road traction really is great, they handle like street tires from my perspective, but better when you hit a bit of snow (we barely get any here on the coast of BC, but it happens, and having real tread helps). They are great 4 seasons, including salted wet roads at freezing, the compound doesn't get too hard for honest cold weather use.
I just obtained a 2006 XT225 with 3,300 miles on it. It's been sitting for a few years but runs & will be fine after some minor tuning & cleaning. It does not have the original tires but has some fairly aggressive & barely street legal semi-knobbies which are old & terrible on pavement. They will be replaced with probably the Shinko 240. What are your opinions about increasing the sizes by one step? The current ones look very narrow. I'd like to get a little more traction off pavement especially in mud. I don't do hard core single track (too old for that) but ride gravel, dirt, some mud such as the NABDR & some Wayne NF. Thoughts?
Hi Jimmy! What tire pressure are you running up front? I put a set of Kenda k760 on my XT250 made a huge difference off road. On road I had the same Issue with the front wobble at 60mph I dropped the tire pressure to 15psi and it solved the problem. I've gotten around 1000 miles on the set and have been very impressed.
Thanks, northwisconsin, this is great to hear. I've been running 20psi up front but will try lower pressures to see if that helps. And I'd love to give the K760s a go but figured they'd be pretty sketchy on road...sounds like they're treating you well, though. Keep me posted on how they wear for you!
Hey, Alabama DS, thanks for commenting. I just subbed to your channel and look forward to exploring it - you have a ton of great content! That's amazing mileage out of the 244s, I look forward to following along and seeing how the 705s work out.
Would it be weird to run a k270 on the rear and shinko 244 on front? I want to keep my off-road capability but also ride at 70mph constantly on pavement
Hi Pipe Down, no, I never have. I understand the Bridgestone Trail Wings have come stock on a number of motorcycles and are often reviewed negatively. I'd be interested to hear if you have any experience with them. Thanks!
im gonna be 100% real... after hitting everything including dirt and single track in dunlop d208 ZRs... is this crap a scam? cuz fr ive been out there even on a bald rear street tire on everything you were hitting in this video... i stay away from mud obviously. Ive got a set of 244s on order arriving in a couple days and it better be worth it gdi. i hope they let me push throught mud thats what i want out of it
Just found this video while researching the shinko 244's, and I have to say..... I've watched a lot of videos of people riding, but your audio is second to NONE! Idk how you get it so clear and the volume levels of everything (voice to road and bike noise ratio) so perfect!
After hearing your thoughts and experiences with these tires I feel reassured that ordering the 244s to mount on my ebike was the right choice for me! Thanks for rhe great video! 🍻
Seen very many tire reviews. Ur's is the first one explaining the capability rating (80/20, 60/40, 50/50) which relates to "capability" rather than "time spent" on terrains. And basically, you give a very "real" review. Thanks! I do a klr 650, so I will do my due diligence per my weight.
Man, utterly GORGEOUS countryside you travel through! Love the scenery and there was a ton of useful information in this video, thanks, Jimmy!
My KLX300 came with the Dunlop D605 which i thought was a good 50/50 tire, but when I wore the rear down I thought I’d try the Kenda K270. Pavement and trail traction is pretty close to the D605, but I have noticed it breaking traction a little easier when throttling it to lift the front tire on dirt roads. It was a little squirrelly on pavement and hard dirt roads the first 100 miles. Now it seems fine. I wouldn’t buy again for the simple fact they are very soft sidewalls. I’m afraid of tearing the sidewall in the rocky areas of Arizona. Plus the D605’s have a stiff enough sidewall that I road it flat for 20 miles and half of that was on blacktop. Only broke the bead on one side and that was going about 20 mph. So except for the extra few minutes it takes to change a stiff tire, I’m going to stay away from the soft sidewall tires. I should have stayed with the Dunlop, it’s even a few dollars cheaper.
I have run 244's on my DRZ and my DR for years, great 50/50 tires.
Great video thank you, I have a 1980 Honda XL 250s, so I appreciate you mentioning vintage bikes. My front tire is hard to find, a 23 inch!
I’ve had the kenda’ s on my klr 650 for 3 seasons 1 of which was a 10k + km dual sport tour fully loaded, (I brought way too much gear lol over 100lbs of gear easily) and I probably have 1 more long tour like that left in the rear, and maybe 2 more seasons of commuting. By far my favourite cheap tire for my klr.. probably won’t use anything else anymore
Great video, I prefer shinko’s over the kenda when I had my klr650. I never had the 244/270 style tires. I was using each brands 70/30 tire which is shinko 705 and kenda k761 and the Kenda’s were only half worn when the large lugs started to tear off. Almost looked like dry rot cracks but the tires where only a year old from the manufacture date on the side. Ever since then I stayed with shinko and ended up using a shinko 244 on my Suzuki dr200 and came to the same conclusion you did. Confident on the road and adequate in the dirt 👍 look forward to more of your content
Good information !
Construction nails, rapidly become DEstruction nails any time they are introduced to any tire.
Not to disagree, or contradict, you have your sense of feel & I have mine & I have not tried the Shinks.
K-270’s are my go to on all dual sports. I love em.
They have been on my klx’s, KLR’s, KTM xcf450, CRF250 & now on my xt225. & I would love to try them on my Versys 650, but we have a little sizing issue preventing that from occurring.
All my dual sports except the Versys are geared way down & barely go 60mph.
I do not performance ride on tar. (Not really off road either)
I’m an average rider who has ridden in above average places, deep woods, mountain & desert technical single track, with little grace I might add. Lots of forest roads. & I will do 50 to 100 miles of tar to get there.
The front on the k270 is a 2 ply. 2 nice thick plies. I air down a lot. I get 3000 miles out of the back & about 6 out of the fronts.
I have friends who fret about an inch of suspension travel, ounces of clutch pull & seek every inch of performance edge they can find, I’m not that fussy.
I’m an average rider on average bikes & I’m happy.
Happy-est when my ponys are shod with K270’s, but I will surely try the Shinks next, just to see what I think.
I have tried many tires in my 48 years of riding, I always go back to k270’s & get gobs of teasing about it too.
I watch the sales & usually get a pair around 90 bucks.
& we all like, what we like 👍
I have kenda K270 front and back on my 350 excf. I love these tires. They are good at almost everything. Exactly what they were made to be. I have 2 sets of wheels so when it's sand or mucky mud. I use IRC M5B
Thanks for your input on both brands of tires. I just picked up a 2014 KLX 250 that came with D605 but they've come to their end of life & I've been researching different types so your vid sure helps.
Sounds like the 244 would be great on the kawasaki versys 300
Great content and editing. K270s on several 650s a 450 and 250. Most excellent on the way gravel is being put on forest trails as of late.
Great Video. I am running K270's on my recently restored 1974 Honda XL 250. I have so much more confidence on the sandy trail. The bike is lower and has some weight also. Beefy. On the road I do feel the side knobs a little squirmy. I also have a 2012 Yamaha XT250 with Trail wings that need to be replaced. So, I am going with Kenda in the front and Shinko in the rear. Great review.
Going with the 3.00 on the front. Bridgestone Ultra Heavy Duty Tubes on Both.
Thought I'd do a follow up on the rear Kenda Equilibrium.. It is way oversized for my XT250 but somehow it's working great. Much improved mud and general traction in all parts of dirt riding. I don't ride fast on the street so I can't really comment on that. It was fine at 50 or a tad better if that helps. The biggest improvement is the ability to air it down 10 to 12 lbs and notice a big difference in the suspension. The rear is now far superior than before and has seen about as rough terrain as I could imagine a tire being subjected to. Contemplating a fatty front considering the huge improvement in the rear with an oversized tire. Hope this helps someone..
An amzing review this is how i ride love taking the back roads to trails or finding cool offroad spots while ridding
Thanks for the honest comparison! My offloading is pretty bland at my age so I think I will order a set of 244s. Thanks for the timely video!
You're welcome, Mike, and I'm confident you'll be really happy with the 244s!
@@jimmytmoto I have the Shinko 4:60 0n the back of both of my 225's the 4:00 looks a little undersize to me.
Pirelli MT21's on the front.
I've got an XT250 and I'm running Michelin AC10's front and rear (90 dirt/10 pavement). They are basically just street legal knobbies. I've put 3000km on them now (about half street, half offroad) and here's what I think:
1. For being a knobby tire they are surprisingly not that bad on the street. Main thing however, they have much less stopping grip and can lock up or slide much easier when braking. The rear tire would drag a bit when downshifting which it did not do with the stock trailwings. Now that the tires have broken in, they're grip on pavement has improved but it's still not that great.
2. They corner pretty well. Not as well as the stock trailwings did on pavement, but I'm not scared of taking corners somewhat hard. The side knobs are very strong and do not flex. However, they are still knobbies so I take it easy on the street.
3. They are very loud on pavement. Actually when they were new, they were very quiet, but after breaking in a bit it actually hurts my ears around 70-80km/h lol. Earplugs are a must for long rides anyway so not a big deal. Around 100km/h they are actually more stable than the stock trailwings were. A slight wobble, but it doesn't bother me very much. I never balanced the wheels so it can probably be fixed. Fun fact, the AC10's are rated to go 170km/h for some reason.
4. Fantastic performance offroad of course. Excellent in mud (from what I've tried. I rarely ride in mud). Most of the offroad I do is loose gravel/rock and I am very happy with them. They dig into the loose gravel when turning and hold on quite well. Massive improvement over the stock trailwings offroad, especially when climbing up steep rocky hills.
5. Rear tire is starting to get somewhat worn out. 3000km so far and it's a bit noticeable, although still not bad. I expect to get another 1000km out of it before getting another rear tire. Keep in mind I do a LOT of street riding with these, but they are on a very light bike and I only weigh 115 pounds. I don't think they would last as long on a bigger bike. Front tire is still doing good, not quite as sharp as it was when new, but still going strong.
Originally, I was going to go for the Shinko 244s since I do a lot of street riding (commuting to school before covid, and it is my daily driver), plus riding pretty far to get to trails. But I decided to go with these since I wanted my bike to be prepared for the worst situations offroad, and so far I don't regret my choice! Last thing to add, the AC10s are more expensive and don't last nearly as long as the 244 or k270 so they aren't exactly cost effective.
Ham_ this is a GREAT review! Thanks so much for sharing this info, I'm sure it will be helpful to others. Because I was looking for a 50/50 tire the Michelin AC10's weren't even on my radar before. It sounds like you've gotten just what you were hoping for in the AC10's, a really good off-road tire with some acceptable compromises for the dirt. Sometimes I wish I had two XTs so that one could be outfitted a bit more for the road and the other a bit more for off-road. I really need to add an XT250 to the garage...
@@jimmytmoto no problem! Hope it helps someone out :)
And I really love the xt250. I've never ridden an xt225 before, but I'm sure you'd miss the 6th gear after cruising down a highway haha. That being said it's still an excellent bike. Hoping whatever Yamaha replaces it with has a 6 speed again. Love these small and simple air cooled bikes!
What a bloody fantastic review. How do you keep the words flowing and informative and all points so well laid out...while RIDING? That's a feat in and of itself.
My ~115lb 5'4" friend, who only started riding a year ago, is looking to upgrade her CRF230L tires so she can more easily handle the single track and sand in the Ganaraska Forest (in Ontario), and keep up with me on my 2003 CRF230F and its stock tires (I'm beginner/intermediate). Her main issue is front-wheel washout; 2nd issue is rear grip in sand/dirt.
She'll be doing road/city rides a few times during the week, but NEVER in wet, nor on highway.
My initial thoughts for her CRF230L is Kenda K270 on rear, and ummmm, maybe on the front as well. Or perhaps a Shinko 244...
Hey Em Jo, I really appreciate the kind words! I don't know if your friend has gotten the new tires yet or not, but my updated advice is that I love the Kenda K270 on the rear but AVOID it on the front. The Shinko 244 front tire is wider, has a higher ply rating, and doesn't create any surprises. So for me it's the K270 rear and 244 front. But...I can't give much report on how they do in the sand. Mud and sand is where a true knobby really shines. Regardless, the aforementioned tires will definitely be better than her stock tires. Let me know how it works out!
thanks for the review . I have a crf250l and am considering these two tires
Had a K270 on my KLX. Took it off 200 miles later. Dangerous feeling. I wanted to love it cuz those knobs were huge and deep, but thats what u feel moving around underneath u at highway speeds. Nope!!! There is a even a clause on their site saying do not put on heavy dual sports
Great review... I don't think you missed anything. Picked up some Shinko 244's for my wife's little SG250.
Jimmy
That was me that passed you (1643 on video) on NE Prong Rd near Manville. As a subscriber to your channel I was wondering if that was you. I live in Central Indiana now but lived near Bee Camp Rd in the mid 1950's. Come down several times a year just to ride the back roads. Had a 2005 XT 225 sold it for the URAL sidecar experience for a few years. Missed the XT 225 . Purchased a Honda CRF 250L put about 4000 miles on it before going to the XT 25O which I greatly prefer. Thanks for your enjoyable and informative videos. I have been debating the Shinko 244 vs Kenda K270 tire selection.
Gary
Hey, Gary, it's great to hear from you and...what are the odds we'd both be on NE Prong Rd on a random weekday??? If I'd seen you sooner I'd probably have waved you down to talk. I typically hit some gravel around Rising Sun and then work my way down toward Madison before heading up Bee Camp Road. It's good to hear you've found your bike in the XT250. Maybe we'll pass again. Thanks for the shout!
Great video, in regards to the knobs coming off , my guess is that the tire could be old and brittle, and possibly it happened in cold weather also, just my 2 cents worth of info 👍
The wobble is real.
Kenda K270s front rear that's what I have.
Happens at higher speeds around 40 to 80 mph but it happens when they're new.... I think.
I've probably put down like a thousand or more miles on them at this point and I haven't felt it in a while. And I'm talking about just riding upright and not leaning into corners and I haven't actually felt the wobble whilst leaning into Corners maybe I haven't leaned in far enough but I feel like I'm leaning a lot like around 60 - 65° angle.
I love how tall these tires are give me a solid half inch over competitors giving my ride height more ground clearance seems to perform well on Highway and on the dirt and don't lose traction as much as I thought I would.
Answer that and I have a medium sized dirt bike trail bike kind of thing you know the XR250L 291 pounds wet leaning into corners I've gotten pretty comfortable doing it side knobs are pretty durable no chunking at all.
I love your impressions, I wished you had sand where you lived because in the area I like to ride, sand is everywhere and I would love your perspective on how they do on sand. Personally, I haven't found an adventure tire that can do both street and sand well. I am opting for more sand-oriented tires for this summer and will sacrifice my streetworthiness. If you find ones that work in sand please do a follow-up.
Thanks Jimmy, very timely video for me. Looking forward to the next one!
You do a great job on your videos and explanations. Very appreciated! Have you tried the IRC GP1? The Kenda was squirmy on my DR650 but kinda great on gravel. My 225 has MT21s. Only tire I tried besides the Kenda track masters that it came with. I find that the light smaller bikes are less picky about what's on there. Keep the 225 content coming please!
Good question, apparently he doesn't do a good job of responding to his viewers as he hasn't responded in 2 years! 😄
excellent video and great ride views. Wondering on your gloves. good bad etc. thanks.
Great info Jim! Helped this new rider choose new tires! Thank you!
fantastic job. Super helpful.
Thank you. This is a very thorough and useful review!
Thanks again Jimmy. I miss the sound of my old girl. Great review. Team 225!!
I am using kenda 2.75 21 and 4.10 18 on my 200 CC dirt bike..it has over 130kg of weight..not a light dirtbike..after about 10k km on and off road.. the front still has more than 70% and about 50% on the back so the durability is there..the problem i have like u said the tired are to skinny..not only for the look but it also struggle in muddy terrain espesially the front cause it has closer block pattern and not enough contact surface..in the asphalt i have only 1 complain on heavy rain..but i usually stop when rain start to drop😂
I appreciated the direct contrast. Sounds like i made the right choice for my dr650 with the shinko 244's.
(I was looking at both, but just had to order something so i want stick on the death wings).
Ps for street fun, you really out to try a little ninja 300 or r3.
My dr is fun off road and technically slightly faster even on road, but it's not even close to at fun as my ninja as a daily rider/street use. That's a modded dr vs a stock 300.
I'm considering modding the ninja vs saving for the 16k rpm 400 that just came out. Honestly, it makes more sense to mod the 300, but high rebound engines are just so much fun on the street.
Nice perspective. Just got an 82 XT200 that needs new tires. Was going to avoid the Kenda because of the cornering issues. Right now I can get the Dunlop 605 cheaper though and it looks pretty good to me.
605s are pretty good tire. Very smooth and very quite on the road. Ok off-road but will spin super easy in leaves and mud. It won’t bite and climb up and log across a trail if you get stuck on it.
I put 2700 miles on my rear 605( mostly off road ) and the treads got a little bit left
The 605 front tire is scary off-road
Thinking of getting the 244 on my CRF150. Nice review!
yep, I found kenda's graphic confusing as well. About to mount 244's on my xr650l for an adventure ride in Missouri.
I just ordered mine for klx 300 4.6 17 front n 5.1 17 rear
Having just switched from motocross tires, I can say that K270s are much better on gravel.
My stock tire size on my ‘06 XT225 is
Front: 2.75-21 45P
Rear: 120/80-18 62P
Having trouble finding the same size for the Shinko 244.
I have run the bigger 4.50/18 k270 rear on my wr250r it's ok like you say, it's a softer taller tire that tends to smooth out root, rocky terrain but when you get a nail you can't ride it with a flat, but it's a good inexpensive tire, my favorite hard core dual sport tires are shinko f546 fatty front and trackmaster rear but 2500mi under 60mph are all it's good for but you will not get any better traction off road period unless you use those sticky gummy tires
I do more road riding than I'd like to admit, but when I travel on gravel, I want the confidence that comes with the right tire. I wonder is the Shinko 244 right for me? I have a 2023 KLR 650S.
It's been over a year, the Equilibrium I got for the rear is nearing the end of it's useful life and next year I'll probably get another tire due to the wear of the soft rubber.. To be fair it really has been in the rockiest, nastiest terrain you could possibly imagine with no issues.. That same softness however, is a great asset when it comes to aggressive hill climbing and all around dirt/trail riding. The difference between the TW's in the mud is nothing short of astounding.. Downside ? Noisy on the road and an uncomfortable feeling at faster speeds.. In the dirt the uncomfortable feeling is reversed and it's good to go as fast as you want.. For folks that are over 50 percent road riders, it's not for them.. The TW's were better in that regard.. with no wobbling at all that some folks mention maxxed out at 75mph on the odometer though I suspect it was probably closer to 70 real speed.. I happened to buy a Kenda 270 3.25 x 21 and I agree even that one looks really thin compared to what I thought it would look like... So I may sell it and get a 90/90 x 21 instead.. At slightly over 50 percent tread left on the front TW I'm trying to wear it out a bit first.. 2800 miles so far and it looks good..
You should also consider IRC GP1 which are similar but in my experience provide better grip than the Kenda and Shinko. A little more expensive but worth the difference.
Good timing... I'll need a set come next year at the latest. I'm looking at the Kenda Equilibrium for the rear and a 90/100 as yet to be determined brand for the front on my XT250. The original Trail Wings have been... adequate in a word. Only real downer is the mud performance which is poor. In drier conditions is ok. There are many areas of tire performance that are important. For example sidewall strength, flex, weight, rubber compound and tire height which no one discusses. You did a good job touching on some of these in the allotted time slot.
Talking about tires is like being at deer camp talking about which rifle and caliber is the best.. Good for hours of discussion.
All great points, NoBs. We're all searching for the perfect tire and it really does require compromise when it comes to a dual sport! The Equilibrium looks like a fantastic trail tire, keep us posted on how it works out if you go for it. I'm looking forward to wearing my current tires out so I can try something new next time. :)
I am experiencing these two sets of tires the opposite way. The Kenda’s I ran on my drz, I did not like the street manners on the rear tire. No complaints for dirt riding. I am hoping for the Shinko’s to behave a bit better on the street when leaning the bike over I’m the corners. The Kenda k270 rear I got 3600 miles out of. Plenty of life left in the front, but had some cupping of the center knobs.
If your DRZ is a 400 you cannot compare to any tyre on the XT225. The DRZ puts twice as much torque on the tyre under acceleration and becomes a completely different animal.
Great vid there, Have you tried the Dsport tusk?
Great videos Jimmy! HAD TO subscribe, as you're my new "official" on anything XT related. I have a 2007 XT225 and your assessment of its strengths and weaknesses are spot on. I'm far more of a two stroke single track rider, but the XT has surprised me many times over in its ability to tackle terrain that most riders wouldn't dare take it. And it has been an EXCELLENT trainer for friends looking to make a beginning at the sport.
Please, do tell: what handlebars and bark busters have you put on your machine? They seem to position your arms very well from what I've seen in the videos. Stock bars are one of my few criticisms of the machine from the factory.
Thanks for all you've shared. Wishing you continued safety!
If ever in NH, look me up. I'll show you all the best places!
All the best.
On a Dr650 a rear K270 likes to walk in the turns on the pavement. Not a comfortable feeling. And knowing it does that can ruin a relaxing ride. So I made the 244 switch.
I've recently seen mention of you using IRC Battle Rally TR8 tires. Any chance you will be doing a review?
Have you ever tried dunlop d606? I know they are more expensive, I think I paid 80 dollars last rear I bought for my street legal xr400 iirc. I really like them both on and off road they wear like iron and still do good in my offroad conditions. not too noisy on road and are confidence inspiring in the corners. I'm not sure why they are biased so hard to dirt because I like them better than some more street biased tires. The only thing I didn't like was they sometimes wash out crossing wet slick rocks or creek crossings with big cobbles in the creek. Fortunately I live in the driest state in the country so I don't run into this often. If you had experience with these tires I would look forward to hearing what you thought about them. The only thing I wasn't impressed with was price but after sticker shock wore off I really like them. Sometimes I run a different rear (Sedona mx907xp or pirelli scorpion mx32 for hard trails mounted on its own rim for easy swaps) but always run d606 front.
Hey truckinmachine, thanks for the info. I've heard from other viewers what a great tire the Dunlop D606 is for both off- and on-road and I've been surprised to hear it does such a good job on the road. Looking at the knobs I figured it would be a handful on twisty roads! Comments like yours definitely have me leaning toward trying a more aggressive tire next time, though. Thanks, and thanks for watching!
Hey Jimmy loving your videos thanks. I’ve just bought myself an XT225 after 30 years of not having a bike so your videos have been brilliant in my decisions. I’m just wondering if you have any videos on motorbike clothing? Or what you wear when off roading or on the road and even best or most comfortable footwear/boots, waterproof gear. I’ve been given some clothing to get me going but just wondered if you wear different gear if you are out all day long in different weather conditions . Thanks again. Ian in the 🇬🇧
good video mate 😁i use D606 tyres on all my bikes and they are 90/10 dirt biast tyres 🤣👌 LOVE them ,
50/50 tyres here are not good as we have mud all year round and crap 😖😉plus i like the grip off road 🤣🤣
keep well Sir and ride safe ish my friend 😎🍺
Same to you, my friend!
Great info Jimmy! What size Shinko 244's did you use? I'm having trouble finding the stock sizes and want to make sure I don't purchase anything that would cause any clearance issues. Thanks!
Great review. Thanks.
super super helpful, thanks for this!!!!
This was a great video got some good ideas, 👍 thanks
you mentioned Madison IN - were you riding the gravel map trails?
Great vid, spot on point, and glaring question answered re SR244 vs K270. Your next experiment : Shinko 700, 3.00-21 front and 4.60-18 rear. I've been riding them on my XT250 for a year now, and bought a second pair for my XT225, in case I take it for a long road trip sometime. Great 50/50 tire in my experience. Quiet on road, good 4 seasons, feel confident on cold wet paved roads in cornering. Go anywhere off road, got through up and over anything I pointed them at, including some real mud, rock bluffs, flowing rocky creek beds, raw BC forest, logs wet and dry, etc.. Run at 10 PSI rear for the gnarly stuff. What I can't speak to is the kind of faster-flowing track-style trail riding you do, including wet slick mud trails I have seen you ride, I have no equivalent here, and you have more experience, skill and drive to ride them faster than I usually would.
The Shinko 700's replaced the stock Bridgestone Trail Wing tires that came on the XT250, which seemed OK at first, but by 50% wear became intolerable on road, very loud, and terrifying on wet cornering, they made me doubt myself, destroyed my confidence, something subtle and deadly wrong feeling. Good riddance. The 700's are fantastic.
On my XT225, the stock Chin Shin's were about 50% worn when I bought the bike, and they were so bad I very promptly threw on Motoz Mountain Hybrid tires with TuBliss, front and rear, because I wanted to try some astonishing off-road traction. The rear is VERY loud on road, but they handle great, nothing sketchy like equivalent hard core knobbies might give you. Off road the Motoz have a particular magic: if you want more traction, slow down. No trail shredding pin-and-spin BS. They crawl and climb far more than the XT225 is capable of, and than I'm capable of. That's why my next project is a left hand rear brake plus clutch system, because I end up going up such steep and rocky stuff that I need both feet on the ground, and also need the rear brake to not slide back down the hills. I have a long list of places I'll be brave enough to ride when I get that working.
Final concept to articulate: our light bikes often do just fine on 50/50 tires that get complaints on bigger bikes, especially with higher speed on paved roads. We hear about knob tearing, and hard cornering problems, and they all seem to happen to guys on the 650's. But our smaller bikes just don't have the power or the weight to find the limits of many of these tires. At that point, we aren't going to see a significant improvement going from a 244 or 700 to some street tire, the 50/50 tires are already enough to handle the sane limits of our bikes, unless we go riding crazy and dangerous. I don't think that applies as much on the dirt end of the spectrum, it is possible to find more extreme off road traction, that our bikes can actually make some real use of. Again, we can't fully make use of all that extreme traction as much as higher end enduro bikes can, but there is more possible gains than with going for extreme street tires. And of course that extreme traction comes with high costs for street performance, such as noise, tire life and handling, depending on the tires. The Motoz Mountain Hybrids at least handle well and have good life, compared to gummy, cheater or trials tires. But oh how they howl at speed, even on hard gravel roads that rear tire howls. No free lunch, that's why I bought a spare set of 700's.
Hey, exploder69, thanks again for sharing your insights, I always look forward to hearing them! You know, I've never, ever heard a kind word said about those Bridgestone Trail Wings (I guess people call them Death Wings for a reason). As for the Shinko 700s, I'm a big believer in Shinko and the 700 certainly has been on my radar. From what you've said and what I've heard, they'd be perfect for most of the riding I do and I'd love to see what they do on hard surfaces, especially. All of this talk really has me wishing there was a second dual sport in the garage so I could play with more stuff...I think you have it figured out! As for your final point about our bikes being more forgiving on tires, I've really realized that with this XT. Too many reviews don't take into account the specific machine that tires, etc., have been used on. Thanks always for the comments and keep them coming!
@@jimmytmoto I'm glad if I can give back at all, I owe you for letting me know to get the XT225, and it's probably my perfect bike for life, it means a lot to me. The most important thing I can say about the Shinko 700's is they are pleasantly quiet. Yes I can hear them, but not loud AT ALL, I basically have to think about it. I bet the 705's would be amazingly quiet, but would suck off road by the standards you and I expect, a good commuting tire with occasional gravel roads and the easiest trails. I don't know how the 244's are for noise, but my guess that pointed me to the 700's was that the angled knob pattern slaps the road less than any "rows of square knobs" could ever hope to avoid doing. The 700's seem to be lasting well, looks like they'll go at least 5000km if I have to guess. I will also guess the off road traction is at least nearly on par with the 244's. But the on road traction really is great, they handle like street tires from my perspective, but better when you hit a bit of snow (we barely get any here on the coast of BC, but it happens, and having real tread helps). They are great 4 seasons, including salted wet roads at freezing, the compound doesn't get too hard for honest cold weather use.
Everyone ignores ride quality. How smooth do they ride; how do they absorb bumps?
I just obtained a 2006 XT225 with 3,300 miles on it. It's been sitting for a few years but runs & will be fine after some minor tuning & cleaning. It does not have the original tires but has some fairly aggressive & barely street legal semi-knobbies which are old & terrible on pavement. They will be replaced with probably the Shinko 240. What are your opinions about increasing the sizes by one step? The current ones look very narrow. I'd like to get a little more traction off pavement especially in mud. I don't do hard core single track (too old for that) but ride gravel, dirt, some mud such as the NABDR & some Wayne NF. Thoughts?
Do you have a update video that shows the wear and the mileage you got on the k270
Hi Jimmy! What tire pressure are you running up front? I put a set of Kenda k760 on my XT250 made a huge difference off road. On road I had the same Issue with the front wobble at 60mph I dropped the tire pressure to 15psi and it solved the problem. I've gotten around 1000 miles on the set and have been very impressed.
Thanks, northwisconsin, this is great to hear. I've been running 20psi up front but will try lower pressures to see if that helps. And I'd love to give the K760s a go but figured they'd be pretty sketchy on road...sounds like they're treating you well, though. Keep me posted on how they wear for you!
I've had 5 or 6 sets of 244s on my klr650 ,currently trying 705s.i usually get 5 to 6k on a rear 244 and 10 to 12k on the front 244
Hey, Alabama DS, thanks for commenting. I just subbed to your channel and look forward to exploring it - you have a ton of great content! That's amazing mileage out of the 244s, I look forward to following along and seeing how the 705s work out.
@@jimmytmoto thanks Jimmy T
Jimmy do you have any reviews on a tx 250 with disk breaks
I’m in the same area as you and looking for some places to ride, can you give me some ideas of some places to check out?
Do they make them for a Honda Super Cub?
Would it be weird to run a k270 on the rear and shinko 244 on front? I want to keep my off-road capability but also ride at 70mph constantly on pavement
No, it's your bike. Do what works for you, experimenting is fun.
Try shinko 705
Have you tried the Bridge Stone TRAIL WING TW301
Hi Pipe Down, no, I never have. I understand the Bridgestone Trail Wings have come stock on a number of motorcycles and are often reviewed negatively. I'd be interested to hear if you have any experience with them. Thanks!
@@jimmytmoto I know the rear tire size is 120/80-18. Do you know what is it in inches?
4.0/4.1-18 or 4.6-18?
anyone else watching these types of videos and don't even own a motorbike? or have a license? lol
Do you have an email or instagram page I can message you some questions about our 2004 Yamaha xt225. We’ve been having some power issues.
Hey, Brandon, you can find me on Instagram @ jimmytmoto. Thanks!
im gonna be 100% real... after hitting everything including dirt and single track in dunlop d208 ZRs... is this crap a scam? cuz fr ive been out there even on a bald rear street tire on everything you were hitting in this video... i stay away from mud obviously. Ive got a set of 244s on order arriving in a couple days and it better be worth it gdi. i hope they let me push throught mud thats what i want out of it
Klx masuk ga