It was hot that morning in Moab, Utah. I had planned poorly and should have spooned on a set of fresh tires before we left. My current mismatched set were toasted from days of hot interstate, Vancouver island logging roads, twisties and the Bella Coola ball. This would be the first time I’ve had tires mounted by someone else in a long long time. Mad Bro Power Sports on the edge of Moab squeezed me in right away and got to work. They had a 90/90-21 E-804 front and a 150/70B18 E-805 rear to the tune of $550 USD installed and balanced in a little over an hour. (Huge thanks, find them here (https://www.facebook.com/MoabMadbro/ ) That’s an expensive travel lesson factoring the conversion rate to CAD. I won’t forget it.
Scrubbing in.
We set off around 3pm, the sun high in the sky with scorching 38 degree heat. We had a little less than 100km to the trailhead to scrub these in. Riding out of Moab there was little buzz or vibration through the bike, balance was-spot on, although turn in was a bit to get used to. The front end fell into corners almost too quick but would always find it’s groove, never losing traction or going so far to risk a low-side. These tires have a rather round profile to them for street-handling and the direct switch from the E-10 was a noticeable change and may have directly contributed the handling comparison. By the time we found the dirt I was quite confident in leaning them over and enjoying the road. Tires usually take a lot longer in Canada with our lower temperatures to scrub in, so keep that in mind if you’re from the great white north.
Hitting the Dirt.
Finally finding the connector we started onwards to Shaffers Trail… These are classed as a 50/50 tire. A budget minded ride in, ride out, no bells or whistles, get the job done and enjoy yourself while doing it. What did I expect? Looking at the blocky rear similar to the stock Pirelli Rally Str that came on the bike and a marginally more aggressive front mid way between that and a TKC80 I expected worse from them, the originally Pirelli’s never inspired confidence yet somehow a similar tire gave so much more. That unstable float on gravel roads? The constant loss of front end traction? Not once. Moab is made of rock, gravel and sand. We have never really ridden terrain like this (the closest comparison would be shale logging roads of BC) These climbed the hard terrain like a goat. Shelf after shelf I gained confidence in them. The front was surefooted, predictable and the rear grabbing lug after lug of oxidized red stone.
The Achilles Heel.
So far these are absolutely killing it, continuing to push until they push back. The Achilles heel, there’s always an Achilles heel. Just like life, tires are always a compromise. That blocky rear tire has almost zero lateral grip, no offset in the lugs, nowhere for the earth to eject and take one more bite. Once you’re broken free the rear spins and slides. Turning aggressively on loose ground it easily lets go. This makes for a wild ride trying to catch your friends on a gravel hairpin, traversing an off-camber section of trail or any skiff of mud. Now, its predictable, it will usually grip back up with a slip of the clutch, ease of the brake or weight transfer to the rear in nearly any situation with an exception of two things; sand and mud. On our second day we find there’s a sand trap on Chicken corners. We don’t really have a lot of sand in Canada. I don’t really know how to ride it aside from a few YouTube videos here and there (Thanks Brett Tkacs) So perhaps this is more of a personal struggle that gave me a, uh, dare I say it… Bias… In other words, I immediately ran out of skills and sunk the bike. Airing down to 20Psi out back, with help from Dan and his Father Eric we freed the T7. Under the 41 degree sun, channeling my inner YouTube Guru I summitted the most sand I’ve ever ridden and slogged onwards through my own personal Dakar.
Back to the Blacktop.
We’re off again, turning miles somewhere I had only dreamed of. The Shinko’s giving no real complaint not to be expected from a sub $350 set of rubbers, proven to pound out over 6000Kms with hardly any cupping up front and a modest amount of life left out back. Shortly after my first and only real off-road riding in the desert we were back to shredding miles on the blacktop. Their highway manners are better than expected and after all these miles there’s nary a wander or buzz. Careening dead straight down the Trans-Canada, hardly following any fissure in the road. Riding on cruise with no hands proved easy and stable to speeds illegal in north America. Connecting your favorite dirt roads is quick, easy work.
Worn down in the PNW.
Back on the coast now, with over 6000Km’s on the same set from Moab its a brisk 11 degree morning we set off on one of the last rides of the season. Highline road and return via Sea to Sky highway. There’s noticeable loss of traction on the loose, freshly graded road as the rear nears 30% tread, the front still holds true at around 70%. Running 1:2 front to rear would be an easy goal to set. The trait of a slide-happy rear end has really been exacerbated with the wear and for some that’s going to be a deal breaker. In my mind, it’s actually become part of the fun. Cheap kicks. Rally level slides at half the price? If you’re a rider at a leisurely pace this likely won’t arise as an issue, backing off the pace they settle down and plod along reliably and predictably. Along for the ride to get you going on a budget.
Two final photos, one of which showcasing the strength of these casings. What should have been a pinch flat blindly crushing a rock mid corner was taken with ease. A hit so loud it was heard through the Cardo; didn’t even slow us down. That’s bang for the buck. The latter photo is an upper limit. There was no more traction to be found as the trail began to revert back to a downhill stream. The Shinko’s needed a nap.
Final thoughts.
So $350Cad if you install them yourself, 6000Kms and a leftover $200 for fuel and slices of pie compared to it’s competition? Worth it to me. I’ve burnt two rears this year and I’ll gladly buy another set when it’s time. These won’t get you through a hard enduro but that’s not what you’re after on a budget 50/50 is it? These will get you out there, riding, enjoying everything and leave you some spare cash to go just a little further. An honest compromise. The tail-happy characteristic could be seen as a negative or positive attribute depending on who you are, where you ride and how powerful of a bike you’re running. Dan has around 3500Km’s on his 805 tire and has more wear than this 6000km (Expected, as he’s on a 120hp V-twin space shuttle, constantly torturing his driveline with Clutch-ups, leaving black stripes every time the front end finds the sky)
I try my best to maintain factory recommended Air pressures to give a relative baseline for tires. A Tenere 700 specifies 33psi Front, 36Psi Rear. If you’re really racking miles and travelling as we have been this is important to ensure your safety long term, tire and tube life alongside giving you a buffer when you’re offroad. Check them often.
