Shinko 777 Motorcycle Tire Review
Most of the time, stories at Ultimate Motorcycling are carefully planned and thought out—other times, we fall into them. In this case, it’s the latter.
I noticed a well-used Honda Shadow Aero 750 in the neighborhood a few times, and that it had a pair of badly cracking aged Dunlop tires. Seeing the unsafe situation, I asked around and discovered that a friend of a neighbor owned it.
Eventually, I met up with the owner and pointed out the situation. He acknowledged the problem, but explained that finances were preventing replacements. My mind immediately started revving, and told me that he would be a perfect test rider for something we infrequently test—budget tires.
I got him a set of cruiser-friendly Shinko 777 tires with instructions to tell me if he could notice a difference, and if the wallet-friendly rubber met his standards as a daily commuter.
In case you are not familiar with the Shinko name, the company has been around for 70 years and is based in Osaka, Japan. The tires are made in South Korea, using motorcycle tire technology and molds purchased from Yokohama. In addition to cruiser tires, Shinko also makes tires for all genres of motorcycles, including scooters.
A few months and a couple thousand miles later, the verdict was in—he loves them.
Reporting back, his favorite aspect of the Shinko 777 tires is the ride. He says that the Honda Shadow Aero rides more smoothly than before—no shock considered the old tires were rock hard—and it made the motorcycle feel new.
While he didn’t feel any difference in acceleration, braking was stronger and more secure. Again, supple rubber is crucial to effective braking, and the Shinko 777 tires gave him feedback that he found impressive.
Additionally, freeway performance improved, as the Shinko 777s didn’t wander on the rain grooves. As he rides to work rather than for pleasure, he didn’t do any canyon or touring testing. However, he said he felt much better cornering on the 777s than on the old tires. Suffice to say, our Honda Shadow Aero 750 owner was extremely happy with the Shinko 777 tires.
Certainly, the Shinko 777 tires are basic. They are only H rated for speed (130 mph, which the Aero will never see), and the Aramid-belted tires are four-ply design. The load index is well within the weight of the Aero with two riders aboard. There is also an H.D. version of the 777 that can handle big-inch touring bikes, as well as whitewall 777s.
The Shinko 777 tires have two primary appeals—price and longevity. Although the MSRP for the 120/90 x 17 front is $122 and the 160/80 x 15 rear is $139, shopping around can drop those prices by about one-third—so a pair of 777s for a Honda Shadow Aero can be had for less than $175. Initial inspections of the rubber shows very little wear, so we expect these tires to last a long time in this application.
The moral to the story is that if you’re going to ride a motorcycle, safe tires are a must. If you have modest tire requirements, along with modest means, less expensive tires such as the Shinko 777s are perfectly capable of upgrading a ride and increasing personal safety.
Story from August issue of Ultimate Motorcycling magazine; subscribe through our free app.
Shinko 777 Tires Fast Facts
- Sizes: Wide range for metric and American cruisers
- Colors: Black; Whitewall
- Prices: Front from $70; rear from $120 MSRP
