Shinko 244: best budget tyre for 50/50 dirt and road use?︱Cross Training Enduro

http://tractionerag.ca From our adventure channel, this review might be handy if you are chasing a 50/50 knobby tyre because you ride a lot of road on the way to the trails. The Shinko 244, is it the best dual sport tyre in the budget range? A relative newcomer to the motorcycle tire industry, Shinko tires utilize innovative Japanese engineering and design with extensive testing and R&D at their multiple US warehouses. Made in Korea. Shinko motorcycle tyres are available no matter what your riding style, offering a variety of standout products. A few of my riding buddies are getting into adventure riding, I'm advising them to get the Shinko 244 tyres and I'll eventually post a long-term review based on their experiences. If any of you guys use them, let me know what you think the comments. The Shinko 244 series has been around for a long time, the Australian distributor is not exactly sure how long. He said he prefers the name 244 series but agrees that a lot of people (old school guys) still call it the Golden boy and it is marked on the tyre sidewall. Today Shinko Tires produces approximately 200,000 motorcycle tires per month. Shinko Motorcycle Tyres began as a company producing bicycle tires and tubes in Japan in 1946. Once I saw Pete's tyres, I realised I used to run these tyres on my XR400 twenty years ago. A few riders said they found the Shinko 244 tyres did start to chunk if run over 75mph on hot tarmac for extended periods. But obviously you should aim for a more road oriented tyre in that case. I never did on road riding in the wet, but while some riders reported the Shinkos were fine in the rain, one rider did comment that the grip was poor on wet roads. So what's with the Goldenboy name? Apparently this was the original name, but it's now called the Shinko 244... I suspect because Goldenboy sounds like something a Chinese marketing department would come up with. I have heard riders say they were trying to copy Goldentyre's name, but this tyre has been around long before the European Goldentyre brand. Mind you, there are problems reported too. A few guys reported a lot of tyre noise when road riding. However, others say this disappears once you pump them up to the recommended maximum for road use... 29 psi. In 1998, the Shinko Group acquired the motorcycle tyre technology from Yokohama and began production of Shinko motorcycle tyres. Our group did a mix of dirt riding but also chasing road bikes around twisties in our local mountain ranges, and knobbies slid around too much and wore out fast on the road. Incredibly cheap, long lasting, and they performed well on and off road. Our group was definitely impressed with the 244 as a true 50/50 dual sport tyre. Regular viewers will know I don't normally review tyres much as it's such an individual opinion about what makes a good tyre. So here are some other opinions I found on the forums. I always thought Shinko was a Chinese brand, but it isn't. Shinko is a Korean company making tyres since 1946. And in 1998 they bought the rights to Yokohama motorbike tyres, so these are actually Japanese designed tyres now made in Korea. A riding buddy of mine has used them for years. I have had a few rides on Pete's 690 in the dirt, and the traction is surprisingly good. On many tracks the grip is almost the same as a fully knobby, although you can tell the difference once you hit soft sand or mud. They still do a decent job as a 50/50 dual sport tyre, but not quite the same as a proper knobby. The Shinko 244 consistently gets good reviews, so I don't know if it's the best 50/50 tyre in the budget range, but it would have to be up there. Cross Training Youtube channel:    / @crosstrainingenduro   Cross Training Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/cross.traini... Our enduro vlog series:    • All our enduro rides!︱Cross Training Enduro   Cross Training website: Like to support our vids? /cross-training-support-donations.htm Traction eRag: http://tractionerag.ca Let us know if we used your music but forgot to credit you. Many thanks to the following artists for their copyright free music in various vids: Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Music: https://audionautix.com/ Music by Tobu: https://tobu.io Music: https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free... Music: https://soundimage.org #crosstrainingenduro #enduro #tractionerag #dirtbike Music by Atch: SoundCloud: https://bit.ly/AtchSoundCloud Spotify: https://bit.ly/AtchSpotify Instagram: www.instagram.com/atchmusic