Kenda tires?

I'm finally putting finishing touches on my 82 xj650 Maxim and about to register it and become a first time rider. I'm thinking of buying a pair of Kenda's for my bike because they're so inexpensive. I've heard that they're not too bad for the money but wanted to see if anyone wants to weigh in before I order. I am not going to ride a lot of miles - actually may only commute a couple of miles each way to work. But occasionally of course, I'll probably take a nice thirty or forty mile ride. Top speed will be slow freeway speeds of 60 to 70 at most.
The only thing that concerns me is traction. I'm sure they'll wear well, because cheaper tires generally do. But do they give much traction? I don't mind if they're not absolute road huggers like soft Michelins, but I don't want to buy them if they're an invitation to an early death either.
Any thoughts?

 

I'm running the Kenda Cruiser S/T on my Midnight and am pretty pleased with their performance. They were on the X when I bought it and I put them on the Midnight a month later. I replaced the back tire last summer due to a roofing nail stuck in it. It was soon due to be replaced anyway so no big deal. Anyway, I put another Cruiser S/T on because I was pleased with it and the bang for the buck is great!
I still have the same front tire tho and it's wearing nicely. I've easily put 12k miles on it on this bike...not sure how many miles the PO put on it. The only issue I have, is the front tire has a continuous center groove which makes it track cracks and grooves on the road.

As far as performance, I think they are a good all around tire. Wet performance is decent, as I've often ridden in the rain with no worries when going into a corner or coming to a stop. Grip is substantial on dry roads as well. On twisty secondary roads they hold nicely in corners and really stick coming hard on it out of the corner. I've also done several long trips blasting down the highway at 85+ and they feel pretty stable at higher sustained speeds.

Unfortunately tho, my opinion of the tire should be taken with a grain of salt because I don't have experience with any other tires so maybe I don't know what a good tire is like. All I can say is I like the way they perform for the way I ride. I think they're decent tires at a decent price.
And don't forget that new tires are a bit slippery until you get them broken in!! I went to a parking lot and did tight figure 8s and it seemed to help some.

 

In my shop probably half the tires I sell are Kenda. I've had two complaints: LTDave thought the Challengers I put on his XJ900 were slippery wet. The other was some sort of cruiser where the guy thought the Kruz were noisy.

I run the Kruz on my Venture and am very happy with them. Parts of the bike touch down before they slip, even wet. I also have a set of Kruz on my wife's 83 750 Virago, although she's a new rider and wouldn't know if they were any good or not.

I have a friend that had a set of Kruz on his 1600 RoadStar. He got about 12K miles before he had me put a new set of Kruz on it.

Last year Kenda introduced a new model: Retroactive. I haven't used any but they might be of interest if you're looking for a tread closer to what the stock was.

 

I just had a look at Kruz tires for my '83 Seca900 and I noticed that the tire size suitable for my rear wheel is classed in their "front tires".

My question is: is there any good reason for NOT putting a "front tire" on the rear wheel if it fits, if the thread is the same?

 

A dealer put a front tire on the back of my Maxim. Lasted 2900 miles. Front tires have a different rubber compound.

 

I ran the Kenda K761 on my scooter (165cc of screaming fury). They were a decent dualsport tire and were sticky enough for the street, and provded a very stable ride (70 MPH on a 12" wheel). They wore very well. I wouldn't hesitiate ot put the appropriate Kenda on a big bike.

 

Agreed. Backs can go on the front, but a front should always go on the front (unless it's all you can get while on a trip).

 

Makes sense, thank you guys!

 

657's are all i've had on the xj, they work just fine

 

Alright! Thanks everyone! Kendas it is.