more on tires

I just noticed that in addition to the Cheng Shin Marqui, they now offer a "HiMax".. (saw these on the Tires Unlimited website)

Looks like the tread design might be better in the rain than their Marqui

Has anyone had recent experience with these Hi Max tires? I have an '81 XJ650J.. Avons are worn out (were that way when I got the bike -and it won't pass NYS inspection). Hoping that the Chengs have done better in recent years, since I've read some older reviews that were not favorable.

Bridgestone Spitfites are $60 for a front, $68 for a rear I can't even find an Avon AM20 and the rear AM21is $105.. but the Chengs are $36 for a front and $42 for a rear.

So, if anyone has had a good experience with the Hi Max...

my riding is not very aggressive and at most 60 or so miles in a day.

Thanks!

 

Nope, not with the HiMax. My experience with their car and motorcycle tires is not favorable. Lousy tires, period. Save your money and get something better.

 

i put kenda tires on my last three bikes, two challenger, one cruiser
from tires unlimited and i can't seem to find anything wrong with them for normal riding

 

I put a 130-90-16 HI-Max on my Seca.
It didn't like the rain, but for just putting around town it was fine. I only had it on there for about 800 miles before the bike was totaled, so I can't really give a recommendation either for or against.

I CAN say that My friend got 4000 miles out of his on the back of a V65. That isn't bad mileage for a Magna with him in the saddle.

 

In my experience the Bridgestone Spitfires are worth the extra money. They are the best tire I've run on my Seca.

 

Seconded

 

The problem with the kenda challenger was that the shape of the tire isn't a great match for the bike. For standard having fun this isn't an issue, but if you plan on riding the bike a bit more like a sport bike then you will have some issues. Nothing major, but you do get what you paid for.

The shape of the tire has a very quick round off on the edges, as a result the contact patch is narrower than it needs to be on the outside edge (where you'd like the largest contact patch possible). It shows up as wide 'chicken strips' when the bike is maintaining a solid lean angle. Instead of using what could have been 6" of rubber to make up the contact patch in the range of motion, instead you use only 4.5".

When I switched to another tire I didn't change my lean angle, but suddenly I had a nice meaty contact patch and the bike really settled in nicely. It didn't fall in unstably as it had with the kenda, as the tires round off wasn't as quick and was more gradual.