When I tested Shinko E804/E805 adventure tires on my Triumph Tiger 800 XCx a few years ago, I was impressed with their performance, mileage and value. So when my 2017 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Ultra needed new buns, I decided to try a set of Shinko SR777 tires. Because cruisers are used for cruising as well as touring, they use a rubber compound and aramid belting that strike a balance between grip, comfort, mileage and load capacity. I?ve put about 5,000 miles on the SR777s in a variety of conditions, including rough back roads, concrete freeways, mountain byways and parking lots strewn with shopping carts and minivans. They?re holding up well and appear ready to handle another 5,000 miles.

Available with black or white walls, and in an H.D. (Heavy Duty) version with a reinforced carcass, SR777s have an attractive tread design that complements the classic styling on my Harley. The deep diagonal grooves not only look good, they help disperse water on wet roads. While cruising on mountain roads, the SR777s respond easily to inputs, with progressive lean-in and good stability all the way into and out of curves. Overall they feel neutral and planted, and tar patches and other pavement irregularities don?t cause them to deflect. Grip and braking performance are solid and on par with other tires I?ve run. On the freeway, however, the SR777s required some vigilance to hold a steady course, in part because they exhibited a sensitivity to the longitudinal grooves that are c...