Video: How Shinko motorcycle tires are made

Shinko isn’t known for developing the latest and greatest in tire tech, taking more of a tried-and-true approach with a wide range of affordable options for all kinds of motorcycles. That doesn't make this factory tour any less interesting. Shinko got into motorcycle tires in 1998 when it purchased Yokohama’s motorcycle tire tech and molds. Today, the brand continues to build on the foundations of that deal from its factory in South Korea. Annual production is approximately 2.4 million tires.

I’ll let the video tell the rest of the story here. There are more manual steps in the process than I expected, although there are plenty of specialized machines in the process to check out, including the rubber block guillotine, the layering drum, and the final mold, if you’ll excuse my non-technical names for these devices. The crackling and popping of the rubber sheets alone is pretty satisfying. I can smell this place through my screen...