KZ400 Tire Recommendations? and Shinko 712 2K Mile Review

Hey folks! I checked the forums and didn't quite find what I was looking for, so here goes:
A while back I swapped the dry- rotted tires that came with my '78 KZ400B (they're gone now and I don't actually remember what they were off the top of my head) for Shinko 712s. It was the first tire change I've ever done, so I had some friends help and we got both tires + tubes replaced (after a few problems with slow leaks and pinched tubes). 

Long story short, I'm not the biggest fans of the 712s. Rain performance is not good compared to the old tires, even as worn as they were, and there are a lot of rough/ gravel surfaces where I tend to ride that the new tires feel super squirrely on. They're great in turns and high speeds, I've gotten really comfortable learning them over, and as long as the road is perfect they're fine tires, but it's too often I have to second guess myself on tight or poorly maintained country roads. Granted, I've only been riding for a year and some change now, so maybe it's an issue of rider skill, but I tended not to have these problems with the old tires. I used to ride gravel on those tires... I felt pretty confident in my ability to get around on a variety of surface conditions.

I'm wondering who all has tire recommendations from their own experience? I'd love to split the difference between the super round profile of the Shinkos and the super blocky profile of the old tires. I'm looking at Michelin Road Classics but have had some trouble finding thorough reviews as of late. The original reason I chose the 712s was mainly budget, but thankfully this time around I don't have that restriction as much. 

Update for anyone who was following lol... due to a combination of a wet morning, an oil slick I didn't catch until it was too late, my braking habits, and the god awful wet performance of the Shinkos, I low-sided the bike Monday morning. Lessons have been learned and we're currently nursing her back to health and equipping her with Bridgestone Battleax BT-46's. I'll update when I get them spooned on and let you all know if they're any good!

Well glad your back on here to share the tale, sorry you laid her down.
 

Oh yeah here's pics! Can't believe I didn't upload these--



Here's what it looks like now! I fixed most of the cosmetic stuff (excluding the stator cover, I've got a new one that I need to clean up before I get it back on there). New progressive shocks! I've been working on tuning and adjusting lately, went back through the carbs and replaced the cheap boots with nice ones, got the mix screw dialed in, and we'll be working through valve lash and points this weekend. It's got an oil leak or two but nothing egregious. 

Most importantly to this sub- forum, the new Bridgestones have been great! They're a ways softer than the Shinkos and they feel pretty good all around. I went 110/90 in the rear and 90/90 in the front. Having a nice pair of shoes on her has really helped my riding confidence and my commutes have felt way better in the past couple of weeks. It's like they say, you just got to get back on the bike! There's also a new Tusk quick- adjust short lever that I have really enjoyed, it's super solid feeling and easy to pull, and the adjust mechanism is super nice. It looks great paired with the Nissin MC. 

   

(That's at the new Tron movie where I spotted a friend's Ninja!)

It's got an oil leak or two but nothing egregious.

I should mention that the oil leaks were NOT crash related, and were present beforehand haha... just a general update on the current status of the bike on the whole.