My last Avon cost $260, but only lasted 4K miles. Replaced it with a Shinko that looks nearly the same. It was only $200, but I don't have that many miles yet.
I have heard lots of people badmouth Shinkos though. A metric shop mounted my last set of tires and said they wouldn't mount Shinkos........on my second visit after they had mounted it last time. A riding buddy also said he had one blow out on the road once, so he won't run them any more.
I'll wait to see how the Shinko wears, but AmericanMotoTire.com still has Avons for $259, so I'll likely try Avon again if the Shinko lasts less than 8K.