Personally guys an gals, I have been riding for 60 yrs and over that time have had all sorts of bikes. I think the most progress over those years has certainly been tyre technology, and having tried all manufacturers for sports bikes to super nakeds so the best all round tyre for Road use imo is the Metzeler Roadtech SE 1. I haven’t tried the 2’s yet. They are great in the dry or wet with reasonable tread life? Regards Lou
Hey, I just fitted Michelin road 5 on my 748. Had 22 yr old Pirelli Diablo on! Bike been parked in an office since 2008. Massive difference. After 100 miles I have to say these road 5s are brilliant. I’ve always been a Michelin fan on my cars and thought I’d give these a go.
To add to this, I chose Michelin Road 6s to go on my Monster 1200S. I had Road 5s on another L twin and they had great grip on start up even on damp, greasy London roads. The 6s are great all round tyres, the Monster is used for days out touring with the odd blat and an occasional track day at Brands and I have taken them to the edge of the tyre without a moment. I'm very happy with them as a tyre and they are leaps and bounds better for everyday use than the Pirellis it came with. They have over a thousand miles on them at this point with no discernible wear. My other bike is a Street Triple 675R and I put Michelin Power 5s on that as I believed the fitter's hype about them being "sportier", they take longer to get to temperature and grip, and feel schetchier in the wet; less confidence inspiring in general. Picture for illustration
On my Sunday best bike I have a Road 5 on the rear and a Cup on the front. Grippier for the front and longevity for the rear.
I have only done about 60 miles on the Roadtechs on the MTS I recently bought but can’t believe how good they feel. The main run was on greasy, and at times muddy, roads on a showery day following significant rain. The stability and feedback from the tyres has blown me away to be honest. One tiny wiggle on a white line was the thing I noticed. Twenty years ago riding a bike like that in those conditions would have been a proper arse clenching experience. They seemed to warm up in no time at all and gripped well from the off. I think these have a couple of thousand miles left in them so will see if the 02s are an improvement, otherwise it will be another pair of the same when they need replacing.
Question for you Michelin Road 6 users : Does your bike stay in a straight line if you take your hands off the bars ? (disclaimer - this is not a suggestion that you take your hands of the bars while riding ) Roadsmart IV arrived today
