Michelin Road 5 end of life review

[Blackbird]

In a radical move by actually making a post about motorcycles, I'm about to fit new tyres to my Duke 790. The existing Michelin Road 5's have lasted for a shade over 10,000 km and for anyone who is remotely interested, here's an end of life review: http://geoffjames.blogspot.com/2021/09/michelin-road-5-end-of-life-review.html . There are lots of excellent sport touring tyres on the market but there seems to be a marked difference between how long they last and how well they retain their profile.

As you were...... back to slagging off Jacinda and spreading Covid conspiracy theories :laugh: :msn-wink:

Cheers,

Geoff

[Hoonicorn]

I have noticed a lot of new street bikes are coming with Michelin Road Pilot 5s - Honda, Yamaha, Triumph (Trident) to name a few. Maybe manufacturers finally realised that a lot of their customers just swapped out the budget stock ones ASAP and they weren't really saving customer's any money by being cheap? (looking at you KTM)

The tire deformations are a little concerning though as most bikes don't have a lot of shock adjustment to counter that. With NZ weather being dampish (wet AF) the Metzler Roadtec 01s may be a good tire for our weather conditions as well.

[caspernz]

Slagging Jacinda off will continue apace now level 4 will last another week up in Aucks :mellow:

Quite odd to get a tyre review from you Geoff...even if the summation of your review is near identical to mine. The change from PR4 to Road 5 is quite a step towards the sporty end of the spectrum I reckon. Michelin have the balance between wear & grip in a zone where I'm happy enough to stay with them as well :niceone:

[Blackbird]

I have noticed a lot of new street bikes are coming with Michelin Road Pilot 5s - Honda, Yamaha, Triumph (Trident) to name a few. Maybe manufacturers finally realised that a lot of their customers just swapped out the budget stock ones ASAP and they weren't really saving customer's any money by being cheap? (looking at you KTM)

The tire deformations are a little concerning though as most bikes don't have a lot of shock adjustment to counter that. With NZ weather being dampish (wet AF) the Metzler Roadtec 01s may be a good tire for our weather conditions as well.


Thanks Hoonicorn. The Roadtec 01 was an excellent all round tyre. The only negative is that it didn't hold the front tyre profile on my bike particularly well but that's not really knocking it. It's worth mentioning that when I had the Blackbird, fitting a top of the line Penske shock and quality fork internals was a real winnner. Apart from vastly improved handling, rear tyre life increased by nearly 2000 km.



Slagging Jacinda off will continue apace now level 4 will last another week up in Aucks :mellow:

Quite odd to get a tyre review from you Geoff...even if the summation of your review is near identical to mine. The change from PR4 to Road 5 is quite a step towards the sporty end of the spectrum I reckon. Michelin have the balance between wear & grip in a zone where I'm happy enough to stay with them as well :niceone:

Thanks Rob, that's what happens when I have a couple of spare hours and I'm sick of gardening :msn-wink: . You're spot on with your comments and I'm surprised just how well the soft compound on the 5's stands up to a bit of abuse!

[Gremlin]

I have noticed a lot of new street bikes are coming with Michelin Road Pilot 5s - Honda, Yamaha, Triumph (Trident) to name a few. Maybe manufacturers finally realised that a lot of their customers just swapped out the budget stock ones ASAP and they weren't really saving customer's any money by being cheap? (looking at you KTM)
I'd mostly doubt it. Nothing else manufacturers do really scream "we're totally focused on you". OEM tyres are different to retail ones, often with less rubber (cheaper) and making sure they perform well for reviewers (hence often being stickier).

Tyre manufacturers submit tenders to produce thousands of tyres for the production run etc... cost is a major influence.

[SaferRides]

In a radical move by actually making a post about motorcycles, I'm about to fit new tyres to my Duke 790. The existing Michelin Road 5's have lasted for a shade over 10,000 km and for anyone who is remotely interested, here's an end of life review: http://geoffjames.blogspot.com/2021/09/michelin-road-5-end-of-life-review.html . There are lots of excellent sport touring tyres on the market but there seems to be a marked difference between how long they last and how well they retain their profile.

As you were...... back to slagging off Jacinda and spreading Covid conspiracy theories [emoji23] :msn-wink:

Cheers,

Geoff

Thanks Geoff, good to see both a new topic and one on motorbikes!

I have seen some Road 5 rears on powerful bikes such as the Blackbird and Tuono with very worn rear shoulders. But the owners were still very happy with them.

I am a recent convert to sport touring tyres after fitting a set of Pilot Road 4 to the R1 for a South Island trip last summer. To my surprise, they improved the handling, with the bike feeling more stable at high lean angles, but still responding quickly to steering inputs. There is less grip if you push them too far, with the centre compound on the rear a bit lacking when pushed hard.

They are great on wet roads, but the biggest improvement over sports tyres is the consistent grip on the poor road surfaces. They have also made winter riding more enjoyable, especially in cold, wet conditions. They do slide of course on metal patches and cow shit, but there is never any drama.

Wear has been good, almost time for replacement at 11,000 km. But they have kept their profile, including the front which is only just starting to develop a flat spot on the right shoulder. I will probably replace them with the Road 5, but overall they are the best tyres I have used for our road and weather conditions.

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[Blackbird]

Thanks Geoff, good to see both a new topic and one on motorbikes!

I have seen some Road 5 rears on powerful bikes such as the Blackbird and Tuono with very worn rear shoulders. But the owners were still very happy with them.

I am a recent convert to sport touring tyres after fitting a set of Pilot Road 4 to the R1 for a South Island trip last summer. To my surprise, they improved the handling, with the bike feeling more stable at high lean angles, but still responding quickly to steering inputs. There is less grip if you push them too far, with the centre compound on the rear a bit lacking when pushed hard.

They are great on wet roads, but the biggest improvement over sports tyres is the consistent grip on the poor road surfaces. They have also made winter riding more enjoyable, especially in cold, wet conditions. They do slide of course on metal patches and cow shit, but there is never any drama.

Wear has been good, almost time for replacement at 11,000 km. But they have kept their profile, including the front which is only just starting to develop a flat spot on the right shoulder. I will probably replace them with the Road 5, but overall they are the best tyres I have used for our road and weather conditions.

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Thank you! I've had both PR3's and 4's on bikes in the past and found them to be pretty good too. My only grumble was 3's on the Blackbird as it was a heavy mother and tended to push the front end. The narrow spacing of the sipes on the front meant that under certain conditions, it felt a bit "squirmy", but not worryingly so. Dredging what's left of my memory, I think that the spacing between sipes was increased to counter that issue on the 4's. I did a trackday at Hampton Downs on the GSX-S 1000 which was fitted at that time with new PR4's and they stood up remarkably well. They went a bit blue towards the edges and melted a bit of rubber but there was plenty of grip.

[caspernz]

I am a recent convert to sport touring tyres

This is a fairly common theme among sports bike riders.

The gap between grip & wear comparing sport and sport/touring tyres has been shrinking for some time.
Now I'd go as far as to suggest that, at least in the case of Michelin, and from personal experience...the Power 5 is at least as capable in the wet as the Road 5.
The wear equation is a funny one, the Power 5 seems to last longer than Pilot Power 3 yet the Road 5 is done before the Pilot Road 4, everything else being equal. Is that a bad thing? Heck no, but the difference between a sport tyre and a sport/touring tyre is not like it was 10+ years ago.

Simple reality is a sporty bike used on the road can get better value (as well as safety) from of a sport touring tyre rather than a sports tyre :devil2:

[SaferRides]

This is a fairly common theme among sports bike riders.

The gap between grip & wear comparing sport and sport/touring tyres has been shrinking for some time.
Now I'd go as far as to suggest that, at least in the case of Michelin, and from personal experience...the Power 5 is at least as capable in the wet as the Road 5.
The wear equation is a funny one, the Power 5 seems to last longer than Pilot Power 3 yet the Road 5 is done before the Pilot Road 4, everything else being equal. Is that a bad thing? Heck no, but the difference between a sport tyre and a sport/touring tyre is not like it was 10+ years ago.

Simple reality is a sporty bike used on the road can get better value (as well as safety) from of a sport touring tyre rather than a sports tyre :devil2:

I'd be interested in your comments on the Power 5 compared to the Road 5, as that is another option.

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[roogazza]

Stuck a set of Road 4's on the 1400 , brilliant !

Better wear is a big plus after years of sport tyres.

Mind you I'm not scratching like in the olden days,hardly get to edge of the tyres nowdays...
I did notice the different feel and warm up is faster with road 4's . maybe the side walls are stiffer ? But hey, wouldn't think twice about using them at a track day.

I would suggest most people don't need sport rubber ? Also some road surfaces rip the shit out of sport tyres here in NZ.

T

[sugilite]

Great write up on the blog. I will look into a set when I finally run out of slicks to hand groove.

[Blackbird]

Great write up on the blog. I will look into a set when I finally run out of slicks to hand groove.

Thank you! Bloody hell, hand-grooving slicks :eek5::eek5: I hope this is your hobby when it's pissing down outside, otherwise it's eating up valuable riding time :clap:

[sugilite]

Thank you! Bloody hell, hand-grooving slicks :eek5::eek5: I hope this is your hobby when it's pissing down outside, otherwise it's eating up valuable riding time :clap:

Hehe, no worries, I have it down to a fine art. I have a tyre grooving tool. The technique is hang them on a sturdy clothes rack t bar with tyre warmers on them, once they are warmed up, take warmers off, put them on another set, groove first set, groover goes through pre-warmed tyres like the proverbial hot knife through butter. I can do about 4 sets of tyres in an hour, so not too bad. Conversely I have a set of wof tyres that are more than 10 years old that never seem to wear out :innocent:

[caspernz]

I'd be interested in your comments on the Power 5 compared to the Road 5, as that is another option.

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Power 5 for me is an experiment, as in I want to know how this tyre performs on my play time bike. Fair to say my yellow skoolbus eats tyres. Must admit the suspension has been upgraded, custom Nitron R3 at back plus forks worked over by Robert Taylor / KSS.
In the wet, the Power 5 can be made to spin up on corner exit, but that was me wanting to find traction limit. Ahead of Pilot Road 4 in that respect and equal to, if not slightly better than Road 5. Was aiming at a couple of track training days with Power 5 but between work and Covid...hasn't happened yet. Projected life is around 7000 km, compared with Pilot Power 3 doing around 6000 km.

The Road 5 is what I've got on my training bike (FJR1300), and for road riding the traction from this is plenty. Does ok on track. Get around 10,000 km from a set, with the front done before the rear. Edges on rear go first, must be that sedate cornering :innocent::shutup: Unless I do lots of licence tests, then it will start to square off a touch.

So in essence, unless you're venturing to the track then Road 5 it is. Or for indulgence, or experiment if you like, run a set of Power 5 unless you're commuting on motorways then it's just a waste. All I can say is that the grip from the Power 5 is insane, go back 20 years and tyres that gripped like this would be toast in less than 1500 km and still suck in the wet...so yeah nowadays we're spoiled for tyre choice :niceone:

[SaferRides]

Power 5 for me is an experiment, as in I want to know how this tyre performs on my play time bike. Fair to say my yellow skoolbus eats tyres. Must admit the suspension has been upgraded, custom Nitron R3 at back plus forks worked over by Robert Taylor / KSS.
In the wet, the Power 5 can be made to spin up on corner exit, but that was me wanting to find traction limit. Ahead of Pilot Road 4 in that respect and equal to, if not slightly better than Road 5. Was aiming at a couple of track training days with Power 5 but between work and Covid...hasn't happened yet. Projected life is around 7000 km, compared with Pilot Power 3 doing around 6000 km.

The Road 5 is what I've got on my training bike (FJR1300), and for road riding the traction from this is plenty. Does ok on track. Get around 10,000 km from a set, with the front done before the rear. Edges on rear go first, must be that sedate cornering :innocent::shutup: Unless I do lots of licence tests, then it will start to square off a touch.

So in essence, unless you're venturing to the track then Road 5 it is. Or for indulgence, or experiment if you like, run a set of Power 5 unless you're commuting on motorways then it's just a waste. All I can say is that the grip from the Power 5 is insane, go back 20 years and tyres that gripped like this would be toast in less than 1500 km and still suck in the wet...so yeah nowadays we're spoiled for tyre choice :niceone:
Thanks for that. 7,000 km from a sports tyre on a Busa is impressive, but as has been said, the lines are becoming quite blurred between sports and sport-touring tyres. I have heard great reports from others on the Power 5, so that may the one to go for if the the PR4s ever wear out.

[SPman]

Running PR4's on the XJR and the FZ1, Ran PR3s before that, so will go to road 5's when the 4's time is up, which is soon I hope. Arthritis in the hands and wrists is making riding less pleasurable these days, espec on the bigger bikes, so the tiddlers ( X7 and CB350) are getting more use for local riding.
Interestingly, I'm running Michelin Pilot Sport 4s on the car, as well, and are well pleased with them - good feel, good grip and, so far, look like they're wearing well, if a tad noisy.....

[Blackbird]

Running PR4's on the XJR and the FZ1, Ran PR3s before that, so will go to road 5's when the 4's time is up, which is soon I hope. Arthritis in the hands and wrists is making riding less pleasurable these days, espec on the bigger bikes, so the tiddlers ( X7 and CB350) are getting more use for local riding.
Interestingly, I'm running Michelin Pilot Sport 4s on the car, as well, and are well pleased with them - good feel, good grip and, so far, look like they're wearing well, if a tad noisy.....

Yep, I've always had a good run from the PR series and the Road 5 really blurs the lines between a pure sport tyre and a sport-touring one. I'm making the 320 km round trip to Boyds in Hamilton tomorrow to have a new pair fitted. The delay was due to them being out of stock for a while and also lockdown restrictions. What this meant is that I rode with them a lot longer than I would normally do but at close to 12,000 km, they have still kept their profile pretty well, even if they are down to their wear bars. I know that Caspernz is well pleased with the life he's getting from the Power 5's on his 'busa so it seems that even pure sport tyres can last well.

[1/32 man]

As an old newbie I have done a years riding on my Triumph Street Twin. I got it with 3300km and soon after fitted a set of Metzler Road tec 1's.
These seemed to be a great improvemnet in my inexperienced mind but twelve months and 7000 more km I am looking at a replacement set.....you know, for when the time comes.
The bike is 200kg and I am 80kg in my riding kit....so any suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks in advance.

[Blackbird]

As an old newbie I have done a years riding on my Triumph Street Twin. I got it with 3300km and soon after fitted a set of Metzler Road tec 1's.
These seemed to be a great improvemnet in my inexperienced mind but twelve months and 7000 more km I am looking at a replacement set.....you know, for when the time comes.
The bike is 200kg and I am 80kg in my riding kit....so any suggestions would be welcome.
Thanks in advance.

Depends how you ride and what you want from a tyre. If you choose the application properly, any of the major brands have performance capabilities beyond the talents of most riders. It's just a question of personal choice based on "feel" after that. If you're happy with your Roadtec 01, that's fine as it's a good all round tyre. If you fancy trying something else, there's plenty of discussion on this thread and the original Road 5 review. We're spoiled for choice these days.

[F5 Dave]

It's like the dreaded oil threads. More opinions than types of oil.

Some bikes suit certain profiles or what the rider likes. When tyres wear the bike feels a bit meh

New tyres and the bike flicks around easy and the change seems more pronounced so watch for that bias.

My Toury bikes like my Tiger loved the old Road 2s. I tried BT23s and disliked them just for handling, but another bike might have suited them, or how I like it to feel.

[SaferRides]

There is now a Roadtec 01 SE with less tread on the shoulders to increase dry grip. This and the Road 5 were the top rated tyres in last year's comparison test in Motorrad magazine. They did test the GT version of the Road 5, which surprised me as the test bikes were BMW F900 tourers.

It seems that the standard Road 5 has a relatively soft carcass, so despite what Michelin say, I am unsure whether the GT version will be a better choice for the R1.

Maybe I should try the new Roadtec 01 SE, but they don't seem to be available in NZ?



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[caspernz]

There is now a Roadtec 01 SE with less tread on the shoulders to increase dry grip. This and the Road 5 were the top rated tyres in last year's comparison test in Motorrad magazine. They did test the GT version of the Road 5, which surprised me as the test bikes were BMW F900 tourers.

It seems that the standard Road 5 has a relatively soft carcass, so despite what Michelin say, I am unsure whether the GT version will be a better choice for the R1.

Maybe I should try the new Roadtec 01 SE, but they don't seem to be available in NZ?



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For your R1 there's no need for a GT version of Road 5, it simply isn't heavy enough to warrant the GT spec. Just as an aside, I've run Road 5 GT on my FJR, and it's now sitting on the standard Road 5. Wear life is looking to end up being about the same as the GT, but the ride is noticeably nicer on the standard Road 5. But then I'm only a slow rider :laugh:

[Gremlin]

The bike is 200kg and I am 80kg in my riding kit....so any suggestions would be welcome.
Tyres are extremely subjective, what one person can like, another person can hate. It's going back to circa 07-08 but illustrates perfectly. Myself and another guy were riding the same bikes on the same tyres. He loved the edgy feeling the tyres gave him, I hated it.

Michelin in general are softer tyres, ie, the Metzeler usually had a stiffer carcass, this can make the tyre squirm a little more, especially in 2up applications etc. Some people don't mind this, others hate it. The PR5 is so soft, you actually stand a good chance of wearing out the front tyre before the rear one (I did this on a R1200GSA). Obviously something like the Road 5 is a road/touring tyre. For bikes like the R1200GSA, its the most sporty rubber available for the 19/17 combo it runs. I really would equate the rubber to sport bike rubber, such is the level of performance (in my adventure bike mindset of course). It also has the shortest tyre life of the Road range... fancy that.

I'm a Michelin fan boy, I love them, I've run every version of the Roads from the original 1 all the way through to 5, both in Trail and Road - in some versions the Road had a better profile than the Trail, millimetres in it, but it was useful enough. However, you may well hate them... so, only you know whether it's going to suit you. Hell, it's just tyres, run them, if you think something else is better, put a set on...

[1/32 man]

Thanks for those thoughts and comments.
I will ponder my choices.....

[release_the_bees]

It's interesting to read others' reviews.

I'm on my fourth set of Road 5s (three on the Street Triple and one on the R3).

The dry grip, wet grip, longevity combo is very impressive. Its hard to say a bad word about them to be honest. The only downside I've found is that the occasional gravel road ride tends to fill the sipes up with small stones more than other tyres, but that's a small complaint given the fact that is outside of their intended use.

In terms of grip, it's way more than I need for the road. From experience, when I've pushed things a bit more than I should have, I've touched the peg feelers down once or twice without the slightest hint of the tyres running out of grip. I'm confident that I'd fully run out of ground clearance before running out of tyres.

The wear is also really good. I've consistently got around 20,000 km out of a set on the Street Triple. As mentioned above, it seems to be the outside of the front that wears out first for me, with still plenty of life left in the centre of the tyre. I got 30,000 km out of a Road 3 on the R3 before, so it will be interesting to see how the Road 5 compares on that machine.

[Blackbird]

It's interesting to read others' reviews.

I'm on my fourth set of Road 5s (three on the Street Triple and one on the R3)...........



Good stuff! My only slight concern is the run of punctures I had on the GSX-S 1000 with them, but nothing on the 790. I've read about other people getting the odd puncture with them but there's no hard evidence that they're worse than any other sport touring tyre in this respect. Boyds in Hamilton put a new set on the 790 last week. Even though the old ones had generally kept a good profile, the new ones were far more twitchy, particularly in corner setups. I think most of that is due to muscle memory in knowing how your bike handles on the older tyres and the new ones required far less countersteering effort. It wasn't until a good half way home that I realised my inputs were matching the new tyres and that muscle memory had adapted to the new feel. :laugh:

[Gremlin]

In terms of grip, it's way more than I need for the road. From experience, when I've pushed things a bit more than I should have, I've touched the peg feelers down once or twice without the slightest hint of the tyres running out of grip. I'm confident that I'd fully run out of ground clearance before running out of tyres.
This is perhaps the biggest issue with the Road 5. If anything, they're too good in the wet. You end up with an almost unrealistic expectation of how tyres work in the wet, and especially when you switch from anything like Road 5s to knobbly tyres, there are a few moments and slides as your brain re-adjusts :blink:

[SaferRides]

I have just fitted a set to the R1, after having to wait until the border opened so that I could get a 190/55 from Hamilton as there were none in Auckland. I did think about fitting another PR4 to the rear until I measured the front tread and found it was down to an even 2mm and starting to flatten on the right shoulder. So given that a set of PR4 from a dealer in Auckland was going to cost more than Boyds price for the Road 5, it was an easy decision.

The 190/55 rear is a big tyre. I had to move the chain guard sideways to slide the tyre forward in the swingarm, and the bike leans even further than before on the sidestand. Some engineering may be required.

I went for a short ride this afternoon on some favourite North Waikato roads to scrub them in. First impressions are that they turn in more easily than the PR4, but still have the same, stable feel once leaned over. They seem to be even more compliant than the PR4 and are barely affected by surface changes. I expect some experimentation with tyre pressures will be worthwhile.

Even though I didn't use much of the grippy rubber on the shoulders, they certainly feel as though they have more grip than the PR4. So the first impressions are very positive, but still early days.

[James Deuce]

Tyres are black and round and I'm so old that any modern tyre is a marvel. I just put Bridgestone S22s on the Versys after a set of PR2s. The PR2s last a long time but at 5 years old I thought I should probably change for the sake of it. The new tyres are being tyres. They hold air and ensure that the horrible screechy sound of alloy wheels on tarmac doesn't happen.

[F5 Dave]

So old. Gimmie a break Jim. :violin:

The accommodating crew at TSS swapped out std tyres on my 765 from new to S22 as I liked the way they made the old 675 handle. They are a thousand clicks from worn I guess, and the will be replaced with same again. Can't fault them even if they will only do 7000, or maybe 8 if pushed, I don't really care.::

[SaferRides]

Even though I didn't use much of the grippy rubber on the shoulders, they certainly feel as though they have more grip than the PR4.
Not quite true, after a closer look at the tyres this morning, I was well on to the grippy stuff on the right especially.

Not quite sure why they come with rounded edges to the grooves?

[Gremlin]

Tyres are black and round and I'm so old that any modern tyre is a marvel. I just put Bridgestone S22s on the Versys after a set of PR2s. The PR2s last a long time but at 5 years old I thought I should probably change for the sake of it.
When the CB919 was used for work most days, the PR2 was great, the 12-13k a year meant about 2 years out of the tyres. When it stopped being used for that, yikes, mileage dropped, and now there was actually a danger the tyres would age out first (unfathomable concept to me).

Fortunately that didn't happen, but the difference in grip envelope between PR2 and PR4/5 was noticeable. When pushing the PR2 for the last little bit you wanted from time to time, you would feel it starting to slide, so just slightly inhibiting. Not so with the newer generations.

[SaferRides]

There are some who maintain that the PR2 is still the best road tyre Michelin ever made, but they are gradually becoming Road 5 converts.

I think Michelin still make the PR2, as well as the original Pilot Power.

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[mulletman]

There are some who maintain that the PR2 is still the best road tyre Michelin ever made, but they are gradually becoming Road 5 converts.

I think Michelin still make the PR2, as well as the original Pilot Power.

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Just swapped out the rear PR2 on the SuperTenere to a Road 5 be happy if i get similar mileage.

Had Road 5s when i had the Busa & BKing perfect for me but did notice the front gets 'squishy' near end of life .

Ran Pilots , R2s 3s 4s and PPs on different bikes over the years cant really fault them - apart from the price def shop around.

[caspernz]

There are some who maintain that the PR2 is still the best road tyre Michelin ever made, but they are gradually becoming Road 5 converts.

I think Michelin still make the PR2, as well as the original Pilot Power.

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The PR2 was a very nice tyre, in its day, no argument. But we've been spoiled since the days of the PR2 being the latest and greatest from Mr Michelin.

I've used plenty of Michelin tyres over the years, have tried a few other brands, but I keep coming back to Michelin. Like Mulletman said, apart from the price, can't fault the product :msn-wink:

[release_the_bees]

The PR2 was a very nice tyre, in its day, no argument. But we've been spoiled since the days of the PR2 being the latest and greatest from Mr Michelin.

I've used plenty of Michelin tyres over the years, have tried a few other brands, but I keep coming back to Michelin. Like Mulletman said, apart from the price, can't fault the product :msn-wink:

That's pretty much been my own experience as well. I've tried plenty of other brands and tyres but always ended up back with Michelin.

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[James Deuce]

That's pretty much been my own experience as well. I've tried plenty of other brands and tyres but always ended up back with Michelin.

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It usually comes down to availability. Most of the time the only pair I can get for the Versys is from Michelin. This time there were no rears available (160/70x17) from anyone except Bridgestone and then only in a relatively sporty model. Doesn't matter though, because they steer really nicely, I don't do huge mileage anymore and the trip I'm going on for the next three days will be the biggest trip of the year. 6 or 7000 kms is all I do a year now.

[SaferRides]

It usually comes down to availability. Most of the time the only pair I can get for the Versys is from Michelin. This time there were no rears available (160/70x17) from anyone except Bridgestone and then only in a relatively sporty model. Doesn't matter though, because they steer really nicely, I don't do huge mileage anymore and the trip I'm going on for the next three days will be the biggest trip of the year. 6 or 7000 kms is all I do a year now.There was a shipment of Michelin tyres due in November, which was delayed. I could not find a 190/55 Road 5 in Auckland at the end of November.

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[Blackbird]

There was a shipment of Michelin tyres due in November, which was delayed. I could not find a 190/55 Road 5 in Auckland at the end of November.

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When I had my replacement Road 5's fitted on 14th December, they'd only recently come in at Boyds. In fact, one of their employees was still transferring them to their warehouse. Front 120 for the Duke was $189.57 and rear 180 was $269.57, excluding GST.

[SaferRides]

That's interesting, because I checked with a couple of Auckland places about then and they still didn't know when the shipment was arriving.

Boyds held a 190/55 for me from early December until I could get down there after the Auckland border opened.

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[release_the_bees]

It's been a real mission recently in that respect. It took me more than three months to find a 140/70 Road 5 tyre for the R3. I eventually located one in Hamilton and got it shipped up.

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[mulletman]

Add to the fun

https://www.michelinman.com/motorcycle/tires/michelin-road-6

[caspernz]

Add to the fun

https://www.michelinman.com/motorcycle/tires/michelin-road-6

That's amusing, looks very similar to Road 5 though :wacko:

[Blackbird]

Add to the fun

https://www.michelinman.com/motorcycle/tires/michelin-road-6

At least their claims of increased life percentage are rather more modest than they used to be :rolleyes: . When the Pilot Road 4 was announced, they claimed a 20% improvement over the R3. Having had multiple R3's on a couple of bikes and then switching to the PR4, there was no discernable difference in life. The 4 handled a bit better though as the sipes on the front tyre were further apart and it wasn't so squirmy under braking as the 3.

Allowing for the inevitable marketing hype, Michelin do make good tyres though, as others have remarked.

[SaferRides]

Add to the fun

https://www.michelinman.com/motorcycle/tires/michelin-road-6Looks like refinements, not the major changes that the Road 5 brought compared to the PR4.

Does the change to "100% MICHELIN[emoji769] Silica Technology tread compounds" mean the end of the sticky, carbon black shoulder compounds?

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[James Deuce]

So the S22s are goooood. There's no discernible roll centre and I just did 1444.4 kms in three days and the 830-odd done yesterday were in the evil mixed conditions, mostly very damp and they were much nicer in the wet than the PR2s. The PR2s always announced when you arrived at vertical dead centre and were somewhat slithery when it was properly damp.

[SaferRides]

Last Sunday I did a loop from Auckland down to Whakamaru and back on some of my favourite back roads. I rode the Old Taupo Road for the first time, not sure why that has taken me so long as it is much more fun to ride than drive. Waipapa Road is nice in summer when the road is dry, but it doesn't have the same vibe as on a misty day in winter.

The Road 5s were good, the bike feels really planted once you're on the sticky shoulder compounds, which look nicely scuffed now. The steering is definitely quicker than the PR4 and trail braking is excellent. The ride seemed a little smoother but the tyres still give decent feedback. The only negative is that the rear profile is more rounded than the PR4 in the 190/55 size, and the bike does not feel quite as good at high lean angles. Probably just needs some readjustment on my part.

[caspernz]

The only negative is that the rear profile is more rounded than the PR4 in the 190/55 size, and the bike does not feel quite as good at high lean angles. Probably just needs some readjustment on my part.

My observation in going from the 4 to the 5, the 5 definitely prefers a positive throttle going into a curve and then responds nicely to transitioning to progressive throttle.

[SaferRides]

My observation in going from the 4 to the 5, the 5 definitely prefers a positive throttle going into a curve and then responds nicely to transitioning to progressive throttle.Yes I went for a short ride this morning and found that the Road 5 seems happier with more load on the tyre, whether that is brakes or throttle. It feels much more like a sports tyre than the 4, in fact better than some sports tyres I used 8-10 years ago!

It was a stunning morning in the North Waikato, very clear view from Pukekawa. But the pasture on the hills is going brown very quickly.

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[caspernz]

Yes I went for a short ride this morning and found that the Road 5 seems happier with more load on the tyre, whether that is brakes or throttle. It feels much more like a sports tyre than the 4, in fact better than some sports tyres I used 8-10 years ago!

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It gets even more confusing though. Running the standard Road 5s on my FJR, awesome tyre and as you've obviously worked out, you can push on quite nicely with them :innocent:
Got the Power 5 on my Busa, and for a sports tyre the wet grip is at least as good as the Road 5...if not better.
Plus the wear from the Power 5 is damn good too, especially for a tyre that can be used with such...ahem, enthusiasm :sweatdrop

Thinking back 10-15-20 years, man we've come a long way in terms of tyre technology :woohoo:

[Autech]

I'm a recent convert to Michelin on 2 of my cars, hugely impressed with how well they perform on a road car so next time I own a road reg'd bike I'll be looking at the Michelin catalogue for my 2 wheel action too.

I'm a huge tyre nerd these days so love a good tyre review from the real world. Thanks for taking the time.

Now I'm off to slag off Jacinda...

[roogazza]

It gets even more confusing though. Running the standard Road 5s on my FJR, awesome tyre and as you've obviously worked out, you can push on quite nicely with them :innocent:
Got the Power 5 on my Busa, and for a sports tyre the wet grip is at least as good as the Road 5...if not better.
Plus the wear from the Power 5 is damn good too, especially for a tyre that can be used with such...ahem, enthusiasm :sweatdrop

Thinking back 10-15-20 years, man we've come a long way in terms of tyre technology :woohoo:

Lol went out yesterday for a fang. I'm on Road 4's and was thinking these are way better than me nowdays ?
I can hardly reach the edges of the tyres in just normal road riding. ( too scared I'll go upside down ). :yawn:

[Blackbird]

Lol went out yesterday for a fang. I'm on Road 4's and was thinking these are way better than me nowdays ?
I can hardly reach the edges of the tyres in just normal road riding. ( too scared I'll go upside down ). :yawn:

Yep, if truth be told, most riders will run out of talent before any of the major brands reach their limits! It's just down to personal choice for your particular needs. Your comment about going upside down actually struck a chord. I'm on blood thinners and only have to knock myself with moderate force to end up with a bloody good bruise. Coming off the bike, even at walking pace doesn't bear thinking about.

[SaferRides]

It gets even more confusing though. Running the standard Road 5s on my FJR, awesome tyre and as you've obviously worked out, you can push on quite nicely with them :innocent:
Got the Power 5 on my Busa, and for a sports tyre the wet grip is at least as good as the Road 5...if not better.
Plus the wear from the Power 5 is damn good too, especially for a tyre that can be used with such...ahem, enthusiasm :sweatdrop

Thinking back 10-15-20 years, man we've come a long way in terms of tyre technology :woohoo:

It was difficult to decide whether to get the Road 5 or the Power 5, and I'm still not sure whether I've made the right choice!

Did the northern Coro loop yesterday; I now understand why Blackbird likes the Road 5 so much. The rear grips very well and going up the hill from Coromandel Town was great fun. The front is the best tyre I've had for trail braking. I had a clear run down the hill to Kopu on 25A (!), and am very impressed with the front. Definitely a big improvement on the PR4.

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[release_the_bees]

The hill from Te Rerenga to Coromandel Town is up there as one of my favourite bits of road in the whole country. It's a cracking ride if you time it right and don't encounter any traffic

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[Blackbird]

It was difficult to decide whether to get the Road 5 or the Power 5, and I'm still not sure whether I've made the right choice!

Did the northern Coro loop yesterday; I now understand why Blackbird likes the Road 5 so much. The rear grips very well and going up the hill from Coromandel Town was great fun. The front is the best tyre I've had for trail braking. I had a clear run down the hill to Kopu on 25A (!), and am very impressed with the front. Definitely a big improvement on the PR4.

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Just 5 minutes from our house so I need to take it easy on the first ascent until the tyres warm up :laugh:

[SaferRides]

Just 5 minutes from our house so I need to take it easy on the first ascent until the tyres warm up [emoji23]That certainly wasn't an issue yesterday!

It was interesting going up the hill as I followed a fairly new Street Triple R. It looked good through the corners, but, as you'd expect, doesn't have the acceleration of the R1 on corner exits.

It had a fairly loud pipe and did sound nice. But it didn't sound like it had a quickshift?

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[Blackbird]

That certainly wasn't an issue yesterday!

It was interesting going up the hill as I followed a fairly new Street Triple R. It looked good through the corners, but, as you'd expect, doesn't have the acceleration of the R1 on corner exits.

It had a fairly loud pipe and did sound nice. But it didn't sound like it had a quickshift?

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The rider might possibly have not been using the quickshift. On my 790, I rarely use the quickshift on upshifts, just the clutch. It requires a reasonable amount of throttle to make a smooth change on the upshift and I mostly short shift on the open road. For downshifting, I use the quickshift all the time as it gives beautiful smooth and fast changes. Perfect for the roads I tend to inhabit. If you're ever up this way again PM me as there's always coffee and cake on offer :yes:

[SaferRides]

The rider might possibly have not been using the quickshift. On my 790, I rarely use the quickshift on upshifts, just the clutch. It requires a reasonable amount of throttle to make a smooth change on the upshift and I mostly short shift on the open road. For downshifting, I use the quickshift all the time as it gives beautiful smooth and fast changes. Perfect for the roads I tend to inhabit. If you're ever up this way again PM me as there's always coffee and cake on offer :yes:
Thanks, will do. I usually do a couple of rides somewhere in Coromandel during autumn.

[Moise]

The second set have now done 10,000 km. The front and rear profiles still look good except for the front right shoulder which is starting to flatten slightly. The rear tread is 3-4 mm and should last at least another 5000 km.

I did a ride around Coro with a group over the weekend. Others were talking about sliding in the dry on Saturday (it was hot in the afternoon!) and the wet on Sunday. Absolutely no dramas on the Road 5's, just one slow drift from the rear in the wet on the shiny stuff near Thames..

The only negative for me is that low speed manoeuvring is a bit twitchy, but otherwise they are great.

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[roogazza]

Yeah bud ,thats what I got (about 13 thou ) happy with that and certainly better than shagging sport rubber every 4000 !!!!!!!!!

(and thats on the sofa/settee gsx14 )...:banana:

[Blackbird]

I did a ride around Coro with a group over the weekend. Others were talking about sliding in the dry on Saturday (it was hot in the afternoon!) and the wet on Sunday. Absolutely no dramas on the Road 5's, just one slow drift from the rear in the wet on the shiny stuff near Thames

Were you parked up in front of the Pepper Tree restaurant? I drove past in the MG and there were a dozen or so bikes, including a Blackbird in Repsol livery.

[Moise]

Were you parked up in front of the Pepper Tree restaurant? I drove past in the MG and there were a dozen or so bikes, including a Blackbird in Repsol livery.Yes, that was us! Quite a variety of bikes.

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[Moise]

Yeah bud ,thats what I got (about 13 thou ) happy with that and certainly better than shagging sport rubber every 4000 !!!!!!!!!

(and thats on the sofa/settee gsx14 )...:banana:The first set lasted 14,000, which included a trip around the South Island. It's great not replacing tyres so often.

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