NEW Michelin Pilot Road 3

As reported on Superbikeplanet.com the new PR3 is due out this month. Much of the same technology as the 2 but with much more wet weather capability due to the additional tread siping. For those of you currently using the 2s or anyone wanting to try a set of 2's, expect some real bargains from retailers. Article posted 1/10/11 (Michelin takes us to the Pilot) along with a pic of the new tire. :smile:

 

I have mixed feelings......I'm excited at the prospect of new generation Pilot Road (my fave tire), but sad to know it'll probably be a long time before I try them. Frankly, we're already seeing PR2 prices down to (almost) 50%. At that price, it's hard to imagine buying any other tire on the market. Good God I hope Canada gets to benefit from this as well.

 

It hardly rain in Ca so I will stick with PR2

 

Is that why you guys in SoCal are like a buch of dried up prunes?

I can't wait till the new RP3's are out here. I think I will bite the bullet and fork out the cash to try them out. After all, I can make good use of such a tire as they claim to be. Hitting those road snakes in the rain in the dark is like attaching a Dr. Ho Electrode to your rectal muscles and cranking up the volume.

 

Have about 5000miles on my R3s and find they are wearing very well, maybe not new looking but still with tons of meat in the middle. Must admit while a little slow to turn in compared to pure Sports tyres the R3s do exactly as they say and track exceptionally well in cold wet slippery mountain ranges like I faced this weekend much like the VFR was on rails so only needed to worry about the lack of visibility that had us riding at times by yellow road lines and orange snow polls lining the the roads edge with signs reading " Keep Right of Poll " ( no sh*t, to left them were shear cliff drops. !!! )



Even through the tight damp twisties of the Bonang strewn over by wet leaves, bark, branches and odd tree with patches of rain lifted Logging trucks diesel had Zero brown trouser moments that a few riding with me had suffered in the course of its 60miles of its normally fun tight twisties.



Are the Michelin Road 3s great Sport Touring tyres ?
I would say YES, they last ages, grip amazingly well in iffy conditions, turn well enough in the Twisties with good and predicable grip right to the edge.

Are the Michelin Road 3s great Sports tyres ?
I would say NO, with a flatish profile their Turn In is slower/harder work than triangular or rounder pure Sports tyres I've had previously eg Pilot Powers and Dunlop Q2s though probably no slower than Michelin R2s I've also had previously.

 

Totally agree with youi John. Just finished a weekend in the Victorian High country and found them to be great in the wet as well as dry-ish conditions. Just need to get a lot more K's up to evaluate the wear factor.

 

You're kidding, the Top photo was Mnt Hotham this Saturday on my way from Jindy to Omeo before doing the Bonang via Buchan to Bega Sunday. :biggrin:

 

I have probably put about 10,000 miles on mine by now. They definately work as well as the PR2's. But I really can't say they were noticably better in the rain. I am sure there is probably techincally better traction but for the average rider, I think the lesser money spent on the PR2's is a wiser choice. I will likely be switching back to a third set of those when these ones are done. There is simply too much of a price difference when I bought mine. Maybe that won't be the case next spring when I will be due for new skins again.

 

Nice to know they wear well too. Luckly there was only $5 difference between the R2s and R3 when I bought them so the choice was easy. Agree the R2s are good in the wet probably 95% as good as the R3s, note the white Gixxer next to me was shod with R2s and he mentioned a few minor moments in an area where I had none going up the mountain but that could mean anything.

Keep us update to the difference or lack of when you do, if the price difference is large I'd think about going back to R2s too.

 

Yeah. Went from Wagga to Tumbarumba then Corryong onto Mt Beauty, over the hill to Bright.
We were going to do the Omeo, Hotham and Falls Creek trip on Saturday but all seven of us were drowned out from Friday nights rain. Aiming to do it it again late in the year or early next though.

 

I will admit to being in a great location for riding. Only about 45 minutes from the Snowy's, Awesome.

 

Went through Bright Saturday mid morning on the way to Mnt Hotham, excellent pie shop couldn't resist a nicely spiced sausage roll followed by a fresh cream Chocolate Eclat. :biggrin:

Re the R3s another positive, they easily handle those very slippery when wet black snakes they use to fill in road cracks that caused one guys rear to step out alarmingly on the way up the Mountain.

 

This is exactly why I went with the 3's. I have a stretch of freeway that has quite a bit of those on them.. I have made my rectal muscles cramp on a few occasions hitting those in the rain. But I guess, if I were to throttle down a bit in that area, seeing as I have driven that stretch every day since August 06 on this bike, I just may resolve that issue.

Say...there is a new movement for us to start. XX% of the road surface with road snakes required resurfacing. That should be an international standard that our respective Departments of Highways should follow. May not mean one hell of a lot to a cage, but there are getting to be more and more ecologically friendly motorcycles out on the road, which cause far less wear to the surface that the Escalades of the world.

 

There is a campaign by our State Motorcycle Council to officially report the below problems to our States Roads Authority but can see them ignoring as their is never enough money in a budget to fix our roads given low population to land area ratio and over reliance on road destroying Large Trucks / B double Semi's for goods transportation, something we probably have in common with you guys.

Potholes
Gravel or other loose material
Oil, grease, diesel etc
Repaired patches
Rubberised tar crack sealant
Water seepage or ponding

Road Maintenance - Motorcycle Council of NSW - Road Safety

 

Will have to give it a whirl next time. We must have passed each other. we left about mid morning.

 

I hate those oh so popular these days, traffic circles. Not too keen on the cable barriers either

 

They are getting more popular here too. I would say that is because they are way cheaper than traffic control signals, but I am only guessing.
You will have to enlighten me Randy, cable barriers?

 

Cable barriers. I would think they would do a fine job of decapitating a motorcycle rider who went down. These are springing up everywhere.

 

Ahhh! They are really new here. only started springing up on the freewaysin the past 12 months or so. Thank God that they haven't become the norm in the twisty stuff.