Michelin Pilot Road 2 tires

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by Puma Cat, Feb 28, 2008.

  1. bitterpil

    bitterpil New Member

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    Thanks for the input on the low mileage. I'll have to keep an eye on that and it may factor into my changing to the Dunlops.
     
  2. MileHighInterceptor

    MileHighInterceptor New Member

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    I just put a set of Michelin Pilot Road 2's on my Gen 6 today. In an effort to break them in quickly, I went out on decent 82 mile ride; only a few miles off the break in period. The ride actually happened after a couple miles worth of zig zaging back an forth thru my curvy development streets.

    I will update this till about 500 miles; a good point for an overall opinion on the tires I figure.

    So far, between 0 and ~80 miles:

    I switched to these from a set of (stock size) Dunlop Sportmax Qualifiers. The first notable difference is the lack of a drop in thru corners. As opposed to street bike tires, the Road 2's are round thru the entire area of the tires. Makes or a smoother yet not as quick transition in the corners. It took about 50 miles of straight riding and some wear on the side compound before the "sluggishness" of changing lanes diminished. There is still a noticeable difference between the Road 2s and the Qualifiers but it is subtle. The "sluggishness" only was really noticed when making quick lane changes. The corners, not so much when the factory coating was off the tires.

    As for the quick drop in vs. the roll over, I prefer the latter. This would be the other way around if it weren't for the 2CT (dual) compound that Michelin has incorporated into the sidewalls of the tires. After talking to a few rather knowledgeable people about the tires, here is a quick breakdown of the three main Michelin tires.

    Michelin Pilot Power
    = single semi-soft compound (aggressive street, track rideable)
    Michelin Pilot Power 2CT= dual compound; center is same density as Pilot Power, sidewalls are 30% softer (considerably aggressive street, track centered)
    Michelin Pilot Road 2= dual compound; center semi-hard, sidewalls same as Pilot Power

    *check out the links below for a great description from Michelin and a chart of their tires*

    Michelin Pilot Road 2

    Michelin Chart

    When taking many of the familiar corners on the Road 2s, I felt that the tire actually had better traction than my Qualifiers, despite the smaller surface area and lesser lean angle. I completely attribute this to the side wall compound.

    At speeds above 100mph the tires seem like they might be a bit less stable than the Qualifiers. This could be negated by a couple factors however.
    1. severe lack of distance on tire
    2. lack of a steering dampener

    I do believe that the tires will feel better at higher speeds eventually (they are a W rated tire for up to 168mph) but currently the feel a bit shaky. (If you wiggle the handle bars, the tire will wobble but only as much as you do. It does not wobble at an exponential rate and make you lose control.) The last factor that will cause this, I believe, is simply that the center compound is harder than the Qualifiers.

    Overall, I do like these tires better than my last set so far. I have put at least 500 miles on my fathers SV1000 (on which he just put a set of Road 2s and promptly put 1500 miles on them; he loves them.) which had Pilot Road's. I feel the Road 2 is the best tire of the three.
     
  3. goinphaster

    goinphaster New Member

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    I have had road 2's on my 6th gen since they hit the shelves back in Jan(?). I have had great times on them and have been able to put them through the paces in every category, save heavy rain.
    Cold: good grip, no loss of confidence, doesn't like painted surfaces* too much.
    Wet: have had the rear spin up on me, but that was on a tar snake* during acceleration
    Hot: excellent grip, good wear, positive feedback.
    Commute: excellent handling, excellent stopping ability, does not follow rain grooves.
    2 up: no change, excellent handling.
    twisties: what are chicken strips?

    The only thing I can gripe about is how the front is already cupped enough to feel it while weaving back and forth at slower speeds. at the same time though, I ride harder than the average joe on roads that have a more of a cheese grater surface than most- yet they haven't gotten close to the wear bars.

    the wear is excellent: I recently had to have the rear replaced under hazard warranty (Cycle Gear's motoguard) and was prorated to 75% compensation. the measurement was taken from just off center tread, I had only worn down 25% of the tire since installing them on my bike!

    *Where I live a fine dust covers everything 2 minutes after you get done washing- including painted lines on the road. thus the tire slides until it gets back on asphalt. once back on asphalt normal grip resumes, and is not abrupt. this was even present during my training to be a MSF Rider Coach.
     
  4. MileHighInterceptor

    MileHighInterceptor New Member

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    Update:

    Odometer on tires: ~350 miles

    These tires are by far the best that I have ever ridden. Despite the fact that they are slightly slower into turns without the sidewall drop in, the confidence factor is so much greater. I have managed to scrape my left toe while shifting into second in a corner, and side of my right foot twice.

    As nasty as cross walks can be, I have slide on one a couple of times but immediately regained trackion without any jitters or jerks. The side walls of these tires are awesome. I will definitely be putting another sent of these on many miles down the road. Hopefully not till 8k+!
     
  5. powerslave

    powerslave New Member

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    You'll probably need a PCII for that combo,but if you like the quality look of the stock cans you can gut them out and she'll sound great!!!
     
  6. Galo

    Galo New Member

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    who has the best deal on Pilot Road 2's on the net?

    the local dealership wants right at $380 plus tax and mounting.
     
  7. i_needit

    i_needit New Member

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    This is the best price I have found, also some are running PP(front) & PP2(rear)
     
  8. sparky99

    sparky99 New Member

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    Im running that combo now PP(front) and PR2 (rear). So far this is a fantastic combination. I think the PP in the front takes care of the slow turn-in and transition. my $.02.
     
  9. R.W.

    R.W. New Member

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    I must say I've been pleasantly surprised with the mileage on the 2CT's, grip has been phenomenal and I couldn't be happier, does anybody else notice the black streak these tire leave coming out of corners, I usually come into corners fairly aggressive and with just enough throttle to set the suspension and my friends always tell me about the marks I leave on the road...
     
  10. emon07

    emon07 New Member

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    I have a 5th gen VFR and recently added an 03 Yamaha Thundercat (YZF 600R) to the stable. On the VFR I have used Michelin Pilot Powers, Avon Storm ST and Dunlop Roadsmart tyres. I am in NYC and ride year round. I commute to work daily (all kinds of weather), and on weekends I go out of town to various places in the Tri-State area and also make some winter runs to Va.., N. & S Carolina (wanna get to Florida this winter). I need tyres that warm up quickly, stable on various road surfaces, and have great wet weather performance. The Michelin Pilot Powers are a tire that warms up quickly, great traction and excellent wet weather performance. The only issue I have with the Michelin Pilot Powers is in warmer weather I kept getting flats. I switched to the Avon Storm ST tyres and they are GREAT. They do not warm up quite as quickly as the Michelin Pilot Powers or the Dunlop RoadSmarts, but they are more stable on groved surfaces and also have great traction and excellent wet weather performance. I did get a flat once on the Avon tyres, but the road hazzard warranty on the tires allowed me to get a new tyre (no plugs and patches for me). I was happy with the Avon tyres until I tried the Dunlop RoadSmart tyres about mid-winter last year. For touring, everyday riding and riding in colder temps (ie below 0 degrees) the Dunlop Roadsmart tyres are the perfect tyre for me (my riding style and all season touring). The Dunlop Roadsmart tyres have the best feedback from the front and a smooth but not too soft ride. Turn in on corners is not as quick as the Michelin or Avon tyres, but I can still drag a knee with them. I like the Avon tyres the best in warmer weather. The Michelin Pilot Powers are the most versitle tyres in my opinion and some of my club members have not had any problems with flats like I had (although one other Club member kept getting flats and changed to Dunlops). On the 03 Yamaha Thundercat I am using the Avon Storm ST tyres and they perform great on the bike. I can lay the bike DOWN real easy and drag a knee with no problem (bike has an Olins rear shock). The Thundercat is a carburated bike (has 4 carbs), and is allegedly known to be somewhat cold natured. I got the Thundercat for trackdays and as a daily ride in warmer temps. My VFR is my touring/year round ride. During the latter part of last winter with the Dunlop RoadSmart tyres I was able to make it through a couple of mild snow storms (with residual ice at night), and I was suprised by the traction and stability on slippery roads. Bottom line is you can't go wrong with any of these tyres. Consider what is important to you along with your riding style. I should also mention that I still have my old 94 Suzuki Intruder and run Avon Venom tyres on that bike - I do not ride it much but I can drag a knee on the old crusier with the Avon tyres.
     
  11. R.W.

    R.W. New Member

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    It's time to change my rear 2CT, it lasted 3,500 miles...
     
  12. Yakima9

    Yakima9 New Member

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  13. John451

    John451 Member

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    Nice write up, have had 5 sets of rear Powers of which 3 developed flats near lifes end, 2 inconveniently in the wet and when plugging found they are a light carcass that wear very thin. Interesting review on the Roadsmarts, have been very happy with my current R2's and find a little slower turn in than previous Powers they are also very predictable and much better wearing than the Powers.

    Roadsmarts have been getting such good writeups and look attractive wonder how normal people rate the 2 back to back, have you compared the Roadsmarts against the Pilot Road 2's ?
     
  14. Spectre

    Spectre New Member

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    A long-winded opinion...

    I own a 2007 VFR800A. I got rid of the OEM Metzeler ME4 tires after ~800 miles, shortly after the rear tire totally stepped out during a lowspeed right-hander while riding 2-up (which resulted in ~$1300.00 in cosmetic repairs). I replaced the ME4's with the Road Pilot 2CT's, and so far I've rode them ~300 miles. (I'm running them at 36psi front, 42psi rear.)

    Thus far I'm finding the Pilot Road 2CT's to be absolutely the smoothest, most well-mannered, best handling, most stable, and the most forgiving tires I've ever experienced.

    Indeed, during the short time that the ME4's were on my 2007 VFR800A (36 front, 36 rear, per the owner manual), I was becoming increasingly concerned about the bike's handling and stability. For example, when entering and traversing curves and corners the bike would tend to rather abruptly wander, in which it would often oversteer into turns, then understeer while I would try to correct the bike's path of travel, then it might suddenly begin to oversteer in the other direction.

    Moreover, ME4's front tire tended to want to skip over bumps, while the rear tended to frequently break traction and begin to step out a bit, after which it often tended to be a tad slow in locking back up. Furthermore, this slippage of the rear ME4 would often occur on pavement that, so far as I could tell, looked to be good road. Hmmm...

    At first I suspected that these unsettling and alarming handling behaviors might be due mainly to problems with the suspension itself, the setup of the suspension, or perhaps both. But then after my lowside, I began searching this forum and found a number of complaints about the ME4's that sounded very familiar. So, while my VFR was shopped for repairs I had the Road Pilot
    2CT's installed, and now, finally, the motorcycle handles so much better.

    I find it rather curious that Honda's owner manual for the 2007 VFR800A recommends only 3 tire brands: Dunlop, Metzeler, and Bridgestone. No mention of Michelin. (Yes, the Road Pilot 2CT rear tire is a tad fatter than the OEM recommendations, but I'm thinking that the 2CT's fatter rear tire may actually be more appropriate for the VFR?)

    Among those of you who love the ME4's (or Metzeler's in general), that's great; I mean no disrespect. Indeed, it may very well be that the ME4's are indeed excellent, but that my current level of riding skills are simply not up to realizing what these tires are capable of in the hands of more sophisticated and skilled riders. All I can say is that for my current skill level and riding style, the Road Pilot 2CT's are the best sport-touring motorcycle tires I've experienced thus far.

    For what it's worth, I'm currently 48 years old, and I didn't begin riding until after I passed the Basic Rider Course in 6/06. After that, I began learning on a 2002 CB750 Nighthawk, riding it ~8000 miles before the 1st snow fell in late 2006. Then in 2007 I put ~13,500 miles on an '07 BMW K1200GT, until I managed to total the Beemer in 11/07. Next, I began riding my current VFR in April of this year. So, as you can see, I've come rather late to the party, and I freely admit that I have very limited riding credentials. I respect and admire those of you who've been riding since you were kids! By comparison, I'm still green, and so my opinions are best taken accordingly.

    All that said, here's how I would rate the tires I've experienced so far: Michelin Road Pilot 2CT's > Dunlop Qualifiers > Bridgestone BattlAx's > Metzeler Z6's > Metzeler ME4's.

    If you've read this far, you have the patience of Job! Many thanks,

    Kurt
     
  15. junktionfet

    junktionfet New Member

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    I just put PR2s on my VFR and ended up scrubbing the tires in while riding 2-up. I mean, moving around on the seat (as much as she'd let me), riding more or less to the edge, etc. No I didn't plan to rail so hard 2-up, it just turned out that way with the group we were with. But that's a testament to how much confidence these tires inspire. My VFR has never felt so well connected and composed, so I never felt like I should ratchet my pace back any... unlike before with the Bridgestones.

    And later on with just me on the bike, I can confidently say that the Battlax garbage my bike came with do the VFR a serious disservice.
     
  16. Shinigami

    Shinigami New Member

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    In the "for what it's worth" column, I have replaced my Power 2CT rear with a Road 2.

    Front is still a Power. The front Power is still at 75% tread, but the rear was shagged after about 2800 miles.

    Broke the tire in three days ago on a group ride in what turned out to be heavy rain- 160 miles over a fairly technical route featuring wet tar snakes. Not a single slip. Had 1/4" chicken strips when I got home- amazing wet grip.

    Now at 600 miles over the weekend, ran my favorite high-speed twisties in the dry from 70F up to 10,000 feet, 46F, and they grip identically to the Power 2CT. No slip at all. Turn in was perhaps just a tiny bit less quick (but the air pressure is different than the previous rear). Still have 1/4" chicken strips but touched my knee sliders three times.

    I like these so much I might just put a pair on the CBR600RR when the time comes.
     
  17. pfbmgd

    pfbmgd New Member

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    How are the PR 2s wearing a year later ?

    I have been reading and rereading reviews till I`m dizzy.

    I was going to go with Contis. But now I think it will be PR 2s.
     
  18. John451

    John451 Member

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    Mine are still suprisingly good, have 7500miles on the front and 5000 on the Rear will have to replace them before my next trip. Haven't quite made up my mind whether to go PP on the Front for quicker turnin with a new PR2 Rear like most of my VFR buddies have gravitated to or keep my current PR2 back and front setup. :smile:
     
  19. pfbmgd

    pfbmgd New Member

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    I was told not to mix the tires .

    Are they having good results ?
     
  20. John451

    John451 Member

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    Yes, once started they usually wont shut up about how well they work together.

    My last Alpine ride was with a mate on a CBR1000rr who really liked his PP with PR2 combination but was thinking about trying PR2 Front & Back next as he commutes a distance each day and have talked to a work collegue on a current model Triumph ST ( he's had 2 VFRs in his past ) and he rates the PP Front with PR2 Rear very highly and doesn't want to risk changing it. :thumbsup:
     
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