With the increasing popularity and availability of faster and rider-focused motorcycles, motorcycling in India and the average Indian motorcyclist have both evolved. As a result, once settled in, riders now demand the best equipment for their bikes, in order to extract the maximum performance and riding pleasure. A popular brand which comes wrapped as factory-fitment and is also popular as an aftermarket option, Michelin has introduced its Road 5 Sport Radial tyres in India. The Road 5 is available in 3 sizes – Front: 120 / 70/ ZR17; Rear: 190/50/ZR17 and 180 /55 /ZR 17.
This new tyre is built using the same DNA of the Michelin Pilot Road 4, of which, 1.5 million units were sold since its launch four years ago. In an in-house evaluation comparing the new tyre with its chief competitors (METZELER Roadtec 01, DUNLOP Road Smart 3, CONTINENTAL Road Attack 3, PIRELLI Angel GT and BRIDGESTONE T30 EVO (front: 120/70 ZR 17 / rear: 180/55 ZR 17) fitted to a Suzuki Bandit 1250), the Michelin Road 5 came first with regard to grip on wet roads.
But the performance continues even as the tyre gets old and the tyre promises to offer excellent in wet conditions throughout its life. Compared to the Michelin Road 4, the Road 5 stops as short under braking with more than 3,000 miles on the clock than a new Michelin Pilot ROAD 4. In addition to these improvements, the Michelin Road 5 combines optimal grip on dry roads, promises superior stability compared with its main rivals and great road manners, a key consideration for owners of Sport Touring motorcycles.
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To achieve this level of performance, the Michelin Road 5 is built using the latest-generation rubber compounds, combines Dual-compound technology (Michelin 2CT and Michelin 2CT+ Technology), and features a siped tread pattern. The new tyre makes use of Michelin’s XST X sipe technology, which was originally developed for car tyres. The new tech, called Michelin XST Evo, features a combination of sipes and reservoirs designed to slice through surface water and improve the tyre’s water-clearance capacity. With wear, the technology’s evolutionary sipes reveal wider grooves to increase the tyre’s sea-to-land ratio and thereby maintain its ability to clear water.