Michelin pilot powers
- Thread starter bigdr
- Start date
Well I just found a set of 014s pull offs with 180 miles on them for $125 shipped, the guy pulled them off his 05' Gixxer and installed some PPs
...I pretty much have to buy them. So it looks likes its only going to be 014s for me this season
unless I catch a nail or something.
unless I catch a nail or something.
BV...tire wear is still an extremely subjective issue with many variables and a plethora of conditions such as local riding/road temps, what sort of road surface textures are involved...and the individual riders skills, aggression and general riding habits including how fast or slow...and/or...how smooth or choppy they ride...up to and including how frequently they check and and how well they maintain tire air pressures but...
With the question you posed to me of riders (hayabusa?) getting 10K miles out of a set of avons?...I'd hafta contend that such a rider is probly a whole lotta "TOUR" and extremely little to no..."SPORT".
BTW...thanks for the compliment regarding my knowledge...but...it ain't "mine"...it's just what I've learned from others who've been generous and kind enough to share with me what they knew...as I carry on that tradition here...at hayabusa.org...my home away from home when I'm home.
L8R, Bill.
These are my new M1's after a little over 900 miles. Granted I did 800 of these miles on the great roads during my Lolo pass ride and there is very little straight line riding up there, but please notice the profile of the tire. They are still perfectly rounded and have minimal wear. I know I still got a 1/4" chicken strip
but I had my wife on the back and could only lean so far
In the end tire choice is really up to the individual. I believe a person will ride a tire they feel confident in the hardest irreguardless of make or model. I do feel the M1 is a good choice for some though.
Perfectly expressed BV!And then there is another angle that has not been mentioned yet...most people probably cannot outride their tires anyways. I know for a fact that I cannot.
But I certainly can wear out the center with the best of em'.
Like I said...The BT014's, M1's and Diablo's are still all great choices and definantly "in the hunt" but...The Powers are noticably far more tackier....like they've been rolled in super glue and vacuum locked to the road...in a word...
awesomeconfidenceinspiringgrippy@$$dareyatatryanbreak'emloosetraction.
and for bonus points?...one more word...
thesteeringiscompletelyneutralandthehandlingisutterlypredictableatallanglesoflean.
L8R, Bill.
I don't agree...as it is those very riders who do so often times NEED that extra "Forgiveness" that the added levels of traction offer...to wit...a very experienced "SMOOTH/FAST" rider will fair far better on harder compounds than will a less experienced "Point & Shoot/Choppy" rider will...as it is THEY who need that extra added traction...which btw also helps them to SAFELY build the confidence levels of their own skills and abilities and help free their minds of "The Lean Angle Demons"....which so often times bite them when they feel their rear stepping out then grab a hand full of brake and....well...you know the rest of the sad story.And then there is another angle that has not been mentioned yet...most people probably cannot outride their tires anyways. I know for a fact that I cannot.
But I certainly can wear out the center with the best of em'.
IMNSHO it IS the newer riders, or those who are seeking to push their skills to the next level that NEED the added traction a race compound tire offers...and they NEED it far more than do the skilled, smooth, fast, experienced riders do.
But...that's jmho and L8R, Bill.
+1 I too am a huge fan of the Metzelers, but you have to make up your own mind. I've been curious about the Michelin tires, but it will almost take an act of Congress to make me switch from the M1's.
Amen Bacharles
I hear you and would tend to agree in principal although I still believe that when comparing tires of equal performance, and yes the M1 is also a race developed compound tire, the average street rider will not outride any of them. JMHOI don't agree...as it is those very riders who do so often times NEED that extra "Forgiveness" that the added levels of traction offer...to wit...a very experienced "SMOOTH/FAST" rider will fair far better on harder compounds than will a less experienced "Point & Shoot/Choppy" rider will...as it is THEY who need that extra added traction...which btw also helps them to SAFELY build the confidence levels of their own skills and abilities and help free their minds of "The Lean Angle Demons"....which so often times bite them when they feel their rear stepping out then grab a hand full of brake and....well...you know the rest of the sad story.And then there is another angle that has not been mentioned yet...most people probably cannot outride their tires anyways. I know for a fact that I cannot.
But I certainly can wear out the center with the best of em'.
IMNSHO it IS the newer riders, or those who are seeking to push their skills to the next level that NEED the added traction a race compound tire offers...and they NEED it far more than do the skilled, smooth, fast, experienced riders do.
But...that's jmho and L8R, Bill.
Boy Howdy, I couldn't disagree more with the Jinkster!BV...what you hafta remember (regarding wear) is just what Vman posted about "Slippage"....the theory being...
On heavy big bore/huge torque bikes like the Busa the primary tire wear doesn't occur due to "Miles Rolled"...it occurs during hard roll-ons (at the initiation of each and every gear) and harsh decels such as high levels of "engine braking" (at the initiation of each and every gear) and/or any heavily applied decel braking at all as...this is where your tires are struggling to maintain traction...moving and/or stopping all that weight with ALL that TORQUE!And with each harsh accel/decel small amounts of rubber from the harder compound tires are left behind...from "Slippage" and...
This is where the harder compound tires actually wear faster and the softer race compounds begin to shine...both milage AND performance wise.....such as the Powers have..a true race compound originally formulated for Moto GP racing..which experience far less "Slippage" when stressed to the traction limits while under harsh accel/decel.
At least that's the way it was explained to me...along with the fact that nothing will get you in trouble faster than mounting hard tires on high performance sportbikes.
Taken straight from michelins website regarding the "Pilot Powers"....
"The softest rubber mix of any comparable tyre
Phenomenal grip; quickly reaches optimum temperature
Maximum lean angle in the dry: 50.6°
Rubber mix remains soft even at lower temperatures, providing excellent grip throughout your ride.
You don't have to be world champion to get your hands on Michelin MotoGP tyre technology. The Pilot Power uses a rubber mix that was originally developed for MotoGP racing, yielding minimal warm-up time and excellent feedback at the limit. This amazing tyre has achieved a maximum lean angle of more than 50 degrees on dry pavement and a remarkable 41.9 degrees in the wet.
L8R, Bill.
I have taken both the 14 and the powers to the track and chewed the arse off both and found there is no difference in grip. Both slip at just about the same angle under load. You can find the sweet spot on the throttle where the tire just begins to slip and that's the maximum limit. I found no difference in that sweet spot? Lean angle is just about identical. You can feel the front begin to push on both tires before they give up.
Michelin says the tire has a rubber mix that was "Originally" developed for MotoGP! Not a tire mix that is currently used in MotoGP. This to me, means the tire is probably as good as the motoGP tires were a dozen or more years ago. I believe this! But you and I are not going to get our hands on the same compound Valentino uses, especially in a street tire.
Michelins are a great tire but then so are the Corsa's and 14's along with many of the others. I took the powers off my Gixxer and went back to 14's after a week or so. I just didn't like the flex I got from the thin sidewalls and they tend to squirm under heavy load. I found the race profile to be a bit severe for my taste on the street.
I also disagree with the theory that a hard tire wears quicker than a soft tire on a big strong bike. I do a lot of burnouts/wheelies and find the soft tires just melt under the heat.The biggest culpret in street tire wear is low air pressure. The lower the tire pressure the hotter the tire becomes making the rubber soft and sticky. The softer it gets the faster it wears. The harder compound tires such as the BT020 last three times as long as a race tire.
Tires are like airplanes, you don't gain in one area without giving something up in another area. The softer the tire the more grip! The better the grip the faster it wears! Something we all have to live with.
Today you have lots of choices in different tires. All are good tires. BV is correct, you aren't going to find more than a hand full of guys on here that can outride any of the street tires. No one with good sense is going to push a street tire near it's limits off the track. Since an average of ten people die in motorcycle accidents every day in this country, natural selection weeds the (Ride it to the max) guys out eventually. Sometimes, sooner than later?
Buy what you like and ride it hard. If you crash due to the tire loosing traction, I don't think a different tire would have saved you? My advice is never exceed 70% of your skill level on the streets and you'll probably live to be an old man? If you desire to test any tire to the max, take it to the track.
Just my opinoins here! Taken from past experience for whatever it's worth?
I think we got a wee bit lost on this...
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