Michelin Road 5

Description

The Two Tyres 1-minute guide to the Michelin Road 5

What is it: Michelin’s premium sports touring tyre is the latest in a long line of their Road series. Dropping the word Pilot from their name but they’re even better at flying down A roads and motorways than the Pilot Road 4. Michelin have hit the bullseye with the Road 5. It’s available as the regular tyre, with sizes that cover most bikes but there’s also the Road 5 Trail which is made in sizes more commonly seen on Adventure bikes and the Road 5 GT which is a stiffer tyre, designed for heavyweight tourers.

If we could only use one word to sum up the Michelin Road 5 is it this: confidence. The tyre has a unique tread pattern and a soft carcass which enables it to warm-up quickly and provide grip from the word go. It is one of the best tyres on the market when it comes to dealing with rain and it also offers decent mileage – we’ve seen customers get between 4,000 and 12,000 miles from theirs – so it’s no wonder it’s the go-to tyre for a wide variety of bikers.

It’s a real world tyre that can cope with everything the UK weather can throw at you. It’ll also deal with our varied road conditions; gravel, overbanding, white lines, manhole covers and pot holes. None of these will phase the Road 5.

What tyre it replaces: The Road 5 replaces the Pilot Road 4 and was introduced in 2018.

Who is it aimed at: Equally at home on an R1 as it is on an R1200RT. If you aren’t bothered about racetrack looks but you want real world performance, the Road 5 is a great option. Neutral handling, amazing wet weather performance and good longevity, it’s no wonder this is one of the best-selling tyres in the UK right now.

Typically seen on: A wide range of bikes that get ridden all year ’round in all conditions. From the BMW F900XR, Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX  and BMW R1250RT to an MT-07 and Honda Fireblade.

Road 5 highlights: Incredible wet-weather performance. Rapid warm-up times due to the high silica content.

Road 5 tyre sizes: All 17″ sizes, with three different front tyre sizes and seven different rears, going all the way up to a 190/55 ZR17.

A more extreme option: The Power 5 is a better option if you like to ride when the sun’s out or if you’re a Sportsbike rider after optimum handing response.

A budget-conscious option: The Pilot Road 2 might be an older tyre now but Michelin still produce this tyre due to its loyal following. It’s a great tyre and exceptional value for money.

The competition: This is premium tyre territory and the big guns are out. The Michelin goes up against the Metzeler Roadtec 01 SE, the Pirelli Angel GT2 and the Bridgestone T32.

Michelin says

• A new benchmark in wet weather performance for the sport touring market.
• Amazing stopping performance, with a 50% worn tyre achieving the same braking distance as a brand new Pilot Road 4 in testing.
• Excellent durability for many miles of happy riding.

Tyre Sizes

Front

110/70 ZR17 M/C 54W TL
120/60 ZR17 M/C (55W) TL
120/70 ZR17 M/C (58W) TL
120/70 ZR17 M/C (58W) TL – GT
120/70 ZR18 M/C (59W) TL – GT
110/80 R19 M/C 59V TL – Trail
120/70 ZR19 M/C 60W TL – Trail

Rear

140/70 ZR17 M/C 66W TL
150/60 ZR17 M/C 66W TL
150/70 R17 M/C 69V TL – Trail
150/70 ZR17 M/C (69W) TL
160/60 ZR17 M/C (69W) TL
170/60 R17 M/C 72W TL – Trail
170/60 ZR17 M/C (72W) TL
180/55 ZR17 M/C (72W) TL
180/55 ZR17 M/C (72W) TL – GT
190/50 ZR17 M/C (73W) TL
190/50 ZR17 M/C (73W) TL – GT
190/55 ZR17 M/C (75W) TL
190/55 ZR17 M/C (75W) TL – GT