It’s been available in the UK since early January, but Michelin are now holding the ‘official’ launch of their new sport touring tyre – the Road 5.
This hotly anticipated new hoop promises big wet weather improvements over the popular Pilot Road 4, as well as reduced braking distances for greater levels of rider safety.
Michelin have chosen Seville as the destination for this year’s launch event, with riders spending time at Monteblanco Circuit before heading off into the twisty Spanish mountain roads.
We’ll be sending a member of our team out to Spain shortly to try the tyre out for themselves, but in the meantime MCN have just got back from the journalist-only portion of the launch, and it’s safe to say they are suitable impressed!
On track, riders get the chance to test the tyres at speed, but also on a skid pan to show off their wet weather prowess.
Dan Sutherland of MCN commented:
“With speeds nudging 150mph down the long front straight on the larger XR, the tyre felt incredibly stable, too. It was also great under heavy braking, biting the tarmac purposefully all the way back down to second gear from top, ready for the sharp first right-hander.
More time on circuit may have revealed a different result though, as this is not a dedicated sports tyre and Michelin themselves freely admit that those wanting to take their bike on track would be much better suited to their sportier Power RS range.
In order to test wet weather performance, we also tried the tyre on the track’s inner skidpan, taking part in sharp braking tests from around 70mph to 40mph, as well as a swerve test aboard both a Yamaha MT-10SP and Triumph Street Triple 765 RS.
On both bikes, it was another impressive result. Working in tandem with their ABS systems, the Road 5 will bring you to a halt in a stable and collected manner.”
A range of bikes were also available for the 75-mile road ride, with Dan opting for a Kawasaki Z650 and an MT-07.
Dan says:
“Much like the morning track session, the 5s were quickly up to temperature and offered a reassuring level of grip, never once braking traction at the front or rear and always remaining planted when banked over at full lean.
At speed, they also felt very stable – with the only hiccups coming from the Yamaha’s twitchy front end, which occasionally liked to shake its head over larger ruts and bumps in the road.”
For the full article, check out the MCN website.
We’ll be letting you know what we think very soon.
You can find out more about the new Road 5 here.
