With the performance of modern hypersport road rubber continuing to push ever greater boundaries, some manufacturers are now dropping their ‘Racing Street’ product lines altogether.
This year both Avon and Dunlop have dropped this segment from their range, although the first to do it was Michelin when they unveiled the new Power RS in late 2016.
Boasting a big improvement in dry grip over the Pilot Power 3, but without compromising on wet weather performance, Michelin decided to do away with their Power Supersport Evo altogether, which would have traditionally been the next step up in road-legal performance for riders doing fast road and occasional track riding. They’re confident this new tyre can more than meet the challenge.
After a successful opening round of the 2017 MotoGP season, Michelin have commandeered Qatar’s Losail circuit and flown some of the world’s top journalists to the desert state for the new tyre’s official launch.
The first review in is from Alan Dowds, writing for Bike Sport News, who has been putting the Power RS through it’s paces in a series of tests devised by Michelin, including back to back sessions against it’s Pilot Power 3 predecessor.
Alan says:
“Now, the old Power 3s weren’t really a legendary tyre, and they never caught the imagination, swamped a little as they were by better fitments from the opposition. But they’re pretty decent on the first few laps today at Losail. We have a Michelin rider in front to lead us round, and while he was going fairly steady, I still get a good impression of the Power 3s. I’ve been to this track before, albeit a long time ago (the 2008 Fireblade launch), so I have a rough memory of where it goes, and the Power 3s feel fine. Nothing spectacular, just like a normal road sports tyre with good grip, fast-ish steering and the odd wobble when you get hard on the gas, or make a wee mistake mid-corner. The three laps are done quickly, and I’m back in the pits to swap onto an identical S1000RR, using the new RS tyres.
Back out on track, and it’s fair to say there’s a big difference. The BM instantly feels much more like a track bike, especially at the front end. There’s a new sense of stability and plantedness, with a very precise ‘on rails’ feel through Losail’s turn one. Yet you get an instant response to your steering inputs – a very good trick indeed. The Michelin man (one of the SERT Suzuki endurance racers) is going a bit quicker, but we’re still being a little bit steady, so I’m not sure about the grip from the back end just yet. There’s plenty available, but it’s hard to tell if it’s much better than the old tyres.”
As the night drew in, the team prepared for another few sessions, this time without an instructor as also jumps on a ZX-10R:
“Halfway through my 20 minutes, I’m pushing harder and harder, and the Michelins just get better and better. I’ve got no worries about them at all, and where on a normal road tyre you’d start to get little warning signs that you were taking the piss a bit, these just got on with it. It’s no exaggeration to say I felt as comfortable as I would have done on a decent set of slicks – I can get on the gas as soon as I fancy, brake late and deep, and generally push this 200bhp superbike like it was a 600. It’s beguiling stuff, and I’m very impressed indeed.”
You can read Alan’s full review here.
The first stocks of the new Power RS are already here at Cambrian for our trade customers, and you can view the full size range here.
