When it came time to replace the shagged stock OE fitment Bridgestones on our Kawasaki Concours 14 long-term test bike, we decided to slip on a set of Michelin's latest sport-touring rubber, the Pilot Road 2. Intended as an extension of the Pilot Road sport-touring tire series, the Pilot Road 2 differs from the standard Pilot Road in its use of Michelin's 2CT (2 Compound Technology) construction. Similar to the Pilot Power 2CT and new Power One racing tire's use of multiple compounds in their tread designs, the Pilot Road 2 features two separate compounds on both front and rear tires. The front tire has a soft compound on the outer 20 percent of each side for improved grip at aggressive lean angles, with the center 60 percent made of a slightly harder compound to handle the load stresses of braking. The rear tire uses the same medium-soft compound found in the center of the front tire on the outer 40 percent of each side of the tread, with a harder medium compound in the center 20 percent to deal with acceleration and high-speed mileage loads. Both front and rear tread carcasses use a three-ply construction, with one aramid belt supported by two polyamide plies.The first thing we noticed after mounting the Michelin Pilot Road 2 tires is that they instantly cured a handling anomaly with the Concours 14 that had plagued it during our heavyweight sport-tourer comparison last year ("Long Range Missiles", June '08). The big Kawasaki's steering tended to get pretty heavy once initial turn-in was completed, requiring some bar input to maintain lean angle and even more effort to make a midcorner line change. No amount of suspension fiddling or tire air pressure could completely cure the problem. As soon as we mounted the Michelins and rode through the first few sets of corners, voilà! Steering was finger-tip light, with no effort needed to hold a line and very little necessary to change lines. With its only real handling issue erased, the Concours became an absolute joy to ride, making short work of any twisty pavement that came its way.
Steering with the Pilot Road 2s was not only light, but delightfully neutral as well, with no fall-in or resistive tendencies at any lean angle. Overall ride quality and midcorner bump absorption was also improved, with less harshness perceptible over rough pavement. While feedback at aggressive lean angles wasn't compromised, we did notice a bit of numbness present at moderate lean, with a bit less tire/pavement communication perceptible, but grip was always good so it was less of a concern. While obviously not meant as a hardcore sport tire, the Pilot Road 2 acquitted itself well in all the situations we put it through on the big Kawasaki. We also found that the Michelins warmed up very quickly even on cold mornings, and their traction in wet conditions was excellent as well.
Overall wear rates were just as impressive. Even while providing excellent handling and grip with a big, heavy, and powerful bike like the Concours 14, the Michelins wore like iron compared to the stock Bridgestone BT-021s. While the Bridgestones were absolutely shagged after 3000 miles, the Michelins had plenty of tread left after the same amount of mileage.
The Pilot Road 2 is available in most popular sizes for modern motorcycles, with retail prices ranging from $203.95-$215.95 for the fronts, to $251.95-$320.95 for the rears.
Michelin North America
www.michelinmotorcycle.com
(800)346-4098