Michelin Power One

Just when I'm adoring the Michelin Power Race so much, a quick browse on the internet says that this tyre are being replace with the new Michelin Power One. The first time I saw this tyre was on the Kevin's bike. It just look awesome. I can't wait to try on this tyre. (Yeah Right! With what?!)



This DOT-approved race rubber comes in 20 different models and 8 different sizes with 9 different compound. You guys can looks at http://www.michelinpowerone.com/sitepower/site/indexen.html for Michelin guide on the best tyre suited for you.

The hint on the tyre is A for soft, B for medium and C for endurance (hard). There's also a slicks & wets version available for the consumer. Price are just as the same with Power Race. Indeed it's a revolutionize replacement for it.

Too bad for MotoGP that is missing all this fun. Same goes to the F1 too.

Tyre Guide

Since some of us keep asking what the best tyre for the usage, I'll try to guide you guys on what I know. I'll briefly talk about the top three manufacturer that is Bridgestone, Pirelli and Michelin, just because it's easily available here. So this will leave out Avon, Continental, Metzeller and so on. And I'll only talk about supersports, sports, and sportstouring categories. I know jack about motards, enduro, cruiser and so on...

Okay...

To direct compare them with each other, for supersports & sport tourer, price indicated are roughly the market price for 120/70 and 190/55 a set, you may get cheaper in the street or a little higher from what I said. Don't brag on the if the price here is lower from the street. Just bargain.

1. Track oriented use first, street second.

• Michelin Power Race - RM 1,300.00 (my choice personally)
• Bridgestone Battlax BT-003 - RM 1,500.00
• Bridgestome Battlax BT-002 - RM 1,200.00
• Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa - RM 1,500.00
• Pirelli Dragon Corsa Pro - RM 1,500.00
• Pirelli Dragon Corsa - RM 1,400.00

2. Street Riding first, Ocassional track day

• Bridgestone Battlax BT-016 - RM 1,000.00
• Bridgestone Battlax BT-015 - RM 950.00
• Bridgestone Battlax BT-014 - RM 950.00
• Pirelli Diablo Corsa III - RM 1,400.00 (my choice personally)
• Pirelli Diablo Corsa - RM 1,200.00
• Michelin Pilot Power - RM 1,200.00

3. Street Everyday Riding - Touring style

• Bridgestone Battlax BT-021 - RM 1,000.00
• Bridgestone Battlax BT-020 - RM 1,000.00
• Pirelli Angle ST (unreleased)
• Michelin Pilot Road 2 - RM 1,000.00 (my choice personally)

More to come...

Michelin Pilot Road 2

Thinking of changing a tyre for your sporttourer? Amir FJR ask me is the Pirelli is a fine choice without specifying the model name, but I don't know if Pirelli do bring in a suitable tyre for a sporttourer, what I know that Pirelli have here is the Corsa, Corsa III, DragonCorsa, DragonCorsa Pro and the SuperCorsa. None of them are really suitable for the sporttourer. The choice a limited. The most popular is the Bridgestone BT-021, and then you have Bridgestone BT-020 and Metzeller Roadtec Z6. So I did some homework and find out the Michelin Power Road 2 are available here.


Here's how the front tyre looks like. Price within the same range as the Bridgestone BT-021, I think it'll be a super deal for sporttourer uses. Looks are the thread pattern, you'll know it's being design to perform well on the wet.


The tyre adopt the Michelin dual compound technology, 2CT. A dual compound for a sporttourer is a great advantage. Review of this tyre shows that it has longer thread wear than the Bridgestones and it perform extremely well on wet. The tyre are directly rivals with Pirelli Diablo Strada, Bridgestone BT021 and BT020, Dunlop Sportmax D220, Continental Road Attack Z and the Metzeler Roadtec Z6.





Michelin lost quite a deal when lost the Formula 1 contract and the MotoGP. But they have always been known to produce excellent quality tyres. I bet this tyre would be great. And with the price within the range of the Bridgestones, again, it'll would be an awesome bargain!.

Michelin Power Race : Just Awesome!

Uh..uh..uh... It would be bored to get the Pirelli Corsa III for the third time. I don't plan to get ride my bike in distance for a little while. I would be Awana, Klawang and Sepang for me this coming months, so I decided to get a race tyres and try to lean my bike to the fullest.

I might had considered the Bridgestone Battlax BT-003 and Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa. I've tried them Supercorsa on my ZX6R, which it just amazing, so I might have well skip the Pirelli for this time. BT-003 would be price slightly around RM 1,500.00, the Power Race is RM 1,300.00. I had read good feedback on both tyres but my heart wants the Power Race. So I go and get them.

First look, my my my.... these tyre are looks to sharp. Not that round as the other competitors, it much more oval shaped. I'm excited cause that would make it much stable in the corners. I could sacrifice the straight performance for these, but I was wrong. It is great on both. These might be due to the air pressure recommended for these tyres. The front power race is to be put on 29psi and the rear on 24psi. 24? Are I'm reading these correctly? I guess that what everyone would ask. Yup... it just 24.


Since the recommended pressure is 29/24. On the street, I tried 31/28. It felt good. I'll update how the 29/24 would feel like.


I'm ready to kill the Michelin man on the edges of the tyres.


There are 7 compound altogether for these tyres. Each one uses two compound. The soft compound on the front tyre is much softer then one on the rear tyre. You can get them in 3 types. Soft-Soft, Medium-Soft, Medium-Medium. I ordered the Medium-medium, but it turn out getting the medium soft. They only have this option for time being. Oh what the hell. The compound for these tyre clearly stated after the Power Race stamp on the tyre.

I get them fit last week. So I'm very excited for today track day. The tyre was simply awesome. It doesn't misbehave at all. I lean with full confidence. It felt good on wet too. But I wouldn't want to experimenting much more on that condition. Hehe..


Tyres condition after 20 laps in Sepang circuit. I parked my bike with the side stand, after a day look how the small rocks on the tarmac shaped up my tyres.


I told you I'll kill the Michelinman. Huhuhu...


Looks awesome!

Tyre Choice!

OK. Every 3 or 4 months, I'll back on this dilemma again. Which one to choose and which suites me best for riding in few months to come?

This is my final list.

1. Pirelli Diablo Corsa III
I had been 2 sets of this tyre on my ZX10R. It is great and absolutely wonderful. It is a real balance between street and track. I get 5,500km mileage on this tyre until it reaches the marker. It is retail at RM 1,300.00 for 120/70 & 190/55. I search for these tyres a year ago when it is still not brought in. Mok says it would cost me RM 1,700.00. The jump on the price is due to the stock, the Pirelli distributors doesn't keep them. Now they do and you can get them at the retail price. Corsa III is totally a different character than the first Corsa from what I heard. I haven't tried the Corsa, but Corsa III has my recommendation.

2. Michelin Power Race
This is the new addition to the tyre line up here. It would be best for track use. Retail at RM 1,400.00 (I'm talking about the same size for the tyres here) and I am tempted to have this tried. Great feedback from users around the world. I'm not sure how much mileage you can get on this, but I doubt it can last longer then the Corsa IIIs. It's main rival would be the Diablo SuperCorsa. I found this on the net, Who should buy these tyres? - Track day riders and racers all compounds based on personal preference & street riders who ride “near the limit” medium compound.

3. Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa
For track, this would be absolutely amazing! For street use, you have to have a deep pocket cause it'll last only for about 3,000km and retail at RM 1,600.00. I love them so much. I use them before on my previous ZX6R and I swear I wouldn't want to get out from the track with this tyre on. It's useless on wet condition. The rubber is so sticky and soft, you can even see the rubber shaped if you pinched the tyre even when it is cold. This tyre only design for one thing, to make you faster on your bike.

4. Bridgestone Battlax BT016
Favorite tyres among all bikers here. I never used them before, but from what I see, it's a perfect balance for street and track as well. Street price tag at RM 1,100.00, it's a real bargain, so no wonder it's the favorite among superbikers here. I'm sure it has the most mileage among all fours. I got 8,000km with the BT-015 on my previous ZX6-R, so it kinda predictable. You can be extreme using this tyres, not that you can't. So it would pretty hard to leave this tyre from my wish list.

So to sum it up,
1. Pirelli Diablo Corsa III vs Bridgestone Battlax BT-016
2. Pirelli Diablo SuperCorsa vs Michelin Power Race
3. Track oriented use or Street/Track use
4. Twisties and short distance ride or Long Way Up and Long Way Down.

Hmm.... So if I get the Supercorsa or the Power Race. I would only concentrate on track riding for a while. Corsa III and BT-016 would suites more for street riding and some track day. I'm not sure we'll going for a long ride for a while, so the time is kinda perfect to try and test those track tyres. My heart wants the Power Race cause I never tried them before ...and I love experimenting. The Corsa III has been excellent on my ten. Supercorsa is too expensive. If I were to get the Battlax... I think I better get the Corsa IIIs. Hmm...