MICHELIN COMMANDER III TOURING AND CRUISER TIRES
P R O D U C T L AU N C H
P80
the new tires did feel very stable
and certainly look nice. Our
initial impression, especially on
the touring tire, is that it makes
a large V-twin bagger feel light
and nimble. The cruiser tire was
tested in a remote parking lot
where we hammered the brakes
repeatedly to see how the tire
responds under heavy braking,
and we were impressed. The
front of the bike never became
unstable, and the rear, though
it did lock up much as you'd
expect when both brakes are
applied hard, stayed straight and
regained traction quickly.
We look forward to a full evalu-
ation soon, and we'll follow up
with a long-term test once that's
complete. CN
tors—and they displayed one of
their long-term test tires, which
reportedly had 17,681 miles on
it but still showed considerable
tread life. The other offering, the
Commander III Cruiser, focuses
on exceptional wet-weather
stopping. According to Michelin,
it offers the shortest stopping
distance versus the competi-
tion. Michelin's Amplified Density
Technology, which is a highly
dense, more rigid tire casing,
delivers excellent feedback and
handling. The new compound
and stiffer carcass extend the
tread life of this tire while still
offering uncompromised maneu-
vering. Both tires offer trade-
marked Michelin Premium Touch
Technology to improve the tires'
aesthetics through sidewall de-
sign, complementing the styling
that's integral to cruiser culture.
We put about a hundred miles
total on each tire during the
two-day event and, while it's not
enough time for a full evaluation,
(Above) Michelin claims this
Touring tire has more than 17,500
miles on it. Looks promising.
The Commander
III Touring, for
baggers, focuses
on high mileage
and enhanced wet-
weather grip, while
Cruiser focuses on
exceptional wet-
weather stopping.
