Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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walls of the Road 5 feature close-angle, overlapping cross plys to ensure rigidity and stability under load. The crown of the tire remains flexible, helping main- tain stability over long stretches on straight roads. Rubber Side Down Michelin invited us to try out the all-new Road 5 on a ride though the Andalu- sian Mountains in southern Spain, as well as over a few laps at Circuit de Monteblanco. After switching between various size and style motorcycles, like a Yamaha MT-07 and BMW S 1000 XR, we have a strong grasp on the capabili- ties of the tire, and have come to the MICHELIN ROAD 5 PRODUCT TEST P100 How does this benefit the Road 5? Thanks to the capabilities of additive metal manufacturing, Michelin has given its new sport-touring tire a highly effective, siped tread pattern called Michelin XST EVO technology. The XST EVO pattern is a combination of sipes and wells aimed at effectively clearing water during wet-weather riding, boost- ing performance and safety. The beauty of the sipe design is that the channels are progressive, meaning they become increasingly wider as the tire wears out, which helps maintain high performance over the entirety of the tire's lifespan. Michelin even claims that a set of Road 5s with 5000 kilometers of wear per- form equally to a brand-new set of Pilot Road 4's in a wet braking test. Impres- sive stuff. Michelin also introduced two new rubber compound formulas with the Road 5's, which are said to improve grip levels in both wet and dry con- ditions. The front tire features two types of the company's 2CT all-silica compound, with one being used on the crown and the other on the tire's shoulders to avoid understeer at lean. A 2CT+ variant compound has been employed on the rear tire, which also features two different types. Like the front tire, an all-silica compound is used for the crown, yet it has a higher silica concentrate to provide resistance to straight-line wear. On the shoulders of the rear tire, Michelin employed an all-carbon black compound to achieve remarkable dry grip. Another key component of the Road 5 is the use of Michelin ACT+ (Adap- tive Casing Technology), which is said to optimize the stiffness of the carcass for stability both in a straight line and at high lean angles. Shoulders and side- The all-new Road 5 is the next advancement in Michelin's sport- touring line. The recently-introduced tire utilizes a large amount of new technology, and is said to be far superior to its predecessor, especially in wet conditions.