VOL. 55 ISSUE 9 MARCH 6, 2018 P99
B E S T
O F A L L
W O R L D S ?
Creating a competitive sport-touring tire in today's market is a difficult thing to
do. Buyers don't want just pure, sporty performance, they also want longevity.
Wet performance is a must, but so is straight-line stability. Oh, and don't forget
that sharp lean angles are important, too. Missing any one of those? Buyers will
toss your tires in the garbage and move onto the next set. It's a tough life for tire
manufacturers.
But what if there was a way to achieve—okay, exceed—all of the standards that
the sport-touring market sets forth? To not compromise in one area in order to
excel in another, but hit every mark just right? Michelin claims that it has found
the best of all worlds in the form of its all-new Road 5 sport-touring tire.
The Michelin Road 5 is all new in comparison to its predecessor, the Pilot
Road 4, and comes packed with groundbreaking technologies that the company
is using in its two-wheel lineup for the very first time. The headline of the Road
5's construction is an additive metal manufacturing process, which is a form of
3D printing that opens the possibilities for uniquely effective tread designs. It's
a process that Michelin has taken advantage of since 2006, and has resulted
in tire weight savings, reduced raw material wastage and limitless opportunities
when it comes to designing a new tire.
BY MICHAEL GILBERT
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY MICHELIN
MICHELIN PACKS ITS ALL-NEW ROAD 5 SPORT-TOURING
TIRE WITH TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE BEING USED IN ITS
TWO-WHEEL LINEUP FOR THE FIRST TIME
