Michelin Pilot Road 4 Tires Review

I got my hands on a set of the new Michelin Pilot Road 4 Tires. I wrote up a review and my initial impressions on them.

Check it out!

https://www.spiritstrike.com/gear/2014/1/15/michelin-pilot-road-4-tires

Well not much we don't know already. Let us know more once you get 10K on them. Like any new tire they all handle great compared to the worn out POS you take off. It's like rejuvinating any bike. Good luck. Sticking with PR'2s for now.

Cheers,

I'll definitely keep it updated as I wear them out. I know what you mean about getting new tires after worn out tires, but the ones I took off weren't worn out yet. I took some Pilot Power 3's off and saved them for later. They only had about 1200 miles on them.

Looking forward to wearing these out though

kaosbandit said:

I'll definitely keep it updated as I wear them out. I know what you mean about getting new tires after worn out tires, but the ones I took off weren't worn out yet. I took some Pilot Power 3's off and saved them for later. They only had about 1200 miles on them.
Looking forward to wearing these out though

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Don't worry, if they're anything like the PR3s it won't take you long...Lol!!

Actually looking forward to hear how they do also.

If there is anything better than brand new set of PR2s on a twisty smooth road in good weather, I can't think of it right now.

I love the PR2's, but what to do when they are unavailable I am not sure. Angel GT's? Maybe. 'Stone BT30? Probably not. Here's hoping that the PR4 way outshines the PR3.

If you watched the Revzilla review, the PR4's have slightly harder compounds than the PR3's, so there is hope they will wear like a PR2 (which is too hard for me). Kinda liking the Trails though, might be good for the Strom if I don't want to stray too far off road.. not sure what I'm gonna put on the Feej next. I want to try the Angel GT's too.

Road_Runner said:

I love the PR2's, but what to do when they are unavailable I am not sure. Angel GT's? Maybe. 'Stone BT30? Probably not. Here's hoping that the PR4 way outshines the PR3.

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What didn't you like about the PR3?

Mine handled very well. They felt awesome and stuck as well as anything I have ever tried. This may freak some out, but they stuck and handled very similarly to my Roadsmarts that I loved. They also lasted almost exactly the same mileage but cost $20 more per set.

Honestly I could have gotten maybe another 500 miles out of them, but I was over 1k from home when they literally disappeared in one day. I left my house with 5k on them, fully expecting 10k by the way they looked and measured. At 7500, they were on the floor of Ray's shop.

I would have felt like a lone idiot, but two of us that were running PR3s left home with the same expectation and had to ride to Bend OR to buy replacements. TominCA's PR3s evaporated also.

They were nice tires, but for the same mileage and feel, I'll run the Roadsmarts...After I finish these current Angels. I really like them but I'm betting I see cords before 7k and they're not cheap.

I have a radical opinion (meaning not widely shared) that people should embrace rating (and buying) front and rear tires separately. There is no truly worthy reason for running tires in "sets" (mounting in sets makes sense for some people that pay for that privilege) from the same manufacturer.

And furthermore, in many cases a tire company makes a great tire for one end of the bike and the corresponding model mate sucks moist ass cheese. The original Roadsmart tires were a case in point. The rears were a great tire for many users but the front was ubiquitously condemned as an evil loop of dog doodie by anyone that actually ran one. Many more such cases exist.

I encourage folks to think outside the "gotta buy 2 from them" box. Your motorcycle life may improve.

Fred W said:

I have a radical opinion (meaning not widely shared) that people should embrace rating (and buying) front and rear tires separately. There is no truly worthy reason for running tires in "sets" (mounting in sets makes sense for some people that pay for that privilege) from the same manufacturer.
And furthermore, in many cases a tire company makes a great tire for one end of the bike and the corresponding model mate sucks moist ass cheese. The original Roadsmart tires were a case in point. The rears were a great tire for many users but the front was ubiquitously condemned as an evil loop of dog doodie by anyone that actually ran one. Many more such cases exist.

I encourage folks to think outside the "gotta buy 2 from them" box. Your motorcycle life may improve.

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Many found that a rear RS and a front Diablo is a great combination. For my riding atmosphere the front RS was never a problem, but people who live in the tight stuff saw Hell from them.

Fred - I agree with you. I've bought tires individually as they wear for at least 4 years and 3 bikes. I wait until they past the wear indicator, then replace. If that happens while I'm on tour, I may push it another 500-700 miles to get home if the weather is good. Conversely, if I know I'm heading out on a 3K tour, and my tire(s) are close, I'll go ahead and replace them before the trip.

Based on this method, I get 7500 - 8500 out of a rear PR2, and 9500 - 10500 out of a PR2 front. It usually works out to 3 fronts for 4 rears.

Like HotRodZilla - I tried one set of PR3s when I changed both tires at the same time. These lasted 8000 and 9000 IIRC. I don't ride everyday in the rain, so it was back to the PR2, where it's been ever since.

The bottom line is - friggin m/c tires are mucho EXPENSIVE!!!!! I wish they'd come up with the holy grail. Grip out of the ass, but center tread that last 25000 miles.

Of course, I'm reminded of an economics lesson I got one day in college. The professor was very entertaining. He walked in to class with a variety of shaving instruments. He went on and on about the differences between them. We were all wondering what the hell any of this had to do with economics. Then he started telling us about the concepts of marketing. I remember him distinctly saying that "Gilette can make a disposible razor blade that will keep a sharp edge for a year or longer. But if they offered it on the market, the'd be out of business very quickly because they could'nt charge a price high enough to stay in business. They'd rather sell blades that last a week, so you will buy 52 of them every year."

That really stuck with me.

hppants said:

Of course, I'm reminded of an economics lesson I got one day in college. The professor was very entertaining. He walked in to class with a variety of shaving instruments. He went on and on about the differences between them. We were all wondering what the hell any of this had to do with economics. Then he started telling us about the concepts of marketing. I remember him distinctly saying that "Gilette can make a disposible razor blade that will keep a sharp edge for a year or longer. But if they offered it on the market, the'd be out of business very quickly because they could'nt charge a price high enough to stay in business. They'd rather sell blades that last a week, so you will buy 52 of them every year."

That really stuck with me.

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Yup, planned obsolescence.

However if a tire compound was formulated at an acceptable price point that could in fact provide significantly longer tread-wear while maintaining a high level of grip, that would exponentially increase sales.

The best solution they have for now are probably the dual-compound designs. A compromise that seems to work fairly well.

To that end, the P4 is definately on the short list after my Dunlop RS-2's are gone.

I didn't like the PR3s when they first came out. I tried two sets, the first set liked to track along any imperfection in the road. It just didn't like to go straight. The second set was better at tracking, but still not as good as the PR2. They wore out about 10% faster than PR2s and, considering the tracking issue, were certainly no better. So, I'm back on PR2s.

It looks like they changed the shape of the sipes on the PR4 so I'm hoping that solved the tracking issue. That and the harder compound to increase life should make it a very nice tire. We'll see.

Fred W said:

I have a radical opinion (meaning not widely shared) that people should embrace rating (and buying) front and rear tires separately. There is no truly worthy reason for running tires in "sets" (mounting in sets makes sense for some people that pay for that privilege) from the same manufacturer.
And furthermore, in many cases a tire company makes a great tire for one end of the bike and the corresponding model mate sucks moist ass cheese. The original Roadsmart tires were a case in point. The rears were a great tire for many users but the front was ubiquitously condemned as an evil loop of dog doodie by anyone that actually ran one. Many more such cases exist.

I encourage folks to think outside the "gotta buy 2 from them" box. Your motorcycle life may improve.

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+1....That ^^^was my conclusion a long time ago....

One more point that compounds the trade-offs of many motorcycle tires. Obviously we all want the stickiest, highest traction tires possible. But, we also want them to last forever because, well... because they are so damned expensive. Therein is the trade off.

The current method that manufacturers have pursued is the use of dual compound technology for the sport/touring crowd. Of course using these advanced manufacturing techniques make the already pricey tires even more expensive. But it does allow someone that spends some time straight up on the slab to not wear out the center of their tires so quick so they get a chance to actually use the stickier sides when they get to someplace fun. The dichotomy of that solution is: How much do you run on the slab vs. the curves. What part of your tires do you wear out first? The center or the sides?

Not being a commuter nor an LD rider, even when I am going on a multi-day tour I tend to find routes that follow the squiggly lines on the map and shun the interstate whenever possible. I have never yet worn out the center of any of the dual compound tires I have run (Roadsmart Rrears, Michelin PR2, Bridgestone BT023GT) but instead always seem to wear the two sides down to the quick in those two areas about half way between center and edge, where the majority of turning takes place on the softer compound.

It probably doesn't make sense for a rider like me to be paying the extra money for a multicompound tire if one were available that had reasonably long wearing compound from edge to edge. Then again, maybe if I changed to something like that the center would then be the first to go.

Sure wish these hoops weren't so damn much money.

I've got a set of the Bridgestone T30 GT's (great price point) waiting to go on in the spring...I'll see how they work out.

I have been a fan of the PR2's...might need to stock up on a couple sets

El Toro Joe said:

I've got a set of the Bridgestone T30 GT's (great price point) waiting to go on in the spring...I'll see how they work out.
I have been a fan of the PR2's...might need to stock up on a couple sets

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I'll be on the lookout for your report. My 023 GT's will be due for replacement before the season gets into full swing here in the PNW and I do enjoy the feel of a new set of tires while riding the mountain passes here.

I have a PR4 GT on order for the front. I just installed a Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Plus (Car tire) on the rear.

Unlike Fred, I quickly blow thru the center of the Rear commuting to work on the slab.

Fred I have 2 or 3 PR3 rears you may be able to get some use out of