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I have yet to find a test that apoints any other tyre than the Michelin PR2 as the 'rainmaster'. It's supposed to be the best tyre in the rain. Apart from the lone person with a bad or weird experience, everybody who has them, loves them.I went with the Metzelers because I do a lot of rain riding and I know what they feel like in the rain (great grip)
The power is a bit overkill. The PR2 provides more than enough grip for the RT (and lots of other bikes). It's not that you're in a Grand Prix with Mr.Rossi on your tail... A friend of mine (who knows how to race) even has PR2 under his Kawasaki superbike type of thing. Only on a track you need tyres with more grip.I was also considering using a Pilot Power 2CT on the front which the rep recommended against.
Just did a 2,000 mile up and back to the Pacific North West with about 1,500 miles of nasty blinding hard rain...
The "factory rep" referred to knows nothing about the motorcycle line of his company's products.According to a video report on rider magazine the factory rep says the only difference between the 2 and the 3 are the sipes for better wet handling.
The "factory rep" referred to knows nothing about the motorcycle line of his company's products.
Michelin has continued to develop the compounds used in the PR2 to increase durability and road holding ability. The PR3 is not just a change of sipe design. However, IMO, sipe design is also one of the reasons we're seeing better wear characteristics.
I pulled the front tire [and replaced the PR2 rear I had to mount during the IBR to go back to the PR3] when I was in Tucson. It had right at 12,000 miles on it and I was able to detect only a very small amount of the cupping that was so evident in the PR2 and though you could see wear, it was actually negligible. So negligible in fact, that the tech changing the tire asked if I was sure I wanted it replaced and was surprised when I told him how many miles were on the tire. He then asked if I wanted to keepolked to Dean in Seattle before he had to swap his PR3 rear out. This was before I had any miles on the PR3. He told me how many miles were on his tire and that the wear was almost undetectable. I walked over to check that statement out, not because I didn't believe him - because I just had to see with my own eyes a rear tire with that many miles on it, that didn't show the wear. We spent some time talking about it while looking at a PR3 with significant miles that still looked very near what it looked like on the tire rack at the dealership. Minor disclaimer needed here: Dean is a very conservative rider - I'm at the other end of the scale. He's definately going to get better tire mileage than I am....
I can't imagine anyone thinking that a simple [not the correct word, but you know what I mean] change in sipe design alone would change the road holding capability in dry weather handling, wet weather handling, longer wear, neutral handling, et al. Side by side, even the feel of the PR2 v. the PR3 tells you they aren't the same compounds.
If you hit the link to their site, they tell you that:
http://www.michelinmotorcycle.com/index.cfm?event=pilotroad3
Note the words: Unbeatable tread life thanks to Michelin's latest-generation 2CT dual-compound technology.
Compare that to the PR2:
http://www.michelinmotorcycle.com/index.cfm?event=pilotroad2
Lastly, try to keep in mind that I have absolutely no interest in Michelin or what tire you choose. I'm merely honoring the request to post a "long term" [albeit compressed into an 11 day ride] report on my opinion of the PR3. I've done that. If you chose to dissect the information I posted looking for inaccuracies, you're certainly welcome to do so. I know one thing that's a certainty - unless a new tire comes along that improves on the PR3, the PR3 is the tire I'll trust my life to on my motorcycles. Bear in mind I'm committed to that statement to the end that I removed a 3 [riding] day old PR2 with less than 2,000 miles on it to replace it with a PR3.
Want a PR2 rear? I have one with under 2,000 miles on it sitting in my shed in Tucson that I'll sell you for $100. Let me know and you can pick it up from my wife at the house....
Generally speaking, genuflecting isn't required. However, it is appreciated....I just said factory rep because I didn't expect to have to answer to such a high authority as yourself, I bow down in your presence.