Michelin Pilot series tires

[RPG]

Thinking about new tires for my '04 RT and looking at the Michelin Pilot series. I'm guessing the Pilot Road 4's would be the best for my application. (Sport Touring, the occasional Track Day and Sunday morning twisties), but I see you can still purchase Pilot Road 3's and Pilot Road 2's. Are these just older versions of the same tire? Why wouldn't Michelin discontinue them?

 

thanks,

 

RPG

[Jose Abiles]

I have a '04 R1150RT-P. It came with Mich PR2s. Just recently changed to Mich PR4 GTs. Regular PR4s did not come in the size for my ride. Very happy with the 4 GTs, smooth ride and responds well to light pressure input on the handle bars.

[Boffin]

Thinking about new tires for my '04 RT and looking at the Michelin Pilot series. I'm guessing the Pilot Road 4's would be the best for my application. (Sport Touring, the occasional Track Day and Sunday morning twisties), but I see you can still purchase Pilot Road 3's and Pilot Road 2's. Are these just older versions of the same tire? Why wouldn't Michelin discontinue them?

 

thanks,

 

RPG

 

Just thinking out loud here - Michelin is a European tyre maker and has supplied these tyre as OEM fit to bikes sold in Germany. To sell OEM tyres in Germany they must be TuV approved for the vehicle they are fitted to. This also requires that they are available to fit for a minimum period afterwards - ISTR 20 years - therefore they cannot discontinue for a while yet - Pilot Road (1) tyres have just started to get hard to find.

 

Andy

[Guest Kakugo]

Thinking about new tires for my '04 RT and looking at the Michelin Pilot series. I'm guessing the Pilot Road 4's would be the best for my application. (Sport Touring, the occasional Track Day and Sunday morning twisties), but I see you can still purchase Pilot Road 3's and Pilot Road 2's. Are these just older versions of the same tire? Why wouldn't Michelin discontinue them?

 

thanks,

 

RPG

 

Pilot Road 2, 3 and 4 are, to all effects, three different models.

Michelin keep all three in production for three reasons:

 

1)On some markets, previous models are sold a lower price than the latest offering.

2)Most riders are conservative in their choices and will pick the same tyre for a relatively long time span (see how Goldwing riders mostly still ride on the venerable Bridgestone Exedra).

3)The older models will be offered to manufacturers at a competitive price because a large chunk of their cost has been covered by retail sales. For example the Yamaha MT07 twin comes from the factory with PR3's.

[Daddoz777]

We've recently had some good discussion on the Pilots. Check this out: http://bmwsporttouring.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=879747&Searchpage=4&Main=78951&Words=pilot+road&Search=true#Post879747

[Twinsig]

Bought a set of pilot powers, just ran pr2s for 13k, i should have changed them at 9 our 10 though. Ride was getting rough!