Scott A. Williams

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Tire Review:

Michelin Pilot Roads for the Honda ST1300

by Scott A. Williams

Story first published by OneWheelDrive, October 2005

Ask a dozen motorcyclists about tires and you're likely to get a dozen distinct opinions. Here's my $.02 about tires for the Honda ST1300.

The ST1300 uses a 120/70ZR18 front tire, and there are few choices for an appropriate tire in that size. In North America, only the 1993 and newer Kawasaki ZG1000 Concours and Yamaha’s more recent Roadstar Warrior use the same size tire. Limited tire options for the ST, however, are what led me to test a set of Michelin Pilot Roads.

How It Happened

Motorace (www.motorace.com) is a motorcycle racing support business and Michelin motorcycle tire distributor located in Springfield, Massachusetts. The business started in 1966 and was the original importer of Metzeler tires in the U.S. Since moving to Michelin in the 1973, Motorace has grown to become one of the leading wholesale distributors of Michelin motorcycle tires in the U.S.

"We started in motocross support, then got in to road racing," said Dave Pawlikowski, the Northeast Road Rep for Motorace. "That's really where we have our passion. We're the Michelin road racing support team for New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon."

I found out about Motorace when Dave posted a message on ST-Owners.com, an Internet community of which I am a member. He asked for volunteers to test Michelin Pilot Road tires on their personal ST1300's. I saw that his company was in the next town (!) so I called to find out about being a tester. We got talking and I learned that Motorace had been in business at the same location – seven miles from my house – for nearly four decades.

Dave made clear his interest in offering tire sets for testing. Motorace wanted to provide a tire option for ST riders but Michelin had not included a 120/70ZR18 Pilot Road in its standard U.S. product assortment. Motorace made special arrangements to import Pilot Road tires from France in sizes for the ST. To get the word out, Dave asked some ST riders to evaluate their performance.

Dave specifically asked for tire testers who have good communication skills. As a writer that's how I make my living, but I received no compensation from Michelin or Motorace for this story. I was offered a set of Pilot Roads to test and asked for my honest evaluation on paper, which I'm glad to provide for the ST community.

My evaluation is based on 5,000 miles of roads – ones I know intimately and ones I rode for the first time. It's not a scientific analysis; other than the bike itself, no sophisticated test equipment was used. There were no back-to-back track tests of multiple ST's fitted with different brands of tires. This is one motorcyclist's seat-of-the-pants opinion based on 20 years of street riding, the last three on a Honda ST1300.

Your Tester's Built-In Biases:

· I am a lightweight – under 150 pounds in full riding gear.

· I ride one up, though often loaded with camping gear and a top case.

· I ride mostly in the rural Northeast (not Big Sky but not Boston either).

· I seek out winding roads and rarely ride slab.

· I ride 8 or 9 months of the year (any weather above freezing).

· I am no Iron Butt rider; 200 – 300 mile days are my preference.

· I ride solo or in small groups of sport tourers (ST, BMW, Concours, etc.).

· I ride for the thrill of speed and motion but don't often scrape a peg.

Previous ST Rubber: Bridgestone BT020, Metzeler Z6

My 2003 ST1300ABS came from the factory with Bridgestone BT020 Battlaxes, and these tires were part of a machine that did everything much better than my previous mount, a 1989 Honda PC800K. BT020's took me from Cape Breton to the Smoky Mountains without incident.

One aspect of the BT020's performance that I grew to dislike, however, was their abrupt "fall" into turns. While some people may view this as fast reaction, to me it is non-linear reaction. I expect the front tire's pointy cross section accounts for this tendency. The front tire had cupped noticeably before 4,000 miles and the bike became increasingly twitchy in curves as the miles added up. By 8,000 miles the front was just into the wear bars but the rear was badly worn, especially left of center.

Based on positive response for Metzeler ME Z6 Roadtec tires from the ST community and my previous experience with the elephant brand, I replaced the OEM Bridgestones with Z6's. As my ST brethren predicted, turn-in was smoother and more predictable with the Z6's. The wiggle on steel-deck bridges went away. Traction on dry pavement was excellent but wet traction did not seem as secure as the BT020's, perhaps because the rear Z6 is slick on center. Regardless, the Z6's did not inspire my confidence in the rain.

They didn't last long, either. By 5,000 miles, despite my propensity to avoid slab, the rear Z6 exhibited a pronounced flat spot. At 6,000 miles, close inspection revealed numerous cuts and chunks in the tread, too. The rear was done on my bike. The front had some tread remaining but it had cupped noticeably and buzzed in turns. I needed one tire right away and another fairly soon. Conveniently, I was able to replace both tires for the Pilot Road test.

Michelin Pilot Road

Sto Smead, founder of Motorace, explained that Michelin's manufacturing process for the Pilot Road employs some trick engineering. Rather than a conventional clamshell mold for making tires, the Michelin mold uses a series of overlapping segments. "It looks something like the petals of a flower," said Smead. "One advantage of this technology is that the tire making machine is small and, therefore, portable. We take it to the track. We can cook a tire in 24 minutes." (How cool is that?)

Engineers at Michelin designed the tread pattern on the Pilot Road to channel out water. The front tire makes the trail for the rear tire and the design of the Pilot Roads tread constantly squeezes water away. The grooves are progressively tapered, becoming wider and shallower as they move from the center of the tire to the shoulder. The grooves on Pilot Roads are also much closer to horizontal than those on the other tires I'd run on the ST. According to Michelin, the groove design acts as a venturi to accelerate the flow of water away from the contact patch.

My Z6-shod rims came off at Monte's Motors & More in Monson, Massachusetts, then Sto Smead mounted and balanced the Pilot Road tires at his shop in Springfield. As I reinstalled the rims back at Monte's, general manager Gary Monte examined the new rubber. His assessment: "These feel sticky."

The Pilot Road line uses rubber compounds with 100% silica reinforcing fillers. According to Michelin, "The silica fillers replace the conventional carbon black fillers normally used to bind the rubber molecules together. These silica bonds are more elastic than carbon, reducing internal friction and excessive heat, which can lead to premature tire wear…The rubber compounds for both front and rear have also been optimized to promote balanced wear on both wheels."

Time to find out for myself.

0 – 1000 miles

I packed camping gear for a trip through New York's Adirondack State Park and Vermont's Green Mountains. Armed with fresh rubber, my ST was a joy to dance with on the rural roads I prefer. New rubber always feels good, and the Pilot Roads felt wonderfully composed holding a line through sweepers in New York's North Country and on tighter curves in Vermont. With no civilization for miles and a long view of the road ahead, I left my friend on the Road King behind to see what the tires could do. My initial assessment: these tires have more fair-weather performance potential than I could extract.

New rubber in the Adirondacks makes good riding better.

When heavy rain fell on Vermont, I donned rain gear and kept going. Loaded down for camping, however, I felt little desire to push these tires to their edge of adhesion on a wet road. Incorrect judgment in such cases is punished harshly. But that said, my bike felt remarkably planted to the road even in this mid-summer deluge. No other tire I've ridden felt so connected to a wet road. I felt no evidence of hydroplaning and no sensation of compromised grip in curves. Two abrupt straight-line stops (one unplanned, one a follow-up test) brought the ST to a quick controlled stop without engaging the ABS.

Riding in the rain is not like riding on a dry road, but the Pilot Roads narrow the performance gap between them. This inspired confidence to keep riding at a good pace despite the rain. That feeling, confirmed by subsequent wet rides in Massachusetts, Maine, and Connecticut, is just what I want when it's pouring and 200 miles home to wife, daughter and dogs.

Noise

Every tire makes its own sound as the contact patch continually interfaces with the road's surface. Different tread patterns and compounds (and different road surfaces) result in different sounds. After several thousand miles of one tire's distinctive sound, a new set of tires hits my ears differently, calling attention to itself.

And the Pilot Roads did call attention to themselves. They are louder than the other tires I've had on my ST. Front and rear, the tread designs have no continually slick rolling circumference; there is always "slick-groove-slick-groove" contact happening with the road. I expect what helps performance in the rain adds to road noise.

I don't bother with earplugs on a slower paced ride, such as a summer evening cruise, and then I hear the tires. But since I look over the windshield, the sound of air rushing over my helmet supplants the hum once I hit about 50 mph. With earplugs in (typical for me) it's not an issue.

1000 – 2000 miles

Again loaded with camping gear, I spent the weekend with four other riders in Maine. The road into our weekend accommodation was a continuous snake of tight curves, some off-camber with abrupt elevation changes. I rode this five-mile stretch several times with some portions of the road dry and others still wet from rain or fog. I don't push my speed in such conditions (especially riding sweep in a group with a load on the bike), but the bike was easy to control on the wet road. Again, "confidence" was the watchword.

The weekend also involved sections on dirt roads (with John on point we always find them) and Pilot Roads performed well for street tires on dirt. Since I camp often, predictable slow speed performance on unpaved roads is an important consideration.

On stretches of scarified pavement where the top layer is ground off in preparation for new asphalt, the Pilot Roads showed no tendency to wander, as had the BT020's.

Roadside lobster…you have to love Maine.

2000 – 3000 miles

Over several weekends, I tested Pilot Roads on my favorite twisties in Western Massachusetts:

Rte. 57 from Southwick to Monterrey
Rte. 23 from Russell to Great Barrington
Rte. 8 from New Boston to Dalton
Rte. 116 from Savoy to South Deerfield
Mohawk Trail from North Adams to Shelburne Falls
Skyline Trail from Huntington to Hinsdale

Sunday mornings before the Buicks and minivans emerge, these roads are a scream.

Grip on these smooth, dry roads was excellent. The Pilot Roads have a more rounded cross section than either the BT020's or Z6's. This translates into smooth, linear, predictable turn-in. Interestingly, despite all that grip, my "chicken strips" look wider on Pilot Roads than on the other tires. Perhaps the tires' rounded profile is a factor; it is not for lack of grip.

A winding road in western Connecticut and a line up of the usual suspects.

3000 – 5000 miles

At two ST rallies two weeks apart, I piled up the miles in Connecticut and New Hampshire. Three of twelve ST's (mine included) were shod with Pilot Roads. I asked the two other riders, who had paid their own money for these tires, for opinions. I did this separately with each and prior to offering my own views.

Greg, who likes to invite flatlanders to join him in the White Mountains of New Hampshire "to round out their flat spots," was especially pleased with the consistency of turn-in, which he deems critical on the more technically challenging routes he prefers. He pointed out the lack of wear near the shoulder and concluded that more grip is on tap. He also commented favorably on wet grip, high-speed stability, and tread life to date.

Brian was more economical with his words, concluding, "They're good. I like them." Prodded for more commentary, he lodged a half-hearted complaint about road noise ("They hum. Whatever.")

Both riders said they would choose Pilot Roads again.

ST-Owners crew mugs for the camera in Lancaster, New Hampshire.

Tread Life

Michelin says the tread depth on new Pilot Roads is 3.5 mm (0.14") on the front and 5.5 mm (0.21") on the rear, measuring from the center of the tread. Measuring from the center is important since, by design, the tread becomes shallower (and wider) as it approaches the tire's shoulder.

After 5,000 miles I measured tread depth as 3.0 mm in the front and 4.4 mm in the rear. I measured each tire in three different spots and got the same reading each time. The tread bars are still well below the surface. With 5,000 miles on the tires, they will easily outwear the Z6's, and I project they will do at least as well as the BT020's, if not better.

After 5,000 miles, the front tire has not cupped noticeably and the rear shows no flat spot. They seem quieter on center than when new, but the hum picks up in the turns.

Conclusions

I ride a motorcycle for the thrill of speed and motion so I want tires that perform, wet or dry. I prefer to spend free time riding instead of changing tires, so I want tires that continue to perform over a long tread life. Michelin says that Pilot Roads shoot for a balance of all-around grip and longevity. In my view they hit their target.

If you ride your ST enthusiastically through the curves, if you want confidence-inspiring performance in the rain, and if you want good tread life, my experience says Michelin Pilot Roads are worth a try. They are well suited to the mission of the ST1300.

Of Interest…

Radial tires provide major performance, safety and longevity benefits over bias ply tires. So what makes a tire "radial"? Geometry, of course. Radial tires use supporting fabric cords that wrap 180 degrees across a tire from rim to rim (like a ring wraps over a finger). In contrast, bias ply tires use fabric cords that wrap diagonally across the tire (like the stripes of a candy cane). Michelin invented the radial tire for automobiles, and Michelin was the company that first brought radial tires into widespread use for motorcycles.

Scott A. Williams is a freelance writer and ST1300 rider from Wilbraham, Massachusetts.