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Michelin Road 5 GT

This is too bad, any links to this info?

I ran the Michelins under contract in the CCS midwest series and have been a fan ever since, from bikes to car tires.

A PR5 GT sounds like a good fit for the heavier STs we enjoy.
 
So just got a set of Road 5s.  Non GT, of course.  The Michelin labels on the tires:
Front 236kgs - 519 lbs
Rear 387kgs - 851lbs

I'm 200 lbs, my wife 115.  When we are together, no side bags and some overnight supplies in the top box.  When I tour with side bags and lots of gear, it is 1 up. 

Both 167mph top speed for those riding down a steep hill.....

BTW - according to one source I found, the Angel GT A spec front is 520 lbs
https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/tires-and-wheels/pirelli-angel-gt-front-a-spec-motorcycle-tire-p

 
I have a modded C10 with 17" wheels.
I was pricing a new set of 17" PR4GTs when I ran across the PR5, I am tempted to give the 5s a go at a lower price than the 4GTs maybe worth a try. I believe all the load capacities are on the conservative side and could be used as a comparison between tires when considering weight capacity.
I know the GTs have a very stiff sidewall by the force to get the last one on the rim.
 
All,
Just mounted the new Road5s on my C14, strangely and a good thing I guess when we went to balance them, neither the front or the back needed any weights.  So we removed all weights and they were just right.  Not sure if that means I just got lucky with a highly precise set, or they are just making them really well.  I have about 200 miles on them and they seem to be working just fine.  150 lbs. for me with about 30 lbs. of gear in the bags.  Like the Road 4GTs, they hold a nice line.  More to follow.
Gilbysan
 
According to Michelin tire personnel, do not purchase Michelin Road 5 GT currently for our C14s. They told me that Michelin Pilot Road 4 GTs is better right now for C14 owners. The Road 5 GT has been tested/built for wet weather, not for touring. Eventually they hope to improve the Road 5 GT to touring, not just for riding in the rain.
Richard
 
RW,
Good to know, thank you for the update.  Too late however, not you are too late, rather, I already bought and mounted them.  Been on the bike for a week now. It would be nice if Team Michelin were more openly specific on their website vs. having to speak with someone.  Are you hearing me Michelin? At any rate, I like them and will keep them on unless Michelin announces that they cause inadvertent contact with the ground, like the 737 MAX is reputed to do.

At any rate their specs are identical in as many ways as a consumer is able to determine to the Road4 GTs

They are working well to date, again I am light 150 lbs., and don't do any two up touring or even two up riding.  Have not tried to see what the limits of their leaning stickiness are and doubt that I will anyway and they are good enough for me and my capabilities.  I can say that they are stable at 140+.  They feel the same as the Road4 GTs I just pulled off which by the way lasted for 12K miles. I count this as excellent mileage wear.  I had maybe another 1-2K tread left but picked up a sliver of metal on the front.  I plugged it temporarily until I could mount the new Road 5s.  I ended up putting in three plugs because they kept weakening and losing air...
This AM I noted that that the Road 5s traction is outstanding.  I pulled over to see about a Harley rider on the roadside; turns out he was having a nicotine break.  What is it with HOG Riders and smoking?  When I pulled back on to the roadway at about 2/3 thirds throttle in 1st, the front wheel departed the pavement, not much, about 4 inches, and when I eased off it returned to pavement with no concerns at all, like it was normal.  I love my Connie!

Finally, I live in the Seattle area which, according to the rumors that everyone NOT from here says, "it always rains"...lol
Safe Travels!
Gilbysan


 
Rich Wackett - Adventure Traveler Enjoying Life! said:
According to Michelin tire personnel, do not purchase Michelin Road 5 GT currently for our C14s. They told me that Michelin Pilot Road 4 GTs is better right now for C14 owners. The Road 5 GT has been tested/built for wet weather, not for touring. Eventually they hope to improve the Road 5 GT to touring, not just for riding in the rain.
Richard

Was not aware any Road 5 GT tires were even being produced yet...
 
CR, they are not producing the GT version of the Road 5, yet.  There are only rumors and indications that they may, might, could, maybe, someday, possibly.  Nothing official that I have seen or heard of.  I got tired of waiting...
Cheers!
Gilbysan
 
Spooning on my 2nd set of R5's. Put close to 10k on the 1st set. Michelin is CYA'ing on the weight ratings IMO. My only snivel on this tire is the skip on the paint feeling I got. I like 'em. :)
 
OMC,
Whew!  I was feeling like a voice in the wilderness, glad to hear you have the R5s and happy with them.  I cut open the Road4GTs yesterday to see what the cord structure looked like.  They looked like cords to me; the steel around the bead is hard stuff, had to use my 24" bolt cutters to get through that part of the tire.  I will take a photo of the cross section and publish here if anyone is interested.  Have to wait on the R5s however, lol
Safe Travels!
Gilbysan
 
I've been running the PR5 for about a month and 1500miles or so. Best tires i have ever run on this bike. I have tried PR3's,4's,4GT's. They are by far the stickiest in the rain and dry. IMHO.
 
BradMan (CRocker) is my back pocket Michelin rep. I trust his push from corporate and feedback on what's coming. Been bonding since a simple breakfast in Durango CO about 10 years ago (and yes I think you still owe me). But then sometimes you just gotta push the envelope. That's where paper cuts come from. I hate paper cuts.
 
Damn..I am still trying to wear out the Power RS tires  on my ZX-10, they stick like glue and are wearing super well for a track oriented tire... I would not bat an aye at putting them on the Connie, or the road 5's for sure, as they felt great on the Bandit 1250.
 
Ive had the 5 on for about 3,000 miles  Just wanted to try it  Seems to be holding up well. No touring just to and from work
 
Thanks all for the updates, I did not realize that several drivers were using the Road5s, of course how could I unless I was Amazon, or Google, etc...
I am happy with them so far, and cannot think that I will be disappointed based on my + experiences with the Road4 GTs.
See the Road 4 GT Cross Section Photo attached to this note.
Cheers!
Gilbysan
 

Attachments

  • Road 4 GT Cross Section.jpg
    Road 4 GT Cross Section.jpg
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Ok had to settle for a PR4GT front tire yesterday. Guess I'm going to wait a couple more thousand miles to see what you guys think of the PR5GT before I need a new rear tire.
 
Bob_C_CT said:
Ok had to settle for a PR4GT front tire yesterday. Guess I'm going to wait a couple more thousand miles to see what you guys think of the PR5GT before I need a new rear tire.

It'll be towards the end of the year for the Road 5GT...they aren't even being produced for sale yet...PR4GT is still the recommended tire for your bike...
 
Yeah, had an old blade on the Band Saw so I thought, why not I always wanted to see what they look like.  Not as easy as I thought it would be but got through it.  If anyone does it just make sure to cut the beads with bolt cutters, unless of course you happen to have a metal cutting band saw...
Cheers!
Gilbysan
 
That one photo and effort is some awesome information that you can never get from a brochure. It also clearly shows the wear on the tire and how much meat is left on the tread. Good job.  :beerchug:
 
Come to think about it, you can tell I spend much more time in the vertical position than at extreme angles.  I had about 13K on them when I pulled them off so I think I got my money's worth.  I rode in a moderate rain session today and the Road 5s performed just fine.  I can't really tell the difference between the R4GTs and the R5s since I am more conservative in the wet for some unknown reason...they both seem to handle the water well both straight and with some leaning.  We still had some sand in the road crowns from our Feb. snows so I am glad for the rain to wash most of it off the road surfaces. 

Now though, I will need to wash the bike...
Take Care!
Gilbysan


 
I've been looking for tires myself.  One thing I've noticed...the tread patterns seem to change over the years...but keep repeating from one brand to another.  It makes me wonder if they really know what tread pattern will give the buyer the most traction and long life.  If the PR4 was so great...why did Michelin ditch it completely and go to the Road 5? 

As an example, the Continental Conti-Motion has this tread pattern with the tread pattern that .

continental_conti_motion_radial_tire_300x300.jpg


It's similar to that of the Pirelli Angel GT, Michelin PR4, PR2, Metzeler Roadtec 01, Bridgestone T30 EV and the Pirelli Angel.  The difference seems to be the number of tread cuts.

But then you get a change from that type of tread design to something different.  Like the Continental Road Attack 3.

continental_road_attack3_tires_300x300.jpg


Which is very similar to the Metzeler Roadtec Z6...an older tire.  And the Continental Road Attack 3 is a top rated tire.


Do the manufacturers just rotate through the designs that have been used before, in the hopes of having something new?  Is this like going to the local fishing store and deciding which fishing lure to get based on what looks good to you?  And the design has no relation to how well it actually performs...whether on the road or in the lake?

Chris
 
MtnRider,
If only, lol. That was from the trauma of the Bandsaw cutting and then pulling it out of the garbage can to take photos of it.  I am still cleaning out little bits of rubber and cord from the tool and off the garage floor...
Cheers!
Gilbysan

 
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that ever since I put plugs into the old tire my front TPMS sensor is acting jinky.  I get a good reading, then it goes blank for maybe 2-3 minutes, then it is back, then blank.
I suspect that when I put the 2d or 3d (final) plug in with glue maybe some of the glue got stuck to the TPMS assembly and is causing it to intermittently lose its mind.  It could also have been the previous plugs (that started leaking) banging around inside the tire. Just not sure, but I need to pull the tire and TPMS and put a new battery in it and check it out thoroughly to see if I can get it working correctly.
The first few times I noticed it was concerning.  To see my rear reading correctly and the front showing two flat lines, and no error or warning...
Always something fun to work on, that is for sure.
Gilbysan
 
I am running the PR5's on my C-14. Love them, sportiest of all the PR's 2,3, 4 and 4GT's.  :)
 
Boomer,
Thanks for this link and info.  So, what is it in their secret sauce that differentiates the GT from a non GT tire?  The specs they show are identical for a given tire size like 190, 50, 17, 73, W.  I suspect that the side walls are made to handle the greater weight of bigger sport touring bikes like the C14, but it sure is hard to tell it from their info.
I have been running Road 5s now for about 7K and am very happy with their performance in dry, wet, and everywhere in between conditions.  I have however noticed that my front is wearing more quickly than the rear, which for me is unusual. 

Just have to stay patient to see when M brings it across the pond to US riders...
Cheers!
Gilbysan - aka - Fat Ninja
 
Spooning on my 3rd set as we speak. Last set was Hendo NV to Kamiah ID for the Bun Cooler then Hendo NV to Wiliiamsport PA for the Nat and back (roughly 9k miles) and it looks like there are still another 2k left. But getting ready to set out for the devils cut SW M&G and prudence dictates. For me great skins.
 
I ordered the Road 5's and then promptly returned them and got the PR4 GT's after talking to a Michelin rep. I assume they know more about tires than I do. Basically he said the Road 5's wouldn't handle the weight. The PR4 GT's are fantastic. If you go to the Michelin website and but in your bike information it doesn't list the Road 5's as an option. But will they work? Sure sounds like it.
 
Shizzle said:
I ordered the Road 5's and then promptly returned them and got the PR4 GT's after talking to a Michelin rep. I assume they know more about tires than I do. Basically he said the Road 5's wouldn't handle the weight. The PR4 GT's are fantastic.

The load rating is the same on most C14 size tires. If I'm not mistaken it's 840 lbs across the board, but I'd have to look. Something about some tires being more flexible & some stiff. Some bikes have stiff frames & some have flexible frames so that determines the tire type. 
 
Just Cliff said:
Shizzle said:
I ordered the Road 5's and then promptly returned them and got the PR4 GT's after talking to a Michelin rep. I assume they know more about tires than I do. Basically he said the Road 5's wouldn't handle the weight. The PR4 GT's are fantastic.

The load rating is the same on most C14 size tires. If I'm not mistaken it's 840 lbs across the board, but I'd have to look. Something about some tires being more flexible & some stiff. Some bikes have stiff frames & some have flexible frames so that determines the tire type.
Cliff is right and is pretty much exactly what the Michelin Rep presenting at the PA National was saying. I interpreted it as stiff frame/stiff suspension on sports bikes and soft frame/suspension on a sport touring bike.  He said specifically it was not about the load rating of the tire. It was more about you want the tire to counteract the frame/suspension. Stiff and stiff makes for a hard non compliant ride, soft soft makes for a mushy ride. You want the tire to be the opposite of the frame/suspension. He also said wait for the PR 5GT for our c-14’s because he doesn’t want to sell a tire that doesn’t work properly.

I thought it was an excellent presentation. Why no dot on their tires that marks the heavy part?  Any of their tires that have a heavy spot are shredded as defective.
 
ok, question for the group here. I've been reading and have always read that the C14 needs to GT version. I just checked the Michelin website and compared the PR4, PR4 GT, and Road 5 and they all have the same load index and speed index ratings. The 190/50 series have a 73 Load index (805 pounds) in all three tires, the 190/55 series are a 75 Load index (853 pounds).

So what am I missing? What is the real difference with the GT version if the load and speed ratings are identical?

The other data point is when you search Michelin's website for GTR1400 tires they only show the PR2 and the PR4GT. So clearly they do not recommend the PR4 or R5. But why?
 
Read my last post. It’s right from the Michelin Reps presentation. The side walls are stiffer on the GT. It answers your question, no?
 
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