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Michelin Road 6 GT

gjlane

gjlane

Member
Member
Just put on a set front/back Michelin Road 6 on my C-14. Pilot Road 4’s just came off. Got 7K on the rear and It was at the wear bars (3k of that was pulling my Bushtec trailer in summer heat). Got 8K out of the front and not at the wear bars but cupped bad enough to cause a head shake at certain speeds.

Just wondering what experience anyone has had with the Road 6 GT’s for mileage and handling?
 
I have just over 5K miles on the Road6GTs and am very happy with them. Had 5GTs prior to this mounting. No complaints at all, in fact they seem about identical in handling, and traction. Can't tell about wet handling yet 'cause it is our dry season up in the Pac-NW. Same with wear, too soon to tell but they should be at least as long wearing. Good luck!

Gilbysan aka - FatNinja
 
I have not seen promos although there are often Michelin rebates around. I did see what seemed like lower prices on Road5GTs which IMO are about as good as the 6s I replaced them with.

As much as it hurts my wallet, Helmets and Tires are among the two things that I personally do not compromise on.

Safe Riding!

Gilbysan - Aka, Fat Ninja
 
Got a pair of Pirelli Angel GT A specs in the trailer ready to put on but I am going to watch this winter for a deal on GT6s. Anxious to jump from the GT4s to the 6s after reading folks accounts of performance.
 
gilbysan said:
I have not seen promos although there are often Michelin rebates around. I did see what seemed like lower prices on Road5GTs which IMO are about as good as the 6s I replaced them with.

As much as it hurts my wallet, Helmets and Tires are among the two things that I personally do not compromise on.

Safe Riding!

Gilbysan - Aka, Fat Ninja
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Having lived through a crash with a 9 day Coma I can attest to the helmet.

I taught my kids as they were growing up , Tires and Brakes are the best money you will put into any ride.
 
Yeah, back in the 60s as a kid, the local Hodaka shop had a Bell poster that I have never forgotten; "If you have a $10 head, get a $10 helmet." Worked on me for sure...

Gilbysan
 
Had the Michelin Road 5 GT they were predictable and alright, it is hard to fault different brands of tires on such a heavy poorly suspended machine, The Concours 14 is a great commuter bike its large, and gets noticed in traffic soaks up bumps and fairly comfortable, decent power for on-ramps joining an interstate and a weekend trip every once and a while, but ride it hard and the suspension and Tetra-lever limits show up early!
F9 Nailed it on those Michelins they are like a Volkswagon beetle "The Car Tire for the people"
 
C&D. I have not viewed the video you linked but will when I have a moment. Having said this, there are few youtuber's that I put much stock in. It seems like they are often missing information, a detail that you need to repair your "thing" is omitted making them only marginally useful.
Before anyone pelts me with examples of videos on tube that that they swear by let me say- yes there are some very good and very accurate subjects on the tube, but lets be clear, it is really about the potential ads revenue that drives most people to post stuff on the tube.

Finally, I would put my "VolksTires" up against any other tire brand on used on C14s. But it's really kind of like Ford guys and Chevy or Dodge guys- not too many will cross the isle and change brands and that is based on experience and brand loyalty vs. actual, evidenced based preferences. Remember the ad about Volvo's just being safer that all other cars? Really?

Cheers!

Gilbysan, aka - Fat Ninja
 
I've put roughly 2,500 miles on these Road 6 GTs and have to say that they're as good as the money invested in them. I ended up getting caught in a deluge on the way to TX Hill Country a couple weeks back, and these tires impressed me with how stable and jiggle-free they were (even in deeper puddles and in curves). On the dry roads during the rest of the weekend they were great. No issues leaning it over until the pegs were dinging off the tarmac. Solid feedback throughout the ride, even at the top end on the Mexican highways. Highly recommend them.
 
gilbysan said:
But it's really kind of like Ford guys and Chevy or Dodge guys- not too many will cross the isle and change brands and that is based on experience and brand loyalty vs. actual, evidenced based preferences.
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I was a Michelin man through and through, finally wanted to know if there was something better. Spent a lot of money trying on different shoes with no bias - I landed on (for now) Dunlop SportMax Roadsmart IV.

I’ll keep watching the feedback on these 6’s.
 
2andblue said:
I was a Michelin man through and through, finally wanted to know if there was something better. Spent a lot of money trying on different shoes with no bias - I landed on (for now) Dunlop SportMax Roadsmart IV.

I’ll keep watching the feedback on these 6’s.
Click to expand...
When looking at tire reviews its important to me to know what tires they cam from . I also like to know how the tires feel when they are a few k from the end.
 
kzz1king said:
I also like to know how the tires feel when they are a few k from the end.
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That’s a big one for me - if the tire only feels tremendous the first half of its life and 2nd half the feel is entirely different then to me I only have a half-of- life tire.

That is where for us the Dunlop SM RS IV has another big advantage, not only do I get >20% more tire life I also get a tire that maintains the same high performance for the life of the tire. BTW - Life of the tire for me means when any wear-bar reaches the tread surface, going beyond this leads to nothing good and eventually to those running down to cords unexpectedly (or by choice !?) will expectedly pay a hefty price.

Also another review indicator often not talked about is how is the tire used e.g. What is your riding style, what sort of weight are you carrying, speeds? We ride mostly two-up have a combined person and gear weight of 400# - 440# depending if we are out for a long trip or just a weekend ride. We also ride spirited, enjoy the twistiest roads we can find and often light the straightest roads on fire.

Then lastly suspension. We do ride with a firmer suspension setup and use the Penske double adjust which carries our load much better than the stock shock and has endless adjustability. This definitely saved the Michelins - stock suspension and our desired riding style ate those guys up.

So agreed - much more to a tire review than is often chatted about. Oh yeah pressures… single rider I run 42R 41F 2-up we run 45R, 44F.

Wayne, Carol & Blue
 
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gilbysan said:
C&D. I have not viewed the video you linked but will when I have a moment. Having said this, there are few youtuber's that I put much stock in. It seems like they are often missing information, a detail that you need to repair your "thing" is omitted making them only marginally useful.
Before anyone pelts me with examples of videos on tube that that they swear by let me say- yes there are some very good and very accurate subjects on the tube, but lets be clear, it is really about the potential ads revenue that drives most people to post stuff on the tube.

Finally, I would put my "VolksTires" up against any other tire brand on used on C14s. But it's really kind of like Ford guys and Chevy or Dodge guys- not too many will cross the isle and change brands and that is based on experience and brand loyalty vs. actual, evidenced based preferences. Remember the ad about Volvo's just being safer that all other cars? Really?

Cheers!

Gilbysan, aka - Fat Ninja
Click to expand...

Let me put this out there only ride maybe 20 thousand miles a year on various bikes truthfully don't even own a daily driver cage, Michelin is rolling on our race bike hauler, Motorhome, Vette, GTO, Harleys, and Steer tire on the front of our drag bike ( power Cup 2 ) for its rolling resistance and ability not to deform on the top end. In other words, Michelin is trusted cause they build great tires, almost told a lie the only non-Michelin is Pirelli on my Panagali V4 but that is a whole other level!

Think it's safe to say I pretty much dig Michelin and my comment was not meant to insult the tire or this group of Hard-Core riders. You should have watched the Video since it wasn't a review of specific brands but how Michelin engineered the tire to make a bike or rider with marginal suspension or skills have more confidence.

Ryan at Fort Nine is not your typical Y-tuber ( Influencer ) in fact most manufacturers are hesitant to give the channel products to review the cause of his bluntness.

LOL, My comment on the Volkswagon being the people's car was a good thing, the Bettle turned out to be an Iconic vehicle of the 20 century. The Michelin Road series tires turned out to be such an Iconic tire for motorcyclists for almost two decades (1996)


Its Go Time!
Izzy Mandelbaum
 
Gents,

Good points made by all. One saying comes to mind when debating, defending or critiquing things like tires; your mileage may vary. Further, its a bit like Ford Guys and Chevy Guys- they each have a preference that is deeply ingrained and almost impossible to change. I am a 160# guy who rides the highways around Seattle at high speed, do longer rides over our several passes in the late spring and early summer and always ride solo. I am certainly not the best rider out there but I have my good days along with just average days riding.

Like the suspension debate; I can really appreciate those drivers who have upgraded their shocks and forks with aftermarket setups and can really discern the before and after differences, but I always wonder what it is really like compared to stock setup-ups for lighter weight riders like myself. Of course the challenge is that every single Connie on the road is set up for that owner; anyone else will find it not quite to their taste regarding seating position, bar setup, pegs; all that stuff that affects how the bike behaves under street and road conditions. When I bought my current C14 from a Harley dealer in WA, it was owned by a 300# guy and setup for him. I couldn't even ride it home due to the seat and bar setup so had to trailer it. He of course traded it for a big Hog which better fit his ah, er, formidable frame. My good fortune as they just wanted to get rid of the only Japanese bike in their dealership. In fact, they had it hidden back in their storage building, lol.

Michelins are not a religion for me, rather, they have been a solid investment in what I believe is a solid product that has served me very well over a period of many years. I guess I just know them best...

Safe Riding!

Gilbysan, aka - Fat Ninja
 
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