ith 12 consecutive world championships, no tire company has dominated the premier class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing like Michelin has. In fact, Michelin didn’t lose a race in the 500cc and MotoGP categories for six straight years through mid-2004. Now the technology that helped Michelin compile this remarkable record is available to street riders.
     Thanks to the new Michelin Pilot Power, you don’t have to be a world champion to have access to the same rubber chemistry used by Michelin MotoGP riders. The Pilot Power is the first Michelin street tire to use a tread compound that was originally developed for racing use.
     The Compounds-Racing Optimization (C-RAO) rubber mix in the Pilot Power incorporates synthetic elastomers that were developed for MotoGP racing as recently as 2003. This C-RAO rubber gives the Pilot Power incredible grip, and especially quick warm-up time, while delivering mileage comparable to that of the highly regarded Pilot Sport tire.
     The Pilot Power uses a semi-slick tread pattern with a void area (land-sea ratio) of just 13.28 percent on the front tire and a mere 11.58 percent on the rear. A lower void ratio promotes greater tread rigidity, which minimizes tire deformation and enhances grip in aggressive riding situations.
     The stable tread pattern also helps extend tread life, allowing the Pilot Power to employ the softest rubber compound of any comparable performance tire, without compromising mileage. And the rubber mix remains soft at cooler temperatures, providing excellent adhesion even at the start of a ride.
     Despite its minimalist tread design, the Pilot Power is more than just a dry-weather tire. On the Michelin test track at Ladoux, France, riders were able to lean a Pilot Power-equipped bike to an amazing 41.9 degrees in corners—in full wet conditions! In the dry, they achieved an equally remarkable 50.6-degree lean angle.
     Aiding this cornering proficiency is a new casing profile that has also been inspired by MotoGP development. The Pilot Power’s more pointed profile, compared to the Pilot Sport, increases the size of the contact patch at full lean for improved feedback and handling.
     But even with all this technology at your disposal, the question remains: How well do they work? Steve Atlas, a championship-winning racer and an editor for Roadracing World magazine, tried the Pilot Power on the road course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and had this to say: “…the Pilot Power just plain works. Outright grip was great and the tire heated up quickly. And by quickly I mean dragging a knee in the first half-a-lap, starting from cold tires, in mid-60 degree weather…The front Pilot Power had feel and grip rivaling that of any of the latest DOT-labeled race rubber, and turned almost telepathically.”
     Later, after the Pilot Power served as the control tire in a shootout track test of 1000cc sportbikes, Atlas commented, “These are the best street tires I’ve ever ridden in my life.”
     And if that weren’t enough to get you to try the Pilot Power, the suggested retail will actually be lower than the Pilot Sport’s 2004 pricing. MSRP for the 120/70ZR17 Pilot Power front is $142, while the 120/60ZR17 front will run $138. The 180/55ZR17 rear retails for $182, the 190/50ZR17 for $213, and the 160/60ZR17 for $171. Look for a full range of Pilot Power sizes in the first half of 2005.
     Get Pilot Power working for your tire sales. Contact your Parts rep today to learn more.

The new Michelin Pilot Power owes much to racing tires developed for riders like five-time World Champion Valentino Rossi.