Michelin Power One Delivers Road and Race Performance

Technology developed through Michelin’s participation in motorcycle racing has been integrated into its new Power One range, reports the French manufacturer, resulting in a line-up of hypersport tyres that are – depending on the variant chosen – fine-tuned for road, track day or dedicated racing use.

Every component of the Power One, from architecture to tread design, represents the state-of-the-art in high-performance motorcycle tyres, comments Michelin. The range, recently introduced at a worldwide press launch at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve racetrack near Portimão in Portugal’s Algarve region, is available in two key sub-categories in order to enable riders to select a tyre most suited to his riding style, motorcycle and intended use.

The tyre of choice for those most interested in on-road handling plus performance at race or track day events will be the Power One grooved range. This 20 model range offers eight size options and nine different rubber compounds. Yet riders hankering after a tyre exclusively designed for track use, and in particular for high-level competition, have not been left out in the cold: The 16.5-inch slick and rain tyre is available in seven versions, with two sizes and 11 rubber compounds on offer.

The Power One treaded range provides grip nearly on a par with a slick tyre, says Michelin, even at lean angles of 40° to 60°. And its ability to heat up quickly means riders can get their knee down even in the first curve. The tyre’s profile has been developed using experience gleaned from racing tyre use, and thus Michelin affirms it is highly responsive. Riders can lean into curves with a minimum of effort, the manufacturer adds. This feature has been further reinforced for the 16.5-inch models, allowing for more progressive braking and greater lean angles.

With three different front-tyre architectures, the Power One treaded range allows riders to choose between stiffness (for a more precise trajectory) and flexibility. In all, the Power One line-up employs 16 different rubber compounds. Furthermore, Michelin reports deploying a wealth of innovations in its quest to improve wet and dry grip and ensure smooth handling and consistent performance lap after lap, while also enabling the rubber to heat faster. The technological solution, the manufacturer notes, is complex but goes unnoticed by the rider.

Michelin has created a dedicated website for the Power One – jwww.michelinpowerone.com – thereby providing a portal where riders can determine which model is best for their needs. This on-line service chooses the most appropriate tyre and also provides tyre inflation recommendations based on information provided by the rider. Six selection criteria are involved and no technical knowledge is required, says Michelin – its software is designed to perform the calculation and choose the correct tyre immediately.

In bringing to market a tyre that integrates the abovementioned technologies, a three-year torture test was carried out by the Michelin R&D department. More than 35,000 laps were ridden on over 30 circuits to fine-tune the features of each of the 27 tyres in this new hypersport range, developed to replace the Michelin Power Race. The tyre, states Michelin, was tested in the most demanding conditions, on highly abrasive dry surfaces and in the rain, and in temperatures ranging from 37 degrees to 129 degrees Fahrenheit (2.7 to 53.9 degrees Celsius). In all, 116 test sessions were conducted by more than 130 riders on street bikes and prototypes delivering more than 200hp, in a wide assortment of extreme conditions. Michelin further notes that, in developing the new models, it took into account the different riding styles it has observed during its long-time involvement at the highest levels of motorcycle racing.