January Launch for Michelin Pilot Road 3

During the month of January Michelin is bringing two new motorcycle tyres designed for road use to market. Spearheading this portfolio expansion is the eagerly awaited Pilot Road 3 for sport touring bikes. Michelin states this new product has been designed to deliver superior grip in all conditions of use – whether on wet or damp – as well as offer outstanding total mileage. The tyre, the manufacturer adds, reflects Michelin’s across-the-board R&D strategy of improving individual tyre performance characteristics without sacrificing others. In this instance, engineers at the Michelin Technology Center “developed X Sipe Technology” (XST), which integrates dual-action sipes into the tread. How this works, Michelin explains, is that the sipe ribs first cut through the surface of the water, which is then evacuated faster and more effectively toward the outside of the tyre through wide grooves.

In addition to beefed-up grip, the Michelin Pilot Road 3 is also said to offer improved longevity by combining the Michelin XST technology and the tyre maker’s latest-generation dual compound tread, called Michelin 2CT. Nine Pilot Road 3 will be available in January 2011, with seven others to be introduced between February and August.

The other new January 2011 addition to Michelin’s motorcycle tyre portfolio is a new version of the Power Pure sports tyre, which will be added to the current line-up.