Road Classic – January release for Michelin’s Pilot Activ successor

A replacement for the Michelin Pilot Activ will begin arriving at dealers in January. Michelin says this new tyre, the Michelin Road Classic, combines an “attractive retro tread design with the latest materials and technologies.” The Road Classic line-up includes nine front tyre sizes and ten rear sizes.

The range’s directional tread pattern offers a 26 per cent groove to tread rubber ratio. Michelin considers the pattern a “perfect balance between performance and aesthetics.” Its slick centre and shoulder areas are designed to offer optimum contact with the road and excellent dry grip. In wet conditions, the 100 per cent silica rubber compound and chamfered groove edges, which break through surface water, provide high levels of grip. Michelin stresses that it does this “with no compromise in terms of longevity.”

Tyre construction

A motorcycle tyre casing must provide a reliable and durable solution to the complex equation of carrying the load of the bike and rider/pillion, being comfortable, maintaining high speeds without deforming, and limiting the heat generated between its different components to reduce wear rates.

Michelin states that the Road Classic’s casing design manages all of these requirements by using two Bi-NST plies directly beneath the tread rubber to reduce centrifugal growth at speed, which in turn maintains a constant and optimum shaped contact patch with the road. Under these two top plies, two Bi-NC casing plies are rigid enough to support the load and provide stability in all situations, yet are supple enough to allow the rider and pillion to enjoy a comfortable ride. Finishing off the casing of the tyre is an airtight butyl rubber liner, meaning the tyres can be used tubeless when fitted to suitable tubeless wheels or with inner-tubes if required on a tube-type rim.

According to the tyre maker, the result of these design elements and technologies is that compared to its predecessor, the Road Classic offers better performance in all areas, with particularly large improvements in straight-line and cornering stability, and grip in both wet and dry conditions. In addition, comfort and general handling characteristics are also improved.