Michelin Pilot Roads Review for the ST1300, Part 2
Durability
This is where I was hoping to see more longevity from the PR's but they did last 10,000+ miles. Compared to the Bridgestone 020's I will say that the Pilot Roads had slightly more available tread left at the same mileage. The margin here is so close though that I can't call it more than a tie. Honestly though that is about the most miles I've been able to squeeze out of a set of tires. For long distance riders that have been on the scene longer than me they tend to migrate to the Metzler 880's but I'm unsure what kind of mileage they are seeing from them. I've just mounted my first set so I'll have a comparison hopefully in the next few months.
The second part of durability, in my opinion, is how the tires wear. In doing interstate miles all tires will tend to get flat-spotted in the center. However, even though all tires flat spot to some degree not all tires react the same to this wear. Some tires tend to become non-linear when cornering after wearing this way, some more than others. The Bridgestones I took off before putting on the PR's were so flat spotted that it made every turn a surprise as the tire would cause the bike to swing over quickly after hitting the edge of the flat spot in a turn. Besides flat-spotting there's also cupping where the tire gets uneven wear causing instability in the tire. In this respect the PR's wear was consistent through the miles. There was never a case of cupping and flat-spotting was kept to a minimum where it did not affect cornering as dramatically as the Bridgestones did. I would contribute this to the shape of the tires and the compound chosen. For long distance riding flat-spotting becomes a real issue and the PR's performed well here without losing any of their handling attributes.
Handling
Probably the most important part of any tire is how it handles overall and allows you to control the bike. I've already discussed the PR's ability to handle itself in rain and non-pavement conditions but how does it handle on the street under normal riding conditions. The biggest factor that contributes to the handling of the Pilot Roads, I believe, is the profile of the tires themselves, more so on the front. The front tire is more rounded and the rear is more ovaled. This changes how the bike corners considerably compared to the Bridgestone's or the Z6's. The biggest noticeable factor is the linear movement of the bike as it leans into a turn. The Bridgestone 020's after a certain amount of lean have a point where the tire will begin to cause the bike to dive farther into the turn. Although this can be a good attribute in a tire it makes the tire somewhat unpredictable in a turn and if you add flat-spotting to this it gives the tire two points where it will dive into a turn. The PR's do not suffer from this because of the semi-elliptical shape of the front tire. However this predictability and more linear feel can make it feel like the tire does not react as quickly as a tire like the BT020. This however is a real fine point and more interpretation than anything else. If I had to choose between the more stable Pilot Road and the non-linear feel of the BT020's I would choose the Pilot Roads every time. A fast reaction time is great but you need to be able to control the recovery of the bike in those types of situations and the PR's provide that stability where as the Bridgestone's seem to need a little more hand holding, no pun intended, to get them to stabilize.
The PR's provide stability in turning but the ST suffers from a slight handling issue against other bikes in its category that makes the ST a little stubborn in the corners. The ST usually takes a little more effort to get the bike into a turn more than its other sport touring counterparts like the Yamaha FJR and the BMW RT. I believe that Honda attempted to compensate for this with the front tire they chose and possibly the dimensions of the front tire, which might explain the odd size. So the ST and the Bridgestones do compliment each other in this case but it isn't a perfect match as it seems to give the bike a nonlinear feel when banking into the turns. The PR's front tire makes you steer the ST into the turns more so than with the 020's, at first, but the PR's stability and linear feel when turning is worth it compared to the 020's as the PR's pull you through the turn with a consistent feel.
There was a behavior that I can't explain but I've felt this with other bikes in the past. In a high speed banked sweeper I would counter steer to lean the bike into the turn but after being fully committed to the turn it started to feel like the forks wanted to actually turn and I had to hold the bars in place to prevent the steering from turning in farther. This felt very odd to me and I only mention it to be fair and also to possibly find a reason for this as I do not necessarily believe it was the PR's causing this issue more so than me paying closer attention to the physics at play in a turn of this type. This only occurred a couple times but I'm stating it here so that if someone else has the same experience then maybe there is something to it. I've discussed this at some length with another ST rider and the best conclusion we can come to is that it's most likely a reaction of the bike to a combination of the tire, speed, and road camber change.
The rating that Michelin gives for handling on the PR's is 4 out of 5. I think this is fair because it does handle well but there is some work that could be done with the front tire. If there was a way to give it all the desirable attributes it currently has but also give it some of the initial smooth cut in that other tires provide when entering a turn in my opinion it would then earn a 5 out of 5. This isn't to say the tire isn't everything you need. It's just saying there's always room for improvement. The front tire gives the bike the stability you need when taking the corners and the tire's shape makes it predictable and linear in the turns. It also handles skips, wet pavement, dry pavement, and gravel roads very well. Michelin describes this tire as an all-round performance tire and after riding on them in just about everything I'm convinced they're right.
Economy
Here's maybe where the PR's take a small hit and Michelin admits this also to a certain degree by giving it a 3 out of 5 in the economy category. The rear is priced close to the Bridgestone 020's but the front is more expensive. At first I thought the extra amount of tread on the front would add to its longevity but in the end it only slightly extended it but not enough to leave it on and swap out the rear. However, I was very pleased with the predictability of the front tire and consider this to be worth the extra money. The street price for a set of the PR's is about $220.00 shipped although the retail price of the tires is higher. This is only slightly higher though than what the Bridgestones go for and a lower cost than the Z6/ME880 combination that some are running on the ST. For the amount of overall durability, stability, and predictability that the Pilot Roads provide I believe the price is competitive compared with other tires that are available for the ST with similar attributes. Most riders I think look at the cost first when purchasing a set of tires. I know I do as I'm now looking at my fourth set this year. However you can't overlook the performance of the tire in making this decision. Taking into consideration the performance of the tire is a difficult thing to do because doing that is subjective from rider to rider. It shouldn't be ignored though and I think a lot of riders want a tire that lasts a long time without sacrificing performance. If you're looking for those attributes in a set of tires then you probably won't be looking at the cheapest tires available.
Conclusion
I was more than pleased with the performance of these tires. They handle well, if not excellent, in every area. Dry grip, wet grip, and off-pavement control are all excellent. The tire also lasts as long if not slightly longer than some of its competitors. If the front tire could provide slightly more lead in and still maintain all of its current qualities it would get a 5 out of 5 from me. Even with that the front tire is still linear in the turns, stable, and out performs other tires in this category. Overall the tires are extremely reliable and are priced right. I enjoyed comparing these tires against the Bridgestone 020's and now the Metzler Z6/ME880 combination. Once I'm done with my latest set I'm pretty sure I'll be looking for another set of the Pilot Roads. Motorace looks like they are working to make sure they have a steady supply for those wanting to try the Pilot Roads. If you want a predictable, stable, durable, and comfortable tire that is a "general-purpose ultra tire" for sport touring the Pilot Roads from Michelin should be your first choice as you will be hard pressed to find another set of tires with the mix of qualities that the Pilot Roads provide.
Curt Gran
Just Ride
'04 ST1300A
I guess I'll be ordering soon... 
