Confident with the break-in process, I next took the Sporty out on one of my favorite runs, a twisty stretch along the Rogue River through Hellgate Canyon. Though I never broke traction, I erred on the side of caution, applying throttle judiciously and cornering carefully.
Dcommander 3 windows#
Windows of opportunity to test tires in Oregon during the winter months are few and far between, but I finally got a chance to scrub the tires with an 80-mile run on a local loop. Having a healthy relationship with your local shop is always important, and small independent shops like N/A are the heartbeat of the motorcycle industry. We made a run over to N/A Performance Cycles to have our buddies Durham Allen and Duane Clark spoon them on for us. On the 2004 XL1200C we were already running a Commander II on the front, giving us a good baseline for comparison with the updated III’s. I’ve ridden three different motorcycles shod in Michelin Commander III tires, a Harley Sportster 1200C and Heritage Softail Classic equipped with the cruisers and a Harley Ultra Classic kitted with the tourers. (right) Here's what a pair of brand spankin' new Commander III cruiser tires look like before getting spooned on a hopped-up Sportster. (left) Here's what a Michelin Commander III touring tire looks like after 17,681 miles. Testers laid down 17,681 miles on the Commander III tourers and though the middle of the tire was well-worn the treads still had enough depth for a few more laps around the proverbial block. This time a 2017 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic was used on surface roads around Dallas, Texas. Michelin Tire Designer Elina Gelibert said the touring variety has different compounds and a different tread design than the cruiser version of the Commander III. Michelin had an outside company from Texas do a tread life test on the touring version of the Commander III as well. The Commander III’s also won a wet weather stopping test held by Motorrad, one of the most reputable European motorcycle magazines. Michelin's latest cruiser tire reportedly bested its competitors’ stopping distance by an average of 16.5 feet. Michelin conducted a wet road stopping performance test (front brake only) internally using a 2016 Harley-Davidson Sportster 48 where the Commander III was pitted against Metzeler’s CruiseTec and M888 Marathon and Dunlop’s Elite 4. We made the trip out to Daytona Beach during Bike Week to test the new Michelin Commander III tires.īefore our gathering of motojournalists got our hands on them at the press launch in Daytona Beach, the Commander III’s had already undergone rigorous testing. Apparently, V-Twin riders want a good-looking tire on their good-looking bikes, hence the emphasis on the Commander III’s styling. As a result, the Commander III’s sidewall designs are patented. The design of the Commander III was in large part consumer-driven with the question “how does it look on the bike” at the forefront of research. Michelin reps also hyped its Premium Touch Technology. ADT’s 90-thread ply is 25% more dense than conventional 71-thread ply.” Aramid tread plies on the rear tire resist centrifugal growth, reduce weight and provide excellent stability.
Michelin defines ADT as “A highly dense, more rigid tire casing which helps deliver excellent feedback and handling. The Commander III features proprietary Amplified Density Technology (ADT).
Dcommander 3 Patch#
The new Commander has a more rounded tire profile, and when cornering provides a bigger contact patch than its predecessor. Michelin contributes the striations in III’s tread for the optical illusion. The Commander III tread grooves look deeper than the II’s but they’re the same depth. The 100% Silica Tread Compound has a deep tread with a higher void ratio than the Commander II which reportedly improves water dispersion. The Commander III’s are made with a new silica compound designed to improve grip in the wet. For the last four years, Michelin has been working on the II’s successor, and in 2020 the Commander III was launched. Eight years later, the Commander II has earned its stripes with riders and 85% of Michelin’s cruiser tire sales are in the North American market. Launched in 2012, it helped Michelin establish a foothold in the North American cruiser market, a niche where its presence was lacking. Saying the Commander II is important to Michelin is an understatement.
0 kommentar(er)
