The New Michelin Power RS Sportbike Tire

Even though Michelin is involvement with MotoGP as the new spec-tire manufacturer has just entered its second year, Michelin is already looking to capitalize on that relationship by introducing a new flagship sportbike tire, designated the Michelin Power RS. Superseding the Michelin Pilot Power 3 as the company’s top-of-the-line sportbike tires, the new Michelin Power RS is primarily intended for road use while easily handling the occasional trackday outing.

Michelin is claiming that the new Power RS tire outdoes the competition in every dry pavement performance category, from grip to feel to flickability to stability and even average lap time.

Boasting new dual-compound technology derived from its latest racing exploits, the Michelin Power RS also has a new patented carcass construction that is claimed to allow excellent straightline stability as well as increased confidence at extreme lean angles. Interestingly, the new compounds and carcass have permitted Michelin to actually decrease the amount of ‘softer’ compound on the shoulder of both front and rear tire compared to the previous Michelin Pilot Power 3 tire.

For example, while the Michelin Pilot Power 3 tire has a 25/50/24 ratio of soft/medium/soft compound makeup of the tread for both front and rear tires, the new Michelin Power RS has a ratio of 16/68/16 soft/medium/soft compound makeup for the front tread, and a 23/54/24 compound coverage makeup for the rear tread. And yet Michelin says the Power RS is 3.5 seconds quicker per lap on a BMW S1000RR than the Pilot Power 3.

Part of that increased performance is surely due to new tires ‘increased “land/sea ratio” (the amo9und of rubber surface area compared to the amount of void created by the tread grooves). The Michelin Power RS has a land/sea ratio of just 6.2 percent, compared to the 10 percent ratio of the Michelin Pilot Power 3. In fact, the Power RS’s land/sea ratio undercuts Michelin’s own Power Supersport Evo trackday tire, which comes in at 7.5 percent.

The Michelin Power RS will be available in 13 sizes (four front, nine rear) to cover a broad range of sportbikes, for everything from 300cc to large-displacement machines. Prices are to be announced, and the tire will be available around the end of January or February 2017.