【Michelin Power 6 Impressions】A Sport Tire That Makes You Grin? Enjoyable on Winding Roads While Remaining Discreet on Everyday Rides

Michelin's on-road sport radial, the Power 6. While often promoted for its powerful grip and circuit-ready capabilities, the Power 6 is a tire that Michelin wants you to "enjoy on the street." To explore this intention, we fitted a Honda CB1000F with the Power 6 and conducted an impression test on a route that took us from the highway, through city streets, and onto the winding roads of Hakone.

●Test Ride: Yasuo Kusuyama (Webike) ●Photos: Satoshi Mayumi ●Summary: Editorial Department
●Special Thanks: SP Tadao Asakusa Store 【PR】Michelin

A Character That Prioritizes the Bike's Feel Over the Tire's

MICHELIN POWER6

"The bike feels light!" That was the first impression upon mounting the CB1000F equipped with the Power 6 and setting off. From the very first roll, the bike's response felt light. Although this was a tire test, the impression conveyed to the rider was of the entire motorcycle. At this point, it felt like the character of the Michelin Power 6 tire was already becoming apparent.

Cruising leisurely on the highway. The first thing you notice is how surprisingly easy it is to change lanes and adjust your course. This feeling is consistent with the lightness felt from the start, yet straight-line stability is not sacrificed; if you look far ahead, the bike runs straight on its own. The need for minimal steering corrections should directly translate to reduced fatigue during high-speed cruising.

Perhaps due to the slightly higher tire pressure at the start (Honda's specified value for tandem riding: Front 250kPa / Rear 290kPa), it tended to pick up small bumps from the road surface, giving a feel similar to combining soft suspension with a solid tire. However, even with continuous joint gaps, the impact was not amplified. While the rider feels the bumps, they quickly subside without lingering, resulting in a maintained flat ride feel.

Although the handling is light, the Power 6 requires minimal steering corrections, making it less fatiguing during highway cruising.

When cornering on gentle highway curves with the throttle open, it maintains a completely neutral feel without any breakdown. As you increase the pace, the handling naturally becomes a bit heavier, but this is a common behavior for any motorcycle. A sport tire might typically emphasize sharp handling and abundant grip, but the Power 6 remains remarkably unobtrusive in touring situations.

This impression persisted even after exiting the highway and riding on public roads at a leisurely pace behind cars. During touring, there are often periods of just traveling, where you don't need to think much about riding, and during those times, the Power 6 completely recedes into the background. It doesn't provide any strange feedback, naturally drawing your attention to the scenery, the engine's pulse, or the exhaust note. Despite its "Power" name as a sport tire, it shares a common vector with Michelin's classic touring tire, the "Road 6."

On public roads and in city traffic during transit, the Power 6 acts as a "supporting actor," allowing the rider to focus on their surroundings and the bike's feel.

In relaxed riding situations, the Power 6 behaves much like a touring tire?!

The Power 6 Magic: Turning Anxiety into Enjoyment

Despite being advertised as a sport tire, could it actually be a touring tire? With this thought, we entered the winding roads. And here, the previous impression was completely overturned. The exit from corners is simply exhilarating. Even when picking up the pace, the tire doesn't feel mushy, and there's no fear of slipping; the rear tire powerfully propels the bike forward.

Once on winding roads, the Power 6 demonstrates its "true sport tire" performance.

Specifically, consider accelerating out of a corner in a higher gear, maintaining the engine in the 4000-5000rpm range, and opening the throttle wide as you bring the bike upright. This is where you can truly enjoy the sporty ride unique to a liter-class bike, utilizing its ample torque.

With a touring tire, you might find yourself searching for grip from the rear tire in such situations. Many riders are familiar with that uneasy feeling, like the tire surface is subtly shifting, causing a fidgety sensation. However, with the Power 6, those moments become enjoyable. It's a feeling where the "anxiety" sometimes felt with touring tires is completely transformed into "fun." This grip, which firmly supports the immense power of a liter-class motorcycle, is undoubtedly that of a sport tire.

The grip experienced during corner exits is something you can't get with touring tires.

The tenacity during corner exits is supported by the company's proprietary technology, "2CT+ (Two-Compound Technology Plus)." While 2CT differentiates compound hardness between the center and shoulders, the evolved 2CT+ features a structure where the stiff rubber compound in the center extends beneath the softer shoulder compound. As a result, it suppresses excessive movement of the soft shoulder, providing a firm feel during cornering. 2CT+ is also used in the Road 6, but the Power 6 likely applies it with a sportier bias.

Meanwhile, the front tire steers incredibly smoothly, with absolutely no discernible quirks in its handling. Unlike some sport tires that tend to push you too far into the inside of the intended line, it never does more than what the rider intends. Of course, the grip level is definitively higher than that of a touring tire; for example, there's no fear when entering a downhill hairpin while still braking. It feels like the security of the Road 6, but with a significant boost in grip.

The front tire's response is remarkably straightforward, yet the grip is more than sufficient.

2CT+ technology, where the hard center compound (blue section) is placed under the soft shoulder compound (yellow section), balances cornering stability and grip. While it was only on the rear for the previous Power 5, the Power 6 features 2CT+ on both front and rear.

コンパウンドも、パワー5は一部にブラックカーボンを採用していたが、パワー6は全面的にシリカベースへと変更。狙いは温度依存性の低減で、タイヤが冷えている朝一番や雨で路面温度が低い場面、さらに真夏の高温域など、どんな状況下でもコンパウンドのしなやかさが保たれる。

The enjoyment on winding roads is truly that of a sport tire!

Finding Your Preferred Feel Through Tire Pressure Adjustment

Although slightly deviating from the tire impressions, I'd like to share our experience with tire pressure settings. The Power 6 is a sport tire focused on street use, but Michelin envisions a usage ratio of 90% street and 10% circuit, indicating its capability for sporty riding on closed courses. However, for such use, Michelin recommends lowering the tire pressure to 210kPa for the front and 190kPa for the rear (cold pressure for both; values are the same regardless of size).

While such a drastic reduction isn't feasible, Michelin states that adjusting tire pressure by about 20-30kPa from the vehicle manufacturer's specified pressure is acceptable even on streets with poorer road conditions than circuits. This is because vehicle manufacturers' specified pressures often include margins for various conditions like tandem riding, luggage, and ultra-high-speed travel, and can sometimes be a bit high for solo sporty riding.

The Power 6's appeal can be further enhanced by adjusting tire pressure; with the recommended pressure, it can even handle circuit runs.

Therefore, we reduced the rear pressure by 30kPa to 260kPa and the front by 10kPa to 240kPa. This significantly reduced the choppiness, increased the sense of security, and made riding on winding roads even more enjoyable. Incidentally, the ability to make such tire pressure adjustments is due to the high manufacturing precision of Michelin tires. Their exceptional roundness ensures a secure fit of the tire bead to the wheel rim all around, preventing air leaks even at lower pressures.

Regardless, adjusting the tires to your preferred feel might lead to a desire to tweak the suspension as well. Thinking about increasing the damping force on both front and rear suspension to reduce pitching a bit more... Honda also offers guides for suspension settings based on different situations for the CB1000F.Of course, any such modifications are at your own risk, but it's a welcome consideration that there's room for customization and development, especially with sport tires and sport bikes.

While this might sound like a lack of personality, Michelin aims for tires that seamlessly integrate with any motorcycle, becoming a complete part of it. Calling that "lack of individuality" would be inaccurate. It's better described as "de-individualization." If you've read this far into the impressions, you should be able to grasp the "ultimate normality" of the Power 6.

Furthermore, the Power 6 offers corner-exit exhilaration that cannot be achieved with touring tires. Of course, in terms of lifespan, it can't compete with touring tires, but market feedback suggests the Power 6's wear resistance is about 80% of the Road 6's. In exchange for that 20%, you gain those moments that make you grin inside your helmet. It behaves like a touring tire in everyday riding, but responds firmly when you push it in sporty riding. This greedy duality is precisely why you would choose the Power 6.

Enjoying a smooth ride on winding roads. The fun that makes the rider grin in these situations is the true essence of the Power 6.

MICHELIN POWER 6

Michelin Power 6 (Front)

Michelin Power 6 (Rear)

Unlike the symmetrical tread pattern of the Power 5, the Power 6 features an evolved asymmetrical design.

The shoulders are slick-like to enhance grip performance, but feature dimples like golf balls and shallow, square grooves to visually convey confidence in wet conditions.

The sidewall uses "Premium Touch Design," which features micro-irregularities on the surface to enhance the contrast with the logos. It also boasts intricate designs, such as a gradient checkerboard pattern that gradually emerges.

Comparison of Michelin's four on-road radial tire characters. While the Road 6 is designed 100% for street use, the Power 6 anticipates about 10% circuit use. The area of the slick zone and the tread groove ratio clearly indicate the Power 6's stance compared to the Road 6 and the two more circuit-oriented tires on the right.

Size Variations

Another feature is the wide range of variations, with two front and eight rear sizes. Sizes suitable for 250-400cc class motorcycles, such as front 110/rear 140-150, and a rear 240 size for cruisers are also available.

＜Front＞
・110/70ZR17 (54W)
・120/70ZR17 (58W)

＜Rear＞
・140/70ZR17 (66W)
・150/60ZR17 (66W)
・160/60ZR17 (69W)
・180/55ZR17 (73W)
・190/50ZR17 (73W)
・190/55ZR17 (75W)
・200/55ZR17 (78W)
・240/45ZR17 (82W)