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

Michelin's on-road sport radial, the Power 6. While often promoted for its powerful grip and circuit-capable performance, 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 Rider: 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 the moment I got on the CB1000F equipped with the Power 6 and started moving. The bike's response felt light from the very first roll. Although this was a tire test, the impression felt like it was coming from the entire motorcycle to the rider.Even at this point, I felt like I could already see the character of the Michelin Power 6 tire.

Cruising leisurely on the highway. The first thing I noticed was how surprisingly easy it was to change lanes and adjust my course. This feeling connects to the lightness I felt when starting off,but it doesn't sacrifice straight-line stability; if you look far ahead, the bike just goes straight on its own. The need for fewer steering corrections should directly translate to less fatigue during high-speed cruising.

At the start, the tire pressure might have been a bit high (Honda's specified value for two-up riding: Front 250kPa / Rear 290kPa), as it felt a bit bumpy over road imperfections, giving a sensation similar to combining soft suspension with a solid tire. However, even with continuous joint gaps, the impact was not amplified. While the rider felt the bumps, they quickly subsided, preventing them from lingering. This resulted in maintaining a flat ride feel.

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

On the highway's gentle curves, the bike leaned without any breakdown, maintaining a thoroughly neutral feel even when accelerating through the turn. As the pace increased, the handling naturally became a bit heavier, but this is a behavior common to any motorcycle. A sport tire might typically emphasize sharp handling and abundant grip, but the Power 6 remains remarkably unobtrusive during touring-like situations.

This impression continued on the general roads after exiting the highway, where I rode slowly behind a car. During touring, there are quite a few moments where you're just traveling, not thinking much about the ride, and during those times, the Power 6 completely recedes into the background.It doesn't send out any strange information, so your attention naturally shifts to the scenery, the engine's vibrations, or the exhaust note. Despite its "Power" name as a sport tire,it shares a common vector with Michelin's highly popular touring tire, the "Road 6."

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

During relaxed riding, the Power 6 feels almost 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, I entered the winding roads.And here, my previous impression was completely overturned. The acceleration out of corners is simply exhilarating. Even when picking up the pace, the tire doesn't feel mushy, and there's no terrifying sense of slipping; the rear tire powerfully propels the bike forward.

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

Specifically, consider moments like accelerating hard from 4000-5000 rpm in a higher gear, rather than staying in the powerband in a lower gear, and powering out of a corner while the bike is upright. These are the situations where you can truly enjoy the sporty ride unique to a liter-class bike, utilizing its strong 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 in the rear. However, with the Power 6,those moments become enjoyable. It's a feeling where the "anxiety" often 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 when accelerating out of corners 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 in the center penetrates beneath the softer shoulder compound. As a result, it suppresses excessive movement of the soft shoulder,creating a firm feel during banking. 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 quirks in its handling. Unlike some sport tires that tend to push you too far into the inside of your intended line,it never does more than what the rider intends. Of course, the grip level is definitely higher than that of a touring tire; for example, there's no fear even when entering a downhill hairpin while still braking. It feels like the security of the Road 6 has been enhanced with a significant boost in grip.

The front tire's response is incredibly smooth, yet it offers ample grip.

The 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 in 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 my 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, common across all sizes).

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

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

Therefore, I reduced the rear pressure by 30kPa to 260kPa and the front by 10kPa to 240kPa. This significantly reduced the bumpiness, 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, making them less prone to air leaks even at lower pressures.

Regardless, adjusting the tires to my preferred feel made me want to tinker with the suspension as well. I found myself 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 individuality, Michelin aims for tires that blend seamlessly with any motorcycle, becoming a complete part of it.Calling that "lack of individuality" would be inaccurate. I prefer to call it "de-individualization." If you've read this far into the review, I hope you can appreciate the "ultimate normality" of the Power 6.

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

Riding smoothly 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, but feature dimples like golf balls and shallow, square grooves to visually convey confidence in wet conditions.

The sidewall uses "Premium Touch Design," which creates contrast by etching fine textures onto the surface, making the logos stand out. It also features intricate designs like a gradient checkerboard pattern.

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

Size Lineup

Also notable is the wide variety of sizes, with 2 front and 8 rear options. Sizes compatible with 250-400cc class bikes, such as 110 front / 140-150 rear, and a 240 rear 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)