Reviews of Michelin’s High-Grip Tire, Power GP, on the track and on the Winding Roads

At the end of the article, let's introduce a video of legendary riders Tetsuya Harada and Tadayuki Okada giving their reviews.

Since I ride my motorcycle in a wide variety of situations, from winding roads to long tours and city riding, I chose the POWER 5, which is specialized for street use, and until recently I had installed it on my beloved GSX-R1000R. The POWER 5 was the perfect tire for fun riding on public roads, as its grip, life, design, lightness, and rideability are all balanced at a level too high to be considered a street-use tire. However, L got greedy and switched to the POWER GP tires, which are more focused on the track than the POWER 5 tires, so I would like to give our reviews of the tire performance in three different situations: city riding, winding, and finally, track riding with only the POWER GP tires while comparing them with the POWER 5 tires.

Before I get to the impressions, let's review the Michelin POWER Series!

Michelin's POWER series of radial tires for big bikes.
The latest in the ROAD series, a major standard in touring tires, is positioned as a sportier tire than the ROAD6.
One of the most significant features of Michelin's POWER series is the ability to select the most suitable tire in detail for the intended use.

This time, the author gives his reviews of the POWER GP, which has a 50/50 ratio between track and public road suitability. The next class, cup2, is available, but it is only 10% suitable for public roads, so it can be considered the most sporty tire that ensures practicality and safety on public roads.

The lower rank in the lineup is POWER 5. POWER 5 is 100% suitable for public roads. It does not mean that it does not have the grip to withstand circuit driving, but in fact, it can be used, and by concentrating on on-road use, it has been optimized to provide optimal grip in wet and diverse road conditions.

The POWER series has a uniform tire design, with the more circuit-oriented models being more slick-like.

Is POWER 5 the best match for city riding?

My initial review was that the POWER 5, which specializes in street performance, is more stable at intersections when running cold. I felt that because these tires are designed to be used on the street, they are seasoned so that they can be driven independent of tire temperatures even in seasons when the road surface temperature is low. POWER GP also uses Synthetic Component Technology (SCT), and I think this will be a point where riders will have different preferences regarding the grip at the start of the ride, as the warm-up is over and the motorcycle is stable before even a kilometer has been traveled at legal speeds.

The POWER 5 tread has a trendy decorative pattern and dimpled finish.

While the POWER 5 is generally easier to handle and can turn at shallow bank angles, the POWER GP has a strong sense of lightness that is unique to high-grip tires, but it does not turn as strongly at intersections and other street driving situations, so it does not feel as practical on the street as the POWER 5. However, the softness of the tires as a whole was often felt in the POWER GP, and small unevennesses on the road surface where the suspension does not move significantly were absorbed better in the POWER GP, allowing for comfortable city driving even in SS.

POWER GP has good front ground contact on winding roads!

I drove about 300 km of winding roads, and as a result, I felt that the POWER GP was more suited for SS. When comparing the two tires, there was a noticeable difference in the front tire's sense of contact, and the POWER GP tire clearly showed the "grip" characteristic of a high-blip tire, and when turning under braking, the entire body banked sharply, allowing the rider to turn the motorcycle in the direction he wanted to go. While POWER 5 exhibits linear grip to the bank angle, the ground feel is mature and smooth. I was very happy with the performance of the SS, but I felt it was insufficient for a motorcycle like the SS, which emphasizes front-ground contact. When turning with the front brake slightly left on, it is easier to feel the ground contact, but the reaction is not as obvious as in the POWER GP and remains gentle.

I got the review that POWER 5 can be driven comfortably when combined with a naked or street-fighter vehicle that uses a softer front suspension.

POWER GP is perfect for circuit riding sessions

POWER GP has a manufacturer-specified air pressure for circuit driving, so this time I rode the Tsukuba 1000 as hard as I could with the specified air pressure.

In the warm-up session after entering the course, I was able to feel the same ground contact and grip over short distances as I had felt on the street, and I was able to pick up the pace right away. On the street and winding roads, the front tires felt more strongly ground contact, but on the track, I could feel the rear tires crushing more strongly, and both front and rear tires felt secure in their firm grip on the ground. Also, when banking the motorcycle to turn from full braking, it was easy to control the motorcycle as it was easy to find the right amount of bank and slid well on the exit of the corner. I was impressed by the good balance between front and rear, which was noticeable on the track.

Although our times were not as good as those on production tires, I felt that if I could understand the characteristics of the tires and work on the suspension settings, I would be able to ride very good times in the POWER GP.

It can be ridden quite pleasantly like this. The surface is also smooth and clean.

POWER GP, POWER 5, and me

Although the POWER GP is a model tire that has already been on the market for two years since its launch in 2020, its capabilities were no less than any other high-grip tire in existence today. A good balance, especially when driving on circuits, can be felt by anyone, regardless of rider skill. However, the POWER 5, which specializes in street performance, is also not bad in terms of stability and grip when cold, so it is difficult to compare the two as in this case. In addition

For those who want to enjoy track riding but also want to crush the tires and actively control the ground contact and grip extraction, POWER GP is the way to go.

If you prefer a tire that is stable and grippy on the street and is not limited by season or climate, I recommend the POWER 5 for those who prefer a tire that is stable and grippy on the street and that is not limited by season or climate.

I hope that our reviews will help you to choose the best tire for the characteristics and use of your own motorcycle.

By the way, I had a good experience with POWER GP, so I will enjoy touring, and track riding with POWER GP for a while.

The information has been partially corrected due to an erroneous statement regarding the release date of POWER GP. -2022/08/09-

What is the advantage of the POWER Series?

So far, I have given you your staff's reviews of the actual use of the product, but how did tire professionals feel about it?  Legendary riders Tadayuki Okada & Tetsuya Harada and a model rider (Emi Tamon) will introduce the differences between CUP2 and POWER GP POWER 5 and recommended situations. It's a 5-minute video, but you'll definitely know which model is right for you when you see it! It should!

This video shows Tetsuya Harada's reviews at a track event! You can also get reviews of ordinary riders who participated in the event, so it's a must-see for riders who want to choose tires with circuit driving in mind!