Adventure Motorcycle (ADVMoto) – July-August 2019

PRODUCT REVIEWSMichelin Anakee Adventure Tire

by Jimmy Campbell

Recently Michelin sent me a set of their new Anakee Adventure

tires to put on my trusty KTM 1190R in preparation for their Anakee

Adventure Unleashed event being held in Pahrump, Nevada, at the

Water Rock Ranch. Leaving from my home in Los Angeles gave me

the opportunity to put some miles on them in varying conditions

and test them for review.

The Anakee Adventure tire is the latest in the Anakee line-up,

aimed at those who ride primarily on tarmac and are looking for

occasional adventures off road. Designed for 80% on-road use and

20% off-road, this tire should satisfy most riders. Let’s face it, when

we’re doing a road trip it’s nice to be able to go off the beaten path.

Michelin packed a lot of great features into this tire, not just

excelling in one area and leaving other areas out of the equation.

Features include new compounds, new construction, new

technologies and a new tread pattern. It is the first Michelin trail tire

to incorporate Michelin 2CT and 2CT+, technologies, previously only

a feature of Michelin’s radial road tires. This process enables a harder

compound in the crown of the front tire while allowing a softer

compound on the sides. The same process is used on the rear.

What makes the 2CT+ unique for the rear is that, through the

extrusion and molding process, the center harder compound

is “tapered” to the sides. Then, through the same molding

process, the softer compound is applied to the

sides. Sounds technical, because it is, but what

this does is give superior wet- and dry-weather

grip, handling performance, and ride comfort and

stability, especially at higher speeds. The tapered

hard compound bolsters the soft outer to give

confidence-inspiring lean angles under power

without that soft tire “squirminess.” Tread pattern

is also optimized from crown to edge of the tire to

help with on- and off-road cornering as well as

water evacuation in wet conditions.

My initial riding impressions of this tire were

very good. I found it stable on the road, with no

discernible vibration, a common issue with tires

with a more aggressive tread pattern. Cornering

characteristics were excellent, with good feel at

lean, and coming out of corners under power I

experienced no uneasiness or nervousness in the

rear tire, a common problem with softer compounds.

Riding off road was decent for a tire of this

type. I aired it down to about 25 psi, which gave

it a little more hook-up in dirt and a bit smoother

ride. Depending on what kind of bike you ride,

I recommend experimenting with different tire

pressures to find a sweet spot that you like. Running

this tire at the full recommended tire pressure,

42 psi, gave it a little bit of a harsh feeling. But I

think that would be the case for any tire run at

full pressure. Most people are going to air down if

they’re going to do an excursion in the dirt.

In conclusion, this is a fantastic tire. I logged

almost 900 miles on it in a weekend. So if you’re

looking for a great tire to spoon on your adventure

rig, consider the Michelin Anakee Adventure.

MSRP: $194.95−$286.95 Michelin.com

PROS

Excellent road manners

Feels great at speed

Excellent wet grip

Feels great when pushed hard in corners

CONS

Uneasy in mud or sand, but that’s expected

24 July/August 2019