Michelin Pilot Sport report
Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 1:04 pm
I bought a set of the Michelin Pilot Sport tires for my Blur 220 and had them mounted two weeks ago. I wanted to wait until I had a couple of hundred miles on them before commenting. Just rolled past 210 on them today on the way in and...
Go get some! Although the stock tires on the Blur 220 aren't bad, these things ride so smooth I would have thought that I changed more than just the tires. My old set were "fine", but at 4k they were slightly feathered and were providing a lot of vibration. They were also getting close to the wear bars and as we all know, it's better to replace them early than late so the decision was easy for me.
My set features the suggested fitment from Scooterworks (size 130/6-x13", fits Blur front and rear) rather than the 120 front that comes as stock fitment. The front is just a bit wider, but there looks like the same clearance with the fender. The bigger front tire may slow down the steering a tiny bit, but I actually appreciate the extra weight and tiny increase in patch size up there. I can actually feel the suspension working now, and these tires without Dyna-beads (and unbalanced) are as good as my Maxxis' were with the Dyna-beads. I'm actually thinking of NOT putting the beads in this time...
I'm running 28 front and 29 rear and that seems to be the best compromise in ride comfort and performance. I was running a similar pressure in the old tires as well, despite the recommended 28 in the manual and 30 on the sticker (both front and rear).
So they are generally better, but one thing really stands out. On the sealant strips on I-75 (where I used to have a minor pucker changing lanes) these tires track straight and true. With the old tires, the front end would wiggle a tiny bit on the melted sealant as I crossed lanes. With the new tires, and especially the bigger front tire, they track just fine over the same strips. A good surprise and a big boost in confidence on the highway for my short jaunts.
I'm very pleased with what a simple tire change did to the ride and handling of the scoot. I took it very easy that first week, but my confidence is growing as the tires shed their manufacturing oils. On city streets and on the highway these tires offer great traction, ride quality and confidence.
Go get some! Although the stock tires on the Blur 220 aren't bad, these things ride so smooth I would have thought that I changed more than just the tires. My old set were "fine", but at 4k they were slightly feathered and were providing a lot of vibration. They were also getting close to the wear bars and as we all know, it's better to replace them early than late so the decision was easy for me.
My set features the suggested fitment from Scooterworks (size 130/6-x13", fits Blur front and rear) rather than the 120 front that comes as stock fitment. The front is just a bit wider, but there looks like the same clearance with the fender. The bigger front tire may slow down the steering a tiny bit, but I actually appreciate the extra weight and tiny increase in patch size up there. I can actually feel the suspension working now, and these tires without Dyna-beads (and unbalanced) are as good as my Maxxis' were with the Dyna-beads. I'm actually thinking of NOT putting the beads in this time...
I'm running 28 front and 29 rear and that seems to be the best compromise in ride comfort and performance. I was running a similar pressure in the old tires as well, despite the recommended 28 in the manual and 30 on the sticker (both front and rear).
So they are generally better, but one thing really stands out. On the sealant strips on I-75 (where I used to have a minor pucker changing lanes) these tires track straight and true. With the old tires, the front end would wiggle a tiny bit on the melted sealant as I crossed lanes. With the new tires, and especially the bigger front tire, they track just fine over the same strips. A good surprise and a big boost in confidence on the highway for my short jaunts.
I'm very pleased with what a simple tire change did to the ride and handling of the scoot. I took it very easy that first week, but my confidence is growing as the tires shed their manufacturing oils. On city streets and on the highway these tires offer great traction, ride quality and confidence.
