Michelin Anakee Adventure Tire Review

[MotoNews]

Published in: Gear

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 very 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 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

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