Mid-term report!
The new Michelin Anakee Adventure are like the adventure tyre version of silk sheets. Crisp, smooth and comfy but lack grip when the off-road going gets serious.
I took them for a spin from the deep south in Victoria via the Barry Way, the back road from Cooma, then over to Braidwood and back. That’s about 1500 clicks with about 250 of them decent dirt.
Designated as an 80/20 on-road to off-road tyre, the main game of the Anakee Adventure hoop is road manners and the new hoops really delivered on my Suzuki V-Strom 650. Bibendum (the name on the Michelin man’s birth certificate, for those who are wondering) and his crew designed these hoops for large-capacity Adventure bikes in mind, riders who despite their very best intentions, tend to stick to the black stuff more than the brown.
To do this, Michelin has done two things in a bid to keep the carcass stiffer than other dual-sport tyres. The first is by a dual-compound system which, believe it or not, is unique to the adventure tyre market. For too long Adventure riders have been ripped off with tyres that wear out in what feels like 20 minutes. Dual compound technology has been restricted to road-biased tyres thus far, when duel-purpose machines that could benefit most from a firm centre and soft shoulders.
The second thing is the outer tread blocks have a small bridge joining every second block to help reduce deformation, and therefore premature wear, under cornering loads, while also creating wider tread blocks to more effectively disperse water.
On road, the tread pattern is smooth with no detectable thrum, they track true and steer beautifully. The feedback and feel through fast corners is reassuringly positive, I felt that I could crank over the ’Strom as far as it wanted to on the black stuff. I didn’t get too much of a chance to trial the tyres’ new silica compounds on wet roads, but the short patches I came across were reassuring.
The Barry Way is smooth dirt and right in the remit for tyres like these, however, the surface can be ball-bearing skatey in places. I’m probably a bit more comfortable than your average rider when it comes to pushing my limits off road, but I found the front tracked predictably and true, but when my pace quickened, the rear spun up a bit too easily for my liking. Although it remained predictable and completely controllable, it just lacked the bite I usually look for in an adventure tyre which, it’s fair to say, is more off-road focussed than these are.
Over the years I’ve discovered that deciding on adventure tyres needs to be a compromise of your your specific requirements and I;I’ve also learnt that choosing the right one can be a swing-and-hope job.
If your main riding is spirited and on road, with an occasional trip to the dirty side, have a gecko at the Anakee Adventures. And when you’re tossing up those compromises, I’d much rather lean toward a tyre that hung on well on the road than off it.
Check back for the full review and star rating once I’ve worn the things out.
By Andy ‘Strapz’ White
Michelin Anakee Adventure tyre
Front from $179
Rear from $249
Large range of sizes
Michelin Australia
www.michelin.com.au
1300 727 878
