JQL
Growing old disgracefully
I am editing this post for anyone searching for information on Michelin PR4 tires (tyres)
My recommendation: BUY THEM
OK so why should you buy them?
I ride about 10,000 - 12,000 miles each year in all weathers (including light snow) commuting to work which is about 20 miles each way. I also use my bike to visit clients nearly every day. You can check out my mileage etc. here.
So, I use my NT700VA every day - including weekends for pleasure.
The roads I ride have are a mixture of Autoroute (Interstate), City roads and country roads. I live in the country and work in the city. These roads are covered in diesel. quite literally. Diesel is the fuel of choice in France as it is much cheaper than petrol (gas). Everyone uses it and they don't care if it spills or leaks on to the roads as it is cheap. So, when it rains, the roads become skating rinks!
My NT700VA came with Bridestone BT021 tyres and they were a bit loose. They didn't inspire confidence especially in the rain where the feed back was that the back end felt like it was going to break away at any moment even when going very slowly. I come from sports bikes and crotch rockets so I'm used to incredible levels of grip and the BT021s made me pucker up in the wet.
Next were the BT023 as people said they were very good and I had difficulty getting Avons. Yes, they were better. Dry grip was phenomenal (the "chicken strips" were usually scrubbed off within 500 miles!) and the wet grip inspired a little more confidence but they still felt loose in the wet on corners.
Then came the BT030. These were good. Much better than the previous Bridgestones. Very good performance in the dry though my last set still had some remnants of chicken strips on one side. The wet grip was better than the BT023 but still didn't inspire full confidence.
Now we come to the PR4s. Oh boy are they good. I can ride in the wet exactly the same as in the dry! No difference at all - well I maybe don't lean as far. The level of confidence they give in the wet is nothing short of amazing. You feel like you're on a dry road - period!
We've had quite a lot of rain over the last 2 weeks so I have been able to test them out in the wet. I tried a hard stop - not quite an emergency stop - in the rain yesterday and the ABS didn't need to kick in (the ABS used to kick in fairly regularly with the Bridgestones). The front just bit the road as if it had been dry. I was gob-smacked! These tires give the impression that they'll grip to levels well above my ability and those of a sane person on a public highway.
I have found a tyre which I have full confidence in, in both the wet and the dry. It has exceptionally good levels of grip and gives excellent feedback. As to longevity, I'll have to let you know. If I had a gripe it would be that they feel a little hard, which is no bad thing.
So don't dither. If you ride in the rain, or in the dry, fit Michelin PR4s.
Original post
I'm about to get the 72000 km service done (the BIG one) and I'm going to change the tyres as well from BT30s.
Has anyone got the PR4s fitted to their Deauville and, if so, can you please give a review of them?
I am editing this post for anyone searching for information on Michelin PR4 tires (tyres)
My recommendation: BUY THEM
OK so why should you buy them?
I ride about 10,000 - 12,000 miles each year in all weathers (including light snow) commuting to work which is about 20 miles each way. I also use my bike to visit clients nearly every day. You can check out my mileage etc. here.
So, I use my NT700VA every day - including weekends for pleasure.
The roads I ride have are a mixture of Autoroute (Interstate), City roads and country roads. I live in the country and work in the city. These roads are covered in diesel. quite literally. Diesel is the fuel of choice in France as it is much cheaper than petrol (gas). Everyone uses it and they don't care if it spills or leaks on to the roads as it is cheap. So, when it rains, the roads become skating rinks!
My NT700VA came with Bridestone BT021 tyres and they were a bit loose. They didn't inspire confidence especially in the rain where the feed back was that the back end felt like it was going to break away at any moment even when going very slowly. I come from sports bikes and crotch rockets so I'm used to incredible levels of grip and the BT021s made me pucker up in the wet.
Next were the BT023 as people said they were very good and I had difficulty getting Avons. Yes, they were better. Dry grip was phenomenal (the "chicken strips" were usually scrubbed off within 500 miles!) and the wet grip inspired a little more confidence but they still felt loose in the wet on corners.
Then came the BT030. These were good. Much better than the previous Bridgestones. Very good performance in the dry though my last set still had some remnants of chicken strips on one side. The wet grip was better than the BT023 but still didn't inspire full confidence.
Now we come to the PR4s. Oh boy are they good. I can ride in the wet exactly the same as in the dry! No difference at all - well I maybe don't lean as far. The level of confidence they give in the wet is nothing short of amazing. You feel like you're on a dry road - period!
We've had quite a lot of rain over the last 2 weeks so I have been able to test them out in the wet. I tried a hard stop - not quite an emergency stop - in the rain yesterday and the ABS didn't need to kick in (the ABS used to kick in fairly regularly with the Bridgestones). The front just bit the road as if it had been dry. I was gob-smacked! These tires give the impression that they'll grip to levels well above my ability and those of a sane person on a public highway.
I have found a tyre which I have full confidence in, in both the wet and the dry. It has exceptionally good levels of grip and gives excellent feedback. As to longevity, I'll have to let you know. If I had a gripe it would be that they feel a little hard, which is no bad thing.
So don't dither. If you ride in the rain, or in the dry, fit Michelin PR4s.
Original post
I'm about to get the 72000 km service done (the BIG one) and I'm going to change the tyres as well from BT30s.
Has anyone got the PR4s fitted to their Deauville and, if so, can you please give a review of them?
I am editing this post for anyone searching for information on Michelin PR4 tires (tyres)
Last edited:
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