Introduction, positioning and philosophy of the test
Michelin's Anakee range is the one that covers the needs of trail and maxi trail motorcycles in all their sizes. From more country to less, the range is made up of the Anakee Wild (50/50), a knobby tire for the most extreme adventurers, the Anakee Adventure, with a mixed tread but a clear preference for asphalt (80/20) and without However, it is also suitable for scramblers. Until now, the Anakee 3 represented the most asphalt side of the Anakee range.
With the appearance of Michelin's new road reference, the Michelin Road 6, the French brand has decided to take advantage of its technology in the Anakee range, sharing the casing of the new Michelin Anakee Road (hence its nomenclature) with the Road 6, but in this case with the relevant measurements for different trail motorcycles, such as the new Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports, with a 19-inch rim with the best-selling BMW R 1300 GS, as well 19-inch front wheel, this time with another width and profile.
We wanted to pit two very popular motorcycles against great riders. The BMW R 1300 GS is “a lifetime”, while the Africa Twin has been so in its -until now- only version with a 21-inch front wheel, more rugged.
With the Adventure Sports version, Honda complements its asphalt trail range, until now represented by the 17-inch Honda NT1100, and proposes an intermediate path, with the adventurous look of the Africa Twin, but with superior asphalt performance than the 21-inch version. inches.
It is a fact that the majority of European drivers travel mostly on asphalt. The maxitrails allow you to reach “the last mile” with their adventurous proposal and enter trails where the GTs do not reach, to the point that the maxitrails have replaced a large part of the sales pie to the Gran Turismo.
That is the reason why brands like Michelin adapt to the demands of users and develop products that fit their needs. If you are one of those who travel with their trail or maxitrail entirely on asphalt, you should continue reading; because the Michelin Anakee Road is a great tire.
Technical characteristics of the Michelin Anakee Road
If the appearance of radial tires – by Michelin, by the way – represented a before and after in grip, feedback and durability (X-Evo technology in this tire), the same can be said of the incorporation of silica in manufacturing of the tires regarding wet qualities.
Silica particles are hydrophobic, and therefore, decisive in the evacuation of water. No less important is that silica helps the tire reach its optimal operating temperature sooner.
If we analyze separately the different technologies used by the Michelin Anakee Road, we will observe that they all converge on a common objective: that the performance of the tire is uniform in all conditions and throughout the useful life of the tire. That includes from when you start the motorcycle every day until the moment of replacement.
You may have read the surname “2CT” on other tires from the brand. It refers to “2 Compound Technology”, that is, technology of two compounds. The tire's center tread compound is stronger than the sidewalls. This minimizes central wear, making the tire “square”, while allowing the use of softer compounds on the sidewalls and having more grip and sensations when it is most needed.
At no point during driving is the transition between compounds detected, resulting in a natural and uniform behavior. The internal structure also benefits from the use of aramid, a very resistant synthetic fiber, used in military technology and in the manufacture of competition helmets. Its characteristics prevent deformation of the tire, either due to increased speed or due to a change in temperature.
It is true that the look of trail and maxitrail motorcycles looks better with knobby tires, even mixed ones like the Anakee Adventure, with good performance on asphalt. But if performance and comfort in all types of conditions (dry/wet) and asphalt is your priority, the Anakee Road is a great option.
Pipe's opinion
I was very curious to try the Michelin Anakee Road. Go ahead, I am the target audience for this tire. I have a trail bike – I won't say which one – and my use is 100% asphalt. I like to ride with my back upright, but the countryside is not my thing. Until I fix the latter, I need asphalt tires.
The Anakee Road pattern is asphalt. It does not contain tacos, rivers or islands. Michelin claims that its orientation is (90/10) road/field, but in my opinion it is 100% asphalt. I am not a slave to the “look”, but I ask for a couple of main characteristics from the tires that I ride, which I have found in the Anakee (in order of importance for me): entry into operating temperature and grip. But I have not only found that.
First I want to clarify the importance of testing tires on two different models. In addition to checking how the same compound works in two different proposals, it is advisable that the measurements of both motorcycles differ, so that it can be verified which common characteristics detected in the performance are attributable to the tire and which to the motorcycle. This way I can draw valid conclusions.
In the Michelin Anakee Road I have found a tire with a balanced profile, at a very suitable intermediate point between the V-profile, with an aggressive “drop” in curves, and the U-profile, more stable, but also thicker when cornering. It is a tire that is easy to detect and neutral.
It is also comfortable because its asphalt casing and tread provide silent rolling without possible vibrations. When driving, the grip feeling is very fast. They heat up quickly, just the way I like it. I don't know because of the specific temperature, but because of the information I receive, which is transmitted in confidence. But what I did not expect is the uniformity of performance – excellent – in the conditions that a motorcyclist least likes: dry-wet.
Whether on dry surfaces with wet patches, or on wet asphalt with dry islands, the Michelin Anakee Road gives unprecedented performance for me. Of course, within an order; In such circumstances it is not possible to do so at the same pace as in the dry or with the same precautions, but being a scenario in which we usually drive “stepping on water lilies”, I was able to see how the tires respond beyond what my prudence indicated with the Same information and grip in dry-wet transitions.
I will never pretend to exceed what my prudence indicates, but with the Anakee Road I know that there is a network underneath. I wasn't able to ride in completely wet conditions, but after the demonstration of the Anakee in the most difficult conditions, I have no doubt that they will perform very well.
Both the BMW R 1300 GS and the Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sports are motorcycles capable of riding very fast, whether on the highway or on a mountain road, which, after all, is where we really enjoy our mounts. The Michelin Anakee Road are very much up to the challenge when you screw up the grip. They provide grip and information, in short confidence, essential when riding fast with motorcycles that exceed 100 HP of power and weigh 200 kilos.
In summary, I think the use of the Michelin Road 6 casing on these tires is an excellent strategic decision. I also think that the Michelin Anakee Road are far superior to the Michelin Anakee 3, which they complement on their website, but I am sure they will soon be replaced. Because once any Michelin Anakee 3 user tries the new Michelin Anakee Road, they will need no further consideration.
Teo's Opinion
First of all, comment that Michelin has had several options similar to the Anakee Road that we have tested on the market for years. They are the Michelin Road 6 and the Michelin Anakee III. The first more oriented towards sport-touring motorcycles and the second more designed for trail motorcycles.
Since many users of trail motorcycles use them mainly on asphalt, on long trips mainly by road and often with passengers and cargo, it makes perfect sense that the Anakee Road now exists. It is a specific tire for trail motorcycles (among other things, due to the dimensions in which it is marketed), but with a clear bias for sport-touring type use.
A tire designed for heavy motorcycles, with a lot of horsepower with a geometry that is very demanding on the supports and that in most cases will circulate at high sustained speeds and with a lot of weight to hold. Having said all this and after testing them on two great motorcycles such as the fantastic BMW R 1300 GS and the magnificent Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sport (both with a 19-inch front wheel), these are my conclusions:
The Michelin Anakee Road heats up very quickly and offers a lot of confidence, that would be my essential summary and it is not enough to say about a tire destined to be placed in the asphalt trail segment. It is a quality that comes in handy in situations where there are frequent stops, such as when we are visiting an area where there are viewpoints or we stop often to take photos or enjoy a coffee and a pincho here and there.
At the same time, it presents a very homogeneous behavior when we enter shady stretches or small patches of wet asphalt, without scares or a feeling of loss of grip. It is a tire that is “always ready” and little by little we stop worrying about whether it will respond or not and we begin to trust that it will.
The carcass structure feels firm, which is necessary for the tire to successfully retain its shape under heavy pressure. The final curvature is soft despite the distribution of its two types of compound and no “step” is felt when lying down. The feeling in turns and corners is one of uniformity of response and connecting curves is a matter of changing the weight without feeling any resistance from the shape of the tire.
At the same time, I find low noise when driving on the highway or straighter sections, thanks in part to the asphalt pattern without any harshness. That is, we have nothing that resembles a block, when other tires implement sometimes more “country” patterns mainly for aesthetic reasons. It is true that studs look great on trail bikes, or at least tires that have “some studs”, but when you are looking for reliable performance it is better to skip the stories and that is why I think the tread pattern of these Anakee Road is The right one. There are no vibrations, no noise and the direction changes are very continuous.
When we go hard on curved roads, I feel that it can be relied on with confidence, especially on the edge of the tire, where the compound feels very effective. Little by little I have found myself opening the throttle earlier on each corner exit without causing the traction control to intervene in both the GS and the Africa Twin and the truth is that I have had a lot of fun.
In short, for those who want to make asphalt use of their powerful maxitrail and who do not need to use “somewhat lugged” tires and appreciate confidence and good grip, I sincerely believe that they will be satisfied if they try the Anakee Road. A concrete proposal, without artifices and that works very well.
