Michelin Commander III Touring.

[redjay]

I had new Commander III Touring tires installed today on my 1300 V Star Tourer. They were on sale at a place near me in London, Ontario.
I took the wheels off the bike on Sunday and took the rims to the shop today. Total cost including install, new 90 degree valves, balance and taxes, $600.

Once I have some miles on the tires I will give a review.

I got 36,000 kms out of the Commander II that was removed and it still had some life left in it but I needed to replace the rear brake disc and pads so rather than take the wheel out again in a couple of months I did it all at once.

[tomm]

I'll be very interested in your review. I know some folks who have had some very serious pucker moments in the rain with the Commander II's. And the last set I had, the rear tire was splitting right down to the cord at the bottom of the grooves with still plenty of tread left.

[redjay]

The Commander III's come in 2 styles of tread pattern and compound. There is the Touring and the Cruiser. I went for the Touring tire as I rarely ride in the rain and longevity was what I was looking for.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/moto...ew/ar-BB11hdaN

[The Black Knight]

I'm also very interested in your review. Thanks mate.

[redjay]

I hope to get out on the bike on the weekend for my first impressions of the Commander III

[smokier]

Greetings RedJay,


What the others have said: Waiting for your review!



Ride safe,
Smokier

[redjay]

I "scrubbed in" the new tires today. You would not believe how slick the tires are when new, the front one especially. I could push the bike backwards with the front brake held on and the wheel not spinning. It was like the tires were covered in grease. I have never bought new tires that were so slick. The front tire was so slick I was nervous about taking the bike out so got a 5 inch sanding flap disc and used it by hand to scrub the tire and get more abrasion for the first ride. I did about 200 kms today and all went well but its too early to give a full review.

[Sabre-t]

Originally Posted by redjay

I "scrubbed in" the new tires today. You would not believe how slick the tires are when new, the front one especially. I could push the bike backwards with the front brake held on and the wheel not spinning. It was like the tires were covered in grease. I have never bought new tires that were so slick. The front tire was so slick I was nervous about taking the bike out so got a 5 inch sanding flap disc and used it by hand to scrub the tire and get more abrasion for the first ride. I did about 200 kms today and all went well but its too early to give a full review.

You should complain to Michelin and where you purchased them about that. It may fall on deaf ears, but, if not, it could save someone's life. New tires are always a bit slick, but that's insane.

To actually remove that slick stuff, you could wet a rag with some isopropyl alcohol and wipe them down. The alcohol won't hurt the tire and you would be removing those oils that might creep back to the places you scruffed.

[redjay]

I gave the dealer the heads up about the Commander III's.

Below is their response.

I appreciate the info. We have noticed this more and more through the years that new tires are very slick brand new… some more than others. I will keep an eye out for the Commander III’s for sure. Thanks again.

[redjay]

I have done about 450 kms on the Commander III tires and consider them "scrubbed in". The ride is nice and smooth, smoother than the Commander II front tire which felt like solid rubber by comparison. I have not done any spirited cornering so far, hard to find in Southern Ontario.

[JoeK07]

The front tyre on the bike I'm working on is a Commander 1 and the back a Commander 2. I'll have to look for these as I need to change when up and running.
What's the main difference between Touring & Cruiser or is it just marketing speak?
I suppose either will get me up the M6

[redjay]

The tires have different tread patterns and are made from different compounds.
The Touring gets better longevity and the Cruiser tire is supposedly better in the wet.
If you can still get the Avon Cobra in the U.K you could go with that if they are cheaper. Some have complained the Commander II's are not great in the rain.


Also the Commander III's come in sizes in the Cruiser tread pattern that are not available in the Touring sizes, and vice versa.

[JoeK07]

I've got the whitewall Cobra Chromes on my Scout but only ridden maybe 200 miles or so on them before lockdown so not much to review apart from they are miles better than the Kendas it came with.
They were pretty grim in the wet (not that it rains much up here near Manchester.....)

[redjay]

I have had the Commander III Touring tire on the bike now for about 1200 kms and here is my final review.
The tires are well suited to the V Star and provide good feedback and a comfortable ride.
The bike "tips in" to corners better than the Commander II and in my opinion corners better.
I am happy with the purchase and time will tell if they last longer than the Commander II. I got 36,000 kms on the CII and it had more left in it when it was replaced.
The only comment left to make is the CIII's are very slick when new but after a good "scrubbing in" they perform very well.

[smokier]

Thanks RedJay for the final thoughts. Will be keeping an eye out for further comments on both the C IIIs and the Metzler Cruistecs from all. The technology of these multi-compound tires is fascinating. (Yes, M IIs and others are multi compound also).


Ride safe,
Smokier