Michelin surfaces their third generation of Anakee motorcycle tires, with BMW certification for the 2013 R1200GS machines, and claiming that more than half of the new GS beasts will be shod with the Anakee III.
Michelin's Anakee tires have always had fans and haters: some loved them because of their excellent grip on asphalt even in wet conditions, while others hated them because they were good for almost nothing off the road.
The Anakee III does not solve the debate, but as far as they look, the new generation has absolutely nothing to do with trail riding, let alone the situations when the going can get really tough. They're most likely awesome on tarmac and in rainy conditions, but gravel and a bit of mud will make the bike go wild. In a bad way.
On the other hand, if your riding is more on the asphalt side than on the trail side, going for such tires might be truly nice, especially as Michelin claims tat the Anakee III offer 10% more patch in a 3-degree lean than the Anakee 2, and will last up to 20% longer.
Adding a special silica component also endowed the tires with better wet grip, while a stronger casing allowed the grip and structural integrity to be maintained even under heavier loads. 14 versions of Anakee III tires will be available, 4 bias and 9 radial, as follows:
Front:
100/90 - 19
90/90 - 21
90/90 - 21
90/90 - 21
110/80 R 19
110/80 R 19
120/70 R 19
Rear
120/90 - 17
130/80 R 17
130/80 R 17
140/80 R 17
150/70 R 17
150/70 R 17
170/60 R 17.
The Anakee III does not solve the debate, but as far as they look, the new generation has absolutely nothing to do with trail riding, let alone the situations when the going can get really tough. They're most likely awesome on tarmac and in rainy conditions, but gravel and a bit of mud will make the bike go wild. In a bad way.
On the other hand, if your riding is more on the asphalt side than on the trail side, going for such tires might be truly nice, especially as Michelin claims tat the Anakee III offer 10% more patch in a 3-degree lean than the Anakee 2, and will last up to 20% longer.
Adding a special silica component also endowed the tires with better wet grip, while a stronger casing allowed the grip and structural integrity to be maintained even under heavier loads. 14 versions of Anakee III tires will be available, 4 bias and 9 radial, as follows:
Front:
100/90 - 19
90/90 - 21
90/90 - 21
90/90 - 21
110/80 R 19
110/80 R 19
120/70 R 19
Rear
120/90 - 17
130/80 R 17
130/80 R 17
140/80 R 17
150/70 R 17
150/70 R 17
170/60 R 17.