Michelin Anakee Wild Launch
Adventure motorcyclists are going to have another option this month when it comes to quality tires. Michelin, a brand that is no stranger to the two-wheeled market, has announced their latest trail oriented tire, the Michelin Anakee Wild.
The Michelin Anakee Wild is a radial tire purpose built for the big adventure bikes that have been coming on the market over the last few years. Suitable for on and off-road use, it’ll initially be available in four different sizes (two sizes front and rear). BMW R 1200 GS fans are getting a bit of extra attention because Michelin see the R 1200 GS as the “flagship” trail bike and from the get-go, tire sizes will match what the BMW needs.
Of course, as the year progresses, more sizes will become available. As of now, here is what will be on the shelf beginning in March:
2 front sizes: 2 rear sizes:
110/80 R 19 150/70 R 17
120/70 R 19 170/60 R 17
The new Michelin Anakee Wild is a claimed jack-of-all-trades; fit for adventure, road, solo or two up rides, it’s been designed to roll the miles back on the odometer without sacrificing grip or performance in a wide variety of terrains.
The Anakee Wild is optimal for off-road, according to Michelin. The tire has been designed with uneven surfaces, sand, muddy tracks and plenty of other hazards that most riders never touch. And while Michelin created the Anakee Wild to handle some pretty hefty off-road conditions, they also know that paved roads will greet rider’s in-between the great unknown.
In short, Michelin wanted to focus on the three elements that we need out of tires: On-road stability and comfort, resistance to overheating/heat cycles and lastly, increased wet-road and off-road traction.
That’s a lofty order if you stop to consider things. But here is how they’ve achieved it; through new tread compositions, tread depth and a completely redesigned set of tread blocks, Michelin seems to have created the perfect balance for those big trail bikes. It can also claim a bit of a racing pedigree as well, seeing as the Anakee Wild is based on the MICHELIN Desert tires that have claimed the checkered flag in the Paris-Dakar rally 33 times. Don’t take my word for it, check out this presentation below provided by Michelin.
Michelin thought ahead a little bit with the Anakee Wild. The world market covers a large population of bikes and the adventure-touring lifestyle can take people into some very unique areas. Michelin understands that and has used all of that data to create something that can fit many different applications.
To collect this data, Michelin approached T3 Aventure, for those who aren’t familiar with the name, they exclusively focus on some of the most extreme riding throughout the world. T3 Aventure racked up over 25k in mileage across four disparate continents to help MICHELIN develop this tire and consequently, they did it aboard BMW R 1200 GS motorcycles
What will now be available as of March 2016 is a result of MICHELIN and T3’s collaboration. Rider tested and rider approved, as they say. From what we can tell, the T3 crew were quite pleased with the results. If you’d like to check out the kind of terrain these guys were tackling, head to Michelin’s YouTube channel.
For additional information, visit Michelin.
