Michelin Commander 3

  • binnsy
    binnsy
    2 years ago
    I know I know, another tyre thread.  
    Anyway I am interested in the new Michelin Commander 3 for the Street Glide.  There are a few reviews here on the 2s but cant find anything on the 3s.  
    A few reviews I've read mention some vibration issues, anyone run them and had this issue.  Can get a set at the right price if I decide on them.  Apparently they are awesome in the wet.
  • brucefxdl
    brucefxdl
    2 years ago
    have had a couple of comm 2 on both ends,now have a comm 3 on the front,cant fault them.no balance issues...will be getting a comm 3 for the rear soon.
  • binnsy
    binnsy
    2 years ago
    Quoting brucefxdl on 16 Aug 2022 10:30 AM

    have had a couple of comm 2 on both ends,now have a comm 3 on the front,cant fault them.no balance issues...will be getting a comm 3 for the rear soon.

    Thanks,  was hoping for a positive 👍
  • binnsy
    binnsy
    2 years ago
    Excerpt from their web site, They sound impressive.  A friend has them and he says they are very very good in the wet.  Wear wise, who cares if they hang on.
    Not cheap though $429 for the rear.  $299 for the front.  

    The MICHELIN Commander III tyre is designed to go the distance with enhanced wet grip and longevity that exceeds its predecessor thanks to new tread compounds.
    Wet oriented without wear compromise with 100% silica rubber compound on front and rear tire for better wet grip and more safety.

  • obisteve
    obisteve
    2 years ago
    Quoting binnsy on 17 Aug 2022 12:40 AM

    Excerpt from their web site, They sound impressive.  A friend has them and he says they are very very good in the wet.  Wear wise, who cares if they hang on.

    Not cheap though $429 for the rear.  $299 for the front.  

    The MICHELIN Commander III tyre is designed to go the distance with enhanced wet grip and longevity that exceeds its predecessor thanks to new tread compounds.
    Wet oriented without wear compromise with 100% silica rubber compound on front and rear tire for better wet grip and more safety.

    Sounds like they're way better than Commander 2s then. I took one of them off the back after 3000 km and chucked it after sliding all over the road in even slightly damp conditions, a couple of times ended up on wrong side of mountain roads facing oncoming traffic.  Too scary for me, went back to Avon Cobras. For a while whenever I stopped to help older riders on Harley tourers who had run off into the ditch on damp mountain roads around Obi, I checked their rear tyres. 6 out of 7 had Commander 2s. Really bad tyre in the wet. 
  • binnsy
    binnsy
    2 years ago
    100% Silica compound is the key apparently. Sticky in the wet as well as the dry. Comm 2s were part silica. 
  • obisteve
    obisteve
    2 years ago
    Good to know. In my experience, the 2s would start the slide at quite mild lean angles, and regain grip eventually when heeled well over, presumably as the high silica outer tread area came into contact with the road. I never crashed on them, but I came very close to Armco and oncoming traffic. Might have a different opinion of them if I lived in Broken Hill or Alice Springs, but Obi is high rainfall, with lots of narrow mountain roads with lots of leaf litter and I rode my bikes to work in all weather, pissing down rain, -5° frost, fine sunny 40°, it's the sunny days that stick best in my memory.
    I do tend to ride in enthusiastic manner (while observing all speed limits and road rules of course).
    I still have an old Commander 1 on the Sporty, and might still have a Michelin Primacy on the back of one of the Victories if you could still get them in 195 55 R16.
  • binnsy
    binnsy
    2 years ago
    Got two waiting for me now at a local bike shop. 
    Will have them fitted and post a review when I get them on and settled in. The more I read about them the more I like. We shall see. 
  • Baloffski
    Baloffski
    2 years ago
    I even run the Michelin in my 4 be truck Mazda BT50. Get 80K outta a set. On Harley theey are mid to above average as far as I'm concerned, price, stickiness, mileage/wear.
  • WideglidingNZ
    WideglidingNZ
    2 years ago
    I haven't run any Commander tyres but I've used a couple of Michelin Scorcher 31's which came std with my previous '17 wideglide and my current Lowrider S and to honest I really looked forward to them wearing out, the 90/90- 21 on the widey seem to go out of shape at approx. 4000k's the lowrider S felt/handled way better once if fitted the Metzeler Cruisetech's
  • obisteve
    obisteve
    2 years ago
    Nah, don't think there's that much variation Wombat. I just lived in a high rainfall mountainous area, used bikes in all weather's and liked pushing it. If a set of tyres won't let me corner on the floor boards  or forward control pegs in the wet I won't use them. PB made some comments on my riding style on page 2 and 3 of the How many kms have you done thread.
    I live somewhere a bit drier now but haven't updated my tyre choice.
    I look forward to hearing about the Commander 3s performance.
  • Baloffski
    Baloffski
    2 years ago
    Quoting obisteve on 20 Aug 2022 11:56 AMedited: 20 Aug 2022 11:58 AM

    Nah, don't think there's that much variation Wombat. I just lived in a high rainfall mountainous area, used bikes in all weather's and liked pushing it. If a set of tyres won't let me corner on the floor boards  or forward control pegs in the wet I won't use them. PB made some comments on my riding style on page 2 and 3 of the How many kms have you done thread.

    I live somewhere a bit drier now but haven't updated my tyre choice.
    I look forward to hearing about the Commander 3s performance.

    Ya absolutely correct obi. Is where ya live, where ya ride, climatic conditions prevalent where ya are. Sticky like aldenti are Pirelli Italy is warm, and they stick man, but don't expect too many Kays from em. It really is a balance, and I am by no means a scaler. Jeez, I remember, here we go, in the early 70's had a 750/4 got a new tyre, from new brand "Bridgestone" in 1973. Fuck me they were hard as nails, . Actually went through a red light at home town sideways, absolutely 180 degrees across the fucken lights at around, a good speed. They were too hard when they came out, as had them on comparative tyres on lotta bikes. Compounds changed, and too design, comfigs, patterns. So after my crapping on, is what ya want to pay, longevity (fuck me this time a night and ..) Ok is always the question. .. Go wit ya heart.
  • binnsy
    binnsy
    2 years ago
    Got em fitted up Saturday morning and had the 90 degree valves put in while they were off to make checking air pressure a bit easier. Good bit of kit. 
    If it ever stops raining here I'll take em for a spin and wear them in a bit, get rid of the shine and warm them up. 
    Take a bit of slipperiness out of em. Don't want to wind up on my arse. 
  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    2 years ago
    Quoting obisteve on 18 Aug 2022 01:14 AM

    Good to know. In my experience, the 2s would start the slide at quite mild lean angles, and regain grip eventually when heeled well over, presumably as the high silica outer tread area came into contact with the road. I never crashed on them, but I came very close to Armco and oncoming traffic. Might have a different opinion of them if I lived in Broken Hill or Alice Springs, but Obi is high rainfall, with lots of narrow mountain roads with lots of leaf litter and I rode my bikes to work in all weather, pissing down rain, -5° frost, fine sunny 40°, it's the sunny days that stick best in my memory.

    I do tend to ride in enthusiastic manner (while observing all speed limits and road rules of course).
    I still have an old Commander 1 on the Sporty, and might still have a Michelin Primacy on the back of one of the Victories if you could still get them in 195 55 R16.

    I do tend to ride in enthusiastic manner (while observing all speed limits and road rules of course).
    Ummmmmm...... 
  • obisteve
    obisteve
    2 years ago
    Quoting obisteve on 18 Aug 2022 01:14 AM

    Good to know. In my experience, the 2s would start the slide at quite mild lean angles, and regain grip eventually when heeled well over, presumably as the high silica outer tread area came into contact with the road. I never crashed on them, but I came very close to Armco and oncoming traffic. Might have a different opinion of them if I lived in Broken Hill or Alice Springs, but Obi is high rainfall, with lots of narrow mountain roads with lots of leaf litter and I rode my bikes to work in all weather, pissing down rain, -5° frost, fine sunny 40°, it's the sunny days that stick best in my memory.

    I do tend to ride in enthusiastic manner (while observing all speed limits and road rules of course).
    I still have an old Commander 1 on the Sporty, and might still have a Michelin Primacy on the back of one of the Victories if you could still get them in 195 55 R16.

    Quoting paulybronco on 29 Aug 2022 09:41 AM

    I do tend to ride in enthusiastic manner (while observing all speed limits and road rules of course).

    Ummmmmm...... 

    Sssshhhhhhh!
    Some mornings you disappeared into the distance too.
  • paulybronco
    paulybronco
    2 years ago
    Quoting obisteve on 18 Aug 2022 01:14 AM

    Good to know. In my experience, the 2s would start the slide at quite mild lean angles, and regain grip eventually when heeled well over, presumably as the high silica outer tread area came into contact with the road. I never crashed on them, but I came very close to Armco and oncoming traffic. Might have a different opinion of them if I lived in Broken Hill or Alice Springs, but Obi is high rainfall, with lots of narrow mountain roads with lots of leaf litter and I rode my bikes to work in all weather, pissing down rain, -5° frost, fine sunny 40°, it's the sunny days that stick best in my memory.

    I do tend to ride in enthusiastic manner (while observing all speed limits and road rules of course).
    I still have an old Commander 1 on the Sporty, and might still have a Michelin Primacy on the back of one of the Victories if you could still get them in 195 55 R16.

    Quoting paulybronco on 29 Aug 2022 09:41 AM

    I do tend to ride in enthusiastic manner (while observing all speed limits and road rules of course).

    Ummmmmm...... 

    Quoting obisteve on 30 Aug 2022 09:46 AM

    Sssshhhhhhh!

    Some mornings you disappeared into the distance too.

    While observing the speed limits and road rules as well....
  • binnsy
    binnsy
    2 years ago
    Half decent ride on the new Michys yesterday.  Initial thoughts are I like them. They are a lot quieter than the original Dunlops, although I think the old ones were getting a bit hard.  Corner very well although will give them a little more run in time before I test them out too harshly on the corners.  Im no racer by any means.  The bike seemed to change direction when flopping from left to right hand corners a lot smoother as well.  Silica construction made them feel pretty sticky.  No rain use yet. Anyway from a regular jo blo there's my initial thoughts on the Commander 3s.  
  • brucefxdl
    brucefxdl
    2 years ago
    nice to read you are happy so far.both my comm 2 returned 19,500 km's,pretty happy with that. done 1000km on the new comm3 now  [just put it on] and noticed straight away it moves/flops a little easier than the 2 so be interested to see how the km's go.did a little wet time in the 1000km and felt fine although not  a lot of bends in the ride.
  • Baloffski
    Baloffski
    2 years ago
    Michelin have been around for a hundred years. They gotta be doing something right. Good shit.