THE MAN BEHIND THE HOOPS

Michelin’s Pierre-Yves Formagne is the man responsible for crafting the new Power RS. We asked him: Is this a first for ACT+?

Yes, it’s revolutionary and we’re very excited for its arrival. With this technology we are able to separate straight line and cornering stability, which is hugely important for performance and confidence. The idea has been a real breakthrough and I’m certain it will be used on many more products in the future.

Why so little tread?

The design of this tread pattern is proven to be very efficient, and it also looks great. We made a call not to cut the tread all the way to the edges, because we know that people don’t use that final 25mm of rubber when it’s raining. So, rather than compromise the tyre’s performance in the dry, we thought we’d leave the shoulders like a slick so there’s much greater stability and grip available.

Does any of the tech come fromMotoGP?

In a small way, yes. We’ve applied the same method of construction as used for our black rubber sections on the tyre shoulders, but that’s about it. A MotoGP tyre is a very different proposition to any street product, and is built to last for a small period of time with a massive level of grip. It’s important to remember that the Power RS is a road tyre, so racing qualities aren’t always what you want.