Michelin pilot road 4 gt

I bought a motorcycle pilot road 4 gt (25.2016) and have been riding it for the last year

Its cracked at center all around the tire !!!


see attached photo.


1. Is it safe to ride the tire ?

2. What is the reason for this ? ( I”v been riding pr4 for years and years, replacing them 1 set per year – never seen this before on any of my tires).

3. could this be a defect in the tire gum mixture ? or some other defect

4. was there a recall at 25/16 ?


Regards

Ze’ev

 

That is weird. Looks to me like the tires are way older than 25/16. Curious as to what Michelline has to say about that.

 

I'd call them up. Never seen that before unless its an undercover road 5 3D printer error

 

Unfortunately Michelin did not bother to get back to me !!!!:dislike:
Seems to me its a Michelin rubber defect (that also what a local car tire specialist thought it may be)

At first glance, it lookd like dry rot.
But this does not correlate with the date or the cut pattern (straight lines, vertical to the road directions, only at the center, all around)
The date 25/16 is correct, i bought the set at 08/16 - with rubber smelling like it just out of the oven. they were very fresh.

 

I went with Pirelli Angel GT's and just got them this week. They seem very sticky compared to the aging michellins power rs 2ct's I had. So far good!

 

I just checked my rear tire, PR4, and it is beginning to show the same cracks, just not nearly as bad as yours. I think I will give them a call sometime soon to see what Michelin says. When I speak to them, I will make them aware of this thread and that it does not seem to be an isolated problem.

I don't think other tires have that sip that runs around the middle of the tire so maybe it is just the rubber breaking away from constant 90 degree stress along that groove. Maybe a tread design flaw?

 

I just thought I would update my status on these tires. I got back from Mexico a couple months ago and the tires served me well even going off onto a road I have no business being on. I am about to go pick up my rear wheel which I just had the tire changed due to wearing out. I don't know the mileage on this tire, but guestimate it lasted as long as any of the others I have had on this bike. At 218,000 km, I have had many sets of tires now. I have lost track of how many tire changes now.

I mentioned I saw similar cracks developing in my tires. They did not get any worse and had no affect on the handling or life f the tire. I am replacing the tire with the same one.