Michelin Commander II rear, Shinko 009 front


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Superzoom

New Member
So I just purchased this fairly odd tire combo today. I do a lot of touring and have burned through two Dunlop Sportmax Roadsmart rears in about 6000 miles each tire, so I was thinking I wanted to get something that would wear more slowly. I don't push very hard when I ride curvy roads, so I thought the Michelin Commander II would provide plenty of grip for my style of riding.

The Commander II is somewhat legendary for having the longest life of any motorcycle tire. Michelin claims they can last up to 24,000 miles! If I get anywhere over 12,000, I'll be very happy. Plus the Commander II's seem to have a lot of positive reviews. I believe the tire is meant for cruisers (!) but I'm still going to give it a try.

I hope I'm not making a big mistake, but I've been feeling pretty strapped for cash lately, and I want a tire that gives me the most bang (mileage-wise) for the buck.

Thoughts?
 
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latony007

New Member
I am buying commander ii for my cruiser next week. I have heard nothing but good things about them but as pointed out, all for cruisers. I figured it wasn't even made in sport bike sizes but Michellin has been my favorite tire maker for years, of course they are usually among the more expensive.
 
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bleedinblue

Senior Member
Elite Member
I hate riding on a rear tire with that flat spot worn in it, even if you get 30,000 miles out of your new rear tire your probably going to spend half of it on something you wish you already replaced.I could've got 12-15k out of my last rear shinko, but I changed it at around 8 just to get a fresh profile.Id pay close attention to the the difference in performance then chose wichever set you like the most next time.

Just be careful, when I replaced my original rear dunlop with a shinko I could feel twice the input as I can now with the matching set of shinkos.The shinko corners with a little less effort then the dunlop, the only way I can describe it is that it felt like the rear tire was slipping since the front needed more effort.I'm pretty sure it was the difference in profile making it feel like that.If it was the rubber compound wanting to slip then I should've still felt it after getting my matching front tire.It shouldn't be enough to cause an accident out touring, but I think you would have more confidence with either brands matching set.
 
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Superzoom

New Member
latony007 said:
I am buying commander ii for my cruiser next week. I have heard nothing but good things about them but as pointed out, all for cruisers. I figured it wasn't even made in sport bike sizes but Michellin has been my favorite tire maker for years, of course they are usually among the more expensive.
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I'm figuring the increased miles I'll get out of the tire will more than offset the higher cost. The rear tire I'm buying is taller than ours by a little.

Now I'm a little worried as I realized I'm mixing a radial front (Shinko 009) with a bias ply rear. Conventional wisdom says this is a definite no no. Front bias with rear radial is sometimes OK, supposedly.

But there seem to be many who have tried front radial, rear bias with no bad outcomes or effects. The problems seem to be theoretical. I suspect for my laid back style of riding, there should be no problems.
 
S

Superzoom

New Member
bleedinblue said:
I hate riding on a rear tire with that flat spot worn in it, even if you get 30,000 miles out of your new rear tire your probably going to spend half of it on something you wish you already replaced.I could've got 12-15k out of my last rear shinko, but I changed it at around 8 just to get a fresh profile.Id pay close attention to the the difference in performance then chose wichever set you like the most next time.

Just be careful, when I replaced my original rear dunlop with a shinko I could feel twice the input as I can now with the matching set of shinkos.The shinko corners with a little less effort then the dunlop, the only way I can describe it is that it felt like the rear tire was slipping since the front needed more effort.I'm pretty sure it was the difference in profile making it feel like that.If it was the rubber compound wanting to slip then I should've still felt it after getting my matching front tire.It shouldn't be enough to cause an accident out touring, but I think you would have more confidence with either brands matching set.
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Yeah, I'm sure once the rear starts to square off, it won't be as nice for riding curves. That feeling did bother me once my last few tires squared off. Steering felt odd and heavy. But supposedly the Commander II's square off much more slowly and simply wear slower, so the squaring should at least be delayed.

I think having a matching set of tires is always ideal, as the profiles and rubber compound will give the best performance and predictable handling. Again, with my old man riding style (no offense to old men, I'm almost there myself), I think I will avoid the ill effects that result from riding closer to 9/10ths. I ride more like 5/10ths.
 
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nismos14

I'm movin on
Elite Member
Why not get both the same tire? Mixing tires on motorcycles in general doesn't seem like a good idea.
 
S

Superzoom

New Member
nismos14 said:
Why not get both the same tire? Mixing tires on motorcycles in general doesn't seem like a good idea.
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The Commander II that would fit the front rim is too tall for our fender. It only comes in a 120/90-17.

All the conventional wisdom on mixing tires does say it's not a good idea. Yet despite that, no one seems to be able to offer either a solid explanation as to why it's not a good idea, nor are there any real world examples of mixed tire rides gone bad.

JT said:
let us know how this works out for you!
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Sure thing!

I am about to test it out on an 7,000 mile trip from Toronto to California. That should amount to a pretty serious test! My last model of rear tire would have been toast by the end of this trip, but the Commander II should have two-thirds of its life left.

I should have a good chance to test it in the curves while in California.
 
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nismos14

I'm movin on
Elite Member
Superzoom said:
The Commander II that would fit the front rim is too tall for our fender. It only comes in a 120/90-17.

All the conventional wisdom on mixing tires does say it's not a good idea. Yet despite that, no one seems to be able to offer either a solid explanation as to why it's not a good idea, nor are there any real world examples of mixed tire rides gone bad.
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Good point, I know the characteristics are different, but never heard of anyone crashing or having major ill effects either. I know from experience I don't like how having two different tires feels on my bike.
 
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JT

Monster Member
Elite Member
Superzoom said:
The Commander II that would fit the front rim is too tall for our fender. It only comes in a 120/90-17.

All the conventional wisdom on mixing tires does say it's not a good idea. Yet despite that, no one seems to be able to offer either a solid explanation as to why it's not a good idea, nor are there any real world examples of mixed tire rides gone bad.



Sure thing!

I am about to test it out on an 7,000 mile trip from Toronto to California. That should amount to a pretty serious test! My last model of rear tire would have been toast by the end of this trip, but the Commander II should have two-thirds of its life left.

I should have a good chance to test it in the curves while in California.
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Sweet what part of Cali?
 
J

JT

Monster Member
Elite Member
nismos14 said:
Good point, I know the characteristics are different, but never heard of anyone crashing or having major ill effects either. I know from experience I don't like how having two different tires feels on my bike.
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Aggressive knee dragging may require the same grip on both front and read tires more so than his touring. makes sense to me... but im no expert
 
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latony007

New Member
There are so many awesome curvy roads in CA you will love it. have all the redwoods up north, 12 mile drive by pebble beach, down the 101 to so cal. Then mulholland highway or angeles crest. You are going to have a blast. I should try and scan my so cal motorcycle map for you.
 
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Superzoom

New Member
nismos14 said:
Good point, I know the characteristics are different, but never heard of anyone crashing or having major ill effects either. I know from experience I don't like how having two different tires feels on my bike.
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The fact is, I'm pretty much going in a straight line for 95% of the riding I do, so I'm guessing I won't feel the effects of different tires. I think it's when you're leaned over when you might feel the front and back behaving differently.

JT said:
Sweet what part of Cali?
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I'm starting in Vancouver, riding to Seattle, then riding down Route 1 along the coast pretty much all the way to L.A. There I drop off my wife, then ride solo up 395. Then east across Route 50 through most of the country.

latony007 said:
There are so many awesome curvy roads in CA you will love it. have all the redwoods up north, 12 mile drive by pebble beach, down the 101 to so cal. Then mulholland highway or angeles crest. You are going to have a blast. I should try and scan my so cal motorcycle map for you.
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Thanks for the offer! I'm on a fairly tight schedule, so not a ton of time for exploring. But if there's any must-do's, I'll certainly consider them. Like I said, I'm not much of a sporty rider, so I don't seek out twisties as much as I do scenic routes. I tend to just scare myself when the road gets really twisty!

I'm actually really looking forward to riding in the desert. The Loneliest Road In America is supposed to be almost a religious experience, as it goes through desert and mountain passes.
 
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latony007

New Member
lol riding straight makes me fall asleep :)
i usually only ride on the weekends so canyons/beaches/mountains is about all i do.
Once you get into a few twisties you will get hooked on it. Remember you dont have to be going fast to enjoy it. Only go as fast as your comfortable.

Anyway hope you have a great trip thats a ton of miles, good luck!
 
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latony007

New Member
S

Superzoom

New Member
I'm kind of intimidated by the huge number of awesome roads out in California. In Southern Ontario, where I live, sport riders get very excited by a dozen tight turns in a hundred kilometre stretch!
 

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bleedinblue

Senior Member
Elite Member
Superzoom said:
Yeah, I'm sure once the rear starts to square off, it won't be as nice for riding curves. That feeling did bother me once my last few tires squared off. Steering felt odd and heavy. But supposedly the Commander II's square off much more slowly and simply wear slower, so the squaring should at least be delayed.

I think having a matching set of tires is always ideal, as the profiles and rubber compound will give the best performance and predictable handling. Again, with my old man riding style (no offense to old men, I'm almost there myself), I think I will avoid the ill effects that result from riding closer to 9/10ths. I ride more like 5/10ths.
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I know what you mean, I usually ride similar commuting so it was fairly ease to get used to the mixed setup.I mainly only noticed it on the roundabout style interstate on/off ramps, cloverleafs or whatever that style exits called lol.

Anyway have fun on your trip to Cali...Your last ride report was great, I'm looking forward to the next one.
 
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