Best tyres for motorcycle track days

How to choose the best motorcycle tyres for track days?

To make sure you get the most out of this experience, we've listed the best motorcycle tyres for track days, depending on your level of skills, your engine size and the desired performance.

To find out which tyres are best for track days, click on your riding level to access the corresponding table:

Do you consider yourself an expert, an intermediate or a novice? 

Refer to the cylinder capacity in the table and choose the performance you prefer.

¹ TYRE WARMERS MUST BE USED

If you are an expert and have a 600cc engine:

Opt for the MICHELIN Power Performance Slick Soft front and the Medium/Soft+ rear for an optimal performance and a good longevity.

If you are an expert and have a 1000cc engine:

Opt for the MICHELIN Power Performance Slick Soft front and rear to prioritise performance at high speed. If you want to focus on longevity, choose the MICHELIN Power Performance Slick Soft at the front and the MICHELIN Power Performance Slick 24 at the rear.

Note that these two tyres require the use of tyre warmers before driving.

These tyres are "non-road legal". It is therefore forbidden to use them outside the track.

If you are a novice and have a >= 600cc engine:

The MICHELIN Power Cup ² or the MICHELIN Power ^GP will both offer you a good compromise between performance and longevity.

The MICHELIN Power Cup ² is a road legal tyre oriented for track, compared to the MICHELIN Power ^GP oriented 50% for the track and 50% for the road.

Note that this range does not require the use of tyre warmers before driving.

After riding on the track and before street riding, you will need to adjust the cold tyre pressure to the manufacturer’s recommended setting.

In this case, opt for the MICHELIN Power Cup ^EVO, which is more suitable for this type of engine.

As this tyre is "road legal", you can use it on the road to get to the circuit.

Note that this range does not require the use of tyre warmers before driving.

After riding on the track and before street riding, you will need to adjust the cold tyre pressure to the manufacturer’s recommended setting.

The MICHELIN Power Rain will be the tyre of choice to ensure good grip on wet surfaces, whether they are damp, wet or full wet.

This tyre is "non-road legal" and can only be used on the circuit.

Note that this range does not require the use of tyre warmers before driving. If it is used, they should be adjusted to temperature of 40°C.

Tyre pressure is essential and should be adjusted when the tyres are at ambient temperature.

If you ride with under-inflated or over-inflated tyres, performance is not optimal and the tyres will wear out prematurely. For more information, please refer to our motorcycle tyre pressure guide.

Circuit tyres are designed to operate within a temperature window. This means that their performance is optimal only when this temperature is reached. But a tyre is cold before it is run. It will therefore take time to reach the ideal temperature for performance when riding.

Tyre warmers allow the tyre to reach this temperature window more quickly and thus shorten the period during which the tyre is less efficient.

On very high performance tyres used in competition, the use of tyre warmers is mandatory.

Competition and performance have always been a part of Michelin's DNA. Since its return in 2016, Michelin is the official and exclusive tyre supplier to MotoGP™ 

Since 1973, Michelin has had more than 440 wins and 31 world championship titles in the Premier Class with 15 different riders.

In 2018, the brand also returned to national level motorcycle racing with the MICHELIN Power Performance range, winning several championship titles in both the 600 cc and 1000 cc categories, notably in Spain, France, Greece and Nordics.

In 2020, the MICHELIN Power Slick ², Cup ², Power ^GP and Power ⁵ were launched in the market to meet the needs of sports riders from the road to the track.

On the track, a well-tuned bike will give you peace of mind. Suspension, bike balance, spring hardness, preload or hydraulics (compression, rebond) are all areas that may need adjustment.

Find the nearest professional to adjust your bike for track days.