MotoGP 2019

Lazmo

Old and hopeless
Michelins have always been known for great grip but less warning than Bridgestone ,dunlop etc for when there gonna let go
This is how I always remember it too, from way back in the Lawson, Gardner, Schwantz et al days.
Michelins always provided the most grip, but let go with little to no warning, whereas the Dunlops were always far more progressive.
Pretty sure, there were no Bridgestones back in the Lawson, Gardner, Schwantz et al days... they are great tyres, but they came later. When it comes to sliding a tyre progressively, it was the radial tyre which was invented by Michelin in the mid 80's, that made that possible... Dunlop and everyone else copied.

Back in the day, a significant number of the riders who were at the front were on Michelins so they had the guys who were pushing it to the max. If it was gonna let go, it was gonna let go for them, as they were pushing harder. But really, no tyre could handle the huge onrush of 500GP 2 stroke power, which is where the little or no warning bit happened and why they went to big bang firing order to get some relief, and why it was the flat track riders in the early pre big bang days, who just loved hanging the tail out, who could best slide those beasts.

I think the let go with little or no warning is a sweeping generalisation and a bit harsh, considering Michelin were majorly dominant at the time and won 500GP for 13 years in a row, so they must have been doing something right.
 
Pretty sure, there were no Bridgestones back in the Lawson, Gardner, Schwantz et al days... they are great tyres, but they came later. When it comes to sliding a tyre progressively, it was the radial tyre which was invented by Michelin in the mid 80's, that made that possible... Dunlop and everyone else copied.

Back in the day, a significant number of the riders who were at the front were on Michelins so they had the guys who were pushing it to the max. If it was gonna let go, it was gonna let go for them, as they were pushing harder. But really, no tyre could handle the huge onrush of 500GP 2 stroke power, which is where the little or no warning bit happened and why they went to big bang firing order to get some relief, and why it was the flat track riders in the early pre big bang days, who just loved hanging the tail out, who could best slide those beasts.

I think the let go with little or no warning is a sweeping generalisation and a bit harsh, considering Michelin were majorly dominant at the time and won 500GP for 13 years in a row, so they must have been doing something right.
I had a two stroke dirt bike a long time ago (husky 240 with the left foot kick start) which I likened the throttle to an on / off switch, I couldn't even begin to imagine what those 500s were like.
 

No Skid Marks

Blue Mountain Bikes Brooklyn/Lahar/Kowa/PO1NT Raci
yep,the open brand Michelin domination days were awesome, front wheel slide in, drift out. The rubber layed down was nuts. Love watching those old races now. Actually if anyone knows great classic races to watch on YouTube or wherever of the shwance(brain fad on spelling), lawson mamola etc days, please post links. The year where shwantz(remembered spelling) fell off when leading many times was good from memory. Or foggy crorser super bike days.
 

Ivan

Eats Squid
Don't know if it's relevant to the tyre discussion, but I'm using it as an excuse to post this....

Melhandri winning at Phillip Island, last corner power slide

 

Trickymac

Likes Dirt
Don't know if it's relevant to the tyre discussion, but I'm using it as an excuse to post this....

Melhandri winning at Phillip Island, last corner power slide

melandri used to be so good
wtf happened to him
considering he also has the hottest wife on the planet
he is now unemployed
how can you have all that and lose it
 

Beaker74

Likes Dirt
Pretty sure, there were no Bridgestones back in the Lawson, Gardner, Schwantz et al days... they are great tyres, but they came later. When it comes to sliding a tyre progressively, it was the radial tyre which was invented by Michelin in the mid 80's, that made that possible... Dunlop and everyone else copied.

I think the let go with little or no warning is a sweeping generalisation and a bit harsh, considering Michelin were majorly dominant at the time and won 500GP for 13 years in a row, so they must have been doing something right.
Which is why I said Dunlop, not Bridgestone, in reference to the glory days of 500cc GP. I'm only going off what Barry Sheene used to say, which was that the Dunlops were more progressive. I figured he knew more about it than me.

I'm not bagging Michelin tyres in any way, shape or form, as that's all I've had on my bikes for the past 20 or so years. Oddly enough, except my race bike, which had Dunlops.
 

tick

Likes Bikes
stoner then?? he won a ducati and also was able to make it slide!
sure he swapped to honda and did the same :p
Bayliss and Stoner are really the only riders to do any good on em.

I,m just a bit biased on Dukes , Me and my brother used to go riding together, but 9 times out of 10 i would have to ride home alone , swap the bike for the ute and go pick him and his bike up :deadhorse:
 

Lazmo

Old and hopeless
I'm only going off what Barry Sheene used to say, which was that the Dunlops were more progressive. I figured he knew more about it than me
I’m sure you are right, but Sheene retired in 1984, the same year that Michelin released the radial, so he may have had the opportunity to ride the Michelin radial, as I’m not sure who sponsored him in his final year… but regardless, he could not have compared it with a Dunlop radial, as it didn’t exist at that time. I can only assume he is comparing Michelin and Dunlop bias ply tyres.

I,m just a bit biased on Dukes , Me and my brother used to go riding together, but 9 times out of 10 i would have to ride home alone , swap the bike for the ute and go pick him and his bike up
Wow, 9/10 fails, that’s a dog of a bike… what model Ducati was it? What used to go wrong?

I’ve owned 8 Ducatis (3 bevels & 5 belts) and only once did I get stranded on the side of the road, when my 1974 750 Sport blew its voltage regulator and the battery drained itself. Another time, I didn’t get stranded, but I did manage to kill a 600 Pantah engine, caning the crap out of it out at Calder raceway, when I had previously ignored seeing a pit in the front cylinders chrome bore while doing the desmos… I didn’t act, I looked away, totally my fault. Other than those two issues, and the second issue was preventable, all of my Ducatis were totally reliable.
 

No Skid Marks

Blue Mountain Bikes Brooklyn/Lahar/Kowa/PO1NT Raci
Do yourself a favour and watch the motogp or moto3 race, both amazing.
How, where?

Close to the best race ever.
Are you new to Moto GP watching? That was an awesome race, insane seeing red ending. Definitly one of the best 4 stroke endings.
What's happening with championship points now? Gutted for Rossi, such bad luck.
Peoples reasoning for Lolz not pulling away?
 

schred

Likes Bikes and Dirt
CH 10/one/whatever the fck its called now usually does a replay, used to be in reverse order(MGP->2->3) but not sure these days as I have an online subscription.

Just checked online, looks like replay from 12.45 tonight i.e. 0045hrs Tues morning.
 
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