Table of Contents
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Best Motorcycle Touring Tires – Michelin
- 3 Best Motorcycle Touring Tires – Continental
- 4 Best Motorcycle Touring Tires – Dunlop
- 5 Best Motorcycle Touring Tires –Comparison Table
- 6 1 Dunlop American Elite Touring Tire Set
- 7 2 Continental Motion Touring Tire Set
- 8 3 Michelin Pilot Road 2 Touring Tire Set
- 9 Best Motorcycle Touring Tires – Conclusion
Introduction
Buy from Amazon!If you want to see what your motorcycle can actually do, you need a set of tires to match. No matter how expensive and high-performance your motorcycle is, its true performance greatly depends on its tires. This is why professionals agree that tires are the most important component of a motorcycle.
The tires are used to transfer the power of the engine to the road. And good quality tires absorb various road imperfections and improve your riding experience.
Your tires should also be capable of safely carrying both the weight of your motorcycle and yourself. And more than that, they need to deliver excellent grip in both wet and dry conditions.
When it comes to road trips, the best choice of tires is the touring type. They’re designed with a wide range of technologies for excellent handling, grip, and longevity. They are specifically made for your safety and comfort.
In this article, we’ll talk about three o the best touring tires on the market from Michelin, Continental, and Dunlop. So let’s take a moment and get to know these three companies a little.
Best Motorcycle Touring Tires – Michelin
Let’s starts with Michelin, which is the second-largest tire manufacturer in the world. The company is based in Clermont-Ferrand, France. It also owns various other tire companies, including Kleber, Uniroyal-Goodrich, ASCAR, Bookatable, and Camso.
Besides their high-end quality tires for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles, Michelin is also known for other things. This includes its Red ad Green travel guides, roadmaps, and the Michelin stars offered to restaurants for their cooking. The company’s mascot Bibendum (aka Michelin Man) is also very popular.
Michelin is also known for various inventions, most notably for the removable tire, the pneurail, and the radial tire. They also make tires for space shuttles, aircraft, heavy equipment, and more.
Michelin also participated in MotoGP from 1972 to 2008 and achieved 360 victories in 36 years. This experience made them some of the best motorcycle tire manufacturers as well.
Best Motorcycle Touring Tires – Continental
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Now let’s move on to the fourth largest tire manufacturer in the world, Continental AG, also known simply as Continental. This is a German company and is based in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany. They also make various types of tires, but they focus more on car, motorcycle, and bicycle tires.
Continental was founded in 1871 and today they also specialize in brake systems, interior electronics, automotive safety, powertrain and chassis components, and other automotive parts. They’re also the first company in the world to start making grooved vehicle tires.
A special thing about Continental is that they don’t shy away from expanding and making a very wide range of tires. They sell tires for almost any vehicle, motorcycle, mountain bike, and bicycle on the market. They also produce rubber soles for Adidas running shoes.
Best Motorcycle Touring Tires – Dunlop
Unlike Michelin and Continental, the Dunlop brand is owned today by various big tire companies all over the world. This includes Goodyear, Dunlop India Ltd, Sumimoto Rubber Industries, and Continental AG. The original company was founded in 1890 in Dublin, Ireland, and its headquarters are in Akron, Ohio, U.S.A., and Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Goodyear and Sumimoto are the two main companies that make the most tires under the Dunlop brand. And they have managed to make Dunlop one of the biggest brands among top motorcycle tire manufacturers. Dunlop’s touring tires are often considered by both professionals and amateurs to be the best on the market.
Best Motorcycle Touring Tires –Comparison Table
Product Name | Dunlop | Continental | Michelin |
Image |  |  |  |
High-Quality | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Quiet | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Great Rear Tire | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Great Lifespan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Superior Cornering | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Great Grip Wet | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Great Grip Dry | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Link |
1 Dunlop American Elite Touring Tire Set
Description
Buy from Amazon!The first one, on our Best Motorcycle Touring Tires Top 3, is the popular Dunlop American Elite Touring Tire Set. It’s widely known for its great performance in all conditions. And its only disadvantage is that you might get fewer miles out of it compared to the other two sets of tires on this list.
This tire was made 100% in the U.S.A at Dunlop’s tire manufacturing plant in Buffalo, NY. It’s also worth noting that the tires made in this factory are entirely designed, tested, and manufactured in the U.S. In fact, Dunlop is the only motorcycle tire manufacturer that has a branch completely based in the U.S.A.
Thanks to the wide range of sizes available, from 15 to 21-inch diameters, you can find an American Elite set that fits almost any touring, cruiser, or standard motorcycle available.
Dunlop claims that this set of tires is designed for riders that love taking long trips. They swear by the performance and long life of these tires. You can expect as much as 15K – 18K miles on a wide range of terrains. This includes highways, city roads, country roads, and more. They can also handle just about any weather condition.
With its excellent cornering stability and amazing wet grip, this set of tires is everything a traveling rider needs. Its great overall performance makes it ideal for anything that stands in your way.
The rear tire’s multi-thread design offers excellent grip and stable performance even when taking corners while tilting. The tire has a lateral-grip compound on its shoulders next to the compound in the middle. You will benefit from a seamless compound transition and an even wear.
You can count on these tires to handle imperfections and pavement cracks with confidence.
Pros
- High-End Quality
- Quiet Performance
- Made Entirely in the U.S.A
- Multi-Tread Rear Tire Design
- Very Decent Tread Lifespan
- Excellent Cornering Performance
- Great Grip On Both Wet and Dry Surfaces
- Premium Replacement H-D Touring Tires
- The Only Replacement For Harley-Davidson Bikes
Cons
- It could last longer, but it’s still a great value for money.
2 Continental Motion Touring Tire Set
Description
Buy from Amazon!The second one on our list is the Continental Motion Touring Tire Set. And this is one of the most affordable touring set of tires on the market. You can expect great handling and stable steering response. You will also benefit from neutral cornering.
With their slightly harder compound, this set of tires can work optimally on dry pavement. And while this means their wet performance isn’t as great, both dry and wet capabilities are superior to other tires within the same price range.
Continental designed the ContiMotion to serve as a high-end sport-touring radial tire at a very affordable price. You can count on this set to deliver a smooth ride and absorb any imperfections. The tires will also provide an above-average wear lifespan.
Continental made these tires for entry-level riders and professionals that need an affordable set of tires for practice. They various superior technologies while designing this set, this includes a newly formulated polymer. This enhances the tire’s grip on most surfaces, especially in wet conditions, while also increasing the tire’s lifespan.
With its 0-degree steel-belt design, the rear tire delivers superior ride comfort and stability.
Pros
- High-End Quality
- Quiet Performance
- Very Comfortable Ride
- Safe and Reliable
- Outstanding Dry Traction
- Good Wet Traction
- Most Affordable Set of Touring Tires
- Offers Complete Control While Steering
- New Formulated Polymers Compound
- Superior Technology for the Entry-Level Market
Cons
- Their cold-weather performance needs some improvements.
3 Michelin Pilot Road 2 Touring Tire Set
Description
Buy from Amazon!The third one on our list is another high-quality set of tires, the Michelin Pilot Road 2 Touring Tire Set. These tires are designed with the grip of softer tires and the durability of the harder ones. And if you’re a traveling rider, you will love the performance offered by these tires.
Thanks to the rubber compound combination, Michelin designed a two-in-one set of tires. The Pilot Road has a softer rubber compound on the tread shoulders and a highly resistant compound in the middle. This ensures that you will benefit from an above-average tread lifespan while also enjoying an excellent grip.
The Pilot Road has the best combination of wet grip and tread lifespan, and offers you extra confidence on challenging surfaces. No matter how long your journey is and what you might face, Michelin ensured that you’ll enjoy the ride.
With the 12 sizes available, these tires fit more than 94% of all sport-touring bikes on the market. It’s also the only dual-compound tire designed for touring, and it features an innovative front and rear design.
Pros
- High-End Quality
- Quiet Performance
- Excellent Dry Grip
- Great Wet Grip
- Above-Average Tread Lifespan
- Great Handling On Both Wet And Dry Surfaces
- Dual Compound For Mixed Highway/Twisty Riding
Cons
- You might experience a slightly reduced feel at a moderate lean.
Best Motorcycle Touring Tires – Conclusion
When it comes to touring tires, the best manufacturers on the market are undoubtedly Dunlop, Continental, and Michelin. They’re all designed with superior features and lifespans compared to other touring sets of tires. They also prove that you don’t have to break your bank to find a good set of motorcycle tires.
