Michelin Commander III Tire Review

Tires are one of the easiest and most difficult things to test in this business. You can get some of what you need to know in five minutes of launching, braking, and cornering in a parking lot, but the rest requires time, distance, and varied road conditions. As the newest addition to Michelin’s cruiser and touring tire lineup, we were invited out to Daytona Beach Bike Week to take on this challenge, test out the new V-twin rubber, and enjoy some good ol’ American biker fun.

When it launched the Commander II in 2012, Michelin set out to make a tire that could last longer than its competitors without sacrificing grip. Now once again, the company is raising its bar with the all-new Commander III for V-twin cruisers and touring bikes, maintaining longevity but focusing on improved wet performance as well as new, improved aesthetics. Being in Florida during Bike Week, the weather was good, traffic was slow, and the roads are mostly flat and straight, so getting a real feel for how the tires have advanced was a challenge, but we did our best through some parking lot drills and blasting from stoplights when we could.

Upon leaving Daytona Beach on 2019 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic models, low-speed handling felt lighter than the stock 2020 model’s H-D branded Dunlops I had ridden recently, but it was tough to tell without a back-to-back comparison. With a smooth clutch drop, it was easy to get a fast launch without squealing the tire and losing grip. Dropping the clutch abruptly to induce a burnout, the bike would lunge forward and grip quickly after the first few feet. It felt like an improvement over stock, but again, hard to tell. During tight turns and parking-lot drills, the tires were smooth and with plenty of lateral grip, only stepping out once, as I accelerated abruptly out of a deep-angled turn, but grabbed the road again after what felt like an inch of slide. As we continued for the next 150 miles of smooth, straight roads, the tires behaved predictably.

The Commander III tires come in both a Touring and a Cruiser line, which share all of the same technological advancements, though the compounds and tread patterns do vary to compensate for the average weight difference between the two genres. The only noticeable difference in the handling of the tires was the more rounded profile of the Cruiser tire felt more planted while cornering than the Touring tire, which flattens out a bit more toward the top. With more time and miles to test, I imagine we would see a difference in tread life favoring the Touring tire, but this is only speculation.

Michelin’s own research included a front-brake-only stopping test on wet ground with ABS turned on, in which it claims the Commander III stopped a Harley-Davidson Sportster 16.5 feet shorter than its Dunlop and Metzeler competitors. Without rain on our two days of testing, we were unable to justify these claims, but both the front and rear tread compounds have been silica-reinforced to improve wet handling. A more rigid tire casing was used to improve handling and provide better feedback, implementing Michelin’s Amplified Density Technology to make a 90-thread ply that is 25-percent denser than a conventional 71-thread.

A new, more rounded profile on each tire increases the size of the contact patch by 10 percent, increasing grip and longevity. Tread grooves are wider than on the Commander II and have striations along the bottom, giving them a deeper appearance. Compared to the same Dunlop and Metzeler competitors, Michelin claims to have 25-percent longer tread life. Michelin representatives stated that the goal for the Commander III was not to increase tread life, but maintain their excellent durability while increasing the tire’s handling in wet conditions.

According to market research done by Michelin, styling is an important part of the tire buying decision, so Premium Touch Technology has been brought over from the car side to improve the look of the sidewalls. The new-to-motorcycle technology uses a laser etcher to print the brand’s logo in a velvety black texture on the tire’s profile. It’s dark and subtle, adding an upscale look to the tire rather than the typical in-mold branding.

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Michelin is marketing this tire as being “for all types of cruiser and V-twin touring bikes,” but the Commander III seems to be aimed primarily at Harley-Davidson, excluding the stock sizes for Indian’s touring line and many metric models. The Commander II tire is still available as a more economical option. We’re hoping to get more miles on the Commander III soon with varying conditions and enough time to test tread life.

MSRP starting at $176.

Helmet: Shoei RF-1200

Jacket: Pando Moto M65 Jacket

Pants: Tobacco Riding Jeans

Shoes: Gasolina El Tigre