Motorcycle Tech Discussion Forum

Anybody who has visited our shop and asked about tires knows that I'm passionate (okay, borderline rabid) about my tire preferences.
I have been riding Metzeler ME880's for almost twenty years and logged over 100,000 miles on them in all kinds of conditions including one borderline hurricane and one snowstorm.
The only problem we have seen with the Metzelers was that they sometimes wear out in about 10,000 miles on heavy touring bikes, especially if the rider let the pressure drop below the maximum.
Last Summer, Michelin threw the gauntlet in Metzeler's face when they announced that their new Commander II tires would handle as well as the ME880s, AND would also last almost twice as long! My FXRP was due for tires, so I mounted a set of the Michelin Commander IIs to try them out myself.
I now have over 2000 miles on the MCII's and I must say that they are now my favorite tires. I have tested them on milled roads, steel grate bridges, and over 300 miles in the rain at Interstate speeds (70-80 mph). Handling is phenomenal in dry conditions and for the first time in my riding career I feel absolutely confident in the rain. Seriously, if you couldn't see that the road was wet you would have no idea that it was raining; these tires feel completely solid and planted. I have never felt this relaxed on a motorcycle in bad weather.
We'll have to wait a while to see how they are wearing compared to the Metzelers (I always got 15,000 miles from my ME880's) but even if they only go a little farther, these Commander II's are now my #1 tires.