Michelin Power Cup 2 Score
The Michelin Power Cup 2 is a road-legal weapon designed for one thing: high-performance track and street riding in perfect conditions. With a 70% track / 30% road orientation, it sits at the absolute peak of Michelin’s street-legal lineup. Using a 100% carbon black compound derived directly from MotoGP tech, it offers "glue-like" levels of grip - but only if you can handle its high-maintenance personality.
The Good
- Insane grip when hot
- Stable handling
- Great design
The Bad
- Very poor wet grip
- Difficult to keep on temperature
- Low mileage
- High price point
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Grip Dry
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Grip Wet
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Warm-Up
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Handling
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Mileage
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Value for Money
The Michelin Power Cup 2 is a street‑legal racing tire for hypersport motorcycles and the sportiest Michelin tire approved for road use. In our Michelin Power Cup 2 test, we take a closer look at the tire and share our real‑world experiences – primarily on twisty public roads. Whether the Michelin Power Cup 2 is the right tire for your needs and riding style is what you’ll find out in this detailed test report.
Table of Contents
Michelin Power Cup 2 Review
There are many street‑legal racing tires on the market – but because of Michelin’s involvement in MotoGP, expectations are especially high. With the Power Cup 2, both trackday riders and aggressive road riders get a tire that promises serious performance. In this Michelin Power Cup 2 test, we cover everything you need to know about grip, mileage, and all other characteristics of this hypersport tire for road and racetrack use.
Note: The Michelin Power Cup 2 comes as OEM equipment on the KTM 890 Duke R and several other motorcycles, underlining the sporty nature of both the tire and the bikes it’s fitted to.
According to Michelin, the Power Cup 2 is designed with a strong focus on racetrack use — roughly 70% track / 30% road. As a result, mileage is limited. Wet performance is also far from ideal; the Michelin Power GP 2 is a much better choice for riders who need a broader range of usability.
Compound & Construction
The Michelin Power Cup 2 uses a 100% carbon black compound, identical to the Power Slick 2. The compound zones are arranged exactly like on the full slick. Black carbon provides extremely high grip at warm temperatures and under ideal conditions – but this comes at the cost of wet grip and warm‑up behavior.
Based on the technical data alone, it’s clear what kind of tire the Power Cup 2 is. Whether it can still convince during sporty road riding is what we tested on the KTM 1290 Super Duke R.
Grip on Dry Roads
Dry pavement is the natural habitat of the Michelin Power Cup 2. Developed for the racetrack, it performs best in warm conditions. At low ambient temperatures, warm‑up can take 10 km or more. When cold, the Power Cup 2 feels stiff, lacks grip, and does not inspire confidence.
The tire’s heat behavior is demanding. With relaxed riding, it’s nearly impossible to bring the tire into its optimal temperature window. Even after sustained sporty riding, the tire cools down quickly and loses performance. When stationary, we observed a significant temperature drop after 7–15 minutes, requiring another warm‑up phase.
Cold grip is limited, and slips are common. But once the tire is hot, it sticks to the asphalt like glue and delivers pure riding joy at an extremely sporty level.
We also noticed that the Power Cup 2 reacts strongly to different asphalt types. Even when warm, we experienced noticeable grip variations at the rear – likely due to surface differences. Bitumen strips are also not its favorite; extra caution is advised.
In summary, dry grip can be described as follows:
- Warm temperatures + hot tire + good asphalt → INSANE GRIP
- Cold tire + mixed asphalt + low temperatures → noticeably reduced grip with clear weaknesses
Grip on Wet Roads
The Michelin Power Cup 2 has 5% negative tread at the rear and only 4% at the front, just enough for road approval. The compound uses only carbon black, with no silica, which is essential for wet grip.
In simple terms: The Michelin Power Cup 2 offers almost no grip in the wet.
In heavy rain or standing water, we strongly recommend stopping the ride. Anyone planning long tours with potential rain should forget about using this tire – it is suitable ONLY for dry‑weather riders.
Even slightly damp forest roads are problematic. We were unable to build any trust in the tire on wet surfaces. Wet patches should be crossed with zero lean angle.
Standing water (e.g., water streams crossing the road) is especially critical – we felt clear instability and twitching when riding through them.
If you need everyday usability or touring capability, look at the Michelin Power 6 or Michelin Power GP 2 instead.
Braking Performance
Braking performance of the Michelin Power Cup 2 is good – as long as the tire is hot. It remains very stable under hard braking and provides a secure feel when trail braking into corners or switching direction under braking.
However, in colder conditions or at low ambient temperatures, we repeatedly triggered ABS at the front – partly depending on the asphalt. Overall, braking grip is inconsistent unless conditions are ideal.
Stability and feedback under braking are acceptable, but not exceptional. We also noticed a slight uprighting tendency when braking hard at lean, though still within a tolerable range. Trail braking into the apex is not completely neutral; we observed a mild tendency to fall into the corner.
Riding Comfort
Riding comfort on the Michelin Power Cup 2 is good. Despite being a hypersport tire, it rolls smoothly and comfortably. Its inherent damping is also surprisingly strong. In terms of comfort, the tire offers more than expected for this category and is absolutely usable on the street.
Tire Wear
The Power Cup 2 delivers a very even wear pattern – even on the racetrack. The tire is optimized for consistent hot grip on track and shows no severe wear issues there. On the Super Duke, the tire roughens up nicely without tearing excessively.
We cannot say how the wear pattern behaves under extremely uneven riding styles, as we rode the Power Cup 2 very smoothly on the 1290.
As wear increases, we noticed slight edge formation between the shoulder and the center tread. However, our smooth riding style prevented these edges from becoming severe enough to affect handling. The extremely narrow center strip also helps keep these edges irrelevant at lean.
Mileage
Mileage on public roads is around 1,200–1,500 km. On the racetrack, the tire is typically done after two days. These values apply to skilled sport riders on powerful machines.
Riders with a gentler style or those using the tire on a low‑torque 600cc or mid‑class naked bike can achieve significantly higher mileage.
On our KTM 1290 Super Duke, the wear rate was shockingly high: A spirited 200–300 km ride could easily cost 1 mm of rear‑tire rubber. The front tire lasted longer but still cannot be considered high‑mileage.
Typical mileage values:
- Superbikes & aggressive riding: 1,200–1,500 km
- Racetrack: 1 trackday weekend
- Mid‑class bikes & 600cc supersport (moderate street use): up to 3,500 km
On our KTM 1290 Super Duke, we achieved:
- Front: 1,900 km
- Rear: 1,500 km
Riding Stability / Cornering Stability
The Michelin Power Cup 2 is an extremely stable tire. Once at temperature, it remains rock‑solid even at maximum lean and inspires a lot of confidence. This high stability is present in all situations – tight corners, long sweepers, and everything in between.
Despite its stability, the tire still feels reasonably agile without becoming nervous. Compared directly to the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II, the differences in tire concept become very clear: With the Italian hypersport tire, the Super Duke feels noticeably sharper and more agile. If you prefer a planted, stable feel, the Power Cup 2 is the better choice.
Feedback is generally good, but not crystal clear. At deep lean angles, the tire can feel slightly unstable and a bit vague.
Agility / Steering Behavior
As mentioned, the Power Cup 2 offers solid feedback. Because it is designed for stability, it does not feel nervous – which suits riders with a smooth, flowing riding style. Sharp‑handling motorcycles in particular may benefit from the calming influence of the Power Cup 2.
Overall, we like the tire’s handling a lot: it strikes an almost perfect balance between agility and stability. Riders who want maximum flickability should consider a Pirelli Supercorsa or Rosso Corsa instead.
Uprighting Moment
The Power Cup 2 cannot completely hide its uprighting tendency. During hard braking at deep lean, we noticed a clear tendency to stand up. However, it is not severe enough to fight the tire constantly. Still, many tires behave more neutrally in this regard.
Tire Pressure
The Michelin Power Cup 2 is designed for racetrack use, so it can be ridden with reduced pressures on track. Here are our recommended pressures for road and track use:
Recommended Road Pressures
We also used reduced pressures on the street:
- KTM 890 Duke: 2.1 bar front / 2.2 bar rear
- KTM 1290 Super Duke: 2.2 bar front / 1.8 bar rear (cold) – great for sporty riding and generating heat
Important: Adjust tire pressure according to weather and ambient temperature to stay within the ideal operating window.
Recommended Minimum Track Pressures (Cold)
- Front: 2.1 bar
- Rear: 1.5 bar
Recommended Minimum Track Pressures (Hot)
- Front: 2.4 bar
- Rear: 1.7 bar
Michelin Power Cup 2 Experiences
The Michelin Power Cup 2 can absolutely thrill sport riders – but only under ideal conditions.
High grip and consistent hot grip are its biggest strengths.
However, the tire requires a long warm‑up phase and behaves oddly until it reaches temperature.
On cooler days around 17–18°C, adjusting tire pressure is essential. Otherwise, the tire feels unstable, makes it hard to hold a line, requires a lot of steering effort, and triggers unpredictable ABS activation at the front.
The heat behavior is demanding: the tire must be pushed hard to deliver its full potential. In good weather and in the hands of riders who can keep it hot, it is an excellent tire – especially due to its stability.
At deep lean, however, it can feel slightly vague.
Wear pattern is excellent, but wear rate is high. Overall, the Power Cup 2 is a tire for connoisseurs – its greatest strength is its extreme grip under ideal conditions.
We recommend it for temperatures above 25°C, sunshine, and powerful motorcycles. If you ride only in good weather, enjoy aggressive riding, and occasionally visit the racetrack (even riding there on your own wheels), the Michelin Power Cup 2 is a fantastic choice.
Alternatives to the Michelin Power Cup 2
The Michelin Power Cup 2 is a hypersport tire with a strong racetrack focus. Suitable supersport alternatives include:
- Michelin Power GP 2 (one step below, much broader usability)
- Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V4
- ContiRaceAttack 2 Street
- Metzeler Racetec RR
- Dunlop Sportsmart TT
- Dunlop GP Racer D212
- Bridgestone Battlax RS11
