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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Michelin City Grip 2 vs Michelin Pilot Road — Compared (May 2026)

Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.

Tire A Michelin

Michelin City Grip 2

Summer Premium Touring tires

Michelin City Grip 2 tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
93/100
7 owner reviews
Dry
96
Wet
94
Comfort
86
Treadwear
90
Handling
93

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Michelin

Michelin Pilot Road

Summer High Performance tires

Michelin Pilot Road tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
82/100
4 owner reviews
Dry
80
Wet
78
Comfort
90
Treadwear
95
Handling
80

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Michelin City Grip 2 — better dry, wet and handling. Pick the Michelin Pilot Road if treadwear and comfort matter most to you.
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Category breakdown

5 categories, side by side

Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.

Dry

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) City Grip 2 leads by 16
A — Michelin City Grip 2
96
B — Michelin Pilot Road
80
Why this score
SourceCity Grip 2Pilot Road
Tyre Reviews owners 96 80

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) City Grip 2 leads by 16
A — Michelin City Grip 2
94
B — Michelin Pilot Road
78
Why this score
SourceCity Grip 2Pilot Road
Tyre Reviews owners 94 78

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Pilot Road leads by 4
A — Michelin City Grip 2
86
B — Michelin Pilot Road
90
Why this score
SourceCity Grip 2Pilot Road
Tyre Reviews owners 86 90

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Pilot Road leads by 5
A — Michelin City Grip 2
90
B — Michelin Pilot Road
95
Why this score
SourceCity Grip 2Pilot Road
Tyre Reviews owners 90 95

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) City Grip 2 leads by 13
A — Michelin City Grip 2
93
B — Michelin Pilot Road
80
Why this score
SourceCity Grip 2Pilot Road
Tyre Reviews owners 93 80

Scores at a glance

Michelin City Grip 2 vs Michelin Pilot Road: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryMichelin City Grip 2Michelin Pilot Road
Relative Score 92 85
Dry 96 80
Wet 94 78
Comfort 86 90
Treadwear 90 95
Handling 93 80

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Michelin City Grip 2

The Michelin City Grip 2 is widely regarded as a superior upgrade over OEM scooter tires, offering significant improvements in cornering confidence and wet-weather performance. Users consistently praise its predictable handling and enhanced grip, though experiences regarding ride comfort and road feedback remain somewhat polarized.

Pros

  • Exceptional grip and stability during cornering
  • Strong performance in wet weather conditions
  • Predictable handling and improved road feedback
  • Noticeable performance upgrade over stock scooter tires

Cons

  • Requires a short warm-up period to reach optimal stickiness
  • Can feel stiff or transmit excessive road imperfections
  • Front tire wear can be accelerated on heavier scooter models

Observations

  • Users on Vespa models report high satisfaction with cornering confidence and reduced bumpiness on rough roads.
  • Owners of heavier scooters, such as the Yamaha Tricity, note that front tire wear is more pronounced due to suspension weight distribution.
  • Performance on small-diameter wheels (12-inch) is noted as highly effective, providing braking power that exceeds the limits of standard scooter suspension components.
Tire B Michelin Pilot Road

The Michelin Pilot Road is generally regarded as a durable and versatile sport-touring tire that excels in longevity and all-weather performance. While most users praise its predictable handling and impressive tread life, some riders find its limits insufficient for aggressive, high-performance sport riding.

Pros

  • Exceptional tread longevity compared to dedicated sport tires
  • Reliable wet weather grip and confidence-inspiring feedback
  • Versatile performance across varied road conditions and surfaces
  • Predictable behavior when approaching traction limits

Cons

  • Lack of high-end dry grip for aggressive cornering
  • Susceptibility to flat-spotting during extended motorway use
  • Inconsistent performance for riders transitioning from dedicated sport compounds

Observations

  • Users on middleweight sport bikes like the SV650S report excellent versatility for both commuting and spirited riding.
  • Riders of older 600cc sport bikes may find the tire's performance envelope too conservative for spirited canyon or track-style riding.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin City Grip 2 B · Michelin Pilot Road
CategorySummer Premium Touring tiresSummer High Performance tires
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin

Michelin

Winner: Michelin City Grip 2 — better dry, wet and handling. Pick the Michelin Pilot Road if treadwear and comfort matter most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin City Grip 2 scores 96 vs 80 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin City Grip 2 scores 94 vs 78 on wet.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin City Grip 2 scores 93 vs 80 on handling.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Michelin Pilot Road scores 95 vs 90 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin City Grip 2
Tire B · Michelin Pilot Road

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.