British MotoGP: Colin Edwards reckons Michelin 16-inch rear tyre not ready

Factory Yamaha rider Colin Edwards has told MCN it could be months before Michelin’s new 16-inch rear tyre is ready to race in the MotoGP world championship.

The double World Superbike champion confirmed he had 16-inch rear tyres in his allocation at the Italian MotoGP in Mugello earlier this month, but hasn’t run them since because of a lack of performance. 

Colin Edwards tested the 16-inch rear in Barcelona again recently but he told MCN: “We could be six months out, we could be nine months out. They still need some time to figure it out.”

Edwards first tried the latest generation 16-inch tyres at a test in Le Mans after the French MotoGP, and he said: “We tested a bunch of 16-inch stuff at Le Mans and we kind of went down that road at Mugello for Yamaha and for Michelin to see if we could develop it and make it any better. But it wasn’t ready.

“We got to Mugello and it was terrible and we had to kind of rely on some back up stuff. After Le Mans we kind of had the mode that the championship is a bit out of reach obviously, so lets see if we can gain an advantage somewhere and that’s why we ran that 16 in Mugello. I had three of them there.”

Commenting on the specific issues which mean for the mid-term future Colin Edwards will stick with the 16.5-inch rear tyre, he added: “About the only thing it is good at is direction change.

“Left to right that feels good. Everything else is maybe a little bit worse at the moment in terms of side grip and acceleration grip. That’s where they need to work.”

Michelin bosses told MCN after the recent Barcelona MotoGP test the French company planned to offer 16-inch rear tyres to its riders possibly as early as the American GP at Laguna Seca or after the summer break in Brno’s Czech Republic GP.

“I’m not excited about it,” added Edwards.

“For me they should just park it for now and look to next season maybe.”