Tests – · none yet Owners 87 · 15 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Avon Spirit ST vs Michelin Road 5 — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 0 + 1 road tests and 15 + 24 owner reviews. How we score
Spirit ST is ahead, 82–75
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Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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82
Dry
Spirit ST +1072Why this score
Source Spirit ST Road 5 Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 77 (est.) 67 Reviews found online 89 78 Spirit ST: 60% × 76.7 (est.) + 40% × 89.1 = 82
Road 5: 60% × 67.3 + 40% × 78.2 = 72
No road tests of dry for Spirit ST. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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87
Wet
Spirit ST +780Why this score
Source Spirit ST Road 5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 83 (est.) ≈ 77 (est.) Reviews found online 93 83 Spirit ST: 60% × 82.9 (est.) + 40% × 93 = 87
Road 5: 60% × 77.4 (est.) + 40% × 82.9 = 80
No road tests of wet for Spirit ST. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
No road tests of wet for Road 5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
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78
Comfort
Spirit ST +276Why this score
Source Spirit ST Road 5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 71 (est.) ≈ 71 (est.) Reviews found online 82 79 Spirit ST: 40% × 71.3 (est.) + 60% × 81.9 = 78
Road 5: 40% × 70.8 (est.) + 60% × 79.2 = 76
No road tests of comfort for Spirit ST. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
No road tests of comfort for Road 5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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75
Treadwear
Spirit ST +372Why this score
Source Spirit ST Road 5 Professional tests (TWG score) ≈ 72 (est.) ≈ 70 (est.) Reviews found online 80 75 Spirit ST: 60% × 71.5 (est.) + 40% × 80.4 = 75
Road 5: 60% × 69.7 (est.) + 40% × 75.4 = 72
No road tests of treadwear for Spirit ST. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
No road tests of treadwear for Road 5. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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87
Handling (owners)
Spirit ST +1077Why this score
Source Spirit ST Road 5 Reviews found online 87 77
Scores at a glance
| Category | Avon Spirit ST | Michelin Road 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 82 | 75 |
| Dry | 82 | 72 |
| Wet | 87 | 80 |
| Comfort | 78 | 76 |
| Treadwear | 75 | 72 |
| Handling (owners) | 87 | 77 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
82
/ 100
Spirit ST
75
/ 100
Road 5
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Spirit ST
Pros
- Excellent grip in dry, cold and wet conditions, with confidence-inspiring braking and wet-weather performance, and capability extending to occasional track use
- Stable, predictable handling at high speeds and under heavy loads (pillion and luggage), with a comfortable ride and low noise
- Good tread life reported by several riders, who describe even wear, resistance to squaring off and mileage up to nearly double that of Michelin tyres
Cons
- Wear complaints from a minority, including one rider who got only about 2,000 km
- Reluctance to turn in fast direction changes and a lack of feedback from the tyres, according to one reviewer
- Front tyre vibration and shaking over 60 mph on one BMW K1600GT, which persisted after rebalancing at two garages
Tire B Road 5
Pros
- Class-leading wet weather grip and rider confidence
- Excellent tread life and durability for touring applications
- Dual-compound construction provides a balance of stability and cornering grip
Cons
- High susceptibility to punctures from road debris
- Soft carcass construction can be prone to structural damage from impacts
- Some users report a lack of feedback compared to dedicated sport tires
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Avon Spirit ST | B · Michelin Road 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer | Summer |
| Vehicle type | Motorcycle | Motorcycle |
Which one should you actually buy?
82
/ 100
Avon Spirit ST
75
/ 100
Michelin Road 5
Winner: Avon Spirit ST — better dry, handling and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Avon Spirit ST rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 15 reviews), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire A
You want the most grip on dry roads
Avon Spirit ST scores 82 vs 72 on dry.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Avon Spirit ST scores 87 vs 77 on handling.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Avon Spirit ST scores 87 vs 80 on wet.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Avon Spirit ST scores 75 vs 72 on treadwear.
Tire A · Avon Spirit ST
Tire B · Michelin Road 5
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Spirit ST or Road 5?
Which is better in the wet, Spirit ST or Road 5?
Avon Spirit ST, 87 vs 80 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Spirit ST or Road 5?
Avon Spirit ST, 82 vs 72 on our dry score.
Which is more comfortable, Spirit ST or Road 5?
Neither, by our numbers: 78 vs 76 on the comfort score, within 3 points.
Which lasts longer, Spirit ST or Road 5?
Avon Spirit ST, 75 vs 72 on our treadwear score.
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.
Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology