On the track, the tire provided...
On the track, the tire provided good predictable grip for long runs, giving you confidence to push them hard.
Continental's new ContiRoad Attack2 has defined a new tire segment: Hyper-sport Touring
Over the past few years, Continental has made a new push to be at the top of the motorcycle tire market. In America certainly, there are probably just a handful who can say they know Continental has been making motorcycle tires for 103 years and has eight World Championships under its belt. In Europe, Continental has remained one of the top brands in the European market; however, it wasn't until '02 that Continental made a push into creating top-shelf high performance motorcycle tires. Continental has also become an OEM supplier to BMW, Honda, KTM, and Yamaha. The innovation coming from the investments in technology has produced the Attack family of tires - which leads us to the new ContiRoad Attack2 sport-touring tire.
While not exactly new to the Attack2, the tire does incorporate Continental's Continuous Compound Technology. The CCT is claimed to make it possible to have varying wear and grip rates with a single compound, due to temperature-controlled curing of the tire during the production process. As expected, the Attack2 compound was designed to be stiffer in the center to give the tire high-mileage life, and flexible in the shoulder area for a better contact patch and increased grip when the bike is leaned over in the curves.
Another Continental staple added to the Attack2 is the "Black Chili" compound. Without divulging all the secrets, Continental's big innovation in creating this compound comes from the resins. These resins produce a better interlocking of the rubber molecules, creating a compound that is stiff to the road for better grip, however, with enough flex to give the rider a good feel of the road and good sense of traction. Due to the new compound, the tire boasts a quick warm up time and improved dynamic stiffness in high temperatures. Also incorporated into the compound is Continental's Active Silica Compound technology (ASC). This helps wet weather performance and helps keep the tire's dynamic stiffness in low temperature situations such as wet conditions.
Safety is a high priority for Continental, and the company addressed tire break-in safety with the ContiRoad Attack2. The tire wears what Continental calls "Traction Skin." Due to the unique manufacturing process, mold release is not used in the tire's construction. So Continental was able develop a "revolutionary tactile tread surface" in order to increase grip and safety during tire break-in; a concept coined "Plug and Play, Ready 2 Ride."
While the tread grooves are very distinctive and give the tire a recognizable look, they do have a purposeful use. The groove geometry is said to reinforce the regular grooves. This gives the tire better stability under braking, and less deformation under acceleration, leading to better wear and grip.
Leaving no detail unturned with the ContiRoad Attack2, Continental also addressed the profile of the tire in order to give it a sportier feel compared to the previous ContiRoad Attack tire. Using a zero-degree belt plus its Dynamic Ride Technology (DRT) construction, Continental says the result is a taller and steeper profile contour for quicker tip-in and transitions through switchbacks/chicanes.
To put the tires through their paces, Continental invited us to try them at its famed Contidrom Proving Grounds just north of Hannover, Germany. The facility includes dry and wet handling courses, and a remarkable 58-degree banked oval.