| Continental Road Attack Tire Review |
After getting home from WCRM III I've discovered that I've cleared just over 3,000 miles on my set of Conti Road Attacks.
That means it's time for the next installment of my long-term review on the Road Attacks.
Please go to [URL=http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/showthread.php?t=82676]THIS LINK[/URL]
Bike: 1995 BMW R1100RSL
Mileage: 51,365 miles (Roughly 3,250 on the set to date)
Tire Sizes: 120/70/17 f, 170/60/17 r
Pressures: 40/42
Riding: appx 2,000 miles of two-up touring with bike weights to 1,050 #.
I gotta be honest, this will be a fairly succinct review. After 3,000 miles I've got a pretty good review on these tires. They've
been ridden hard, fast, and for long, long stretches at a time both solo and two up. I've railed them through corners and coasted
down long hills. I also put down some 700+ miles in the rain (thanks to WCRM III) and cold.
Here's the summary:
............................020.....PR.....Z6.....Conti RA
Speed to Turn in.......6.......5.......8.........8
Durability/Wear.........5.......8.......6.........4
Wet Grip..................4.......7.......8.........4
Dry Grip...................6.......7.......8.........8
Confidence...............5.......7.......9.........8/4
Ride Comfort.............6.......5.......8.........7
Stability...................7.......9.......6.........8
Slide Predictability......5.......6.......8.........7
Midcorner Correction...6.......4.......7.........8
Road Feel.................6.......5.......8.........9
In Detail:
[B]Speed to Turn in[/B] Without a doubt Conti's done their homework in creating a tire that turns in fast. I mean, really fast.
In comparison to the other ST tires I've ridden these are the fastest turning in tires I've ever ridden on, even better than the
Z6 (and faster even than the M1 Sportecs)! Super fast turn-in but without any straight-line stability problems.
[B]Durability/Wear[/B] Not good enough by my measures. Conti literature promised the "Stick of a Sport tire" and the
"Durability of a Touring tire". I measured the tire at 6.5mm of tread depth on the rear tire when new. Now, with 3,250 miles
on the tires I measure just a hair over 2mm of tread depth on the rear remaining. So around 800 miles per mm of tread depth
meaning that I have around 1,000 miles of life left on the rear tire before replacement. Call it total life of around 4,500 miles
for a rear tire.
The front tire however looks fantastic! I kid you not, even with my 3,250 miles on the tires you can still read the "Conti Road
Attack" logo on the face of the front tire. I seriously doubt I've taken off even 1/2 a mm from the front tire. I am very
comfortable in saying that I would get two full rear tires of wear for each solo front tire.
Admittedly, my riding style (especially two up with touring weights of over 1,000 pounds) will absolutely destroy a rear tire in
very little time. Most of my riding speeds are around 80mph on the highways, and not much slower in the tight stuff. This means
that if you ride solo you should get much better mileage than I do. Still, 4250 on a rear tire is significantly below average from
my expectations.
By comparison, I get 8000 miles out of a Pilot Road rear under similar conditions, 6,000 miles out of a rear Z6, and 6,000 miles
out of a BT020. (BT020 fronts wear faster than a Z6 front, hence only a 5 for BT020 durability and a 6 for the Z6 overall).
[B]Wet Grip[/B] Not impressed at all. Conti claims a maximum lean angle of some 40 degrees in the wet. Now I don't know
what kind of road surface Conti uses to get a 40 degree measure, but on the roads I was on at WCRM (wet, often chipsealed) I
was slipping and sliding all over the place at very moderate lean angles of 20 degrees or maybe 25 degrees - I gotta tell you, I
was not inclined to push any harder than that. The back tire slipped at slow speeds even with two up weight stuck on it. Tar
Snakes were a guarantee for a front slip of an inch or two. Bots Dots hit while changing lanes were guarantees for instant
slips. And God Forbid anyone should ever try to do a lane change over rain grooves, bots dots, and white lines on 55mph highway
turns at any speed over 55mph! You might as well go visit your Proctologist when you get home...you're gonna need one to dig
that seat out of your ass...
My wife, quite frankly, was scared to death of these things in the wet. I kid you not when I tell you that she kicked (literally)
the rear tire in anger. (YOU try being a pillion on a bike with a slipping back tire!) Perhaps the only positive is that I KNEW
that they would slip every time - at least they were predictable.
Simply put, I don't have much confidence at all in these things in the wet.
I rate these as the worst tires I've ever used in the wet. If you ride wet roads under adverse conditions, please look
elsewhere. They just plain won't take any aggression in the wet.
[B]Dry Grip[/B] Excellent. I couldn't get the tires to slip in the dry conditions whether two up, solo, or geared for touring.
They inspire excellent dry confidence (exactly the opposite of my wet grip experience) and the radius of the tire really
encourages leaning the bike. From a wear characteristic, the tires wore evenly and rubber did ball up slightly from very spirited
riding. The excellent dry grip did come with a price - wear was evident on the rear tire even after just 1000 miles.
[B]Confidence[/B] In the dry? Great! in the Wet? Misery. Hence the double figure of a 7/5. I can't rank these tires as well
as the Z6 though in the dry. It's a strange double standard, but necessary due to the multi radius curvature of the tire.
Trying to explain: In the dry the tires have a very, very distinct "Falling In" feeling in the turns. The RSL (and the Sprint ST
I rode a bit) didn't want to hold an even line at first. It took 2000 miles of wear before the bike really stabilized in the turns
and arced in a comfortable even line. In a turn, the bike wanted to wander a bit, not holding a solid lean angle.
This is both a positive and a negative. On the one hand I liked how easy it was to correct a line or change lean angle. This
makes for a lot of confidence, knowing that I can make corrections without fear of upsetting the chassis and suspension.
However at the same time, confidence isn't absolute because the line I wanted to hold would indeed wander a bit when the tire
were new.
Not as confidence inspiring as a Z6, but definitely better than a PR in the dry.
Still, I must reitterate: they suck in the wet and I had very little confidence of them in the wet.
[B]Ride Comfort[/B] Actually, quite decent. Despite being loaded with road feel (trust me, if I can feel the road on a BMW with
Telelever suspension, it's loaded with feel) the tires were quite compliant and not harsh in any way. Much, much more
comfortable ride than the PR's (which feel like solid rubber tires!) but not quite as compliant as the Z6. I have no complaints
with ride comfort on these tires.
[B]Stability[/B] Excellent stability in a straight line, either wet or dry. Where the Z6 tires never really felt totally planted
in a straight line (but did indeed turn in very quickly in trade), the Conti RA's felt darn near as stable as the PR's (best in show
for stability there!) without sacrificing handling. I honestly feel that their stability level may indeed be the best compromise
between handling and stability out there.
[B]Slide Predictability[/B] This is a very tough measure to really guage. I also need to talk about slide recovery at the same
time. In the dry I couldn't really get the tire to slide much (truly fantastic grip) and it was very, very easy to predict how
much tire I had left before hitting the edge. So I do feel quite comfortable in saying that I was comfortable in knowing when
they would slide in the dry, if they would slide. I also feel confident in saying that they regrip well, predictably. I may have
hated the wet grip of these tires, but I can say that the tires would regrip quickly when surface conditions "normalized" - such
as sliding off a bots dot or tar snake in the wet.
By comparison, Pilot Roads never gave me much confidence in their slide predictability. They always felt to me as if they would
break out and slide away without control. Z6's and M1's offer fantastic slide predictability - a nice, smooth, comfortable
regriping.
[B]Midcorner Correction[/B] Best in show. If you ride tight roads with ever changing conditions, this is the tire to beat. No
complaints, only compliments here. Conti's multi-radius profile works wonderfully well here and is to be applauded. The trade
off was a "wander" in the turns, as mentioned earlier. Still, it was increadibly easy to add more lean angle or change a line. Very
light handling.
[B]Road Feel[/B] Best in show. If I can feel the road on the RSL...you get the point.
So that's the review. Basically, great in the dry, misery in the wet, only fair durability.
Personal comments:
I'm not going to buy these tires again. Wet handling is paramount in my books, especially when I am carrying priceless cargo on
the back (my wife!) and I just can't take the risk.
Conti made a good effort, but they haven't displaced the vaunted Z6's I've come to love so much.
I'm going back to the Z6's for the next set. This will give me a chance to get my Z6 baseline re-established in current memory
before I try another tire for your pleasure!
This review brought to you by BMW-K.
That means it's time for the next installment of my long-term review on the Road Attacks.
Please go to [URL=http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/showthread.php?t=82676]THIS LINK[/URL]
Bike: 1995 BMW R1100RSL
Mileage: 51,365 miles (Roughly 3,250 on the set to date)
Tire Sizes: 120/70/17 f, 170/60/17 r
Pressures: 40/42
Riding: appx 2,000 miles of two-up touring with bike weights to 1,050 #.
I gotta be honest, this will be a fairly succinct review. After 3,000 miles I've got a pretty good review on these tires. They've
been ridden hard, fast, and for long, long stretches at a time both solo and two up. I've railed them through corners and coasted
down long hills. I also put down some 700+ miles in the rain (thanks to WCRM III) and cold.
Here's the summary:
............................020.....PR.....Z6.....Conti RA
Speed to Turn in.......6.......5.......8.........8
Durability/Wear.........5.......8.......6.........4
Wet Grip..................4.......7.......8.........4
Dry Grip...................6.......7.......8.........8
Confidence...............5.......7.......9.........8/4
Ride Comfort.............6.......5.......8.........7
Stability...................7.......9.......6.........8
Slide Predictability......5.......6.......8.........7
Midcorner Correction...6.......4.......7.........8
Road Feel.................6.......5.......8.........9
In Detail:
[B]Speed to Turn in[/B] Without a doubt Conti's done their homework in creating a tire that turns in fast. I mean, really fast.
In comparison to the other ST tires I've ridden these are the fastest turning in tires I've ever ridden on, even better than the
Z6 (and faster even than the M1 Sportecs)! Super fast turn-in but without any straight-line stability problems.
[B]Durability/Wear[/B] Not good enough by my measures. Conti literature promised the "Stick of a Sport tire" and the
"Durability of a Touring tire". I measured the tire at 6.5mm of tread depth on the rear tire when new. Now, with 3,250 miles
on the tires I measure just a hair over 2mm of tread depth on the rear remaining. So around 800 miles per mm of tread depth
meaning that I have around 1,000 miles of life left on the rear tire before replacement. Call it total life of around 4,500 miles
for a rear tire.
The front tire however looks fantastic! I kid you not, even with my 3,250 miles on the tires you can still read the "Conti Road
Attack" logo on the face of the front tire. I seriously doubt I've taken off even 1/2 a mm from the front tire. I am very
comfortable in saying that I would get two full rear tires of wear for each solo front tire.
Admittedly, my riding style (especially two up with touring weights of over 1,000 pounds) will absolutely destroy a rear tire in
very little time. Most of my riding speeds are around 80mph on the highways, and not much slower in the tight stuff. This means
that if you ride solo you should get much better mileage than I do. Still, 4250 on a rear tire is significantly below average from
my expectations.
By comparison, I get 8000 miles out of a Pilot Road rear under similar conditions, 6,000 miles out of a rear Z6, and 6,000 miles
out of a BT020. (BT020 fronts wear faster than a Z6 front, hence only a 5 for BT020 durability and a 6 for the Z6 overall).
[B]Wet Grip[/B] Not impressed at all. Conti claims a maximum lean angle of some 40 degrees in the wet. Now I don't know
what kind of road surface Conti uses to get a 40 degree measure, but on the roads I was on at WCRM (wet, often chipsealed) I
was slipping and sliding all over the place at very moderate lean angles of 20 degrees or maybe 25 degrees - I gotta tell you, I
was not inclined to push any harder than that. The back tire slipped at slow speeds even with two up weight stuck on it. Tar
Snakes were a guarantee for a front slip of an inch or two. Bots Dots hit while changing lanes were guarantees for instant
slips. And God Forbid anyone should ever try to do a lane change over rain grooves, bots dots, and white lines on 55mph highway
turns at any speed over 55mph! You might as well go visit your Proctologist when you get home...you're gonna need one to dig
that seat out of your ass...
My wife, quite frankly, was scared to death of these things in the wet. I kid you not when I tell you that she kicked (literally)
the rear tire in anger. (YOU try being a pillion on a bike with a slipping back tire!) Perhaps the only positive is that I KNEW
that they would slip every time - at least they were predictable.
Simply put, I don't have much confidence at all in these things in the wet.
I rate these as the worst tires I've ever used in the wet. If you ride wet roads under adverse conditions, please look
elsewhere. They just plain won't take any aggression in the wet.
[B]Dry Grip[/B] Excellent. I couldn't get the tires to slip in the dry conditions whether two up, solo, or geared for touring.
They inspire excellent dry confidence (exactly the opposite of my wet grip experience) and the radius of the tire really
encourages leaning the bike. From a wear characteristic, the tires wore evenly and rubber did ball up slightly from very spirited
riding. The excellent dry grip did come with a price - wear was evident on the rear tire even after just 1000 miles.
[B]Confidence[/B] In the dry? Great! in the Wet? Misery. Hence the double figure of a 7/5. I can't rank these tires as well
as the Z6 though in the dry. It's a strange double standard, but necessary due to the multi radius curvature of the tire.
Trying to explain: In the dry the tires have a very, very distinct "Falling In" feeling in the turns. The RSL (and the Sprint ST
I rode a bit) didn't want to hold an even line at first. It took 2000 miles of wear before the bike really stabilized in the turns
and arced in a comfortable even line. In a turn, the bike wanted to wander a bit, not holding a solid lean angle.
This is both a positive and a negative. On the one hand I liked how easy it was to correct a line or change lean angle. This
makes for a lot of confidence, knowing that I can make corrections without fear of upsetting the chassis and suspension.
However at the same time, confidence isn't absolute because the line I wanted to hold would indeed wander a bit when the tire
were new.
Not as confidence inspiring as a Z6, but definitely better than a PR in the dry.
Still, I must reitterate: they suck in the wet and I had very little confidence of them in the wet.
[B]Ride Comfort[/B] Actually, quite decent. Despite being loaded with road feel (trust me, if I can feel the road on a BMW with
Telelever suspension, it's loaded with feel) the tires were quite compliant and not harsh in any way. Much, much more
comfortable ride than the PR's (which feel like solid rubber tires!) but not quite as compliant as the Z6. I have no complaints
with ride comfort on these tires.
[B]Stability[/B] Excellent stability in a straight line, either wet or dry. Where the Z6 tires never really felt totally planted
in a straight line (but did indeed turn in very quickly in trade), the Conti RA's felt darn near as stable as the PR's (best in show
for stability there!) without sacrificing handling. I honestly feel that their stability level may indeed be the best compromise
between handling and stability out there.
[B]Slide Predictability[/B] This is a very tough measure to really guage. I also need to talk about slide recovery at the same
time. In the dry I couldn't really get the tire to slide much (truly fantastic grip) and it was very, very easy to predict how
much tire I had left before hitting the edge. So I do feel quite comfortable in saying that I was comfortable in knowing when
they would slide in the dry, if they would slide. I also feel confident in saying that they regrip well, predictably. I may have
hated the wet grip of these tires, but I can say that the tires would regrip quickly when surface conditions "normalized" - such
as sliding off a bots dot or tar snake in the wet.
By comparison, Pilot Roads never gave me much confidence in their slide predictability. They always felt to me as if they would
break out and slide away without control. Z6's and M1's offer fantastic slide predictability - a nice, smooth, comfortable
regriping.
[B]Midcorner Correction[/B] Best in show. If you ride tight roads with ever changing conditions, this is the tire to beat. No
complaints, only compliments here. Conti's multi-radius profile works wonderfully well here and is to be applauded. The trade
off was a "wander" in the turns, as mentioned earlier. Still, it was increadibly easy to add more lean angle or change a line. Very
light handling.
[B]Road Feel[/B] Best in show. If I can feel the road on the RSL...you get the point.
So that's the review. Basically, great in the dry, misery in the wet, only fair durability.
Personal comments:
I'm not going to buy these tires again. Wet handling is paramount in my books, especially when I am carrying priceless cargo on
the back (my wife!) and I just can't take the risk.
Conti made a good effort, but they haven't displaced the vaunted Z6's I've come to love so much.
I'm going back to the Z6's for the next set. This will give me a chance to get my Z6 baseline re-established in current memory
before I try another tire for your pleasure!
This review brought to you by BMW-K.
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