Continental RoadAttack 4 Tires | Gear Overview

The Continental RoadAttack collection are sport-touring tires that strike a steadiness between efficiency and longevity. They’re ultimate for sport-tourers, requirements, street-biased journey bikes, and reasonably powered sportbikes.

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The Evolution of Continental RoadAttack Tires

With every technology from Continental, the carcass, compound, profile, and tread design have advanced. When the primary RoadAttack debuted in 2005, it launched Continental’s ZeroDegree belt, a steady metal wire that runs radially across the tire carcass in the identical course as journey, which boosts stability.

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In 2010, the RoadAttack 2 launched TractionSkin, Continental’s proprietary “pre-scrubbed” tread floor that doesn’t require slippery mold-release brokers and all however eliminates a break-in interval for the tires. The RoadAttack 2 additionally featured MultiGrip, whereby a single compound is heat-cured in a progressive vogue to supply higher put on within the heart of the tire and extra flex and higher grip on the shoulders. MultiGrip offers a easy transition between zones slightly than the abrupt transition that may happen with multi-compound tires.

In 2013, the RoadAttack 2 Evo featured RainGrip, a high-silica compound designed to ship optimum efficiency in moist circumstances. 4 years later, the brand new RoadAttack 3 got here with EasyHandling, a specialised alignment between the contours of the entrance and rear tires mentioned to end in impartial dealing with habits, particularly in hairpins and through gradual cornering.

All these applied sciences go into the brand new RoadAttack 4, with the addition of Continental’s newest trick: GripLimitFeedback. The distinctive mixture of the tire’s carcass building and tread compound offers improved suggestions to the rider when the tire approaches its traction restrict.

The RoadAttack 4 encompasses a new compound and an up to date tread sample that, in keeping with Continental, boosts moist climate efficiency, presents sooner warm-up occasions in chilly and moist circumstances, and offers dry grip on par with many sport tires.

A brand new silica-rich compound improves moist grip with out sacrificing mileage, a brand new mix of resins makes the tire extra sticky even when chilly, and your entire rubber stew has been optimized to be used with fashionable ABS and traction management programs. Continental describes the RoadAttack 4 as a “hyper-touring” tire supposed for right now’s 150-plus hp sport-tourers, journey tourers, and sportbikes.

The place the Rubber Met the Street

To check a few of these claims, Continental invited us to the BMW Efficiency Middle in Greer, South Carolina, which is throughout the road from the manufacturing unit the place all BMW X-Sequence SUVs are constructed. The Efficiency Middle presents automotive and bike coaching, and the grounds embrace a closed-course circuit, a big skidpad, and numerous off-road obstacles and trails.

A variety of BMW bikes had been fitted with RoadAttack 4 tires. I saddled up on an F 900 R, which has an 853cc parallel-Twin that, primarily based on our final check in 2020, makes 88 hp and 58 lb-ft of torque on the rear wheel.

Associated: 2020 BMW F 900 R and F 900 XR | Street Take a look at Overview

BMW’s instructors began us off with some fundamental workout routines, akin to a gradual journey utilizing simply the clutch to regulate pace, in addition to quick and gradual cone weaves. We moved on to swerving and braking workout routines at pace, and I shortly gained an appreciation for the RoadAttack 4s’ grip and dealing with.

After we had been instructed to speed up from a lifeless cease to 30 mph, move between two cones, after which shut the throttle and apply most braking, the F 900 R got here to a fast halt. When our goal pace was elevated to 50 mph, I uncared for to face on the rear pedal after I grabbed a handful of entrance brake lever. The F 900 R has ABS, however I used to be in Dynamic mode, which reduces intervention on the entrance wheel. The entrance tire offered reassuring grip because the again wheel raised up right into a sleek, unintentional stoppie, the likes of which I’ll in all probability by no means replicate.

Within the afternoon, we launched into a spirited journey on chilly, damp backroads, and we ended the day with a sport of cat and mouse on the observe, the place we pushed the tires to their limits. No matter circumstances, the RoadAttack 4s warmed up quick, offered assured dealing with on quite a lot of street surfaces, and clung tenaciously to the tarmac.

On Day 2, I chosen an R 1250 RT for an extended check journey on among the most serpentine roads within the southern Appalachians. At 615 lb, the RT outweighs the F 900 R by 144 lb, and its bigger engine makes an extra 37 hp. The efficiency of the RoadAttack 4s was much more spectacular on a bigger bike that positioned higher calls for on the tires. We didn’t get an opportunity to check the RoadAttack 4s on moist roads, so we’ll order a set quickly and report again.

Continental RoadAttack 4 tires can be found in quite a lot of sizes, with 17-inch and 19-inch fronts, 17-inch rears, and a GT model for heavyweight bikes.