Continental SportAttack 5: New Sport Tire for Road and Track

With the SportAttack 5, Continental aims to prove once again that they're ready to challenge the status quo in the world of sporty street tires. While the predecessor, the SportAttack 4, already convinced many riders, it was clear that new ideas and approaches were needed for the next generation. Over the past three years, extensive work has been done to enhance agility, grip, stability, and mileage. The goal was to create a sport-focused tire with an 80% road and 20% track orientation—essentially, a track-ready street-legal sport tire.

We had the opportunity to test the tire in Cartagena across these disciplines, from winding coastal roads to a track that presented its own set of challenges. These conditions were perfect for getting a solid impression of the new sport tire's performance. But first, let's take a look at the innovations:

The development of the SportAttack 5 started "with a blank sheet of paper," as described by Malte Bigge, who was deeply involved in the process. No stone was left unturned, and no existing technology was just carried over. The carcass, the compound, the type of steel belt, the tread design—everything was rethought.

One of the innovations is the variable winding of the steel belt, an essential component for radial tires. While the material is laid particularly densely in the center of the tire, it becomes looser towards the sides. The result: in deep lean angles, a larger contact patch is created to optimize side grip. At the same time, the motorcycle remains agile, easy to handle, and stable in an upright position.

The compound has also been completely reworked. By integrating a new silica and a revised mixing process, the grip on both dry and wet roads is expected to improve simultaneously. The tire is designed to immediately develop good mechanical grip, even at cooler temperatures, and to heat up very quickly. The increased rubber volume contributes to this by generating more flex energy and thus heat. Normally, more rubber means more weight, but the streamlined construction combined with a reduced amount of steel results in an overall lighter weight, positively affecting handling and responsiveness.

The tread design is another key to performance. The center area is designed almost like a slick, which enhances mileage and straight-line stability. The tread on the shoulder has also been reduced, aiding the new rubber compound in improving grip during lean angles. The type of tread pattern has been further modified to better support the rubber’s performance.

A special technique eliminates the need for a release agent to ease the tire's removal from the mold. This is particularly beneficial for immediately putting the tire to work right after mounting. While this isn't new to the SportAttack 5, it's still pleasing to see this feature included again.

The day in Cartagena started early at a chilly 10 degrees, with the roads still cool and slightly damp from the night. Normally, this is not an ideal situation with freshly mounted tires, as breaking in a new tire under such conditions is not a motorcyclist's favorite task. However, since the SportAttack 5 has no release agent on the untouched tire surface, the process is significantly more pleasant. Additionally, the surface is slightly roughened, ensuring that the tire develops mechanical grip right from the first meter.

This quickly instills confidence in the tire, without requiring several kilometers as is usually the case. Additionally, it remains very accommodating even in cold conditions and is very neutral when turning in. The motorcycle stays stable yet lively, steering precisely and providing a reassuring feel, even on the cooler sections of asphalt. On the BMW S1000RR, a very stable sportbike, the successful balance between stability and agility becomes evident. The tire delivers a "grounding" feel in every corner, providing excellent feedback right up to the limit without dampening the dynamics.

On the somewhat unwieldy naked bikes, like the BMW S1000R, the effect is even more pronounced. These models naturally tend to react a bit more twitchily, especially during quick direction changes. Here, the SportAttack 5 shows its greatest strength: the motorcycle is calmed, remains stable on its line, while the front tire reacts precisely to every movement. Curves can be tackled variably, with consistent and predictable feedback—a major advantage for riders who want to control their line precisely. The grip on various road surfaces is at the top end, delivering what one would expect from a sporty street tire.

After a few hours on the surrounding roads, we hit the track. Cartagena presented challenging conditions: Saharan dust combined with rain had dirtied the track and reduced grip. Nevertheless, the SportAttack 5 delivered a solid performance level. Even at high speeds, the motorcycle felt stable, bumps were effectively absorbed, and the front tire feedback remained consistent.

Particularly noteworthy is the tire's ability to maintain a balance between grip and control. In lean angles, you can feel the maximum side hold, with the rear tire building solid side grip and transferring power during acceleration with controllable slides. The variable winding ensures that the contact patch is optimally utilized depending on the lean angle, providing a real advantage when you want to hit the apex quickly.

Even in the more critical areas of the track, such as bumps or transitions from asphalt to slightly contaminated surfaces, the new Conti provides a reassuring feel. Riders can maintain their line without experiencing uncertainty—a crucial advantage for track days or ambitious racing endeavors.

Of course, slicks, which are purely optimized for track use, can provide more grip. Especially over long distances and in hot temperatures, street compounds quickly reach their limits. However, under our conditions of 15 degrees, this was hardly an issue. It was more the heavily contaminated track that posed a challenge. Therefore, the tire couldn't fully showcase its capabilities. Having already ridden the tire under good track conditions, I am aware of its qualities. Unlike the competition, Conti uses a single compound across the entire tire width. I did not find any disadvantage in this approach.

It's difficult to make a statement regarding mileage since we couldn't cover a significant distance in just one day. Here, we have to rely on Conti's claims, which suggest improved mileage due to the thicker rubber cross-section. After half a day on the track, the tire showed a good wear pattern. Naturally, we used the tire on the track without tire warmers, as intended for its application. This also demonstrates the wide temperature range in which the tire operates. Nonetheless, even here, the tire provides more grip when warm than right from the start, though the difference isn't as dramatic as with some other tires. We couldn't test the major advantage in wet grip due to the beautiful Spanish weather. Conti promises a lot in this area as well.

What was surprising is that the tire can be run at very high pressures. The initially set pressures of 2.5 bar at the front and 2.9 bar at the rear rose on the track, after fast laps, to as much as 3.5 bar at the rear due to increasing tire temperatures. Normally, a tire doesn't function well at these pressures, and you're forced to lower them. However, thanks to the new construction, this works astonishingly well, and even the self-damping isn't compromised. This indicates that the tire should be run at higher pressures than one might be used to. Personally, I've always found that pressures over 2.5 bar for road tires on the track were counterproductive. "Again what learned," as we might say in the best Denglish.

The SportAttack 5 is manufactured in Korbach, Germany, with development carried out in Hanover. Continental tests the tires at the Contidrom, in Texas, and in Spain to cover all conditions—from high speed and wet surfaces to extreme cornering loads.

The SportAttack 5 is available in all common sporty sizes: front 120/70, rear 160/60, 180/55, 190/55, and 200/55. According to Conti, most sizes are already available for pre-order, and the tire should be widely available within the next few weeks.

The Continental SportAttack 5 is much more than just an evolutionary update. It's a completely redesigned tire that elevates agility, stability, grip, and feedback to a new level. On the road, it delivers instant response, precision, and confidence; on the track, it impresses with grounding, side grip, and predictable behavior at the limits.

Particularly impressive is the versatility: the tire performs excellently on naked bikes, sporty road machines, and supersport bikes alike. Riders experience a harmonious balance that offers safety, control, and enjoyment for both beginners and seasoned track riders.

The SportAttack 5 is a tire that not only shines in technical specifications but also impresses subjectively. For those seeking a tire that excels on both road and track while delivering a direct, precise riding experience, this is a true highlight and potentially a new benchmark in its class.