Continental SportAttack 5: New Sport Tire for Road and Track

With the SportAttack 5, Continental once again wants to prove that they are ready to challenge existing benchmarks in the world of sporty road tires. While the predecessor SportAttack 4 had already convinced many riders, it was clear that new ideas and new approaches were necessary for the new generation. Over the past three years, intensive work was done on improving agility, grip, stability and mileage. The goal was a sporty orientation split between 80% road and 20% race track. A so-called track-capable, street-legal sport tire.

We had the opportunity to test the tire in Cartagena in exactly these disciplines, from winding coastal roads all the way to the race track, which held its own challenges. These conditions were meant to give a good impression of the performance of the new sport tire. But first, perhaps a look at the innovations:

The development of the SportAttack 5 began "with a blank sheet of paper." That's how Malte Bigge, who was deeply involved in the development, describes it. No stone was left unturned, no existing technology was simply 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 indispensable component for radial tires. While the material is laid particularly densely in the center of the tire, it becomes looser toward the sides. The result: at deep lean angles, a larger contact patch is created, which is intended to optimize sidegrip. At the same time, the bike remains agile, easily steerable and stable in the upright position.

The compound has also been completely reworked. Through the integration of a new silica and a revised mixing process, grip on both dry and wet roads is meant to be improved simultaneously. The tire is thus supposed to develop good mechanical grip immediately, even at cool temperatures, and warm up very quickly. The larger amount of rubber is also meant to contribute to this, generating more flex energy and thus heat. More rubber is normally also heavier, but the slimmed-down construction combined with a reduced amount of steel still results in a lower overall weight, which is meant to have a positive effect on handling and responsiveness.

The tread design is another key to performance. The center section is designed almost slick-like, which increases mileage and stability when riding straight ahead. The tread proportion on the flank was also reduced, helping the new rubber compound to improve grip at lean. The type of tread pattern has also changed again, further supporting the work of the rubber.

A special technique also eliminates the need for release agent to make it easier to remove the tire from the mold. This helps to be able to load the tire immediately in the first meters after mounting. This is not a novelty for the SportAttack 5, but it's still nice to find this characteristic here again.

The day in Cartagena started early at a cool 10 degrees, and the roads were also still cool and slightly damp from the night. With freshly mounted tires, that's normally a very unpleasant situation, because having to ride off on a new tire under these conditions is not a rider's favorite task. However, since the SportAttack 5 has no release agent on the still-untouched tire surface, this process is significantly more pleasant. Additionally, the surface is slightly roughened, ensuring that the tire develops mechanical grip from the very first meter.

As a result, trust in the tire is established very quickly and doesn't require several kilometers as is normally the case. Additionally, it is very accessible even in a cold state and is very neutral when turning in. The bike stays stable but lively, turns in precisely, and conveys a safe feeling even on the cooler sections of asphalt. On the BMW S1000RR, a very stable sportbike, the successful balance between stability and agility is clearly evident. The tire conveys a "grounding" feeling in every corner, providing good feedback all the way to the limit without dampening the dynamics.

On the somewhat overly nimble naked bikes, like the BMW S1000R, the effect is even more pronounced. These models naturally tend toward a somewhat twitchier reaction, especially with quick direction changes. Here the SportAttack 5 shows its greatest strength: the bike is calmed, stays stable in its line, while the front wheel reacts precisely to every movement. Corner radii can be adjusted variably, feedback is constant and predictable - a great advantage for riders who want to control their line exactly. Grip on the different road surfaces is in the upper range and delivers what one expects from a sporty road tire.

After several hours on the surrounding roads, it was off to the race track. Cartagena presented itself with difficult conditions: Saharan dust combined with rain had dirtied the track and reduced grip. Nevertheless, the SportAttack 5 delivered a good level of performance. Even at high speeds, the bike felt stable, bumps in the ground were effectively absorbed, and feedback from the front wheel was constant.

Particularly remarkable is the tire's ability to maintain the balance between grip and control. At lean, you feel the maximum lateral support, the rear wheel builds up good sidegrip and transmits power on corner exit with controllable slides. The variable winding ensures that the contact patch is optimally used depending on the lean angle - a real plus when you want to ride quickly and precisely to the point.

Even in the more critical sections of the track, over bumps or transitions from asphalt to slightly dirty surfaces, the new Conti conveys a reassuring feeling. Riders can hold their line without feeling uncertain - a decisive advantage for track days or ambitious race track use.

Of course, slicks purely optimized for track use can also deliver more grip. Especially over long distances and hot temperatures, road compounds quickly reach their limit. In our conditions of 15 degrees, however, this was hardly an issue. We were more challenged by the heavily contaminated track. The tire therefore couldn't fully demonstrate its capabilities. But since I had already been able to ride the tire on the track under good conditions, I know its qualities. Unlike the competition, Conti manages with a single compound, meaning only one compound across the entire tire width. I couldn't detect any disadvantage in this.

A statement regarding mileage is difficult to make, since we couldn't cover a meaningful distance in just one day. Here we can only rely on Conti's statements, which lead one to expect improved mileage simply due to the thicker rubber cross-section. After half a day on the track, the tire shows a good picture in terms of wear. Naturally, as per the planned area of use, we also rode the tire on the track without tire warmers. Here too, the large temperature window in which the tire works is evident. Nevertheless, it's also true here that the tire delivers more grip when warm than right at the start, only the difference is not as dramatic as with some other tires. Thanks to nice Spanish weather, we couldn't test the big advantage in wet grip behavior. Here too, Conti promises quite a lot.

What did surprise, however, was that the tire can be ridden at very high air pressures. The initially set air pressure of 2.5 bar front and 2.9 bar rear rose on the race track after fast turns due to increasing tire temperature at the rear, sometimes up to 3.5 bar. Normally a tire no longer works properly at these pressures, and you're forced to lower the air pressure. However, thanks to the new construction, this works surprisingly well, and even the self-damping doesn't suffer as a result. This shows that the tire should rather be run at higher pressures than one was previously used to. For me, at least on the track, air pressures above 2.5 bar were rather counterproductive with road tires as well. "Again what learned," as one might say in the best Denglish.

The SportAttack 5 is manufactured in Korbach, Germany, with development work carried out in Hanover. Continental tests the tires on the Contidrom, in Texas and in Spain to cover all conditions - from high speed to wetness 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 can already be pre-ordered, and the tire should be widely available within the next few weeks.

The Continental SportAttack 5 is far more than an evolutionary update. It's a completely newly developed tire that raises agility, stability, grip and feedback to a new level. On the road it conveys immediate response, precision and trust; on the race track it convinces with grounding, sidegrip and predictable behavior at the limit.

Particularly impressive is the versatility: the tire works equally excellently on naked bikes, sporty road bikes and supersports machines. Riders experience a harmonious interplay that offers both beginners and experienced track riders safety, control and riding pleasure.

The SportAttack 5 is thus a tire that not only shines on data sheets but also convinces subjectively. Anyone looking for a tire that masters both road and race track equally well and conveys a direct, precise feel for riding will find a true highlight here, and possibly a potential new benchmark in this class.