Conti Road Attack 2 first impression

Joined
May 21, 2009
Messages
69
Location
Cypress CA
Bike
2005 ST1300
I thought I posted this thread a few days ago but I don't see it so I must have done something wrong so I will try again. If you want to try these don't wait untile your tires are shot. It took me a week to get the rear and 2 weeks to get the front. One of the features of this tire is it is supposed to be ready to ride hard as soon as you get it up to normal opeating temperature. I rode to ortegay highway 74, a road I am very familar with, I started out easy on the way form San Juan Capistrano over the hill and down into Lake Elsinore. This is in Southern CA if you are not familiar with the area. Going back the other way with only about 75 miles on the rear tire I pushed almost as hard as I ever have. I would never have pushed a new tire this hard if it was not for three tire tests I had read talking about how great they were right off the rack. I get the front this monday 4/11 and will report back after I have put a few hundred miles on them. The real test will be how long they last. I got 7500 out of my rear roadsmart and could get probaly another two out of the front if I was not afraid to leave it on any longer.
 

Blue STreak

Bob Meyer
Joined
Sep 6, 2005
Messages
1,394
Location
Fairfax, Virginia
STOC #
1157
More First Impressions. Not on an ST, but I just put RA2s on my Bandit and already have some very positive impressions. I'm not ready to talk about how they are at extreme lean angles, but compared to the Pilot Road 2s that were on my Bandit there are some very noticeable differences.

First, though, full disclosure: I don't like the PR2s on this bike at all. The PR2s fall into a lean very suddenly, almost like falling off a cliff. The tire / bike combo seems to want to be either full upright, or full lean. Give the slightest amount of counter steering and they want to drop into the corner, and keeping the bike at a steady lean angle seems to require constant adjustment. (For those old enough to remember, they remind me of the triangular profile Dunop K-81s from the 70s, although not that extreme.) Note that the PR2s were not worn out, so that doesn't explain their handling. I disliked them enough to take them off with plenty of tread left.

I prefer a more linear response: a slight amount of counter-steer gives a slight lean angle, more counter-steer gives more, and the tire holds the line you've chosen unless you dial in more or less lean.

If you just love the PR2s, you might not like the RA2s, but so far they're perfect for me. There's nothing about them that could be called slow steering, but they are very linear, and hold a lean angle like a locomotive holds to the tracks. Transitions are smooth and controlled. And Conti's new "traction skin" surface really seems to work. There's none of the slickness caused by the mold release compound used on most tires. In fact, brand new, before use, they have a slightly tacky surface. I didn't try to drag the pegs, but I leaned the bike further than I would on any other new tires without a hint of slip.

All in all, I'm impressed. Once I get a few more miles on them, and have a chance to get out where I can really test out the handling, I'll report back. But right now I feel much more in control on these than on the PR2s.
 
Joined
Apr 17, 2010
Messages
125
Location
112 moody drive, panama city,fl
Bike
1998 CB750
STOC #
7502
Keep the info coming. I have a Conti Motion rear tire with 12,000 miles, and a Road Attack 1 with 8000 miles on the front of my ST1300, and really like them. The Road Atack 2's are at the top of my replacement list.
 
Joined
Jul 3, 2006
Messages
28
Location
Arkansas
Bike
06 ST
I am currently running the roadsmarts with 5200 miles on the rear it needs replaced. I am thinking about trying the conti motion, with money being a factor would you run the motion or the attacks?
thanks for any input.
 
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