Continental Road Attack 3 Feedback?

[Daboo]

I'm looking to replace my Dunlop Roadsmart 3 tires very shortly. While they have worked well for me, I'm hearing good things about the Continental Road Attack 3.

Has anyone tried them? What's your impression? Do they wear as well as previous tires?

Chris

 

[Shawn K]

I'd be curious to hear as well, as I'll need some skins for mine before long.

I'm surprised you had a good experience with the Roadsmart 3's. The research I did on them made it look like they were a one-way ticket to Tankslapperville.

 

[Daboo]

Mileage comparisons don't really make much sense from one part of the country to another. But when you can compare what one tire did to what another did on the same bike and on the same roads, they do help. On my F800GT, here's what I've had on it:

• Metzeler Z8 - about 11,000 miles. I changed them preemptively for a trip. I could've gotten maybe another 1500 miles on them.
• Metzeler Roadtec 01 - about 6000 miles and the centers were worn down. Great tire in rain, but no longevity, even though the claim is that they do better than the Z8 predecessor.
• Dunlop Roadsmart III - Two sets so far. The first set had 9000 miles on them and were changed for a trip. The second are the ones I have now and are at 11,000 miles.

Wear on the Dunlop RSIIIs is nice. The rear is almost rounded. Not much for a flat spot. The front has maybe the beginnings of cupping...but you have to look for it.

Performance has been good enough that a friend went off the road trying to keep up with me. (Sorry ) I did encounter a bit of a tank slapper on the way back through Nevada, but I wouldn't think it was caused by the tires at all. I was up in triple digits just to see how the bike would do. I was getting some steering shake and backed off. But I thought afterwards that I hadn't really approached that "test" well at all. I had the suspension set on "Comfort", not "Normal" or "Sport". Sport would've been more appropriate. And I didn't have the preload adjusted for the load I was carrying on the bike; it was turned down all the way. The way the bike was set up was great for comfort, but not for attempting what I had just done. I also had two 37 liter panniers (think of barn doors ) full of gear, a top case and dry bag behind me. And on top of that, I had a bit of a side wind. I would never think the tires caused that bit of shake. There were too many obvious causes for the steering shake to point to than the tires.

Chris

 

[ad.hom]

buongiorno a tutti, scusa il mio inglese.
...

For the folk that don't speak Italian, mine is a little rusty, but mac.eliot says...

"I've used them for 3 years... my impression is good, current set has 7400km and other tyre bands struggle to see 6000km.

One negative, the 1st 100km you have to be careful with cornering speeds. I'm satisfied with them & would recommend."

Re the first few miles, that's normal scrubbing in to me, and applies to all tyres.

Mac.eliot - welcome to the forum.

 

[mac.elliot]

good morning everyone, excuse my english.
I installed road attack accounts 3 last year in August.
my impressions were good, the bike has good handling and keeps the curve very well without closing or widening the curve like I did with smart roads 3. they are great on dry and wet roads. their duration is excellent, at the moment my parents have 7400 km and consider that normally with our roads and my style of driving with other tires, pirelli michelin etc I can't do more than 6000 km, two negative notes, they need a run-in of about 100 km if you install them, pay attention to the first turns, follow them very calmly and at a moderate speed, they tend to close and if too fast you end up on the ground, as you continue with the turn and approach 100 km we realize that the behavior of the tire changes and the feeling becomes more and more, after the first 100 km it becomes very funny, light reactive. another thing to watch out for and I still don't understand the cause, at a speed of 2000 kmh there is a sway that I still don't understand where it comes from. and that I hadn't tried other tires.
for the rest I am very satisfied and would recommend them.
Hello

 

[mac.elliot]

sorry but I made some mess with the translation.
all the tires require a few KM run-in, but for the most part it is due to the patina that covers them, which makes them slippery. with these the feeling is very different. at the first bend if you try to bend the bike it tends to fall suddenly and the handlebar closes with the risk of a ruinous fall, as you continue the feeling becomes more and more slight, having reached 100 km it has completely disappeared and the feeling becomes excellent.
thanks for the welcome.

 

[Bikeric]

good morning everyone, excuse my english.
I installed road attack accounts 3 last year in August.
my impressions were good, the bike has good handling and keeps the curve very well without closing or widening the curve like I did with smart roads 3. they are great on dry and wet roads. their duration is excellent, at the moment my parents have 7400 km and consider that normally with our roads and my style of driving with other tires, pirelli michelin etc I can't do more than 6000 km, two negative notes, they need a run-in of about 100 km if you install them, pay attention to the first turns, follow them very calmly and at a moderate speed, they tend to close and if too fast you end up on the ground, as you continue with the turn and approach 100 km we realize that the behavior of the tire changes and the feeling becomes more and more, after the first 100 km it becomes very funny, light reactive. another thing to watch out for and I still don't understand the cause, at a speed of 2000 kmh there is a sway that I still don't understand where it comes from. and that I hadn't tried other tires.
for the rest I am very satisfied and would recommend them.
Hello

Welcome to the forum from Cornwall UK! All tyres need to be treated carefully and "run in" for the first 100miles or so as they have mould release fluid on them which is NOT good for cornering or wet weather until it has been worn off!

 

[fnmag]

buongiorno a tutti, scusa il mio inglese.
Ho installato account di attacco stradale 3 lo scorso anno ad agosto.
le mie impressioni erano buone, la moto ha una buona maneggevolezza e mantiene la curva molto bene senza chiudere o allargare la curva come ho fatto con le strade intelligenti 3. sono perfette su strade asciutte e bagnate. la loro durata è eccellente, al momento i miei genitori hanno 7400 km e considerano che normalmente con le nostre strade e il mio stile di guida con altri pneumatici, pirelli michelin etc non posso fare più di 6000 km, due note negative, hanno bisogno di una corsa -in circa 100 km se li installi, fai attenzione ai primi turni, seguili molto calmo e ad una velocità moderata, tendono a chiudersi e se troppo velocemente finisci a terra, mentre continui con il turno e avvicinandosi a 100 km ci rendiamo conto che il comportamento dello pneumatico cambia e la sensazione diventa sempre più, dopo i primi 100 km diventa molto divertente, reattiva alla luce. un'altra cosa a cui fare attenzione e io ancora non capisco la causa, ad una velocità di 2000 kmh c'è un'oscurità che ancora non capisco da dove viene. e che non avevo provato altre gomme.
per il resto sono molto soddisfatto e li raccomanderei.
Ciao

Welcome to the forum Mac.
Thanks for your recommendation of the Road Attack III tires.
We should all 'run in' our tires for the first 100 miles or so.
This allows the release agent to dissipate.

 

[mac.elliot]

Good morning I as I said in the presentation, I come from Italy, Piedmont, Turin.
this is my second st1300 with the first I have traveled 207000 km with this I am currently at 78000 KM,
very true all I have to be run in.
the patina they have above makes them slippery and in fact this is the feeling you get with all the tires, the slipping.
with road attack accounts 3 the thing is different. you set the curve and it is as if someone pushed you towards the asphalt, and the handlebar tends to turn, no rubber slipping, you keep it too far, after those fateful 100 km of adjustment you can fold up to scrape the bolts of the pedals the tripod mufflers and black plastic tip. (which unfortunately is pierced)

 

[Daboo]

Thanks for the warning mac.elliot. I have a set of Road Attack 3 tires sitting in my garage waiting to be put on. For those not familiar with these tires, they use a different process that doesn't use a release agent. The surface is actually a little rough when new.

Chris

 

[mac.elliot]

please Daboo, try them but pay attention to the first few kilometers and put your bike on for a moment,
but immediately afterwards you will enjoy a world that is easy to handle, fast and stays on track.
then let us know your impressions after trying them.
Hello

 

[Daboo]

Thanks!

Chris

 

[NobodySpecial]

I don't have a ton of miles on 'em yet, but so far I'm very impressed. I went one size up in the back (180/55 vs. 180/60) but that doesn't seem to make much difference.
I _love_ the way they handle. I loved the Angel GTs as well. In both cases, they are like glue so far, and I think the Continentals are smoother (especially noticeable on nice smooth roads).

If they last at least as long as the Pirellis, they are my new go-to tire.

 

[Daboo]

FWIW, I have gone through the Continental Road Attack 3 tires. I suspect they'll be the next tires I buy.

I found them to be smooth. Terrific grip in dry conditions that just gives you confidence...enough that I never questioned if my tires were up to what I was asking them to do. I didn't use them a lot in wet conditions, but I never had a reason to feel less than totally confident in them.

Some tires fall into corners better than others. These were just right. Not too much, not too little.

I'll look for another rebate next spring and buy another set then.

Chris

 

[Rhubarbray]

So did you find a coupon? How much life did you get out of that set?

 

[Daboo]

The sport-touring tire rebates don't seem to have started yet. I may have to buy them without the rebate. Telle est la vie.

The tire life seemed good. Comparing my tire life with yours is really an exercise in futility. Your bike is different; mine is a BMW F800GT and yours is an ST1300. But to compare how they lasted compared to other tires on the same bike, ridden by the same rider on the same kind of roads...that can be useful.

I got about 9000 miles on that set of Conti RA3s last summer before swapping them out. They probably would've lasted about 11,000 miles, but I was leaving the next day for a ride into Oregon the next day and didn't want to run out of tread on the way home. That's about "normal" for me on this bike. I do a lot of cross-country riding during the summer months, so trying to stretch out the miles on a set of tires like I did when I was commuting daily, can't happen. I have to plan for tire changes between trips.

Chris

 

[NobodySpecial]

I can compare them to a set of Pirelli Angel GTs. I really like the Pirellis, I took them on a long trip they performed admirably in the twisties, on the slab, in the mountains, in the rain, and in ridiculous heat. However towards the end I got a rhythmic vibration but I did not care for and they really wore through the last few millimeters very quickly.

I replaced them with a pair of Continental Road Attack III, after doing a large quantity of research. I am very impressed with the Continentals so far but I put the tires on right before the bike went into storage so I can't speak to longevity. However in late Wisconsin weather, they stuck like glue and I loved the profile. I do have a 180 on the back.

If I get the longevity out of the Continentals that I got out of the Pirellis then I will stick with the Continentals. They are very smooth.

 

[NobodySpecial]

Replying to this thread: I now have 4700 miles on the Continental Road Attack 3's, and they have cupped (front and rear) and the rear is semi-shot. Tread is down to 1.5mm - 3mm, which is past my comfort level.

I don't know why these got so much less mileage vs. the Pirelli Angel GTs when most reviewers report contrary data. I even ran a heavier 180/55 rear. I always run 42psi.

I'm very seriously thinking about the Dunlop RoadSmart 2 (the "new" one with the new tread compound) or - more probably - the RoadSmart 3, mostly because the availability of the RS2 front is very bad right now. I also have the RS3 on another bike and I'm really, really happy with them overall.

 

[Daboo]

NobodySpecial - You probably mean the Dunlop Roadsmart 4 tires, not the RS2s. The RS4 is the latest tire Dunlop is making for sport-touring bikes.

I've had those on through the winter. No problems at all. I'll probably buy them again.

I like the Continental RA3 tires. I think I've had three sets on the bike now with them. Fantastic grip in any weather. No warm up time needed. Quiet. Just about perfect for my needs. But they don't have a rebate yet and I'll probably take advantage of the Dunlop rebate and buy tires before May 31st. The Continental RA3 would be $83 more than for a set of the Dunlop RS4 and $177 more than a set of the Dunlop RS3.

Chris

 

[NobodySpecial]

Hah! I can see how you might think that (given how poorly I phrased things), but I most definitely mean the "new" RS2. Dunlop (foolishly, IMO) took the Dunlop RoadSmart II and sorta redid it, but they didn't change the name. They used the same tread pattern but newer compounds.

Dunlop Sportsmax Roadsmart iii Tires Available At Your Local Dealer | Dunlop Motorcycle

Looking for a sport-touring tire on a budget? The Sportmax Roadsmart III is just the tire for you! Grip, performance, and durability at an affordable price. Optimized construction for mileage, wet performance, and grip. Buy a set of Roadsmart III from your local Pro Dealer today!

www.dunlopmotorcycletires.com

The new RS4 is also interesting but.. not enough data on those yet, and they're pricy. Do they deliver _that_ much better performance than the RS3? This is roughly the same calculation I'm making with the (new) RS2. Dunlop does not appear to have updated their website/fitment guide yet for the RV4 + ST1300, although they make the tires in the right sizes.