Continental: ‘ContiRaceAttack Features Revolutionary Contact Patch’

The news on the Continental/Cambrian stand at the Stoneleigh Expo was twofold: the company has released a new trackday tyre and are winning a race of their own, having grown 22 per cent in the last year.

The ContiRaceAttack is Continental’s newest member of the Attack family and is designed to address the needs of supersport bike riders that see race duty more than just once in a blue moon. According to the officials at the German-based manufacturer’s Hanover headquarters, the ContiRaceAttack will not only be available in a street-legal version, but also in various competition versions and also as a racing rain tyre.

Cambrian Tyres, distributor of Continental motorbike tyres in the UK, is also promoting its involvement as control tyre supplier to the KTM 9901 Superduke Battle. This 10 round British Superbike support race series includes one round at the British MotoGP at Donington.

But what about the tyre? The ContiRaceAttack street-legal version is available with the same tread as the competition tyres. It has also been homologated for use with most sports bikes on the European market. The range’s most notable quality? Continuous-Compound-Technology. Like Michelin’s dual compound technology and Avon’s Reactive Footprint approach, Continuous-Compound-Technology provides a contact compound that changes from the flanks to the centre of the tyre. Continental, however, believes that its product has the edge on the competition because, apparently unlike the oppositin, the RaceAttack’s hardness varies gradually.

Unlike Michelin, Continental does not use two different compounds to achieve this, but through different thermal treatments of the two sections. The “Black Chili” contact compound then gains different qualities for the sides and the middle, offering mileage in the middle and grip on the sides.

Continental representatives report that the ContiRaceAttack also features: precise handling with a “great contact patch at maximum lean”, thanks to a grip-enhancing contour of the front tyre profile; and a zero-degree steel belt construction for both front and rear for high stability and feedback during braking and acceleration out of corners. The tyre also has an innovative tread design, derived from the ContiAttack family, with the tread gradually disappearing towards the flanks and getting more slick-like, giving better control and grip.

The ContiRaceAttack Competition is offered in three different compounds for the rear wheel: Endurance – a development specially for long-distance racing or for riders who take part in track days on and off and need a tyre they can ride the whole day; then there are Medium and Soft, for sprint races or for practice on race tracks. The front tyre is only available in soft and medium. Their tread patterns are the same as the street-version of the ContiRaceAttack. Continental recommends the Competition version for the use on race tracks only. This also applies for the racing rain tyres.