Continental debuts ContiAttack SM2 with promise of improved lap times & mileage

A third generation of Continental supermoto tyre arrives this year, the ContiAttack SM2. Continental describes this successor to the ContiAttack SM EVO as a “pure supermoto tyre that is street legal.” It introduces the Continental BlackChili Compound into the supermoto segment and benefits from both proven and new technologies. Arriving from Q1 2024 in 120/70 R 17 (front) and 160/60 R 17 (rear), Continental will complete the ContiAttack SM2 range with 110/70 R 17 (front) as well as 140/70 R 17 and 150/60 R 17 (rear) from the second half of the year.

The ContiAttack SM 2 development team based its latest supermoto tyre upon Continental’s sportiest casing and drew inspiration from the tyre maker’s ContiTrack racing slick. They gave it a tread with a low void ratio that “guarantees the highest possible lean angle performance.” Continental adds that the “new supermoto tyre pulverises the lap times of its predecessor on the Continental test track, primarily on wet roads, and completes the reference course around three percent faster.”

Furthermore, the manufacturer says that ContiAttack SM2 “keeps the previous generation of tyres at bay on a dry track,” getting bikes around the test lap around two per cent faster. In addition, the latest generation supermoto tyre manages significantly more track runs than its predecessor, thanks in large part to an increased tread depth at the front and rear.

Two technologies take credit for generational leap in performance:

GripLimitFeedback technology increases levels of safety in extreme lean angles as it “ensures precise feedback” about jumps in the coefficient of friction and the interlocking of the tyre with the road. This brings a higher level of control and more trust at the limit.

RainGrip is Continental’s word for excellent wet grip optimisation – made possible by a specially activated silica mixture. The result, it claims, is the “best possible grip down to the microscopic level of the road surface, even under difficult conditions.” The front tyre’s new silica compound also improves wet grip in cold and slippery conditions without negatively affecting mileage.

Two front & three rear sizes will be available by the end of the year (Photo: Continental)

Third generation evolution

The ContiAttack SM 2 benefits from the experience that Continental has gained in the supermoto segment since launching the ContiAttack SM in 2011 and its successor ContiAttack SM EVO in 2018. The latest model features a “solid basic” casing construction and a larger contact area for more comfort and better grip when braking at extreme lean angles.

As mentioned, BlackChili makes its supermoto debut. Continental optimised this particular compound for better grip and increased mileage, and tyres containing the BlackChili Compound also reach an ideal working temperature more quickly.

Like its predecessors, the ContiAttack SM 2 also features MultiGrip technology for a homogeneous gradation of grip levels with a single compound. As Continental comments, this means that “no annoying transitions between different compounds are noticeable when moving from the central tread area to the shoulder.”

TractionSkin eliminates the hassle of running in the new tyre and – thanks to the micro-rough tread – offers grip from the first meter. The ZeroDegree 0° steel belt construction with alignment of the belt position on the casing on the front and rear tyres in the direction of travel “guarantees excellent stability at high speeds and low kickback tendency.”

Handles differing requirements

A further “unique selling point” that the ContiAttack SM 2 offers is that although developed specifically for the supermoto segment, it is road legal and thus “ideal for a trip to the track.”

“A tyre for light but powerful supermotos has to meet completely different requirements than a touring or sports tyre: What counts here is optimal stability and damping when constantly changing between extreme braking and brutal acceleration in the typical supermoto driving style,” states Raphael Michels, Continental’s product manager for Motorcycle Tires. “It’s also about traction in maximum lean angles as well as short warm-up times for immediate confidence and strong grip even on wet roads. The ContiAttack SM 2 handles all of this perfectly – and is also approved for everyday use on public roads.”

Rafael Kascha, motorcycle tyre product developer at Continental, adds that the “new ContiAttack SM 2 demonstrates Continental’s technological lead in the segment as a road-legal supermoto tyre.” Kascha shares that during development, the team “succeeded in significantly improving” wet and dry lap times. “At the same time, we have achieved up to 28 per cent higher mileage for longer riding fun per set of tyres.” The product developer concludes that the ContiAttack SM2’s “extremely sporty” compound with GripLimitFeedback technology “makes our tyre very predictable for the supermoto riding style and completes the sporty appearance with its aggressive design.”