Report on the Conti Road Attack 2 CR tires

[Ulvetanna_imp]

Finally put enough miles on these tires to get a good idea of performance and longevity.

Technology is great. The carcass and rubber compounds allow these tires to have superior compliance and grip, while seeming to have better wear characteristics than either the stock Dunlops or Bridgestones.

Tire pressures can be comfortably lower than stock recommendations. I inspected the tread after a long fast ride yesterday and it was obvious the tires were not getting very warm. I was running 33/39, front/rear.

I dropped the front to 32 psi, and the rear to 38 psi. Went on a fairly scorching ride up and down a nice, fast (60-70 mph turns) road nearby.

When I got home I checked the pressures right away. Front had increased to 35.5 psi, and the rear to 43.5 psi. Ambient temperature did not change significantly so these increases are pretty accurate.

The front is just right and shows the kind of wear I would expect from a spirited street ride. The rear increased slightly more than the 10-12 percent I was targeting, so I will probably go up 0.5 psi and see what results I get.

The images show what the tires look like, a nice, grippy abrading.

FRONT
[attachment=4531]

REAR
[attachment=4532]
[attachment=4533]

[the Ferret]

Looks like some real sporty rubber.

[4 Paws_imp]

Had a set on a previous bike, R1200GS; liked them a lot.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

I just replaced the rear tire. Lasted 8 months, I don't know how many miles, around three thousand, I think. Tire still was perfectly serviceable but very flat-spotted. About half the tread gone in the center but still 3-4mm from wear bars. The tread is very deep. The front looks good, I have a new one set aside but should be able to get another 1000 miles or so from it.

The rear would have lasted longer but I ran lower pressures for a while, around 37 psi. Really ate it up on the freeway. I found max pressures are good with these tires so this one will be 42 psi all the time. Should help extend the useful life. Very satisfied, rode in the rain the other day just to test them (unusual around here), winding roads, freeway, urban, grip was very good, outstanding in the dry.

[skidmarkart_imp]

I run these on my Buell. Performance-wise, they are a fantastic tire, probably my favorite street tire. The grip WAY out on the edges is fantastic. Longevity wise, not so much. Your 3k is is not an anomaly (though on the aggressive rider side), mine usually go 3-4k. On my CB1100, I am running my stock Dunlops that came with my bike still, but they just hit 9k miles. Replacing soon. Debating the fun of the RA2s vs the longevity of the Dunlops or RP3s.

[LongRanger_imp]

These were the OEM tires on my F800GT. They were squared off and cupped within 4000 miles.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

These were the OEM tires on my F800GT. They were squared off and cupped within 4000 miles.

Not bad at all. Sounds just about right. I want to make sure I did say, this was the Classic Race version of the Road Attack. Conti calls it a production/vintage racing tire. Largest front available is a 110/80-18, the largest rear is a 150/65-18. Not available in larger modern sizes.

[skidmarkart_imp]

These were the OEM tires on my F800GT. They were squared off and cupped within 4000 miles.

Not bad at all. Sounds just about right. I want to make sure I did say, this was the Classic Race version of the Road Attack. Conti calls it a production/vintage racing tire. Largest front available is a 110/80-18, the largest rear is a 150/65-18. Not available in larger modern sizes.

Not bad at all. Sounds just about right. I want to make sure I did say, this was the Classic Race version of the Road Attack. Conti calls it a production/vintage racing tire. Largest front available is a 110/80-18, the largest rear is a 150/65-18. Not available in larger modern sizes.
Hmmmm... did not notice they were classic road race. I love the regulars on my Buell though. Did you notice a significant improvement in handling on the CB1100? I can't remember what was on my Buell before I added them, but I was shocked at the improvement.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

These were the OEM tires on my F800GT. They were squared off and cupped within 4000 miles.

Not bad at all. Sounds just about right. I want to make sure I did say, this was the Classic Race version of the Road Attack. Conti calls it a production/vintage racing tire. Largest front available is a 110/80-18, the largest rear is a 150/65-18. Not available in larger modern sizes.

Not bad at all. Sounds just about right. I want to make sure I did say, this was the Classic Race version of the Road Attack. Conti calls it a production/vintage racing tire. Largest front available is a 110/80-18, the largest rear is a 150/65-18. Not available in larger modern sizes.
Hmmmm... did not notice they were classic road race. I love the regulars on my Buell though. Did you notice a significant improvement in handling on the CB1100? I can't remember what was on my Buell before I added them, but I was shocked at the improvement.

Not bad at all. Sounds just about right. I want to make sure I did say, this was the Classic Race version of the Road Attack. Conti calls it a production/vintage racing tire. Largest front available is a 110/80-18, the largest rear is a 150/65-18. Not available in larger modern sizes.
Hmmmm... did not notice they were classic road race. I love the regulars on my Buell though. Did you notice a significant improvement in handling on the CB1100? I can't remember what was on my Buell before I added them, but I was shocked at the improvement. Oh yes, absolutely. These tires have grip at the level of a track day tire like the Dunlop Q3, of which I have gone through many sets, on track and road.

The profile is also really ideal for neutral cornering, on/off the brakes. I found I could run the tires at max recommended pressure (36/42) and still get all the grip I could stand.

On the new tires I expect to get quite a bit more wear before the flat-spotting on the rear and very slight cupping I've noticed on the front by keeping them at the higher pressures. Rode in the rain at those pressures and still felt the grip was good.

The rubber and carcass are different on the RA2 CR, but they're only available in the vintage sizes. You'd go with the Sport Attack for modern wheels.

[LongRanger_imp]

My apologies -- the OE tires on my F800GT weren't the CR version. I missed that. Sorry for any confusion.