Rubber Match

RUBBER MATCH

Continental takes its turn in the hot seat

At MasterBike each year it seems the hot topic of discussion has often focused on tire grip, or lack thereof. Continental dared to endure the trials and tribulations of the planet's biggest sportbike comparison, bringing a truckload of ContiRace Attack radials to keep fresh skins under 13 test bikes, backup machines and 18 finicky riders throughout the week.

The tires used were not the ContiRace Attack Comp (competition version), but rather a street and track-day radial featuring a compound that offers a wide operating temperature range and no need for tire warmers. The ContiRace Attack features zero-degree-steel-belt construction on the front and rear and what Continental calls "homogenous grip gradiation." What this boils down

to is a single-compound tread that acts like a multi-compound one. The benefit is the same as found with multi-compound tires-longer-lasting center tread and grippier rubber on the shoulders-but without a sud den transition in grip levels or uneven wear patterns often associated with the "multis." This year proved no different than previ ous MasterBikes I've attended: Once a few of the fastest pilots voiced a complaint about rear grip, it spread like a germ until even the slowest rider swore tire slip was holding him back. Go figure... While the ContiRace Attacks didn't pro vide race-tire grip levels, what they did do was hold up to the abuse very well while offering consistent grip from the beginning to the end of their short life at MasterBike. That is no small victory. Don Canet