A New Generation of Supersport Tire That Brings Track Performance to the Road
Some sport tires seem to force you to choose between the road and the track. The new ContiSportAttack 5 takes a different approach: delivering clearly supersport performance while keeping in mind how most riders will actually use their motorcycles. That’s why Continental developed it with an 80% road / 20% track focus, aiming for an even sportier balance than its predecessor, the ContiSportAttack 4.
The result is a tire designed for riders who enjoy twisty roads and sporty riding, but who also want to be able to hit the track occasionally without changing tires, using tire warmers, or adjusting tire pressures. It achieves this by combining grip, agility, precision, and fast warm-up.
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1. Because It Takes the Supersport Concept a Step Further
The ContiSportAttack 5 arrives as the evolution of the ContiSportAttack 4, but the changes go beyond simply introducing a new generation. Continental has aimed to take sporty riding a step further, changing the balance between road and track use.
While the previous model had a 90/10 approach, the new ContiSportAttack 5 is positioned for 80% road and 20% track use. It’s an evolution designed for riders who combine sporty road riding with occasional track sessions and want more performance headroom when the demands increase.
That makes it a particularly good fit for high-performance supersport and naked bikes such as the BMW S 1000 RR, Yamaha YZF-R9, BMW S 1000 R, Kawasaki Z900, or KTM 1390 Super Duke R EVO.
2. Because You Can Take It to the Track Without Changing Your Road Pressures
Here we find one of the most distinctive features of the new ContiSportAttack 5. Its design allows you to ride on the track while maintaining normal road tire pressures, without the need for tire warmers or changes to the tire setup for a track session.
The explanation lies in its new internal structure. The carcass features variable stiffness: in the center section, the steel belts are positioned closer together to create a firmer, more stable structure; at the shoulders, the greater spacing allows the structure to be more flexible and elastic.
So even as internal tire pressure increases significantly during track riding, the tire can still deform properly while the motorcycle is leaned over and maintain a wide, stable contact patch.
This approach also makes things much simpler for riders who occasionally do track sessions. You can arrive at the track with your normal road pressures, ride hard, and head home without having to worry about restoring your road pressures before getting back on public roads.
3. Because It Delivers More Consistent Grip When the Pace Picks Up
For a sport tire, grip is one of the top priorities. The ContiSportAttack 5 features a new evolution of the BlackChili compound, developed to improve adhesion to the road and maintain consistent behavior when the tire is working under higher levels of demand.
This becomes especially noticeable as the pace increases and the motorcycle starts asking more from the tire. The new compound is designed to deliver consistent grip both at lean and under acceleration, while also helping manage wear more evenly during intensive use, such as track sessions.
There’s another important aspect, too: performance isn’t limited to dry pavement. The combination of the new compound, its higher silica content, and RainGrip technology also contributes to good wet-weather performance, extending the tire’s range of use on the road.
4. Because It Makes Changing Direction Easier and More Natural
Agility is another major evolution of the ContiSportAttack 5. To achieve it, Continental developed MultiZoneBelt, which changes the arrangement of the steel belt depending on the area of the tire.
In the center section, the windings are tighter to provide greater stability in a straight line and at high speeds. At the shoulders, the structure is more open, helping provide a larger contact area when the motorcycle is leaned over. Between the two areas, there is a progressive transition that makes changes of direction smoother.
In practice, all of this is designed to create a very specific feeling: an agile motorcycle when the corners arrive, but a stable one when the pace stays high and the road opens up.
5. Because It Delivers More Precise Steering
Agility wouldn’t mean much without precision. That’s why the ContiSportAttack 5 also features a new carcass construction in which the stiffness zones have been specifically adjusted to change the tire’s response depending on the riding situation.
The goal is more precise steering and better line-holding when linking corners or riding at higher speeds. The tire also provides clearer feedback, making it easier to maintain a consistent line with fewer corrections.
It’s one of those features that can sound technical on paper but has a very simple translation once you’re on the bike: more confidence when placing the motorcycle where you want it and holding your line.
6. Because It Needs Less Time to Start Delivering Its Performance
Another goal in developing the ContiSportAttack 5 was to reduce the time needed to reach its optimal operating range. To achieve this, Continental optimized the tread areas with the aim of accelerating tire warm-up.
This is complemented by TractionSkin, a technology that was already featured on the ContiSportAttack 4 and helps provide safe performance right from the start, without requiring an extended break-in period. The result is a more immediate response from the beginning of the ride.
For a tire that is also designed to be enjoyed on twisty roads, that’s a particularly useful characteristic: less time waiting and more time enjoying its performance.
7. Because You Don’t Have to Choose Between the Road and the Track
And this is probably the idea that best sums up everything above. The ContiSportAttack 5 isn’t intended to be a race tire with a license plate, but rather a sport tire capable of performing confidently in different environments.
Its new tread design features wider slick areas at maximum lean, with a layout designed to optimize both water evacuation and stability. Combined with the compound and technologies such as RainGrip, this allows it to maintain its sporty character without giving up its road-focused versatility.
That’s why the ContiSportAttack 5 makes sense for riders who want to link together twisty roads, enjoy sporty riding, and occasionally take their motorcycle to the track. One tire, with a more performance-oriented approach than its predecessor and ready to respond when the pace picks up.
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