I put the 150/70 Road Attack on about a month ago and it has about 1200 miles on it now. It's still perfectly round where the Lasertec 150/70 had started to flat a bit at about 1k miles. No real complaints about the Lasertec I put 10k miles on, it was a very good bias sport touring tire.
But, this Road Attack sticks like glue compared to the Lasertec and also to the Z2 and AV46 rear sport touring radials I got 14k miles out of. It really does handle like a sticky sport radial. These other tires moved over a bit often enough when hitting a tar snake, small rock or stick, or a sharp bump in a spirited turn; but this Road Attack has yet to budge at all. It stays glued to it's intended line and runs with the Lasertec front tire like it was made to do so. And it looks good as new so far:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/RoadAttack-4.jpg)
It's just about touching the brake torque rod and starting to get a shinney line on it's highest point to the rod so I'll probably flatten the brake rod a bit when the snow starts to fly, doesn't seem to be hurting anything that way for now:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v443/jcp8832/RoadAttack-3.jpg)
Just thought I'd update on this tire in case anyone is shopping for some good handling tires that are longer lasting than sport/supersport rubber for street use. Now if they just last as long as the other sport touring radials like Conti claims they will. :thumb:
(edited title by admin).
How to they handle cold rain? Still pretty sticky?
I really haven't had a chance to give them a good run in the rain yet, probably won't till spring; but here's what Canyon Chasers had to say about running them in the rain:
Wet road grip was another concern, but we've run these tires on moist coastal roads, through torrential down-pours, through fog across the desert, in the freezing cold morning and in the mid-day heat. They have only once, in over 8000 miles slipped on me. And that slip took place when I was accelerating hard in a heavy rain-storm over a fresh stripe of paint; and what tire wouldn't slip in that situation?
http://canyonchasers.net/reviews/
Jack.. your knowledge never ceases to amaze me. Thanks for posting this, as I'm looking for a good tire in a 150 soon, and if I can get better mileage than sport demons, I'm happy..
Come across a Kat rim there,buddy :icon_mrgreen:
Thanks for the info GSJack. It's too bad these aren't available in the stock size.
Thanks for the update, I've been toiling over whether to get a set of conti's or not.
Average,
I believe somone posted earlier that this tire fits on the stock rear rim without modifcation. Could have been GSJack.
Is that true GSJack (do you have a katanna rear rim)?
no, GSJack advised me earlier that these DO FIT on a STOCK rim....
Which is exactly why I'm planning on ordering a set of these soon.
yeah, the 150/70's do, not the 150/60's...
Quote from: average on September 18, 2006, 10:44:31 PM
Come across a Kat rim there,buddy :icon_mrgreen:
I've got a widened OEM rim at 4.5".. so I'm set..
Yes, I posted before on fitment of the 150/70 Road Attack on a 3.5" rim. Conti had previously listed a 3.5 rim for their 150/70 Contiforce tire but not the Road Attack so I questioned them on it and got this reply:
Dear John,
Our head technician in Germany confirmed that you will be OK to run a 150/70ZR17 in either ContiForce or Road Attack on your 3.5" rim. I have attached some detailed information on the Road Attack for your review.
Safe Riding & Best Regards,
Greg Reich
Continental Tire North America, Inc.
Sales Manager/Motorcycle Tires
I'm running the standard GS rims with my 110/80 Lasertec and my 150/70 Road Attack. The picture I posted above shows the Road Attack just touching the brake torque rod with my 3.5" rear rim. The 150/70 Lasertec rear I just took off had a little more clearance.
Preferred rim width for the 150/70 is 4.0" and the late model Katanas come with the 150/70 tires fitted on 4.5" rims. It's interesting to note the Metzeler fitment guide suggests their 150/70 Z6 for both the late model Katanas with the 4.5" rims as well as the earlier Katanas with the 3.5" rear rim.
If you use the 4.5" rim on your GS, the same 150/70 will be 10 mm wider on the 4.5 than the 3.5 so it will definetly be necessary to alter the brake rod for clearance.
It should be noted that modifying the brake torque arm isn't that difficult. It can be done with some fairly simple tools and some time.
I used two C-clamps, some various wood scrap (to keep everything even and the bar off the ground), a hammer, and a propane torch to heat the bar up. Our propane torches were almost out so it took me a while to heat the bar up enough, but after I thought it was hot enough I hit it with a hammer at the spot I wanted it bent at.
When I bolted it up it just needed a little fanagling of the tabs to get everything to work right, but after I got everything on and lined up it worked fine.
Soare you running it on the stock rim or the 4.5 kat rim?
I'm confused....
Alpha has a Kat rim.
GsJack has a stocker. O0
Quote from: CirclesCenter on September 19, 2006, 02:21:55 PM
Soare you running it on the stock rim or the 4.5 kat rim?
I'm confused....
I am. Jack is not.
The 150 Road Attack is approved for fitment on the 3.5" rim, which means that you can have some pretty damn decent sticky rubber on stock wheels.
I've got the 4.5" rim because I
really wanted Pilot Powers, which aren't approved for the 3.5" rim.
Hmmm... I think i know what I'm mounting next season. :icon_mrgreen:
Quote from: gsJack on September 18, 2006, 06:59:11 PM
It's just about touching the brake torque rod and starting to get a shinney line on it's highest point to the rod so I'll probably flatten the brake rod a bit when the snow starts to fly, doesn't seem to be hurting anything that way for now:
Well the snow hasn't flown yet but it was a rainy day Fri so I thought I would take care of this little detail. :)
Took the brake torque rod off and got out my 40oz BFH and beat on the inside of the brake rod a bit. Having put about 1k miles on the tire first, the rod was nicely marked to show where to hit it. :thumb: Hitting the inside flattened it there a bit and also bent the rod outward a little at that point making for adequate clearance. Wasn't necessary to get out the torch and heat it and burn off the paint. Can't see anything on the rod from hitting it on the inside after putting it back on.
Just though I'd update here for those reading this thread after searching for RoadAttack info later on. Now you'll probably catch me saying all 150 tires will fit the GS on the 3.5 rim in the future w/o qualifying alterations. :laugh:
Quote from: gsJack on September 24, 2006, 08:13:15 AM
Quote from: gsJack on September 18, 2006, 06:59:11 PM
It's just about touching the brake torque rod and starting to get a shinney line on it's highest point to the rod so I'll probably flatten the brake rod a bit when the snow starts to fly, doesn't seem to be hurting anything that way for now:
Well the snow hasn't flown yet but it was a rainy day Fri so I thought I would take care of this little detail. :)
Took the brake torque rod off and got out my 40oz BFH and beat on the inside of the brake rod a bit. Having put about 1k miles on the tire first, the rod was nicely marked to show where to hit it. :thumb: Hitting the inside flattened it there a bit and also bent the rod outward a little at that point making for adequate clearance. Wasn't necessary to get out the torch and heat it and burn off the paint. Can't see anything on the rod from hitting it on the inside after putting it back on.
Just though I'd update here for those reading this thread after searching for RoadAttack info later on. Now you'll probably catch me saying all 150 tires will fit the GS on the 3.5 rim in the future w/o qualifying alterations. :laugh:
I despise you old man... I do. You get all the cool toys.... I want a set of conti's sooo freakin bad right now, but at 270 for a set.... I think I'm gonna have to give up hope and get another set of Sport Demons.
Just a little update about tire life of the Road Attack rear; with over 1500 miles on it now I've checked the tread depth. Looks like the tire wear is about equal to the Lasertec rear so far and I ran the Lasertec about 10k miles and removed it a bit before it hit the markers.
So it's looking like I'll get maybe about the same milage from the Attack as I did from the Lasertec. Not quite as good as the 13-14k miles I got from the Z2 and AV46 ST radial rears but considerably better than supersport milage. Conti claims sport handling with sport touring life. Not quite so on either account, but still a great compromise I think. I can get the Attack for less cost than the Lasertec locally so it's still a winner for me with it's greater grip.
The Laser/tacks are just a wee bit twitchier than the Lasertecs were. I was totally impressed with the feeling of stability the Lasertecs had on the road compared to the AM51/52's they replaced, Metzeler tires have always had this feeling for me. Think it's just a matter of the greater responsiveness of the grippy Attack rear, I'm using the same Lasertec front with it. I ended up with a BT010 supersport front with a AV36 rear on the 97 GS and it was considerably more twitchy, particularly at slower speeds, than the Laser/tacks are due to the highly responsive BT010 front tire.
I just ordered my set in 150 and 120
Can't wait!
Quote from: NiceGuysFinishLast on September 19, 2006, 10:06:18 AM
I've got a widened OEM rim at 4.5".. so I'm set..
How did you get a widened rim?
face he bought it from me(even though i still have it)
Yeah, Lee, I need to come get that, don't I? :laugh:
I don't really need it till I have the $$ for new rubber.. and since the bike isn't in running condition right now, I don't even need tires on it. But seriously, I haven't forgotten about it.
Quote from: onefastgs500 on November 01, 2006, 10:58:54 AM
face he bought it from me(even though i still have it)
Did you make it yourself? How did that work?