conti road attack
12-07-2007 | 01:54 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member
SuperBike
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,455
From: Williamsburg, VA
conti road attack
I was putting on a new front today and I noticed that the direction arrow on the sidewall is backwards. I asked the guy who was selling it to me about it, he said all the road attack 120/70's were like that. If you follow the arrow on the sidewall you will mount the tire facing the wrong direction.
Wondering if anyone else has noticed that or did I just get a fluke tire.
Wondering if anyone else has noticed that or did I just get a fluke tire.
Last edited by drew_c14; 12-07-2007 at 01:59 PM.
12-07-2007 | 06:12 PM
#4
Boosted
SuperSport
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 642
From: Sioux Falls, SD
I can't tell how the tire is sitting from the picture, but if you notice, the arrow says Front, not Direction, so maybe it's supposed to point to the front of the bike and not indicate rotation direction?
12-07-2007 | 07:01 PM
#7
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 818
From: Thornwood, NY
According the Conti site... it looks like the tread shoudl be "backwards" as the arrow is supposed to point out tire direction.... it's in the FAQ on their site..
http://www.conti-online.com/generato...arrows_en.html
http://www.conti-online.com/generato...arrows_en.html
12-07-2007 | 07:06 PM
#9
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 818
From: Thornwood, NY
I think fronts are funny like that... it seems like the treads look backward... but they aren't. Im sure if a tire company gave incorrect mounting directions molded on a tire they'd recall them, as the consequences and liability to them would unbelieable in any accident caused by this problem.
J.
J.
12-07-2007 | 07:11 PM
#12
Out of my mind, back in 5
MotoGP
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 6,109
From: Skurup, Sweden
Infact you actually have two arrows... (look at first pic)
The one with front does indeed point at the front of the bike when at the bottom (and THEN the text is the right way up..)
The other arrow (in the thread) indicates rotation... and it is indeed pointing in the direction of rotation... hence your tire is mounted correctly...
Case Closed!
The one with front does indeed point at the front of the bike when at the bottom (and THEN the text is the right way up..)
The other arrow (in the thread) indicates rotation... and it is indeed pointing in the direction of rotation... hence your tire is mounted correctly...
Case Closed!
12-07-2007 | 07:17 PM
#14
Thread Starter
Senior Member
SuperBike
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,455
From: Williamsburg, VA
Infact you actually have two arrows... (look at first pic)
The one with front does indeed point at the front of the bike when at the bottom (and THEN the text is the right way up..)
The other arrow (in the thread) indicates rotation... and it is indeed pointing in the direction of rotation... hence your tire is mounted correctly...
Case Closed!
The one with front does indeed point at the front of the bike when at the bottom (and THEN the text is the right way up..)
The other arrow (in the thread) indicates rotation... and it is indeed pointing in the direction of rotation... hence your tire is mounted correctly...
Case Closed!
12-07-2007 | 07:26 PM
#17
Thread Starter
Senior Member
SuperBike
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,455
From: Williamsburg, VA
12-07-2007 | 08:26 PM
#19
Senior Member
SuperSport
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 818
From: Thornwood, NY
Those arrows are about the stupidest thing I've seen in awhile... One arrow pointing in the direction of rotation would have been all that was needed, and give far more assurance that things are correct...
Two arrows going in opposite directions... even with the text it's a dumb idea.
Good catch though Tweety.
j.
Two arrows going in opposite directions... even with the text it's a dumb idea.
Good catch though Tweety.
j.
12-07-2007 | 10:29 PM
#21
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 11
I had the same problem. I emailed conti, the response I got was that the arrow on the sidewall of the tire (labeled "front") was the direction of rotation of the tire. This should match the arrow on the brake rotor.
Ignore anything in the tread pattern. Go take a look at new BMW bikes, some have conti road attacks. You can see how they mount them for reference. Interestingly, the "arrows" in the tread pattern are absent.
Just my experience...
Ignore anything in the tread pattern. Go take a look at new BMW bikes, some have conti road attacks. You can see how they mount them for reference. Interestingly, the "arrows" in the tread pattern are absent.
Just my experience...
12-08-2007 | 05:33 AM
#22
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 12
From: Germany
Hi!
The reason is: The first contis were running the direction the arrow on the side tells. They found out after a while that the tire will last longer if you mount it the "wrong way". The allready produced "body" (don't know what's the english word is) became then on all the newer sold tires those little arrows on the outside of the profile.
So it's not dangerous if your tire is mounted the "wrong way". The only thing is if you follow the little arrows the tire will last a little longer.
I had that tire on my '97 F (little arrows in running direction) and the lasted for about 4000 km.
Hope you understud what i wrote
(excuse my english)
The reason is: The first contis were running the direction the arrow on the side tells. They found out after a while that the tire will last longer if you mount it the "wrong way". The allready produced "body" (don't know what's the english word is) became then on all the newer sold tires those little arrows on the outside of the profile.
So it's not dangerous if your tire is mounted the "wrong way". The only thing is if you follow the little arrows the tire will last a little longer.
I had that tire on my '97 F (little arrows in running direction) and the lasted for about 4000 km.
Hope you understud what i wrote
(excuse my english)
12-08-2007 | 10:14 AM
#23
The Hypno-Toad
Superstock
Superstock
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 467
From: Milwaukee, WI
If I'm following what you're talking about with the "backwards" looking tread on the front tire, it is suppose to be that way. The tread on the back tire is for acceleration, while the tread on the front is for braking, so they should be somewhat opposite eachother.
I have the conti sports and now I want to go look at mine, but theres too much snow for me to care enough to look right now. But that is my understanding of tire patterns.
I have the conti sports and now I want to go look at mine, but theres too much snow for me to care enough to look right now. But that is my understanding of tire patterns.
12-09-2007 | 01:17 AM
#26
Senior Member
SuperSport
SuperSport
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 524
From: Tarpon Springs, FL
Dont you guys read Cycle WOrld??? There was a whole letter to the editor answered by Kevin Cameron on this subject last month... Kendrick gave a pretty good synopsis of what the article said, that fronts and rears are under OPPOSING forces (acceleration on the rear, and braking for the front) and the tread must be set up the right way for several reasons one of which is proper water shedding to prevent hydroplaning. The tread is only part of the factor, more importantly the tire's internal belt construction has an overlap which is made to go a certain way because the tires carcass will want to lift and "unpeel" itself if it is rotating in the wrong direction. Kind of like a piece of plywood wants to do when mounted on the roof of a car on the way home from Lowe's... (see attached technical illustration 
)
That "lip" is the overlapped seam. The arrow is showing correct rotation direction which is counter-clockwise in this drawing to prevent the lip of the splice from wanting to lift.
)That "lip" is the overlapped seam. The arrow is showing correct rotation direction which is counter-clockwise in this drawing to prevent the lip of the splice from wanting to lift.
12-09-2007 | 05:36 AM
#27
Senior Member
SuperBike
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,167
But how do they work?
With all this talk about fitment, no one has given their opinion about how the Contis work. I have the Attack Sport front and Road rear. Maybe have 1500 miles on them (not much riding this year). I think they a bit better than the 2comparable sets of Avons I ran but have not pushed them hard or ridden much in the wet.
The floor is now open for your performance impressions...
The floor is now open for your performance impressions...
12-09-2007 | 09:06 AM
#28
Thread Starter
Senior Member
SuperBike
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,455
From: Williamsburg, VA
Obviously I just put the road attack on the front. But I've had a Conti Force max on the rear for about 2k now, I love it. Warms up in a decent amount of time and is fairly sticky. Seems to have good mileage so far too.
12-09-2007 | 02:56 PM
#30
Senior Member
SuperBike
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,167
Well Kendrick, I'll head up toward BeerTown next season and we'll steer west at some twisties and see what they really can do. How does that sound?
