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GP4000S - Test Winner! German magazine TOUR has recently featured a comprehensive road tyre test, covering many aspects of tyre performance, even including 'real time' wet grip where their human tester donned motorcycle leathers and pushed his specially adapted test bicycle to the limit on each different set of tyres. The complete test can be downloaded here.The Continental GP4000 was a clear winner by performing well in all areas. There was a significant difference between the top models from each brand in terms of grip wit hsome clear winners and losers.
Test rider Fabian Kleiner courageously rode each tyre to its breakaway limit on the wet test circuit. Measuring maximal speeds in the curves, the test rider was able to gain the feel of each tyre prior to its breakaway point, pointing out that the better tyres coveyed a feel of 'full bodied rubber' and showed sensitivity through increasing drift which could be controlled by the rider.
Another finding was that the difference between the best and worst tyres is bigger than the aerodynamic difference between the best and worst wheels! Puncture resistance has generally improved also, with nine tyres passing TOURS puncture test, more than ever before.
Grand Prix 4000S was the most consistant tyre with a weight of 207 grams on the test sample. Its rolling resistance measured in at 34.3 watts, beating even the lighweight race only tyres from the competitors. The resistance was measured using a rig where each tyre was spun against a rolling drum at 35kph at a load of 50kg, conducted by independent TOUR engineers. The variable was the force, converted into a power output in watts needed to power each tyre at the given load & speed.
The speed at which the GP4000S reached on the wet corner was 33 km/h, almost the same as our wet specific GP4Season, and higher than its main competitors. The time it took a sharp screwdriver to penetrate the GP4000s through the tread at a load of 35 kg was three minutes. In fact the test was stopped prior to any penetration as three minutes was defined by the magazine as a 'pass'. Only two other brands also attained a pass grade here.
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