The 3 most important Pirelli tires for the street/track

"Pirelli's are the best performance tire you can get."

When it comes to the best tires in the biz, you need look no further than Pirelli says our President and GM, (and Superbike Champion) Carlos Lescale. He also says "That's the reason why we carry them at V1 MOTO. I want to have our customers on the best tires I can give them."

But first here's a little background on the famous tire company.

In the late 1800's, Giovanni Battista Pirelli founded a limited partnership, “G.B. Pirelli & C.”, in Milan to produce elastic rubber items – primarily sheathing to protect telecommucation wires buried in the ground.

By 1873, production of carriage bands (they weren’t exactly tires) started in 1885, and by 1894 the first velocipede tire was born. Over the course of the next 50 years, Pirelli grew quickly, opening plants all across the globe while also participating in motorsports both on two wheels and four. By the 1920s, a reorganization of the Pirelli group resulted in the Società Italiana Pirelli, the first Italian group traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Initially, the automotive sector dominated the company’s focus, with 1949 marking the start of the company’s involvement developing its first radial car tire, the Cinturato. You’d have to fast-forward to the 1980s before Pirelli developed a radial motorcycle tire, and even then, it was developed for a single model – the 1983 Honda VF1000R.

Here's where it gets interesting. Ever wonder where Pirelli got all of their data to build the best motorcycle tires in the world? As it turns out a breakthrough in tire making technology. Pirelli integrated its MIRS (Modular Integrated Robotized System) technology in 2001 which substantially changed Pirelli’s tire building process. In 2003, the CCM-based (Continuous Compound Mixing) technology room was introduced to test new mixes and materials.

In 2004 with that technology they were able to gain contracts to be the sole tire supplier for both the World Superbike Championship (a partnership that continues to this day) and also the British Superbike Championship. 

The biggest benefactor from all of this research and development is you. So without further ado, here are our 3 of the most important tires Pirelli makes for the street, and street-legal race tires.

The 3 most important Pirelli tires for the street/track

1. Diablo Rosso IV

The Diablo Rosso family (versions 1 through 3) have been proven performers for spirited street riders. In the case of the Diablo Rosso IV (just introduced in February 2021), emphasis has been placed on braking performance, acceleration grip, quick handling, and both wet and dry performance for bikes with a wide range of power figures, from entry-level bikes to 200 horsepower beasts. How is this done? Here’s a quick dive.

The front tire is divided into three areas using two different compounds. The center is a harder compound for durability and composure under braking. Its high silica content allows it to get up to temperature quickly while also giving it good wet performance. The sides are made up of a softer compound for better cornering grip, also with a high silica count for fast warm-up times.

For the rear tire, there are two different solutions depending on the motorcycle’s weight and power. For sizes up to 190/50-17, the tire is split into three zones, similar to the front tire. A harder compound is in the middle with a softer one on the sides, though the exact chemistry and distribution of the silica and other chemicals is different from the front.

Starting with the 190/50-17 size, the tire is split into five zones using three different compounds. The center compound is high in silica and a harder compound. The intermediate compound is also a full silica compound for fast warm-up and confidence to lean moderate amounts quickly. The very edges are carbon black in a similar compound to the Supercorsa SC endurance racing tire for optimum cornering grip for high horsepower bikes.

All this and we haven’t even begun to talk about profiles and tread pattern. Both of these will be similar among the Diablo line, with a responsive yet neutral profile adapted from the requests of Pirelli’s race teams. Pirelli’s signature “flash” makes up the tread pattern, and different tweaks to it will be found on all the Diablo tires. Pirelli says this pattern helps promote better wear uniformity while also evacuating water well.

2. Diablo Rosso Corsa II

Moving more towards the sporty end of the Diablo family, the Diablo Rosso Corsa II has been a solid street/track tire for as long as we can remember.

This one “is intended for riders of mid-high performance motorcycles who enjoy a sports riding style on the street and not just on the racetrack. They desire a tire with fast warm-up, sports agility, excellent grip and consistent performance ready to compete against the challenges of everyday use. Pirelli have now transformed racetrack performance into street versatility to guarantee top performance also on road.”

Like the Rosso IV (no Corsa), the front tire is split into three zones while the rear is divvied into five. The front features a full silica center compound while the rear’s center compound is 70% silica. The rear’s shoulders are full silica, then both front and rear use full carbon black compounds at the edges for optimum grip.

3. Diablo Supercorsa SP V3

A direct descendant of the Supercorsa SC tires used in racing championships all over the world, the Supercorsa SP version is a street tire that can very easily be ridden hard on the racetrack with even today’s most powerful sportbikes. Isle of Man racer, and all around good (and fast!) guy Mark Miller proves our point when he got to try the tires aboard the latest superbikes. 

As far as specifics go, the profile has been revised yet again over V2 based on feedback from World Superbike riders. Pirelli says this improves agility and gives the rider more feel while leaned over. A new compound is being used for the dual compound rear tire for better warm-up times and more consistent grip and feel at maximum lean angles. Lastly, a tweak of the tread design helps give the tire better uniformity as it wears. 

Having personally used this tire on several occasions, with and without tire warmers, I can attest to its excellent performance, capable of handling everything all but the fastest of riders can throw at it.

Buy any Pirelli tire from us and get 50% off installation.

Powered by Froala Editor