Press Release | February 10, 2021
More details about the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV Supersport tires have been released since they were first announced last month.
Pirelli’s fourth-generation Diablo Rosso supersport tires have improved mileage and wet handling compared to previous Diablo Rosso iterations. The WSBK-derived tires differ in their structure and compounds according to their size to better suit the weight, displacement and power output of the bikes they fit. Pirelli has released one of the five sizes of front tires (120/70ZR17) and four of the 10 sizes of the rear, with the rest expected throughout this year.
Here is more information from Pirelli’s press release:
Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV Supersport Tires Details:
The Compound
The front tire is divided into three areas using two different compounds:
- The central band has a harder compound with a high silica content (Full Silica) and occupies around 50% of the section width. This choice means that the same compound is present in the contact area used up to 35 degrees of lean angle to avoid the sensation of uneven wear while cornering;
- The side areas have a softer compound, also high in silica, and offer excellent grip even at low temperatures.
For the rear tire, two different solutions have been developed to enhance the characteristics of different motorcycles according to their weight and the power generated.
The rear sizes up to 190/50 ZR 17, equipment of low and medium displacement motorcycles, are bi-compound and arranged according to a Cap&Base scheme. The hardest compound at the base, which comes out in the middle band, is Full Silica and ensures a quick warm up and high mileage, as well as ensuring an optimal thermal balance along the entire profile. The side compounds, also high in silica, are softer and have been developed specifically for Diablo Rosso IV in order to offer quick a warm-up and the grip of a racing product, therefore increasing the temperature range.
The rear tires with sizes 190/55 ZR 17 and above are divided into five areas using three different compounds:
- The harder central compound provides high-speed stability, wear uniformity and mileage, while the high silica content also ensures a quick warm up and excellent chemical grip on a wet surface;
- The intermediate compound, on the sides of the central compound, is softer and covers intermediate lean angles. It has a Full Silica formulation that provides an excellent chemical grip both on dry and wet surfaces;
- The shoulder compound is 100% Carbon Black and derives directly from the compounds of Diablo Supercorsa SC used in endurance competitions. This compound, also thanks to the Cap&Base scheme that guarantees its thermal balance, is able to offer support at full lean and traction during acceleration, managing even the torque generated by the latest generation superbikes.
Profiles
Pirelli exploits all the know-how acquired in the fastest production-derived motorcycle Championship and applies the technologies developed for Diablo Superbike tire range to a road supersports product.
The profiles of Diablo Rosso IV are therefore race-derived and are characterized by a multi-radius design that improves the tire’s handling. The central area has a sharper profile to facilitate immediate lean and rapid change of direction. In the lateral areas, on the other hand, the profile curvature is less accentuated in order to increase the contact area and ensure maximum traction when cornering.
Compared to its predecessor Diablo Rosso III, the 200/55 ZR 17 rear tire has a profile about 10mm higher in the middle and about 9mm wider on the sides. At the same time, the curvature on the shoulder has been optimized to offer more cornering support, with a great benefit in terms of traction.
The front tire follows a similar setting to that of the rear, thus ensuring a perfectly balanced and neutral behavior of the set.
Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV Supersport Tires
The Tread Design
The tread design of the Diablo Rosso IV features the iconic lightning pattern and leaves room for more slick shoulders to achieve a sportier performance.
The “flash” is used as the central grooves of both the front and rear tire. Their orientation follows wear waves to promote more uniform wear and at the same time ensures an effective water evacuation when the bike is upright.
Around the central tread pattern, at the first lean angles, side grooves guarantee the correct conformability of the tire and continue the task of water evacuation, making Diablo Rosso IV a safe performance tire even on wet roads.
Compared to its predecessor, the front tread design has been optimized to reduce the void/fill ratio by about 30% and have a more slick tire over 35 degrees of lean angle.
The opposite was done for the rear tire, where the void/fill ratio was reduced in the central area. This change ensures better wear regularity and greater stability at high speeds without in any way compromising the water evacuation capabilities of Diablo Rosso IV, which remain mainly carried out by the front tire.
The Structure
With Diablo Rosso IV Pirelli uses a new race-derived structure with zero-degree steel belt, which manages to adapt perfectly to the different levels of stress to which it is subjected without compromising comfort.
Compared to its predecessor Diablo Rosso, III the front tire structure features Rayon ‘cords’ which are more rigid and at the same time distributed with less density (-20%). This scheme leaves more room for the rubber compound, which improves riding feeling and precision thanks to its damping properties.
The rear sizes 190/55 ZR 17 and above, equipment to superbike and hypernaked motorcycles that can exceed 200 horsepower, feature a three-stranded Lyocell structure, which is characterized by a significantly lower deformation ratio compared to structures normally used in road tires. The innovative Lyocell carcass is a technology developed thanks to the experience gained by Pirelli in the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship. The result is a new structure that can offer greater resistance to the stress generated in corner entry and during harsh acceleration.
The remaining rear sizes, up to 190/50 ZR 17, feature a Rayon structure that is stiffer than its predecessor. This type of carcass, similar to what happens with the front tire, leaves more room for the rubber compound to better adjust the tire stiffness along its profile.
The combination of the front and rear structures works optimally with the most advanced electronic control systems in order to transmit to the rider, a safety feeling and control of the motorcycle.
Sizes
The Diablo Rosso IV range consists of the following sizes, available starting February 2021 (dates available noted in list below).
Front
110/70 R 17 M/C 54 H TL: Q4 2021
110/70 ZR 17 M/C 58W TL: Q3 2021
120/60 ZR 17 M/C (W) TL: Q3 2021
120/70 ZR 17 M/C (58W) TL: Q1 2021
120/70 ZR 17 M/C (58W) TL (C) CCC compliant: Q4 2021
Rear
140/70 R 17 M/C 66 H TL: Q4 2021
150/60 R 17 M/C 66 H TL: Q4 2021
150/60 ZR 17 M/C 66W TL: Q3 2021
160/60 ZR 17 M/C (69W) TL: Q1 2021
180/55 ZR 17 M/C (73W) TL: Q1 2021
180/55 ZR 17 M/C (73W) TL (C) CCC compliant: Q4 2021
190/50 ZR 17 M/C (73W) TL: Q4 2021
190/55 ZR 17 M/C (75W) TL: Q1 2021
200/55 ZR 17 M/C (78W) TL: Q1 2021
200/60 ZR 17 M/C (80W) TL: Q4 2021
For more information about the complete line of Pirelli motorcycle tires, please visit Pirelli.com
VIDEO | The Year of the Diablo
The following is Pirelli’s press release from January 12, 2021.
Pirelli Diablo Rosso in Numbers: Five Million Tires Sold Plus a New Upcoming Fourth-Generation Diablo Rosso
Since 2008 the Diablo Rosso brand has been using the technology developed by Pirelli in the FIM Superbike World Championship to offer uncompromising riding performance.
Rome, GA (January 7, 2021) — The Pirelli Diablo Rosso tire family enters the new year with record numbers and celebrates the achievement of an important milestone: over 5,000,000 radial tires sold since its introduction on the market in 2008.
The origins of Diablo and Diablo Rosso brands
Diablo represents Pirelli’s excellence in the world of high-performance tires designed for two-wheeled vehicles. The Diablo product family, after its introduction into the market in 2002, has rapidly evolved to include in its broad portfolio tires dedicated to other market segments, from professional racing to the supersports road arena. The Diablo brand brings with it more than 18 years of experience, technology and victories in the most prestigious national and international two-wheeled competitions.
Within the Diablo range, the Diablo Rosso products are dedicated to road machines of a sport leaning. The name Diablo Rosso was born with the intention of honoring the distinctive color of the Italian national motorsport team since 1922, which was the color racing red.
The most prestigious motorcycle manufacturers in the world choose Diablo Rosso products as original equipment for their top models, while many respected international magazines and websites consider Diablo Rosso products a benchmark for this sector. Among the leading products of this family there are currently tires such as Diablo Rosso Corsa II, Diablo Rosso III and Diablo Rosso Scooter, still reference tires in their respective segments.
Thanks to the high performance of each of these products, supported by the ability of Pirelli engineers to anticipate the demands of a constantly evolving market, and to use cutting-edge materials and technologies, the Diablo Rosso product family has been able to reach the important milestone of 5,000,000 radial tires sold worldwide.
Respectable numbers that allow Pirelli to announce with great satisfaction and pride the fourth generation of this tire family, with the arrival of Diablo Rosso IV, the new supersports product created to continue the history of this successful brand. As the direct successor of Diablo Rosso III, Diablo Rosso IV raises the bar of this product range even higher, pushing the qualities of handling and grip to the highest levels, both in dry and wet conditions.
Diablo Rosso IV is dedicated to motorcyclists who love a more dynamic riding style, owners of supersports, hypernaked or crossover bikes who demand from a tire a high level of grip, on all types of asphalt and weather conditions, as well as precise feedback and great handling to make the most of the high performance of their bikes.
For more information about the complete line of Pirelli motorcycle tires, please visit Pirelli.com
