More Details On Pirelli's New Tire, The Diablo Rosso IV

Press Release
by Press Release

More than just black, round, and sticky.

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Pirelli announces the arrival of the fourth generation of the DIABLO ROSSO family with DIABLO ROSSO IV, the new high-performance supersport tire that raises the bar of this product range even higher. DIABLO ROSSO IV is dedicated to motorcyclists who love a more dynamic riding style, owners of supersport, hypernaked, or crossover bikes who demand from a tire a high level of grip, on different types of asphalt and all-weather, precise feedback, and great handling to make the most of the high performance of their bikes.

DIABLO ROSSO IV is characterized by the selective use of different technical solutions within its range: each size has in fact been developed in a bespoke way according to the characteristics and needs of each machine, taking into account elements such as weight and power output.

The genesis of DIABLO ROSSO IV

Since its introduction into the market in 2002, the DIABLO brand brings with it more than 18 years of experience, technology, and victories in the most prestigious national and international competitions and represents Pirelli’s excellence in the world of high-performance tires dedicated to two-wheel vehicles.

Within the DIABLO range, the DIABLO ROSSO family identifies those products dedicated to road machines of a sport leaning and since 2008, the year of introduction of the first DIABLO ROSSO, more than five million units have been sold to motorcyclists. Respectable numbers, which confirm the interest of the most prestigious motorcycle manufacturers in the world in choosing these tires as original equipment for their flagship models. Thanks to the success achieved by each of the products in this range, such as the DIABLO ROSSO III, DIABLO ROSSO Corsa II, and DIABLO ROSSO Scooter, Pirelli was able to reach the important goal of five million DIABLO ROSSO radial tires sold worldwide before announcing the arrival of its fourth generation with the highly anticipated DIABLO ROSSO IV.

Who is DIABLO ROSSO™ IV designed for?

The new DIABLO ROSSO IVwas developed to satisfy the most demanding motorcyclists who want aroad tire capable of guaranteeing light handling, an excellent level of grip and sporty emotions to best express the potential of their bike.

In particular, DIABLO ROSSO IV is the ideal choice for:

– supersports or hypernaked motorcycle owners, who love a sporty ride on winding roads and mountain passes, and who are looking for a tire that can best express the sporty performance of their bike;

– motorcyclists who use the bike mainly on weekends, for short out-of-town excursions, alone or with a passenger, and who seek sporty riding pleasure regardless of the weather conditions;

– owners of sporty crossover bikes, who use their own vehicle for medium and long-haul excursions and who do not want to give up their sporty riding style in the most winding sections of the road.

The benefits of DIABLO ROSSO IV

The main benefits of DIABLO ROSSO IV are:

– Top grip while braking, excellent lateral thrust whilst leaning and traction in acceleration, thanks to the combination of an innovative structure and racing-derived profiles that is able to better manage the power generated by the latest 200hp+ motorcycles.

– Precise and immediate feedback to every rider’s input for greater riding control. The innovative technologies applied to the carcass make DIABLO ROSSO IV able to optimally adhere also to the micro-asperities of the asphalt to ensure smooth and precise feedback in every situation.

– Benchmark performance on road, both on dry and wet asphalt. This is made possible by the characteristics of the Full Silica compounds, used on both axes and with a Cap&Base scheme at the rear, which work together with the tread pattern design, optimized for excellent water evacuation.

Positioning in Pirelli’s supersport range

DIABLO ROSSO IV is part of Pirelli’s high-performance tire range as a supersports product with a balanced behavior between sporty road performance combined with high mileage and excellent wet performance.

Compared to the DIABLO Supercorsa SP,which has been designed to be used mainly on the track in dry conditions, DIABLO ROSSO IV has a predominant road nature with particular attention to mileage and wet behavior.

Also compared to the DIABLO ROSSO Corsa II, another tire within Pirelli’s racing street portfolio designed instead for a balanced use between road and track, DIABLO ROSSO IV guarantees a higher mileage and better wet performance.

THE NEW TIRE IN DETAIL

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.

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 a 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, whichimproves 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.

The measures

The DIABLO ROSSO IV range consists of the following sizes, available from February 2021.

Description Availability

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 © 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 © 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

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