Cycle News Staff | February 6, 2019
Pirelli releases the new range of Diablo track-compound tires that will be used by WorldSBK riders and also are available for purchase by motorcycle riders worldwide.
Pirelli says the goal that guided the development of the 2019 Diablo range was “to increase consistent performance and, especially for the rear, ‘mechanical resistance.’”
2019 Diablo Range Highlights:
- New compounds for the Diablo Superbike slicks in the standard 200/60 ZR 17 rear and 120/70 ZR 17 front sizes;
- New SCX solution (Extrasoft) in 200/65 size for the Diablo Superbike slick which uses an extremely soft compound and was custom designed to be used during qualifiers in preparation for using the single Superpole® tire available to the riders, and possibly for the World Superbike Championship Sprint-Race (which will be officially called the “Tissot Superpole Race”). Throughout the year, various SCX solutions will be developed with the aim of finding the best one which, by the end of the championship season, will become part of the compounds range available to all motorcycle riders;
- New, larger size DIABLO™ Superbike slicks only in the combination of 200/65 ZR17 rear in SC0 compound and 125/70 ZR17 front in SC1 compound;
- Diablo Rain tires with an innovative rear tread pattern and available in two different compounds depending on the operating temperature;
- New Diablo Supercorsa SC: a grooved tire that is now in its third generation and has been completely redesigned in terms of structure, profiles, tread pattern and compounds based on a more consistent performance.
Diablo Superbike Tires
The Diablo Superbike Tires are the pinnacle of the Diablo range. Exclusively for track use, they have been used in the WorldSBK class since their launch in 2005. They are available in three different front slick compounds: SC1 (Soft), SC2 (Medium) and SC3 (Hard).
The rear slick compounds range will continue to include the SC0 (Soft), SC1 (Medium) and SC2 (Hard) and, from 2019, the FIM Superbike World Championship riders will have an additional solution available as the SCX (Extrasoft) in 200/65 has also been introduced.
With a compound that offers performance similar of a qualifying compound and that of a soft racing tire, this new solution has been introduced with the intent to be used by riders as a pre-qualifier before they will be using the only qualifying tire available in the Tissot Superpole. Also, this new tire has been introduced to be further developed and become the most competitive solution for the all-new Tissot Superpole Race, the short Sprint Race that has been added in the format this year, and that it will decide the starting grid positions for Sunday’s WorldSBK Race Two.
More Sizes for Diablo Superbike Tires
Pirelli now has larger sizes available for the Diablo Superbike Tires (200/65 rear and 125/70 front solutions).
The larger sizes are available in SC0 rear and SC1 front compound, with the goal of completing the compounds range during the FIM World Superbike and FIM Endurance World Championships in order to then make them available on the market in 2020.
Diablo Rain Tires
Pirelli also worked to improve the rain tire compounds, and now the Diablo Rain Tires have different groove angles in the grip area and on the shoulder, for the purpose of greater stability and improving water dispersion and grip even in wet conditions.
Diablo Supercorsa SC
Launched in 2007, the Diablo Supercorsa SC tire is now in its third generation and has been completely redesigned in terms of structure, profiles, tread pattern and compounds based on a more consistent performance. Pirelli Supercorsa tires are street-legal and are used by WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 riders. No SCX or SC3 compound is available for the Diablo Supercorsa SC tires.
For more information, visit www.pirelli.com