Diablo Corsa III – Equally at Home on Track and Road

As the official tyre supplier to the World Superbike Championship (SBK), Pirelli’s latest tyre, the Diablo Corsa III, owes its development to Pirelli’s vast racing experience. As such, the new tyre is equally at home on the racetrack, motorways and ordinary roads.

The tyre boasts no fewer than three different compounds, with separate compounds for the front and rear tyres and the rear tyre itself further divided into three zones. The front tyre incorporates rigid, high hysteresis compounds, designed to dissipate energy efficiently. This provides fast warm up, more grip, thanks to a balanced silica/carbon black compound and good traction and braking. Stability at high temperatures is provided by utilising new structural materials.

The rear tyre has different compounds on the shoulders and in the centre of the tyre. The central compound is the same as on the existing and well-proven Diablo Corsa, with a high carbon black content for good traction and wear rates, while the softer shoulder compound provides good levels of grip, both on the race track and on the road.

Both tyres are designed to work together in a balanced way. This is achieved by using Ideal Contour Shaping (ICS) design technology, together with the patented zero degrees steel belt, which keep the tyre profiles in the optimum shapes at all times. Benefits include uniform heat distribution, predictable handling and stability under braking.

The tread pattern of the Diablo Corsa III is the same as for the Diablo Corsa; combining excellent slick-like racetrack performance with control in wet conditions. In the wet, the front tyre cuts through the water layers, allowing the rear tyre to grip the asphalt. This is achieved by a semi-slick area in the middle and edge pf the rear tyre, while transversal grooves between the rear’s central section and the edges disperse the residual water effectively.

The Diablo Corsa III is manufactured using the MIRS production process, which means that the tyre is produced without any joins, which, alongside the zero degree steel belt radial structure, gives a balanced product with better damping properties and improved sidewall stiffness.

Pirelli says that the Diablo Corsa III has been developed for a high performance market segment, which the manufacturer refers to as “Racing and Street” – while the tyre has been developed with feedback from the racetrack and indeed performs well on the track, it is also designed for everyday street use, instilling confidence and allowing the rider to exploit his bike’s performance to the utmost.

When it comes to motorcycle tyres and racing, Pirelli believes that development is the driving force of competition, and competition is the driver for development. It is a virtuous circle that brings continuous product development, of which the Diablo line represents the final goal – for now.

The Diablo Corsa III will be available in sizes 120/70 ZR17 and 120/65 ZR17 (front) and 180/55 ZR17 and 190/50 ZR17 (rear).