Pirelli Adds Trackday Sports Option with New Diablo Superbike PRO Race Tyre

Pirelli has announced its latest motorcycle trackday and race slick tyre, the ‘Diablo Superbike PRO'. The company says the tyre has been released now to coincide with the start of the new World Superbike season tests at Portimão, Portugal. The new tyre is aimed at club racers and track day riders, with technology directly devised from Pirelli's development programme in World Superbikes. The ‘PRO' has been created with racers and track day enthusiasts in mind – it is designed to wear consistently and last for more than one racing event. It is easily recognized by a red stripe which is printed on the tyre and for its red "PRO" marking on the sidewall.

Jason Griffiths, Pirelli racing manager commented, “The new Diablo Superbike PRO certainly meets all the criteria for the regular track-day enthusiast and indeed for the hundreds of club race riders who need and expect both performance and durability from their tyres. An extensive development programme has gone into the product to maximise its effectiveness for this type of customer.” Diablo Superbike PRO is not homologated for street usage and is available in original equipment homologated 17″ sizes for the front: 120/70R17; and rear: 180/55R17 and 190/55R17.

Compared to Pirelli’s Diablo Superbike SC tyres, the PRO’s more flexible carcass, higher duration compounds, a new structure derived from the hypersport range and 17″ sizes with similar profiles, the Diablo Superbike PRO works even with a stock chassis and suspension. Riders need not adjust their bike’s suspension to compensate for the typical movement of professional soft racing compounds, nor make the 16.5” wheel conversion typical of full professional setups. Pirelli says the Diablo Superbike PRO provides more grip at lower operating temperatures than other professional slick tyres, a benefit all riders can appreciate when they reach the tyres’ peak performance without tyre warmers. This advantage comes from a compound derived by an innovative production process and the use of the latest generation polymers, a formula specifically dedicated to competition preparation and long lasting trackday riding. Specific chemicals and reinforcing elements contribute to attaining the ideal material stiffness, an element aiding in the resistance of heat cycles; its chemical composition remains unchanged throughout multiple track sessions and can endure numerous entrances and exits from the pit. The company says its compound’s lower operating temperature, often encountered on the first laps on track, benefits riders with quicker tyre warm-up and improved compound flexibility, reducing the tendency to cold-tear. Its immediate grip response avoids unnecessary tyre spin and thus better wear. The Diablo Superbike PRO is characterized by a versatile structure. Inside the carcass is Pirelli’s patented 0° steel belt, the backbone of Pirelli’s entire Diablo range of racing and supersport street products. The profile of the tyre is particularly notable in the corners, says Pirelli, with grip provided at super high lean angles without the need to compensate for geometry change or install aftermarket products to properly fit the tyre in the swing-arm. The carcass’s enhanced flexibility gives the tyre higher dampening properties to match better the long-lasting compound. As a result, the company claims, the tyre is very stable and handles in a uniform manner; it is very balanced in corners and stable under braking. The profile of the new Diablo Superbike PRO is a duplicate of the SC version which distributes all stresses incurred by the contact patch area, thus enlarging the footprint area to transmit fully the available horsepower to the ground.

The slick tread design avoids all potential wear triggers, specifically in colder conditions, and improves the riding feeling versus standard racing DOT tyres. The Diablo Superbike PRO therefore combines a racing profile, hyper-sport structure and a new generation of long lasting compound.

The real potential of true professional slick tyres can be exploited only with a professional bike set up which can include special modifications (including an advanced suspension system). This demands a high level of technical knowledge and can very often be extremely costly. Pirelli reasons that this is not convenient for a typical fun racers or trackday user. Therefore, it states, the Diablo Superbike PRO is designed to reach the maximum performance level of a stock bike with lasting performance and compared to racing DOT solutions of the same size. Diablo Superbike PRO is designed for club racers preparing for competition and racing for fun users looking for long lasting trackday enjoyment.