Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa

At EICMA, Pirelli celebrated the 10th anniversary of the birth of its Diablo high-performance radial tire. The Diablo received a mighty boost in 2004 when it was selected as the spec tire for the Superbike World Championship series. Pirelli seized the opportunity and has accumulated enormous development experience as a result.

Pirelli has always transferred information gleaned from racing to production. Most recent example is the dual-compound Diablo Rosso II. This latest evolution of the “road-sport” version can extract the best from the riding and handling qualities of a bike.

For 2012, Pirelli has introduced the new Diablo Supercorsa, offered in SC and SP grades. The first is a pure racing tire that will be issued to Superstock racers; the SP is a road-legal derivative. Both belong to the dual-compound family and will come in 120/70-17 and 200/55-17 sizes; in 2013, 16 1/2-inch wheels will no longer be legal in World Superbike.

A new carcass was developed to complement the latest compound. Pirelli says the tires are capable of rapidly reaching their optimal working temperature. The 120/70-17 is characterized by a rounder and slightly wider profile for precise steering response. More rear tire sizes—180/55-17, 190/50-17 and 190/55-17—are planned.

The Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP was chosen by Ducati as original equipment on its 2012 1199 Panigale.