Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128199
terms of turn in and compliance and also how they communicated feel through the fron~ end, at least as far This illustration shows how the tread pattern was designed to move water away from the tire in wet-weather conditions. as the street was concerned. In addition to this ride, I've had the chance to go on numerous street rides, and every time have come away impressed with the Diablos. The tires seem to be excellent in every type of street environment I've ridden them on, and that includes commuting on the freeway. So, on to the track. ON TRACK This is where I really came away impressed with the new Diablo tires because I put them through a torture test that lasted all day long. While riding the Buttonwillow track, I ran through three full tanks of gas - I was getting about 75 miles to a tank at racetrack speed. To top it all off, I ran through an entire tank of gas in a sin- gle session while riding the west loop - around 40 laps that stint. Sure, I had some slides on the Diablos, but I was pushing them as hard as I dared, and the track had a few areas that had dust all over the surface. Most of my slides were coming out of the Mazda hairpin at the far end of the track, and the exit was covered in dust, so there really wasn't anything wrong with the tires. I had another big slide later in the day that almost put me on my melon, but once again, it wasn't the tires' fault - I had crossed over onto a paint line on the exit and grabbed too much throttle and lit the rear up. It was really close to a highside and an unpleasant call to Ducati. On the 999, the tires performed very well, with predictable feel and The Diablos are high-performance, zero-degree steel-belted radials both front and rear that were designed for unparalleled performance on the street and on the track for Track Day use. A few of the key design features are that the land-to-sea ratio has been maximized for peak efficiency. The front and rear tread pattems have been optimized to provide a better contact patch. In addition, the tread pattem was developed to improve grip and reduce deformation under load. Another key was to keep the performance of the tire consistent throughout the life of the tire. The new carcass has been designed to evenly distribute optimal stiffness across the profile of the tire. The contact area has been designed to distribute tire pressure in a uniform fashion in an effort to improve wear. The tire has a lot of features designed to improve handling. Ideal Contour Shaping (rCS) technology gives the midcrown section of the tire a reduced radius to improve directional changes and lighten the steering of the bike. At midcorner lean angles, the tire offers a wider contact patch for high lateral grip and improved corner stability. C.A.D. simulations and theories were plugged into the development specifications, resulting in an ideal continuous profile which maximizes the contact area and efficiency of both the front and rear tires. Pirelli's patented zero-degree steel belt is used on both the front and rear, with the front carcass' using the Pentec fabric structure to give new levels of feedback. (Pentec fabric offers a lighter carcass material that performs perfectly with the zerodegree steel belt). The Diablo was designed to be used in matched front and rear sets for perfect balance. The tread pattern has been optimized in the midcrown area to improve grip at various wet weather lean angles. The new front tread design has been developed for excellent water channeling capability. The Diablo's new compound has the optimal amount of Silica content to improve wet-weather handling, while the new tread design improves the tire's response to braking in the wet. We spend most of our time on motorcycles in dry conditions if we can help it, so that is where a lot of Pirelli's focus was directed. The Diablo has been designed to heat up quickly in an effort to give the rider that immediate confidence. The tire has been designed to offer maximum stability both at full lean and in a straight line_ Another key was to make the tire provide as much feedback as possible. The tire was designed with a higher land-to-sea (tread-groove-to-tread-block) ratio in the center of the tire, with reduced grooves to improve mileage, increase stability and traction but still maintain wetweather performance. On the outside edge of the tire, there is a reduced tread pattern to help improve lateral grip while cranked over, and to improve the rider's ability to get on the gas earlier and with more confidence. This illustration shows Pirelli's sport tires and where they fit into the market. excellent feedback. The tires felt really neutral transitioning from side to side. The profile of the front tire has a nice rounded shape, allowing you to go from full upright to full lean in a linear. smooth fashion without any surprises. I also came away impressed with how the tire felt in some of the hard braking zones that Buttonwillow has to offer. The tire told me exactly what it was doing even approaching that the grip would be there, which is something that inspires confidence. Despite the fact that the tire isn't a race tire, it did an excellent job on the track and would be a great choice for someone who wants a tire that can fill multiple roles. I spent the entire afternoon flogging the hell out of the Diabios but only ended up losing out to impending lockup-levels of braking. I had full confidence in the tire's feedback, as photographer Tom Riles will attest to (after informing me later that their dark sinister plot of living in immortality. As a matter of fact, the tires are still on the bike and have proved to be perfect for commuting I was making him nervous with the front tire's howling as I entered the corner he was shooting). Another attribute is that the Diablos heat up really qUickly; it only took one lap, at the most, to start pushing and trust for quite some time now. I actually don't see needing to change them any time soon. I'll probably leave them on until hell freezes over. eN .IAOLO The Diablo will be available in the following sizes: FRONT TIRE: REAR TIRE: 120/70ZRI7, 120/60ZR17, 1l0/70ZR17, 130/70ZR16 190/50ZRI7, I 80/55ZR I 7, 160/60ZR17, 200/50ZRI7, 170/60ZR17, 150/60ZR17 Contact your local dealer, or Pirelli at www.us.pirelli.com or 706/368-5832 for more information. _ cue I e n e "'" S FEBRUARY 5. 2003 37