Anyone who rides a sportbike wants secure, trustworthy grip from their tires. But, and here’s the conundrum, we also want them to last at least as long as an oil change.

Enter the Diablo Rosso II, an evolution of Pirelli’s well-received Diablo Rosso. Relative to its progenitor that debuted in 2008, the DR II is said to offer more grip, better mileage, and improved performance in wet conditions.

To put these impressive claims to the test, Pirelli invited us to Utah for a street and track sampling of the Diablo Rosso II, and we came away suitably impressed. The Rosso IIs are said to have a 70/30 balance in street/track use and are positioned between the newish Diablo Rosso Corsa and the Angel ST.

The Diablo Rosso II’s rear tire is derived from the original Diablo Rosso, but it now uses dual compounds and a reduced amount of tread grooves. The middle 75% of the rear tire uses high-molecular-weight reactive polymers for good stability and mileage. The 12.5% of the rear tire’s edges are a softer, grippier compound borrowed from the Rosso Corsa’s center rubber. In comparison, the racier Rosso Corsa version has the outer 25% of its rear tire in the softer compound used in the Diablo Supercorsa and shared with the FIM World Superstock SC2 compound.

The Rosso II’s front tire uses a single compound, a variation of what’s used in the Rosso Corsa, featuring a new tread design, a new polymer structure and an optimized silica-to-carbon-black ratio. Its land/sea ratio has increased (i.e. less grooves) by 2% versus the old Diablo Rosso. Wet grip is optimized by new developments in the tread’s shape and inclination, plus its Extreme Cohesive Compound (ECC) that is said to have the optimum balance between chemical grip and water drainage.

• The ultimate sport tire for absolute road use
• Front tire’s design is derived from the Diablo Rosso Corsa to provide improved drainage, better wear regularity and efficient braking
• Bi-Compound rear tire combining long lasting mileage with excellent grip at full lean
• Pirelli Enhanced Patch Technology (EPT) optimizing the contact patch for improved grip
• Functional Groove Design (FGD) to optimize wet behavior
• Slick shoulder area for maximum grip at full lean, providing confidence and top performance
• Tubeless (TL)
• H-rated for speeds of up to 130 mph, W-rated for speeds of up to 168 mph and (W)-rated for speeds of 168+ mph

For the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tires, shop with our sponsor partspitstop.com