Diablo Corsa III review

Pirelli's new mixed-compound Diablos should give the best of both world

Diablo Corsa III review
Brand
Category

They say: "Allows an easy and fully safe achievement of the highest performances" Pirelli
We say: "A tyre test, you say? At Monza, you say? I don't care what they can do, I'm there!" James Whitham

We've all walked round a race paddock and seen part-worn tyres stacked up at the back of a van with a home-made 'for sale' sign propped against them. You don't know what the numbers on the tyres' sidewalls mean, but you've seen the tread pattern before and they've only done a few laps. They've got to be good value, right? Not necessarily.

The qualities needed from a race tyre are very different from the ones that make a good road tyre. What you need from a race tyre is stability under hard braking, side grip mid-corner, traction when you open the throttle and sharp steering. A road tyre on the other hand must be more versatile. It needs high speed stability, it must work adequately from cold and through a much wider heat range, and cover a greater mileage before needing replacement.

In an attempt to address both needs, and improve on their already excellent Diablo Corsa, Pirelli have developed the Diablo Corsa III. The 'III' in the name refers to the fact that the tyres have three compound zones. The middle 30 degrees or so is the same compound as the old Corsa, the outside 30 degrees on either side is around 15 per cent softer. The idea is the softer outside portions give grip when you need it, while the firmer middle means the tyres should do the same mileage as most other sports tyres. Pirelli claims 3000 miles or so depending on how many track days you do.

The Corsa III is also the control tyre in the European Superstock Cup, run at WSB meetings on essentially stock 600cc sports bikes, and lap times in the series have come down by about a second since the introduction of this new rubber.

Okay, that's the technical stuff done. What are they like to ride? 

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/product-features/pirelli-diablo-corsa-iii-tyre-review/14685.html

They say: "Allows an easy and fully safe achievement of the highest performances" Pirelli
We say: "A tyre test, you say? At Monza, you say? I don't care what they can do, I'm there!" James Whitham

We've all walked round a race paddock and seen part-worn tyres stacked up at the back of a van with a home-made 'for sale' sign propped against them. You don't know what the numbers on the tyres' sidewalls mean, but you've seen the tread pattern before and they've only done a few laps. They've got to be good value, right? Not necessarily.

The qualities needed from a race tyre are very different from the ones that make a good road tyre. What you need from a race tyre is stability under hard braking, side grip mid-corner, traction when you open the throttle and sharp steering. A road tyre on the other hand must be more versatile. It needs high speed stability, it must work adequately from cold and through a much wider heat range, and cover a greater mileage before needing replacement.

In an attempt to address both needs, and improve on their already excellent Diablo Corsa, Pirelli have developed the Diablo Corsa III. The 'III' in the name refers to the fact that the tyres have three compound zones. The middle 30 degrees or so is the same compound as the old Corsa, the outside 30 degrees on either side is around 15 per cent softer. The idea is the softer outside portions give grip when you need it, while the firmer middle means the tyres should do the same mileage as most other sports tyres. Pirelli claims 3000 miles or so depending on how many track days you do.

The Corsa III is also the control tyre in the European Superstock Cup, run at WSB meetings on essentially stock 600cc sports bikes, and lap times in the series have come down by about a second since the introduction of this new rubber.

Okay, that's the technical stuff done. What are they like to ride? 

Read more: http://www.visordown.com/product-features/pirelli-diablo-corsa-iii-tyre-review/14685.html

Sponsored Content