Compound updates with the introduction of the new SCX and larger sizes for the DIABLO™ Superbike slicks: innovative rear tread pattern and two different compounds for the DIABLO™ Rain tyre. Plus an all new, completely redesigned, DIABLO™ Supercorsa.
The new technical solutions, produced from constant development work, will beused by WorldSBK and National Championship riders and, in line with Pirelli’s philosophy towards two-wheeled racing, will be available for purchase by all motorcycle riders.
Pirelli, upon completion of intense and constant development work which started in 2017 and continued throughout 2018, is pleased to introduce the new 2019 DIABLO ™ range of tyres in compounds intended for track use to racers and motorcyclists all over the world . The goal that guided this development, which has resulted in the new solutions, was to increase consistent performance and, especially for the rear, ‘mechanical resistance’.
Pirelli’s offer of DIABLO™ tyres in various compounds has historically included DIABLO™ Superbike slicks and grooved DIABLO™ Supercorsa SC , joined by specialist products for the wet such as the DIABLO™ Rain tyres .
In line with the philosophy that has always distinguished Pirelli’s approach to two-wheeled racing, throughout the year these new solutions will also be made available for purchase to all professional and ‘grass-roots’ riders and even track-day enthusiasts.
The new 2019 range includes
- new compounds for the DIABLO™ Superbike slicks in the standard 200/60 ZR 17 rear and 120/70 ZR 17 front sizes;
- new SCX solution (EXTRASOFT) in 200/65 size for the DIABLO™ Superbike slick which uses an extremely soft compound and was custom designed to be used during qualifiers in preparation for using the single Superpole ® tyre available to the riders, and possibly for the World Superbike Championship Sprint-Race (which will be officially called the "Tissot Superpole Race"). Throughout the year, various SCX solutions will be developed with the aim of finding the best one which, by the end of the championship season, will become part of the compounds range available to all motorcycle riders;
- new, larger size DIABLO™ Superbike slicks only in the combination of 200/65 ZR17 rear in SC0 compound and 125/70 ZR17 front in SC1 compound ;
- DIABLO™ Rain tyres with an innovative rear tread pattern and available in two different compounds depending on the operating temperature ;
- new DIABLO™ Supercorsa SC : a grooved tyre that is now in its third generation and has been completely redesigned in terms of structure, profiles, tread pattern and compounds based on a more consistent performance.
DIABLO™ Superbike
The DIABLO™ Superbike tyres are the pinnacle of the DIABLO™ range and are NHS slick tyres ( “Not for Highway Service” ), in other words intended exclusively for track use and dedicated to professional and amateur riders, as well as track day riders seeking to get the most from their circuit riding.
Available in various compounds , they are capable of tackling the different types of asphalt and weather conditions that can be found on circuits all over the world.
The DIABLO™ Superbike tyres are the ultimate in Pirelli’s technological expression applied to the world of street-legal race bikes. Their history and development are closely connected to those of the FIM World Superbike Championship where they have been used in the WorldSBK class since their launch in 2005, as is the case in the national Superbike championship classes, both those where Pirelli is the sole supplier and the ones with open tyre manufacturer competition.
In developing the DIABLO™ Superbike tyres, Pirelli has always pursued the goal of maintaining a street-legal derivative tyre structure (non-prototype), exploiting the advantages of the geometries allowed by the 17-inch size. This keeps close to what the market demands but also following the aim of designing tyres that are simple to use: ie there is no need to make any adjustments to the suspensions that are too sophisticated in order to draw the best from the tyres, all to the advantage of the end user who will not need any special set-up to be able to use these tyres designed on a universal “Plug&Play” base.
In the development of these tyres, even the approach to warm-up was immediately different. In fact, a unique aspect of the Pirelli tyres is how quickly they come up to temperature compared to competitors’ tyres. After just a few corners, the DIABLO™ Superbike tyres can already be exploited to the maximum, allowing riders to push hard from the first lap of the race.
Here are the characteristics of the new front slick compounds
- SC1 (SOFT):
The new compound of the softest solution on the front is the V0952 spec which has been the go-to option for the last two years in the World Superbike Championship and last year in a few prominent national championships such as British Superbike, CIV, CEV and Alpe Adria. This compound was developed to provide better performance and riding precision, as well as more versatile use;
- SC2 (MEDIUM)
The new medium solution is sturdier and quicker in direction changes, also guaranteeing more support, better grip, maximum lean angle and better absorption of the bumps on the track;
- SC3 (HARD)
The new standard SC3 compound provides better precision and quickness in direction changes and more support than the previous standard compound. Generally, the SC3 has the same or more grip than the SC2, but a higher capacity to resist wear than the other solutions.
And here are the new rear slick compounds
- SCX (EXTRASOFT) in 200/65
This is a completely new product in the range, available to the FIM World Superbike Championship riders. This solution, which uses an extremely soft compound, was designed to fall between the performance of a qualifying compound and that of a soft racing tyre. It will therefore be possible to use it as a pre-qualifier in order to prepare riders and bikes for the challenge of the grip provided by the only qualifying tyre available for the timed session. It will also come in handy in the event of a red flag to finish out the remaining laps of the race after a second start, being able to count on extra grip compared to the compound chosen for the race. The last purpose of the project, once it has been suitably developed, is to be a competitive solution for the 10-lap Sprint Race on Sunday morning, providing one more competitive instrument in the strategic choices for each rider and team.
Distinguished by the shoulder with SCX written in red, this solution will also be able to be used by the riders for the Saturday Superpole ® session;
- SC0 (SOFT)
This new soft compound provides more of a push when opening up the throttle coming out of corners, as well as being more consistent over race distance and increasing the range of use in critical conditions (typically in cold temperatures), maintaining the same hot performance as the previous SC0.
- SC1 (MEDIUM)
The medium-hard solution uses the X0140 spec, capable of guaranteeing a more consistent performance, especially in terms of grip
- SC2 (HARD)
The new SC2 compound uses theX0639 spec with which Pirelli took 1st and 3rd place in the Bol d’Or stock class. This solution offers better grip, especially at full lean and going through corners, as well as improving coming out of the turn. It also guarantees better consistency over race distance and is a very versatile solution in terms of operating temperatures.
In addition, for Superpole ® , the World Superbike riders and all those who participate in national championships that have a Superpole ® session, will continue to have a Supersoft Superpole ® tyre available to them which is capable of guaranteeing maximum performance on the flying lap.
DIABLO™ Superbike in larger size
As in 2013 with the historic switch from 16.5-inch tyres to 17-inch tyres, Pirelli intends to continue being a pioneer in development, setting the guidelines for the future. For this reason, throughout 2018, the Italian tyre manufacturer developed and made available to the World Superbike Championship riders some larger 200/65 rear and 125/70 front solutions . These sizes proved to be able to offer, compared to the standard sizes, greater stability, more grip thanks to the wider contact surface, and an increase in consistency in terms of performance, trajectory precision and support.
After a year of development, Pirelli has now decided to add to the range, and therefore to make available for purchase, the larger sizes in SC0 rear and SC1 front compound with the goal of completing the compounds range during the FIM World Superbike and FIM Endurance World Championships in order to then make them available on the market in 2020.
DIABLO™ Rain
There is even news in the rain tyre department. Specifically, Pirelli has worked to improve performance of the rear tyre in the 200/60 ZR 17 size and in two different compounds.
The DIABLO™ RAIN tyre has a new design with different groove angles in the grip area which allow more even wear and greater tread stability, as well as on the shoulder grooves which improve water dispersion and consequently improve grip when leaning and traction coming out of turns. Two compounds are available:
- SCR1: compound intended for use cold conditions (asphalt temperatures lower than 15°C) or particularly smooth asphalt. Compared to another compound, it provides greater grip, obviously at the cost of long life.
- SCR2: compound dedicated to the hottest temperatures (asphalt temperatures higher than 15°C) or particularly aggressive asphalt. This will be the most used solution if the track is starting to dry out.
New DIABLO™ Supercorsa SC
The DIABLO™ Supercorsa SC, a tyre launched in 2007, is now in its third generation and has been completely redesigned in terms of structure, profiles, tread pattern and compounds based on a more consistent performance. The Pirelli DIABLO™ Supercorsa SC tyres are grooved solutions intended for track use and dedicated to professional and amateur riders, as well as sport users seeking top spec performance on the track. These tyres are also available in various compounds in order to take on the different types of asphalt and weather conditions that can be found on circuits all over the world but, unlike the DIABLO™ Superbike tyres, no SCX or SC3 compound is available.
The DIABLO™ Supercorsa tyres are the ultimate in Pirelli’s technological expression applied to the world of street-legal bikes. Their history and development are closely connected to those of the FIM World Superbike Championship where they have been used in the WorldSSP600 and WorldSSP300 class since their launch in 2007, as is the case in the national championship classes, both those where Pirelli is the sole supplier and the ones with open tyre manufacturer competition.
Criteria for selection and use of the compounds
The selection criterion for using one compound rather than another is based on three parameters, all of which are equally important:
1) the severity of the asphalt
2) the asphalt temperature
3) the required duration of the race
For the front compounds, the criteria for use is not the same as that adopted for selecting rear compounds because, in addition to the temperature and the severity of the asphalt, it is important to consider the track layout and, above all, the rider’s riding style.
In any case, generally speaking, when the track temperature increases, the compound tends to lose its compactness and rigidity, sometimes causing problems in movement during leaning. In this case, it is better to use a more rigid compound (such as the SC2).
On the other hand, when the track is cold, the compound tends to become more rigid and this leads to a penalisation as regards grip, with possible under-steering and stability while braking. In these conditions it is better to use a soft compound such as the SC1.
The SC3 compound, on the other hand, is the most versatile in that it allows for good performance and high mileage in all asphalt and track conditions.
As for which rear compound to use, hot asphalt loses part of its natural mechanical grip, becoming smooth and more ‘slippery’. In these conditions a soft compound (such as the SC0) is necessary, as it can penetrate the asphalt surface as much as possible.
Cold asphalt, on the other hand, tends to be more aggressive and rougher, offering more mechanical grip which, while on the one hand is an advantage, on the other hand it can cause the tyre to rip and tear, therefore requiring a compound with more mechanical resistance (such as the SC2 or SC3).
Source - Press.Pirelli.com