Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP fitted to MV Agusta F4 range
MV Agusta has chosen to fit Pirelli’s Diablo Supercorsa SP tyres as original equipment on the basic, R and RR versions of its 2013 F4 range. The tyre is manufactured as a race replica version of the SC (Special Compound) mix version used in the World Supersport, Superstock 1000 FIM Cup and UEM European Championship in 2013. The racing street tyres in sizes 120/70 ZR17 on the front and 200/55 ZR17 on the rear are the latest fitment deal in a series of inter-Italian partnerships between the motorcycle brand and the tyre supplier.
The Diablo Supercorsa SP is the result of Pirelli’s extensive technological experience and racing heritage in its role as sole supplier of the Superbike World Championship since 2004. The SP (which stands for Sport Production) tyre is made for street use, though it offers performance typical of exclusive track use products. At the OE level, Pirelli says it has been selected by “prestigious motorcycles companies for their top supersport models”, as a result of its sporting performance capabilities.
Diablo Supercorsa SP characteristics
The Diablo Supercorsa SP has a new profile on the front and rear, which, compared to the 190/55 version, is made with about 2mm more cord and about 4mm more central diameter. Pirelli says these aspects give riders greater support during braking, make riding more intuitive, and hold the line more precisely. The 200/55 rear tyre has been completely redesigned and developed to increase the contact area, helping to achieve more grip while leaning. The front and rear are designed to harmonise more for greater handling and agility.
The rear 200/55 size utilises two compounds to permit both increased mileage and more grip while leaning. Pirelli says its Enhanced Patch Technology has also made it possible to use 23 per cent more soft compound in the shoulder area compared to the previous Diablo Supercorsa SP version, which now accounts for a third of the pattern extension on each side. New polymers used for the SP compound help to decrease warm-up time.
The tyres are also manufactured with a new “single element” tread pattern, which revolves six times on the tyre surface. Pirelli has designed the tyre with a 24 per cent wider “naked” – or slick – shoulder area compared to the previous Diablo Supercorsa, increasing contact area and grip. Long longitudinal grooves, expanding from the central area to the shoulder, are designed to improve wear regularity especially under severe usage and helps drain surface water.
The new compound, designed for bikes to maintain a higher speed during leans has made it necessary to use a new structure, derived directly from those used in competition and able to provide greater resistance to deformation. Hence Pirelli’s new Diablo Supercorsa SP rear tyre carcass, made from high module fibre, which is patented by Pirelli and developed in World Superbikes. It achieves a considerably lower deformation ratio than the fibre normally used in street tyres, Pirelli claims, by being more rigid, both at the centre and in the shoulder area, giving greater resistance to the stress created by aggressive cornering or when accelerating early out of turns with the bike still in a leaning position. The new carcass helps the bike achieve better performance each time the weight shifts from the front to the rear and vice versa, a characteristic which is even more evident as the lean angle increases.
Finally, Pirelli allows riders to personalise the Diablo Supercorsa SP’s sidewalls, with special rubber labels that can be applied to dedicated spaces on the front and rear sidewalls. Riders can create a customised label for these spots on the Pirelli website and have them delivered directly.
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