The new Pirelli DIABLO™ SUPERCORSA SP makes its debut on the Ducati Panigale V4 with innovative rear-tyre size 200/60 ZR17

Now in its third generation, developed with MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Supersport and Superstock class riders, this race replica tyre is the highest-performance, best-designed Pirelli solution ever approved for road use

Milan, 6 November 2017 - The new Pirelli DIABLO™SUPERCORSA SP is the ultimate expression of Pirelli technology, itsracing soul approved for road use.

In, DIABLO™SUPERCORSA SP is the thirdgeneration of Pirelli's highly popular race replica tyre featuring treaddesign, profile and structure that are nearly identical to those of the racingtyres which are used in those competitions that, according to, the use of grooved and not slick tyres.

The new DIABLO™SUPERCORSA SP has been developed through Pirelli participation as SoleTyre Supplier for all classes at the FIM World Superbike Championship. Inparticular, the DIABLO™ SUPERCORSA SC tyres — the track version of the SPproduct available in different compounds — are used by all World ChampionshipSupersport and Superstock classes of production-derived series and in all thosenational championships in which Pirelli participates as sole supplier or inopen competition with other tyre manufacturers.

The new DIABLO™SUPERCORSA SP establishes a new benchmark for the replica racingsector, paving the way for the next generation of the DIABLO™ SUPERCORSA.Indeed, thanks to its innovative features, Ducatihas already chosen it for the original equipment on its new Panigale V4.

As atechnical partner and exclusive tyre supplier, Pirelli worked closely withDucati in the development of the new Panigale V4, the very first motorcycle touse the new Pirelli DIABLO™ SUPERCORSA SP as original equipment — 120/70 ZR17 on the frontand the innovative 200/60 ZR17 on the rear. As has occurred in the past —for example with Multistrada and Diavel, but above all with the forerunner ofthe new DIABLO™ SUPERCORSA SP developed jointly with Ducati andpresented in Abu Dhabi as part of the original equipment on the Ducati 1199Panigale — the Ducati performance targets required Pirelli to make technicallyradical choices to achieve a highly innovative tyre. That is why the company developed the latest version ofthe DIABLO ™ SUPERCORSA SP in a newsize: 200/60 ZR17. Already widely used on slick tyres in the FIM WorldSuperbike Championship, this size offers a true and proper generational leap inthe field of race replica tyres.

Inaddition, the new DIABLO ™ SUPERCORSA SP has been developed to work in perfectsynergy with the most advanced electronic systems of the latest generationsuperbikes such as the Ducati Panigale V4.

Key benefits for the rider

Theinnovative profile of the new rear tyre maximizes contact at peak leaningangles and reaps utmost benefit from the bicompound technology used, adoptingthe same SC2 compound used for slick racing tyres to offer the grip typical ofcompetition-grade products while guaranteeing the robustness and versatilityneeded on the road. To ensure that it works in complete harmony with the reartyre, the front tyre, too, has benefited from a new important development: alldriving features related to handling — from feedback provided to the rider, tofirmness of the support, all the way to the feeling of safety and ability topredict the limit grip — have been optimized in a new front tyre profile thatoffers a slightly higher maximum cord than the previous version. Redesigningthe geometries of the semi-finished materials and strip belting scheme has setnew absolute benchmarks for agility and rideability, associating them with peakracing performance. Finally, the new DIABLO™ SUPERCORSA SP tread designfeatures new “flash” geometry that optimizes track performance by improvingwear and reducing groove widths designed to provide adequate support for higherlateral thrusts.

Ingeneral, the new DIABLO™ SUPERCORSA SP is aproduct that makes versatility and adaptability its strengths: in, does not require a sophisticated set-up of the bike and it easily adaptitself to the different configurations and temperature conditions that can befound on different tracks.

Who it is for

DIABLO ™SUPERCORSA SP is designed for all riders, above all theowners of large engine supersport and naked models, seeking a tyre that canprovide maximum performance on the road and, at the same time, be a superbproduct for the racetrack, second only to the performance offered by blendracing tyres. For this reason, DIABLO™ SUPERCORSA SP is the idealtyre for all those who not only requiring peak sports performance on the roadbut who also love a spin on the track and who want to ride their bikes directlyto the circuit without loading them onto a trolley and without having to changethe tyres or arrange for special set up once they reach their destination.

THE NEW TYRE IN DETAIL

Profiles

Asanticipated, DIABLO™ SUPERCORSA SP has a new racing profile. More specifically, this is the same profile Pirelli uses in its FIM WorldSuperbike Championship DIABLO™ SUPERBIKE slick tyres, a tyre that achievesnew levels of manoeuvrability and grip both on the track and on road.

The new multi-radius profile can ensureuniform distribution of the stresses over the entire contact area.

The 200/60 ZR17 rear tyre has beencompletely redesigned and adopts the same profile used in the slick tyres.

Comparedto the 200/55 ZR17, the new profile is 9 mm wider and its overall diameter is16 mm greater.

Much ofthis larger diameter is used in the tread area that, thanks to the increase ofthe cord, allows lean angles never reached before and a greater footprint.

All thisimproves manoeuvrability and ensures a wider contact area which, in turn, meansincreased grip, stability and trajectory precision, not only when leaning intoa bend, but also when entering and exiting the bend, i.e. when the rider isstill braking or has started accelerating.

Withthis technical solution, the tyre achieves a new degree of grip at maximum leanangle and, since it maintains the same radius at the centre of the profile, itdoes so without forfeiting the manageability typical of the 200/55.

The front profile has been enhanced and isnow 2 mm wider than that of the previous 120/70 ZR17. It has been perfectlybalanced to work in unison with the rear tyre, thus guaranteeing excellenthandling and good support in the bends.

Theadvantages are the same as those achieved on the rear tyre but with the addedbenefit that, thanks to its wider area of contact, less stress is applied onthe compound.

In addition, with the new sidewallprofile, management of the strain on the tyre structure is improved, impartinggreater flexibility in acceleration when coming out of a bend and enhancingtraction. As a result, the general feeling of safety and the degree of feedbackthe rider receives from the front tyre also increases.

The advantages of the solutionsadopted in terms of driving features can be summarized as follows:

• Speed inthe bends

•Greater sense of safety and control both on the racetrack and on the road

•Hesitation-free entry into bends so that speed can be maintained, even whenleaning

• Hightraction enabling acceleration even before exiting the bend

Structure

The carcassfor the new DIABLO™ SUPERCORSA SP has been derived directly from the DIABLO™SUPERBIKE slick product. The rear tyre has a pure radial carcass, the front isalso radial but with an angle of the carcass plies optimized for road use. Inparticular, these insights have been aimed at improving stability at highspeeds and on long straight stretches such as on highways.

Compounds

Amongthe new solutions developed for the DIABLO™ SUPERCORSA SP , a key factoris undoubtedly the compounds.

Differentcompounds are used in the front and rear tyres, the dual compound used on therear tyre has three different application zones. The new profile also requiredoptimizing the thickness of the compound applied.

The front tyre is a mono-compound, asolution that allows rapid warm-up and a steadfast grip in any situation.

Thethicknesses of the compound on the tread band have been optimized in every areafrom the centre to the shoulders using a new high automation Pirelli processthat optimizes the amount of material to be applied with utmost precision.

The rear tyre is a bicompound and for the first time ever in a tyreapproved for road use, Pirelli decided to use a racing blend developed inthe FIM World Superbike Championship.

Usingthe Enhanced Patch Technology (EPT)it proved possible to use a very soft compound on the shoulder. By using newpolymers for the compound in the DIABLO™ SUPERCORSA SP it waspossible to achieve even faster warm-up and an even better grip under allconditions while keeping consistency of performance.

The useof different compounds for the shoulders and central area is the winningsolution, designed to give the DIABLO™ SUPERCORSA SP performancetypical of a product for the racetrack plus the versatility and endurance of aproduct designed for the road.

In the central area, thecompound is 100% Black Carbon Black, thus ensuring superb gripand good mileage, particularly on the road; the compound used on shoulders is the one used in the DIABLO™ SUPERBIKESC2 slick tyre which offers the biker the highest grip, even at sharpleaning angles.

Torecap, the solution adopted by the Pirelli Research and Development Departmenthas made it possible to:

• use aless rigid compound on the shoulders, a compound with high hysteresis and softenough at both low and high temperatures to provide rapid warm-up and asteadfast grip, always secure when cornering. And all this regardless of theweather conditions

• A newprofile with a bigger cord and wider angle at the shoulders to provide grip atall leaning angles

• Highmechanical strength materials in the centre area, materials with a highconcentration of Carbon Black to ensure optimal traction and uniform wear, evenunder stress, as well as high mileage.

Tread pattern

Whencompared to its predecessor, the DIABLO™ SUPERCORSA SP has a new, optimized eight-step tread pattern,a pattern that repeats eight times over the entire tyre surface.

Now the full/void ratio is 4% for both the frontand rear tyres, which is the minimum threshold imposed by the InternationalMotorcycling Federation for sports activities and which Pirelli has adopted andapproved for use on racing road tyres.

Afteryears of experience at international and national Superstock and Supersportclass competitions, Pirelli has succeeded in further optimizing the treadpattern by building on its own angular“flash” geometry, the typical shape of Pirelli's supersport products. Thebridges between the longitudinal grooves have new angles, designed to ensure better response to lateral forces.

Newangles, together with the narrowergrooves, improve stability and ensure more uniform wear, particularly inintense use.

Sizes

Startingin January, the new DIABLO™ Supercorsa SP will be available only as spare parts inthe two sizes for the Ducati Panigale V4; the line will be completed in thefall of 2018.

Photocourtesy of Ducati for ambience and action pictures with Panigale V4.