Taka heads to Indo to test the Pirelli DIABLO ROSSO IV Corsas, join the 150th b'day, catch WorldSBK then puts 4000km into street and race testing here... Photos: Pirelli Moto/Cameron White

Pirelli recently invited BikeReview to the DIABLO ROSSO IV Corsa & DIABLO ROSSO IV launch at Indonesia’s Mandalika International Street Circuit, including VIP guesting for WorldSBK round 11 over the weekend, and a track day on Monday…

Taka testing the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV Corsa tyres on Mandalika International Street Circuit. He also raced on them here and did 4000km on road for his mammoth test.

Taka testing the Pirelli DIABLO ROSSO IV Corsa tyres on Mandalika International Street Circuit. He also raced on them here and did 4000km on road for his mammoth test including a 97 lap endurance run at Broadford Raceway.

With Jeff still injured from an accident earlier in 2022, I was lucky enough to get chosen to replace him, based on my testing experience with the Pirelli range including racing on the new DRIV Corsa prior to heading to Indo… Lucky for me, not so lucky for Jeff. Sorry mate!

Check out our full gallery of Taka’s epic Pirelli trip here…

Pirelli Business Unit Moto Pacific head, Marcel Bode, headed up this trip and there were two other journalists joining us from AMCN and Cycleonline.com.au, Pete Vorst and Troy Guenther. I had the fortune to meet up with Marcel one week before departure when we shared an Aussie lunch at Pie in The Sky, Cowan, while I was on my road trip of 4000km street testing the DRIV Corsa on my MT-10.

THE TRIP – First of all, I want to share the big trip with you, because it was such a cool experience for any rider… but you can skip straight down to the test if you are not interested in my trip… I flew by myself from Melbourne to Denpasar and the other media were coming from Sydney and we met at the destination. I arrived at the airport and it was hot and humid, I struggled breathing and I realised I’d most definitely landed in middle Asia. I was picked up by a friendly local driver and it was midnight by the time I checked into our nice hotel and I caught up with the others at the bar for a cold beer and introductions.

We drove thorough the main gates with VIP passes like Kings and got in the VIP lounge with free drink and food and of course, icy cold air conditioning. How good is this?

I had a bloody good sleep on the massive bed and woke up and opened the curtains. There it was. This awesome Bali resort! It was too dark still, and I was too tired to check around plus we needed to leave early because WorldSBK was starting. I was excited thinking about that, more than the resort.

It took three hours to get to Lombok Island by fast boat. We then drove to the city for an hour or so and checked into another really nice hotel. We were all already exhausted from the boat trip. I actually got sick! I was given the key and entered my room and there was a welcome letter and gift, which was a Pirelli 1st Podium hat with my name on it! It was a huge surprise and made me so happy, I love that stuff. It will go straight to the trophy cabinet!

Marcel and I then went to the rooftop swimming pool and relaxed until the official Pirelli function started. There were about 60 people from all around APAC, we had dinner together with traditional Asian food, it was delicious, and a good way to get to know everyone.

THE RACING – On Sunday morning we all left early by bus, and it took an hour to get to the circuit. I saw lots of motorcycles on the way as spectators began the trip and they would have been as excited as me. We arrived at Mandalika Circuit, and it was seriously hot but still super exciting. I grew up and raced in Japan, which is very humid in summer, but I’m never used to SE Asian heat, I was imagining how hot it would be wearing leathers and riding on Monday, just like the Suzuka 8 Hour!

Taka and Marcel on the fast ferry to Lombok, heading to the WorldSBK weekend prior to the Monday test of the DRIV.

Taka and Marcel on the fast ferry to Lombok, heading to the WorldSBK weekend prior to the Monday test of the DRIV.

We drove thorough the main gates with VIP passes like Kings and got in the VIP lounge with free drink and food and of course, icy cold air conditioning. How good is this? We watched the SS300 race in the VIP lounge. The Pirelli Head of Motorsport Operations Giorgio Barbieri and WorldSBK Pirelli Manager Lorenzo Pomone talked to us about the company and motorsport, WorldSBK operations for Pirelli and gave us loads of technical information… It was great and very interesting.

After that it was time to check out WorldSBK Race 2…  (full report is here) – we rushed to go to the starting grid, this was my first time having a grid pass at any professional race. I couldn’t believe I was there. Was I dreaming? It was great to have a look around and I even got to see our family friend Midori Moriwaki and get a quick selfie with her. My wife Kyoko has known Midori for many years, it was great to see her.

The time flew by and soon the historical race started. It was an amazing race, and to see Alvaro take the title and all the emotions on the podium, to be right there watching it all unfold, was a special moment. My dream continued… And we had a great evening with cold beers, good food and company and celebrations and relaxing at the hotel, ready for the ride the next day.

THE TYRE TEST – Now for the tyre test… In the morning we eagerly headed back to the circuit, and I saw a lot of bikes wearing brand new tyres, all ready to go. Jesus, this is a dream, someone prepared my bike to ride in the circuit. How lucky am I? And we can compare different products. Amazing… This was my first ride at this circuit and although I did image training, I was still nervous. It was a brand-new surface on the Friday and the WorldSBK guys had some issues with it being slippery over the race weekend…

“On the new track, on new tyres and an unfamiliar bike there were no elements that made me nervous at all…”

Heading out on track for the first time, I took it slowly and tried to learn the course a little. Soon I realise what an awesome track it is, with no bumps, and it has been cleaned up and rubberised by the WorldSBK riders (thank you all). Gradually, the tyres warm up, and I get on the pace more.

On the new track, on new tyres and an unfamiliar bike there were no elements that made me nervous at all. Only four bikes on the circuit, with a 4.3km lap, I had the track to myself and was able to test the tyres quickly and thoroughly. I was really impressed with the behaviour of the DRIV (DIABLO ROSSO IV) Corsa in these unfamiliar (to me) conditions. They gave me confidence. I started to wish I had more bikes to race with!

"Jesus, this is a dream, someone prepared my bike to ride in the circuit. How lucky am I? And we can compare different products. Amazing…"

“Jesus, this is a dream, someone prepared my bike to ride in the circuit. How lucky am I? And we can compare different products. Amazing…” Marcel applies the magical Pirelli sticker to ensure good grip!

In the end I was able to do two hours testing and was able to ride the DRIV Corsa and DRIV back-to-back, something I had not done on the same day at the same time previously. The Corsa is quick leaning, has intense edge grip and feel, and accepts hard acceleration while feeling soft. The DRIV doesn’t have that level of intense grip but still has enough grip and durability, plus stability, to push quite hard on the track. You can read more about the DRIV in my previous review here, but most definitely the Corsa is better for high performance track use, as expected.

Taka spent two hours testing on Mandalika Circuit, trying the DRIV and DRIV Corsa back-to-back.

Taka spent two hours testing on Mandalika Circuit, trying the DRIV and DRIV Corsa back-to-back.

I tested a set of DRIV Corsa tyres on the road before I went to Indonesia. I went to Mt Kosciusko for two days and touring to the NSW Central Coast and back home to Melbourne, which ended up 3500km in all-weather conditions, and they gave good stability and confidence.

“I completed a separate test day of 200km/96 laps and performance drop off was gentle. A great tyre for long distance…”

I had previously had the DRIV, and I learned this time that even if the model of Pirelli tyre changes the sense of feel and security of the Pirelli brand does not change. Aussie roads are big and wide, just like Phillip Island, so I learned that it is important to run high performance tyres on your high-performance bike, even on the streets… and in the end I got 4000km use!

I also competed on Pirelli DRIV Corsa prior to the launch and scored a podium on them. I think they improved my bike’s handling, with a more stable feel than the Diablo Rosso Corsa II previously used, mild handling, not as quick as the Supercorsa range. Scrub-in is super quick and safe on track, while on the road it took around 150km to soften up and settle and feel good, pretty much the same as any tyre on the road, it is important to give them time to settle and scrub.

Recent race experience on the DRIV Corsa gave Taka some fantastic data to assess the tyres with.

Recent race experience on the DRIV Corsa gave Taka some fantastic data to assess the tyres with.

Rolling feel and noise on the open road is where Pirelli are very good, and the DRIV Corsa are above average. Of my 4000km, 2000km were on highway use and they were smooth and quiet. Impressive. Straight line stability is 100 per cent stable, road, and track, both my racebike and road bike felt like they were on a train track at high speed.

On the streets and in the mountains, the feel from the front DRIV Corsa is fantastic in a wide range of temperatures and conditions, with good feel at the front brake lever for confident braking into turns. During competitive racing and on-track endurance testing (I did 97 laps at Broadford, leaving 10 per cent rear and 30 per cent front left before sliding started), braking had to be adjusted to be earlier than on the Supercorsa.

“I was able to lap Broadford on my CBR600RR at 1.02.6s best lap, with an average of 1.03…”

Edge grip is fantastic on the road, with great feel and confidence mid corner. On track it is also good, but when pushing for a lap time, caution needs to be used compared to Supercorsa tyres but generally it is very high for a street sports tyre, I’m comparing to full race rubber. The DRIV Corsa steering is predictable yet responsive on road and racetrack.

Taka put close to 6000km on a set of Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV for us on his Yamaha MT-10.

“I ran OEM MT-10 pressures of F36 and R42 on the street. Occasionally I drop 10 per cent, but not this time.”

At the back, the rear tyre grip is awesome and gave me 100 per cent confidence on road and racetrack. I was able to lap Broadford on my CBR600RR at 1.02.6s best lap, with an average of 1.03 running hot pressures of F32 and R33, on a cloudy day, dry, of 13 degrees. As mentioned, after the full race weekend, I completed a separate test day of 200km/96 laps and performance drop off was gentle. A great tyre for long distance.

The rear tyre hooks up nicely on the road and has a good steering feel for direction changes, like through a set of esses, from lean to lean the tyre is predictable and traction control only just touches, meaning the tyre is hooking up well over most surfaces. I ran OEM MT-10 pressures of F36 and R42 on the street. Occasionally I drop 10 per cent, but not this time.

The ultimate sports road combo for me personally would be currently a DRIV rear tyre and a DRIV Corsa front tyre, simply for extra road mileage. If I was doing track days on my MT-10 and did not have my CBR600RR track bike, I would run DRIV Corsa on both ends of the Yamaha for street and track use. The DIABLO ROSSO IV Corsa is a fantastic performance tyre for the serious sports and hypernaked rider. I recommend you give them a try…

 

TECH TALK, THE DRIV CORSA

Pirelli state that this new high-performance hypersport tyre raises the bar of sports riding even higher within the DIABLO ROSSO family. The new DIABLO ROSSO IV Corsa represents a fiercer version of the DIABLO ROSSO IV. Here are all of the tech details straight from Pirelli…

Pirelli say the Diablo IV Corsa was created to satisfy the most demanding motorcyclists seeking a tyre capable of high performance, to fully utilise the potential of their bikes.

Pirelli say the Diablo IV Corsa was created to satisfy the most demanding motorcyclists seeking a tyre capable of high performance, to fully utilise the potential of their bikes.

The new DIABLO ROSSO IV Corsa has been released on the 150th anniversary of Pirelli and becomes an integral part of the celebrations. During 2022 a limited edition DIABLO ROSSO IV Corsa pays homage to this milestone and features the Pirelli’s 150th anniversary logo on its sidewall.

"During

Pirelli say the DIABLO ROSSO IV Corsa is the ideal choice for riders who love a dynamic riding style on winding roads and mountain passes and want a tyre to match the sporty performance of their motorcycle. Riders who are passionate about tuning, who look for performance upgrades and take care of the bike set-up and aesthetics. Overall, the new ROSSO IV Corsa is the perfect choice for riders looking for that extreme performance before going to full slicks.

GS Adv

The new hoops benefit from higher grip in dry conditions, thanks to a slicker tread design that guarantees a larger footprint area alongside the use of innovative compounds that increase mechanical grip levels. The innovative technologies applied to the carcass make DIABLO ROSSO IV Corsa able to adhere to the micro-roughness of the asphalt, ensuring precise feedback and a feeling of control.

Pirelli have put plenty of development into making sure the new hoops talk to the rider at high speeds.

Pirelli have put plenty of development into making sure the new hoops talk to the rider at high speeds.

Performance consistency over multiple riding sessions is made possible by the characteristics of the tread pattern, the repetition of the grooves offers high resistance to stress and the new arrangement of the compounds, ensures optimal thermal balance.

The tread design of DIABLO ROSSO IV Corsa features a calculated repetition of the central grooves and a slicker shoulder area, for a fill ratio 25% lower than the DIABLO ROSSO IV. In the central area, the longitudinal grooves ensures directional stability and water evacuation. Their position helps to evenly wear the tyres, while increasing the structural stability of the tyre to give performance consistency over multiple riding sessions.

Careful consideration has been put into the construction and design of the grooves.

The DIABLO ROSSO IV Corsa features a large slick area on the shoulders, able to offer high levels of grip, precision and stability at maximum lean angles.

The front tyre is divided into three areas using two different compounds. The central band has a Full Silica compound that occupies around 45% of the section width and is present in the contact area used up to 25 degrees of lean angle.

The side areas have a softer compound, also Full Silica, thanks to the use of innovative resins that offer excellent grip and improves the front tyre feedback. The rear tyre also has a bi-compound scheme for excellent road performance and works in harmony with the front. The central Full Silica compound allows for a quick warm-up and excellent chemical grip on different surface conditions.

The shoulder compound is 100% Carbon Black and derives directly from the compounds of DIABLO Supercorsa SC used in racing competitions. Pirelli say this compound offers support at full lean and traction during acceleration managing the torque generated by the latest generation superbikes.

The profiles of DIABLO ROSSO IV Corsa are race-derived and are characterised by a multi radius design that improves the tyre’s handling. The central area has a sharper profile to facilitate immediate lean and rapid change of direction. In the lateral areas, Pirelli say the profile curvature is less accentuated in order to increase the contact area and ensure maximum traction when cornering. Both front and rear tyres follow a similar profile design, ensuring a perfectly balanced and neutral behaviour.

Pirelli say the profile curvature is less accentuated in order to increase the contact area and ensure maximum traction when cornering.

“Pirelli say the profile curvature is less accentuated in order to increase the contact area and ensure maximum traction when cornering.”

With the DIABLO ROSSO IV Corsa, Pirelli uses a racing-derived structure with zero-degree steel belt, this manages to adapt perfectly to different levels of stress without compromising comfort and work with advanced electronic control systems. The stiff cord technology features structural cords that are more rigid and are distributed with less density (-20%) compared to a standard sport tyre. This scheme leaves more room for the rubber compound, which improves riding feeling and precision thanks to its damping properties, thus transmitting to the rider, a safety feeling and control of the motorcycle.

Pirelli DIABLO ROSSO IV Corsa Sizes

Front

  • 110/70 ZR 17 M/C 54W TL
  • 120/70 ZR 17 M/C (58W) TL 

Rear

  • 150/60 ZR 17 M/C 66W TL
  • 180/55 ZR 17 M/C (73W) TL
  • 180/60 ZR 17 M/C (75W) TL
  • 190/50 ZR 17 M/C (73W) TL
  • 190/55 ZR 17 M/C (75W) TL
  • 200/55 ZR 17 M/C (78W) TL
  • 200/60 ZR 17 M/C (80W) TL
Yamaha 2
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