The Pirelli Diablo Rosso II is a summer performance motorcycle tyre with consistent owner praise for dry grip and generally favourable wet-grip reports. Tread-life opinions are evenly divided, and a minority raise concerns about rear braking.
Dry grip is the clearest strength of the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II, praised by 11 of 16 owners without criticism. Wet grip is also more often praised than criticised, with six favourable accounts and two complaints. Several riders describe quick warm-up, although some find it needs heat before working well. This owner record supports its appeal to a rider prioritising dry-road grip, but does not show equally consistent approval across every condition or use.
Tread life divides opinion evenly, including both satisfaction and disappointment in end-of-life accounts, so no typical lifespan can be established. Two riders criticise rear braking: one finds the feel vague, while an end-of-life owner describes a rear wheel that locks too easily, occurring more often later in use. These are minority accounts rather than a general braking verdict. Nine reviews lack a stage of use, leaving grip retention and handling changes unresolved. With no independent test summary here, the assessment rests on rider experience rather than measured braking or handling comparisons.
The quick answer
Owners say82%from 19 owner reviews71% would buy againRead the reviews
Tests saySorry, we don't currently have any test data for the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II
Strengths & weaknessesDry gripGenerally favourable wet gripVague rear braking or rear wheel locking too easily in a minority of accountsSummarised from owner reviews
Built from every independent test result and vetted owner review we hold for this tyre - the evidence is all further down the page. Data updated September 2023.
How many miles does the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II last?
Based on test and owner data, the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II is expected to last around 9,167 miles (14,753 km).
What do owners say about the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II?
Across 19 owner ratings the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II averages 82%. Owners rate Dry Grip highest at 9 out of 10 and Wet Grip lowest at 7.3. 2 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles. 100% of owners score it 70% or better.
How comfortable and quiet are the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II?
Owners rate the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II 8.6 out of 10 for comfort and noise across 16 reviews.
How well do the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II wear, according to owners?
Owners rate the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II 7.5 out of 10 for wear across 16 reviews. 2 of those reviews come from owners past 10,000 miles, and the typical review covers 3,850 miles.
Would owners buy the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II again?
71% of owners say they would buy the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II again, based on the 17 owner reviews that answered the question. 29% of them gave it the highest possible answer.
More questions about the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II(3)
What do owners say about the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II's dry grip?
Of the 16 owner reviews analysed for the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II, 11 mention dry grip: 11 praise it (strong dry grip) and 0 criticise it (limited dry grip). One owner wrote: "very confidence inspiring". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II's tread life?
Of the 16 owner reviews analysed for the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II, 10 mention tread life: 5 praise it (long-lasting) and 5 criticise it (wears quickly). One owner wrote: "very happy to get right at 2500 miles out of the rear". Read those reviews
What do owners say about the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II's wet grip?
Of the 16 owner reviews analysed for the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II, 8 mention wet grip: 6 praise it (confident wet grip) and 2 criticise it (weak wet grip). One owner wrote: "never in my over 40 years off riding felt more confident in riding in the wet". Read those reviews
Questions and Answers for the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II
How many kms can this go?
June 14, 2019
Tyre wear can have a huge number of factors such as vehicle weight, driving style and surfaces driven on. I'd recommend looking through the wear ratings on the website to find an average for your own personal setup.
The Pirelli Diablo Rosso II earns its most consistent praise for dry grip, mentioned positively by 11 of 16 owners without criticism. Wet grip is more often praised than criticised, and several riders describe quick warm-up, though some find it needs heat before working well. Tread-life opinions are evenly divided, with end-of-life accounts showing both satisfaction and disappointment rather than one typical lifespan. Two riders criticise rear braking: one finds the feel vague, while an end-of-life reviewer reports a rear wheel that locks too easily, becoming more frequent later in use. Nine reviews lack a stage of use, so these reports do not establish a general decline in grip or handling as the tyre wears.
What owners mention most counted across 16 reviews
Tap one to read only the reviews that mention it.
Owner ratings averaged from 19 ratings
Owner score82%
Dry Grip90%
Road Feedback86%
Comfort86%
Handling84%
Wear75%
Wet Grip73%
Featured reviews
Most helpful 94%
“Fitted to a Suzuki GSXR 1000 K3 Rode from Fort William to Unapool Scotland 111 miles weather very wet moderate to heavy rain air temp roughly 14 degrees June 16th 2023 been riding for over 40 years grip from these tyres...”
“I'm not gonna review yall the cornering grip and such. Theres plenty here BUT what's not avail is the mileage of the tyre on a smaller bike.im weighing at 95kg and So tyyre actually lasted way more than 18000km on a...”
Fitted to a Suzuki GSXR 1000 K3
Rode from Fort William to Unapool Scotland 111 miles weather very wet moderate to heavy rain air temp roughly 14 degrees June 16th 2023
been riding for over 40 years grip from these tyres in these conditions were unbelievable as you can imagine my desire to get to my hotel ASAP made me push things a bit more than i would normally in these conditions i at no time felt any lack off grip these tyres stuck to the road like glue never in my over 40 years off riding felt more confident in riding in the wet cannot praise these tyres enough 1st class pay a bit extra never buy cheap allternatives you really only get what you pay for
I'm not gonna review yall the cornering grip and such. Theres plenty here BUT what's not avail is the mileage of the tyre on a smaller bike.im weighing at 95kg and So tyyre actually lasted way more than 18000km on a DRZ400SM. My current odometer on was changed 1 month into owning this bike, so i'd say i would have probably reached 20,000km on this tyre. Or an average of about 1year 2 month for me.
It actually would have been usable for a little bit longer, but tyre was wornout unevenly probably due to accelerating too much while leaning a little to the right, and some slidings when im feeling rowdy. Also had to ride a few KM slowly on flat tyre to find tube and that probably would have contributed to the uneven surface. This is the rear.
The front still have loads of life in them and will probably last me a year more.
Changed my rear to Rosso III at 18,746km and looking forward to reviewing it at the end of its life!
Check out how the BEST all seasons tyres perform against premium summer and winter tyres!
Member
Yamaha
/55 R17
Mostly Country Roads
Spirited
I am now on my third set of Rosso 2's, and I could not be anymore disappointed than I am right now. Three sets in 2 years? First set, cupped after two months, second set, rear tire cupped less but front tire major cupping. Third set, less than a year old and the front tire is majorly cupped. After all of these years of promoting and pushing Pirellis for riders, I am going to have to bow out and go to a competitor.
Which tyres do you drive?
Researching the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II? Rate the tyres you actually drive - and help the next buyer choose.
I use these on a 99 gsxr750 and do very spirited riding. I’m very happy to get right at 2500 miles out of the rear. I have never gotten into a situation with these tires and are very confidence inspiring. Tires have a lot of feel and are excellent in the wet (for a super sport tire). I have absolutely no complaints, even the tread life! If you ride a little too fast or too hard, spend the extra money for your safety and piece of mind. You will never out ride this tire on the street and I find comfort in knowing I have some wiggle room when it comes to traction if a panic situation were to happen.
perfect for super sports of any size. great dry grip, but I never hooned in the rain, so I don't know. but they wear fast in the center. 4,000 miles on the rear before the center showed bands.
They lasted me 5 years and around 5500miles doing mostly city and a bit of highway and mountain roads.
Both the front and the rear wore at the same rate with no obvious flat spots.
Never had issues with the front, but the rear would spin really easily under acceleration and lock frequently under medium to heavy braking (no ABS). This started to happen more often in the second half of the tire life.
I now have a new pair of Michelin Road 5 and they have more grip and stability in corners. But that's most likely due to the tires being new.
Comfort-wise I find the Rosso 2 to be significantly quieter.
I really like the Road 5 (200 miles on them). I think they are a better fit for the Hornet. At least for my driving style. The Rosso 2 are more aggressive and need a bit of heat in them before you are able to use them properly which I would rarely be able to do.
80%
Member
155/60 R17 H
fitted these on my duke 125 I loved them for the most part the only downside was in the rain the were not dangerous but the were not good either as for wear I had them on for 2 years and about 30ks I could not wear them out since road here are more like marble than tarmac I know changed them for the dunlop sportsmart2max seems to be better in the rain the front has a great feel but the rear is vague in braking at the limit and not that fast to lean other than that they took a lot of miles to brake in before they did they were horrible now they are good all and all I would suggest the rosso 2 for sportier more powerful bikes and the dunlops for more rain oriented riding and not seeking the ultimate grip levels and feel
I cannot choose the right sizes that 110/70R17 and 140/70R17 where as perfect fitted to my Yamaha YZF-R25. Very good handling and grip performance on almost every weather and road conditions. Especially dry roads. I drove 16.000kms with first pair of these tyres and very satisfied. I bought new pair of Rosso II after 16K kms and replaced them with new Rossos.
Very good handling on dry, wet conditions almost all weather except very cool and dry weather. Strongly recommended for the size 110/70/R17 front and 140/70R17 rear.
Early days on these Rosso 2 but they seem to compliment the Monster really well. Specifically purchased for their grip and dry weather performance. They seem to warm up quickly and provide excellent levels of grip I have no complaints at all and they compare favourably in price to the other major manufacturers offerings. They may be a little softer than other tyres and therefore wear quickly but then that's why I've fitted them. Not that you buy tyres for the way they look but they are pretty cool from that perspective too. Can't comment on wet performance, but if it's pouring then I'm in the car and the Monster's tucked up in bed !!
77%
Member
190/50 R17
Seen some reviews with crazy miles on them. This is not the case for me and my gen 1 zx10r, it's modded slightly and pulling 168hp at the wheel. I get around 1500 miles to a rear if I'm lucky. That's hard use on roads. I'm on my 3Rd set looking at the rosso 3 to replace them. I love the tyres. Great in the dry, very quick warm up, shit in the wet.
Bike: 2014 Triumph Street Triple R (standard bhp).
Riding Type: Dry roads with fast sweeping curves and tight twisties. Motorways, duel carriageways, in fact all straight roads avoided. Seldom commute or use city roads.
Superb dry grip, ok wet grip, very nice turn in, wears rapidly, good stability, predictable with good feedback, quite expensive given the wear rate.
A high quality grippy tyre for fast dry road or dry track day.
best tire i have ever put on my bike, and i have tried a few.
great Feed back and very soft for the road. and the best thing is that they heat up very quick. just a little slippery if not warm as all.
also did a 45km run of 100-140kph in heavy rain with a lot of confidence.
