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Head-to-head Updated May 2026

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR vs Pirelli Diablo Rosso III — Compared (May 2026)

Our Relative Score blends 60% objective test data with 40% owner-review signal — so any two tires can be compared even if they were never tested on the same day.

Tire A Dunlop

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR

Summer Ultra High Performance tires

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
70/100
1 owner review
Dry
100
Wet
40
Comfort
90
Treadwear
40
Handling
90

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Pirelli

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III

Summer Max Performance tires

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
83/100
9 owner reviews
Dry
90
Wet
77
Comfort
88
Treadwear
75
Handling
90

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Pirelli Diablo Rosso III — better wet and treadwear. Pick the Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR if dry matters most to you.
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Category breakdown

5 categories, side by side

Each bar is the Relative Score for that category. Expand a tile to see the test results and owner ratings behind it.

Dry

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Sportmax Qualifier HR leads by 10
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
100
B — Pirelli Diablo Rosso III
90
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRDiablo Rosso III
Tyre Reviews owners 100 90

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Diablo Rosso III leads by 37
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
40
B — Pirelli Diablo Rosso III
77
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRDiablo Rosso III
Tyre Reviews owners 40 77

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Sportmax Qualifier HR leads by 2
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
90
B — Pirelli Diablo Rosso III
88
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRDiablo Rosso III
Tyre Reviews owners 90 88

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Diablo Rosso III leads by 35
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
40
B — Pirelli Diablo Rosso III
75
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRDiablo Rosso III
Tyre Reviews owners 40 75

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100)
A — Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
90
B — Pirelli Diablo Rosso III
90
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier HRDiablo Rosso III
Tyre Reviews owners 90 90

Scores at a glance

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR vs Pirelli Diablo Rosso III: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop Sportmax Qualifier HRPirelli Diablo Rosso III
Relative Score 65 82
Dry 100 90
Wet 40 77
Comfort 90 88
Treadwear 40 75
Handling 90 90

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

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Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

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Recomputed
Headline score

Tire A

Tire B

From owners

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR

The Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR is perceived as a performance-oriented tire best suited for lightweight, lower-horsepower motorcycles in dry conditions. While it offers high levels of confidence and agility, its utility is significantly hampered by poor wet-weather performance and exceptionally short tread life.

Pros

  • Excellent dry-weather grip and handling
  • High confidence during aggressive cornering
  • Reduced rotational inertia suitable for smaller displacement bikes

Cons

  • Very poor tread longevity, even on low-power motorcycles
  • Significant lack of traction in wet conditions

Observations

  • Users note that the H-rated specification is well-matched for smaller displacement bikes (e.g., 60BHP range) to improve acceleration.
  • Despite the lower power output of the intended vehicle class, the tire still suffers from rapid tread wear.
Tire B Pirelli Diablo Rosso III

The Pirelli Diablo Rosso III is widely regarded as a high-performance sport tire that excels in providing predictable grip, excellent feedback, and confidence-inspiring wet-weather handling. While users consistently praise its agility and performance on twisty roads, there is a notable divide regarding tread longevity, with some riders experiencing rapid wear compared to more specialized track-focused or touring alternatives.

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and predictable handling at various lean angles
  • Improved wet-weather performance compared to more aggressive track-oriented tires
  • Fast warm-up times providing immediate confidence
  • High level of rider feedback and stability under heavy braking

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread life, with some users reporting premature rear tire wear
  • Potential for rapid degradation under aggressive riding styles
  • Isolated reports of structural issues such as delamination

Observations

  • Sportbike riders (Ducati 959 Panigale, Yamaha R1) report high satisfaction with the tire's ability to handle aggressive cornering and track-day usage.
  • Users transitioning from touring-oriented tires (e.g., Scorpion Trail) to the Rosso III note a significant increase in agility and cornering capability, though at the expense of touring longevity.
Specifications

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso III
CategorySummer Ultra High Performance tiresSummer Max Performance tires
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle
Final verdict

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

Pirelli

Winner: Pirelli Diablo Rosso III — better wet and treadwear. Pick the Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR if dry matters most to you.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III scores 77 vs 40 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III scores 75 vs 40 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR scores 100 vs 90 on dry.

Tire A · Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier HR
Tire B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso III

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements) normalized against the best tire in each test and weighted toward recent tests. 40% comes from thousands of owner reviews collected from retailers and review sites. When a tire has only one of the two, we use what exists and say so.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score.