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Head-to-head Updated September 2026

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II vs Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV — Compared (September 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 II

Summer Ultra High Performance tires

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II tread pattern
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
87/100
2 owner reviews
Dry
95
Wet
75
Comfort
95
Treadwear
70
Handling
95
Check price on Amazon

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VS
Tire B Pirelli

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV

Summer Max Performance tires

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tread pattern
Objective (60%)
70/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
87/100
7 owner reviews
Dry
89
Wet
72
Comfort
86
Treadwear
76
Handling
91
Check price on Amazon

Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.

VerdictWinner: Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II — better comfort, dry and handling. Pick the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV if treadwear 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 II leads by 6
A
95
B
89
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier IIDiablo Rosso IV
Professional tests (TWG score) – 87
Tyre Reviews owners 95 93

Wet

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Sportmax Qualifier II leads by 3
A
75
B
72
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier IIDiablo Rosso IV
Professional tests (TWG score) – 67
Tyre Reviews owners 75 79

Comfort

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Sportmax Qualifier II leads by 9
A
95
B
86
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier IIDiablo Rosso IV
Tyre Reviews owners 95 86

Treadwear

Weight: Important
Score (0–100) Diablo Rosso IV leads by 6
A
70
B
76
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier IIDiablo Rosso IV
Tyre Reviews owners 70 76

Handling

Weight: Neutral
Score (0–100) Sportmax Qualifier II leads by 4
A
95
B
91
Why this score
SourceSportmax Qualifier IIDiablo Rosso IV
Tyre Reviews owners 95 91
DriverReviews owners – 92

Scores at a glance

CategoryDunlop Sportmax Qualifier IIPirelli Diablo Rosso IV
Relative Score 83 81
Dry 95 89
Wet 75 72
Comfort 95 86
Treadwear 70 76
Handling 95 91

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 II

The Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II is regarded as a responsive and confidence-inspiring tire that offers excellent feedback and predictable handling characteristics. While it performs well in spirited riding conditions, users note that it requires a brief warm-up period to reach optimal operating temperatures in colder weather.

Pros

  • Quick and agile turn-in response
  • High levels of grip and tactile feedback
  • Predictable behavior when approaching the limit of traction
  • Reliable performance in wet conditions

Cons

  • Requires significant warm-up time in cold temperatures
  • Performance is sensitive to ambient temperature fluctuations

Observations

  • Sportbike riders, specifically those on middleweight machines like the Kawasaki ZX6R, report a noticeable improvement in agility compared to competing brands.
Tire B Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV

The Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV is widely regarded as a top-tier hypersport tire that offers significant improvements in feedback, warm-up time, and lean-angle confidence over its predecessors. While users consistently praise its performance in both wet and dry conditions, the consensus notes that these gains come at a premium price point and with potential longevity trade-offs depending on riding style.

Pros

  • Exceptional dry and wet grip with rapid warm-up times.
  • High level of precision and confidence at deep lean angles.
  • Improved feedback and stability compared to previous generations (DR2/DR3).
  • Surprisingly good low-speed stability and handling characteristics.

Cons

  • Higher price point compared to competitors and previous models.
  • Performance consistency may degrade as the tire reaches the end of its service life.
  • Potential for increased wear rates under aggressive riding conditions.

Observations

  • Users reported significant improvements in resistance to cupping on smaller displacement bikes (e.g., PCX 125) compared to the Diablo Rosso II.
  • Aggressive riders utilizing standard sportbike sizes (120/70 and 190/55) report that the tire maintains performance characteristics comparable to more track-focused compounds like the Rosso Corsa II.
Specifications

Specs side by side

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

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop

Pirelli

Winner: Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II — better comfort, dry and handling. Pick the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II scores 95 vs 86 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II scores 95 vs 89 on dry.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV scores 76 vs 70 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II scores 95 vs 91 on handling.

Tire A · Dunlop Sportmax Qualifier II
Check price on Amazon
Tire B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV
Check price on Amazon

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.