76
/ 100
Objective (60%)
75/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
79/100
6 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Dunlop SportSmart TT vs Pirelli Diablo Rosso II — 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.
VS
80
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
82/100
19 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Pirelli Diablo Rosso II — better treadwear, comfort and wet. Pick the Dunlop SportSmart TT if handling matters most to you.
Read full
TireWheelGuide may earn a commission from purchases made via links on this page.
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
Score (0–100)
Diablo Rosso II leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Diablo Rosso II |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 82 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 100 | 90 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Diablo Rosso II leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Diablo Rosso II |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 96 | – |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 23 | 73 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Diablo Rosso II leads by 8
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Diablo Rosso II |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | 86 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Diablo Rosso II leads by 10
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Diablo Rosso II |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 65 | 75 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
SportSmart TT leads by 14
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Diablo Rosso II |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 98 | 84 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop SportSmart TT | Pirelli Diablo Rosso II |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 76 | 80 |
| Dry | 89 | 90 |
| Wet | 67 | 73 |
| Comfort | 78 | 86 |
| Treadwear | 65 | 75 |
| Handling | 98 | 84 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Personalize
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip and treadwear start at “Important” — the two things buyers rank highest. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Important
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Neutral
NoneLessNeutralMoreMost
Recomputed
Headline score
76
/ 100
Tire A
80
/ 100
Tire B
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Dunlop SportSmart TT is widely regarded as a high-performance, track-focused tire that excels in dry conditions, offering exceptional feedback and confidence at high lean angles. While users praise its rapid warm-up time and track-day capabilities, it is consistently criticized for its poor performance in wet weather and relatively short tread life.
Pros
- Exceptional dry grip and cornering feedback
- Rapid warm-up time without the need for tire warmers
- High stability and confidence during aggressive lean angles
- Strong dual-purpose performance for both spirited road riding and track days
Cons
- Poor performance and lack of confidence in wet conditions
- Rapid tread wear, particularly when used for high-mileage road riding
- Reduced grip levels once the tire reaches the end of its service life
Observations
- Users report the tire is well-suited for high-performance sportbikes, such as the Yamaha R1, where it enhances handling characteristics.
- The tire is noted to be unsuitable for long-distance motorway commuting due to accelerated wear rates.
The Pirelli Diablo Rosso II is widely regarded as a high-performance sport tire that excels in dry-weather grip, rapid warm-up times, and rider feedback. While it earns praise for its confidence-inspiring handling on sport bikes, user experiences regarding tread longevity and wet-weather performance are polarized, often depending heavily on bike weight and riding style.
Pros
- Exceptional dry-weather grip and cornering stability
- Rapid warm-up time for immediate performance
- Predictable handling and high levels of rider feedback
- Strong value proposition compared to premium competitors
Cons
- Inconsistent tread life, with reports of rapid center wear and cupping
- Polarized wet-weather performance ranging from 'glue-like' to 'dangerous'
- Tendency for the rear tire to square off over time
- Front tire profile can feel overly 'pointy' or aggressive for some riders
Observations
- Smaller displacement bikes (e.g., DRZ400SM, YZF-R25) report significantly higher mileage and longevity compared to high-horsepower sport bikes.
- High-horsepower motorcycles (e.g., ZX10R) experience rapid rear tire degradation, often requiring replacement in under 2,000 miles under spirited use.
- Some riders noted that the tire's profile on naked bikes can lead to overly quick turn-in characteristics.
Specifications
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Dunlop SportSmart TT | B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso II |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Trackday and Competition tires | Summer Max Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Motorcycle | Motorcycle |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
76
/ 100
Dunlop
80
/ 100
Pirelli
Winner: Pirelli Diablo Rosso II — better treadwear, comfort and wet. Pick the Dunlop SportSmart TT if handling matters most to you.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Dunlop SportSmart TT scores 98 vs 84 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Pirelli Diablo Rosso II scores 75 vs 65 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Pirelli Diablo Rosso II scores 86 vs 78 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Pirelli Diablo Rosso II scores 73 vs 67 on wet.
Tire A · Dunlop SportSmart TT
Tire B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso II
More comparisons
Also compared with
Dunlop SportSmart TT also compared with
Pirelli Diablo Rosso II also compared with
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.