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 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.
VS
81
/ 100
Objective (60%)
70/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
87/100
7 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
VerdictWinner: Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV — better treadwear, comfort and wet. Pick the Dunlop SportSmart TT if handling 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
Score (0–100)
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 82 | 87 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 100 | 93 |
| Dry Handling (% of best) | 96% | 97% |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Diablo Rosso IV leads by 5
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 96 | 67 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 23 | 79 |
| Wet Handling (% of best) | 99% | 89% |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Diablo Rosso IV leads by 8
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | 86 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Diablo Rosso IV leads by 11
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 65 | 76 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
SportSmart TT leads by 7
Why this score
| Source | SportSmart TT | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 98 | 91 |
| DriverReviews owners | – | 92 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Dunlop SportSmart TT | Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 76 | 81 |
| Dry | 89 | 89 |
| Wet | 67 | 72 |
| Comfort | 78 | 86 |
| Treadwear | 65 | 76 |
| Handling | 98 | 91 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
76
/ 100
Tire A
81
/ 100
Tire B
Test data
The professional test results behind the scores
Each result is shown as % of the best tire in that test. “Same test” rows are the strictest comparison: both tires were measured side by side.
| Discipline | Category | Tire A | Tire B | Δ | Both? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Handling | Dry | 96% #4/12 · 2025 Sport and Hypersport Motorcycle Tyre Test | 97% #8/12 · 2025 Sport and Hypersport Motorcycle Tyre Test | -1.2 | Same test |
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 10% #10/12 · 2025 Sport and Hypersport Motorcycle Tyre Test | 20% #5/12 · 2025 Sport and Hypersport Motorcycle Tyre Test | -10 | Same test |
| Wet Handling | Wet | 99% #11/12 · 2025 Sport and Hypersport Motorcycle Tyre Test | 89% #5/12 · 2025 Sport and Hypersport Motorcycle Tyre Test | +10.2 | Same test |
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 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 SportSmart TT | B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| 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
81
/ 100
Pirelli
Winner: Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV — better treadwear, comfort and wet. Pick the Dunlop SportSmart TT if handling matters most to you.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV scores 76 vs 65 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV scores 86 vs 78 on comfort.
Pick tire A
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Dunlop SportSmart TT scores 98 vs 91 on handling.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV scores 72 vs 67 on wet.
Tire A · Dunlop SportSmart TT
Tire B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV
More comparisons
Also compared with
Dunlop SportSmart TT also compared with
Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV 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.