85
/ 100
Objective (60%)
–/100
No test data yet
User signal (40%)
82/100
4 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Michelin Pilot Road 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: Michelin Pilot Road — better treadwear, wet and comfort. Pick the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV if handling and dry matter 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)
Diablo Rosso IV leads by 9
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Road | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 87 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 93 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Pilot Road leads by 6
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Road | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 67 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 78 | 79 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Pilot Road leads by 4
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Road | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 90 | 86 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Pilot Road leads by 19
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Road | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 95 | 76 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Diablo Rosso IV leads by 11
Why this score
| Source | Pilot Road | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 91 |
| DriverReviews owners | – | 92 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Pilot Road | Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 85 | 81 |
| Dry | 80 | 89 |
| Wet | 78 | 72 |
| Comfort | 90 | 86 |
| Treadwear | 95 | 76 |
| Handling | 80 | 91 |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
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Recomputed
Headline score
85
/ 100
Tire A
81
/ 100
Tire B
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Michelin Pilot Road is generally regarded as a durable and versatile sport-touring tire that excels in longevity and all-weather performance. While most users praise its predictable handling and impressive tread life, some riders find its limits insufficient for aggressive, high-performance sport riding.
Pros
- Exceptional tread longevity compared to dedicated sport tires
- Reliable wet weather grip and confidence-inspiring feedback
- Versatile performance across varied road conditions and surfaces
- Predictable behavior when approaching traction limits
Cons
- Lack of high-end dry grip for aggressive cornering
- Susceptibility to flat-spotting during extended motorway use
- Inconsistent performance for riders transitioning from dedicated sport compounds
Observations
- Users on middleweight sport bikes like the SV650S report excellent versatility for both commuting and spirited riding.
- Riders of older 600cc sport bikes may find the tire's performance envelope too conservative for spirited canyon or track-style riding.
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 · Michelin Pilot Road | B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer High Performance tires | Summer Max Performance tires |
| Vehicle type | Motorcycle | Motorcycle |
Final verdict
Which one should you actually buy?
85
/ 100
Michelin
81
/ 100
Pirelli
Winner: Michelin Pilot Road — better treadwear, wet and comfort. Pick the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV if handling and dry matter most to you.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Pilot Road scores 95 vs 76 on treadwear.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV scores 91 vs 80 on handling.
Pick tire B
You want the most grip on dry roads
Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV scores 89 vs 80 on dry.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Pilot Road scores 78 vs 72 on wet.
Tire A · Michelin Pilot Road
Tire B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV
More comparisons
Also compared with
Michelin Pilot Road 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.