85
/ 100
Objective (60%)
72/100
1 professional test
User signal (40%)
84/100
24 owner reviews
Prices change daily — check the retailer for your size.
Head-to-head
Updated September 2026
Michelin Road 5 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 Road 5 — better wet, treadwear and comfort. Pick the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV 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 IV leads by 1
Why this score
| Source | Road 5 | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | 88 | 87 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 87 | 93 |
Wet
Score (0–100)
Road 5 leads by 15
Why this score
| Source | Road 5 | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Professional tests (TWG score) | – | 67 |
| Tyre Reviews owners | 87 | 79 |
Comfort
Score (0–100)
Road 5 leads by 3
Why this score
| Source | Road 5 | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 89 | 86 |
Treadwear
Score (0–100)
Road 5 leads by 7
Why this score
| Source | Road 5 | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 83 | 76 |
Handling
Score (0–100)
Diablo Rosso IV leads by 11
Why this score
| Source | Road 5 | Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Tyre Reviews owners | 80 | 91 |
| DriverReviews owners | – | 92 |
Scores at a glance
| Category | Michelin Road 5 | Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 85 | 81 |
| Dry | 88 | 89 |
| Wet | 87 | 72 |
| Comfort | 89 | 86 |
| Treadwear | 83 | 76 |
| Handling | 80 | 91 |
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
85
/ 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? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Ranking | Overall | 20% #5/6 · 2020 Motorcycle Sports Touring Tyre Test | 20% #5/12 · 2025 Sport and Hypersport Motorcycle Tyre Test | 0 | Different tests |
From owners
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews across retailers and review sites — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
The Michelin Road 5 is widely regarded as a benchmark sport-touring tire, praised for its exceptional wet-weather performance and impressive longevity. While most riders report high confidence in both dry and wet conditions, a significant subset of users has expressed frustration regarding the tire's susceptibility to punctures, which some attribute to its soft carcass and siping design.
Pros
- Class-leading wet weather grip and rider confidence
- Excellent tread life and durability for touring applications
- Dual-compound construction provides a balance of stability and cornering grip
- Strong performance across diverse riding styles, including occasional track use
Cons
- High susceptibility to punctures from road debris
- Soft carcass construction can be prone to structural damage from impacts
- Some users report a lack of feedback compared to dedicated sport tires
- Premium price point compared to competitors
Observations
- Users on torquey middleweight bikes (e.g., 650cc-765cc) report excellent traction and longevity, even under aggressive riding.
- Heavier sport-touring machines (e.g., K1300R, VFR800) benefit from the tire's stability, though some note unique wear patterns on the front tire compared to the rear.
- Commuters on poor-quality tarmac report high mileage but note that the tire's grip can be tested by extreme road surface conditions.
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 Road 5 | B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Summer Premium Touring 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 Road 5 — better wet, treadwear and comfort. Pick the Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV if handling matters most to you.
Pick tire A
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Road 5 scores 87 vs 72 on wet.
Pick tire B
You enjoy sharp, responsive handling
Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV scores 91 vs 80 on handling.
Pick tire A
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Road 5 scores 83 vs 76 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Road 5 scores 89 vs 86 on comfort.
Tire A · Michelin Road 5
Tire B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV
More comparisons
Also compared with
Michelin Road 5 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.