Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > Sport Touring: ST4 / ST3 / ST2 > Tyres (again!)

[richardh]

I've been running Pirelli Diablo Corses on my ST4s since new, and love them - I get about 4-4500 out of a rear on fast solo rides, grip wonderfully, wet or dry, and utterly predictable. However, not so good fully laden two-up - they square off very quickly and are through to the cords in 2500 miles or so. So can anyone recommend an alternative, one that preferably gets as close as possible to the DC's sports performance while lasting rather longer when touring? Oh, and I get better mileage out of DCs than ordinary Diablos...

cheers
Richard

[Glyn]

i've got very good milage out of avon azaro st's av45 and av46
once again v.good in the wet great in the dry and a good 5k out of them
and i treat them pretty bad
recently tried something a bit stickyer 207rr and did not like them as much as my azaros. the 207rr always felt a bit squirmy where the azaros feel very sharp
cant compare to diablos though as i've never tried them

[Harv748]

I was going to say the standard diablos ...doh.

I'm suprised you are getting MORE milage out of a set of corsa diablos over the standard ones though???

I believe they do a diablo 'strada' now or something like that. Designed for the more touring orientated bike...look very similar to the other two diablos (tread pattern etc) but with extended mileage.

Take a look at the pirelli website...

http://www.pirellimoto.com/en_96/tir...=DIABLO_STRADA

[Edited on 1-9-2005 by Harv748]

[Jools]

Funny thing about Diablos is that they seem to last for ages then degrade very quickly at the end of their life - at least on my ST.

I've been thinking about Glyn's experiences with harder compounds and, knowing the pace he can ride at, I'm sure that the rest of us are kidding ourselves about the amount of grip we actually need. Maybe there is something to be said for a harder tyre that might slide just a bit earlier but lasts twice as long.

As long as any slide is gentle and predictable it's probably something I would compromise on, after all I could scrape the pegs on Metzeler MEZ4 touring tyres so....

I've been thinking about the best all round tyres (al right I know they are all round..and black) and it's always gonna be a compromise but I fancy some of those dual compound tyres next time out. The new Bridgestone 020 for example has a hard centre for straight line durability and resistance to squaring and a softer compound on the edge for better scratching. Basically a touring biased tyre that should last well, but also allow a bit of hooning

[Glyn]

hooning

[psychlist]

BT020

[rockhopper]

I used ordinary Dunlop D207's at TA4 and never had a moments worry from them. The back is scrubbed right to the edge and the front is hardly marked really. I can't imagine why i would need anything with more grip concidering how i ride.

[Derek]

I'm about to put on a second set of Conti Road Attacks. I've found them to be a great tyre with all the grip I've ever needed, wet or dry. I'm getting about four and a half thousand on the rear which could easliy be more with gentler riding amd they only cost £145 the pair - fitted.
Continental have recently released their new Sport Attack tyre with the same pattern but a softer compound. It has had some very favourable reviews.

[Glyn]

jools your comment about slides.....
in my limited experiance i've found the harder tyres e.g macadams azaros
almost tell you when there going to let go
for example cadwell on azaros
I was right over round the big bend at the top of the track and could feel the tyres start to "walk" a bit as i turned on the power as you ease off they slip a bit less as you wind it on they slip a bit more. very constant
then on the 207rr round snetterton
lent right over in one of the big bends and bang the back end just lets go of the road big time high side
with the 207 there was no warning
theres no dought in my mind that the 207rr gave me more grip but they dont feel as nice or give as good a feed back as the harder tyres i've tried
but then again im not normal

[TP]

Glyn,

In my experience of standard Diablo's they start to slide nice and progressively when they go off. I've had plenty of rear end slides on Diablo's that are just starting to lose that grip they were giving me the lap before ... they just go and it feels like a little twitch but they just keep going and then you realise they are sliding. You just stand the bike up a little more keeping the throttle neutral and it all comes back to you - lovely.

Diablo's offer huge amounts of grip for a standard road tyre and go off progressively and easily. What more can you want for a reasonably high mileage tyre?

HTH

TP