The good thing about Pirelli Diablo Stradas is that they’re fantastic tires. The bad thing about Pirelli Diablo Stradas is that they’ve been discontinued.
What you say!!1
You may be wondering why I’m bothering to review a tire that’s no longer with us. My reason is this: you can still find Diablo Stradas on sale at many tire retailers, and since it’s been discontinued, they’re often priced at a discount. If you’re facing a sport-touring tire purchase in the near future, give these a moment of your time.
The Test Mule
My “new-to-me” SV650 was fitted with a set of Diablo Stradas prior to purchase. The bike had 8,380 miles when I bought it. The tires had a couple hundred miles on them, but still had plenty of nubbies like a fresh tire would.
Front Tire: 120/70 ZR 17 (note that the stock front tire on the SV650 is 120/60 ZR 17)2
Rear Tire: 160/60 ZR 17
I prefer to keep my tires inflated at the high side of the pressure range, so I kept the front at 40 PSI and the rear at 42 PSI.
The manufacturer's air pressure recommendation. (Click for full size image.)
My SV650 has been fed a steady diet of commuter miles on surface streets mixed with rural highways and twisties. I avoid interstate freeways like the plague, and can claim with certainty less than 300 freeway miles on this set of tires. Nor has this bike been ridden on the track.
I tend to ride conservatively and at The Pace. I’m not interested in dragging knee on a public street. Yes, I have 1/4 inch chicken strips and I’m not ashamed to admit it.
Hopefully that gives you a good idea of the kind of riding I do and what this set of tires has been subjected to.
Grip
The first test faced by the Diablo Stradas was the Pacific Coast Highway and they performed admirably, delivering predictable feel and smooth turn-in. Holding a line in a corners was spot-on, and the tires never felt wobbly or unstable at any speed.
The grip offered by the Diablo Stradas is confidence inspiring, and I certainly never came close to over-riding their capabilities. Front and rear braking traction was smooth and reliable, and I never experienced a rear wheel skid during routine braking — as I had several times before on a set of Michelin Pilot Road 2s. Unlike the PR2, the Diablo Strada is a single-compound tire, and I wonder if the hard, long-wearing center on the PR2 contributed to the ease of inducing a rear wheel skid. Or maybe my braking technique improved significantly overnight.3
Lastly, the performance of these tires on rain grooved pavement is second to none. They appear to be nearly immune to the typical “wishy-washy” feeling common to riding on grooved surfaces.
Wet
As an Oregonian and a year round rider, I put thousands of miles on these tires during one of the rainiest springs in recent memory and the Diablo Stradas performed freakishly well. You have to be trying really, really hard to break loose the rear on wet pavement.
Longevity
I’ve put approximately 7000 miles on this set of tires, and the rear is just now approaching the center wear bars. The front has plenty of tread remaining.
The rear tire wore very evenly until my recent 1800 mile trip through Eastern Oregon, where the combination of a heavy load and thousands of miles of hot chip sealed pavement accelerated the wear in the center of the tire.
7000 miles is fairly good for a single-compound tire that skews heavily toward the “sport” in “sport-touring”. If that describes your riding style, you’ll find the Diablo Stradas to be an excellent value.
Final Rating
I like these tires so much that there’s a brand new Diablo Strada rear tire sitting in my garage at the time of writing. I’m looking forward to getting several thousand quality miles out of it. But when it comes time for my next set of tires, I’ll be trying out the successor to the Diablo Strada: the Pirelli Angel ST. Word on the street is that it’s even better.
- You have no chance to survive make your time? [↩]
- Changing the front tire on your SV to 120/70 ZR 17 is highly recommended and results in improved turn-in while cornering. It was such a common mod that the new Gladius comes with a 120/70 tire stock. [↩]
- Highly doubtful! [↩]
The Latest
Recent Comments
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
I was about to ask what the replacements were going to be… You, of course, answered that. Right now, because of a nail (http://tinyurl.com/267ghow), I’m riding two different types of tires on my bike. I have a Bridgestone Battlax on the back which I’m not that happy about, but it’s fine for now, and the Pirelli Diablo Strada on the front. It was probably just the newness of the tires, but I’m claiming it has something to do with the Pirelli front, that has me agreeing with your statement about good grip. Really feels great in the twists. Guess I should order a set to hold on to for later.
I have had the Angels on my SV for 4,000+ miles now and they are fantastic. I picked them up for about $240 for the set. So far I have been commuting, a couple canyon days and one track day on the tire and they have been solid everywhere. At track day, I wore the tire all the way edge (which is actually due more to my bad body position…a “good rider” wouldn’t have leaned so far over) and never once was concerned with traction.
I want to try the Pilot Road 2′s since they seem to be the standard of all SV enthusiasts but I dont know how I will be able to part with the Angels when the time come to decide between the two.
Hi Stacy,
Excellent review! When it comes time to put on that new rear in your garage, I recommend mounting and balancing it yourself- it’s not as tricky as many of us think it is. Here’s a little write up of the tools and procedure for do-it-yourself tire changes: http://ghostridethenews.com/2009/10/18/diy-motorcycle-tire-change/.
With the money you save, treat your SV to a romantic, candle-lit synthetic oil change.
I’m riding a much heavier bike than your SV (a Connie 14) and I ran 2 sets of Stradas. I liked them a lot and got nearly 11,000km out of them. Changing to PR2′s was even better – great feel and an extra 1,000km per set. I have heard that some people find that they misbehave a little in the wet (my mate on a 1200 Bandit doesn’t really like them in the wet) although I haven’t had an issue (that heavy bike thing helping out here).
I’ve just put Angels on and absolutely love the feel. The bike just loves corners and the feedback is great. If they last as well as the PR2′s then I’ll be using them again. Although the new Metzler Z8′s are available now…
@David: You’re braver than I for running tires from two different manufacturers at the same time! I think you’ll find the Stradas even better when you get the matched set.
@Joe: I’m glad to hear more good things about the Angel STs. I’d have a set now if this front tire didn’t have so much tread left.
@Forest: Thanks for the link. There’s a lot of great info there for the DIYer.
@Andrew: I lost so much confidence in the PR2s that it’s doubtful that I’ll go back. I definitely have the minority opinion when it comes to those particular tires. Thanks for the info about the longevity of the Diablo Stradas on a heavier bike.
I actually wondered about that, the two different manufacturers. But I couldn’t think of a reason why that would be bad… And actually, if you know of a reason, don’t tell me. Haha. Wait, no. Tell me. Ignorance isn’t bliss here.
@David: Well, I’m not a tire engineer, but what I’ve heard is that motorcycle tires are designed and tested with the intent of being in a matched set. I’ve also heard a few anecdotes of unpredictable behavior from running mismatched tires — but remember anecdote does not equal fact.
Stacey is currently running two different tires from the same manufacturer on her Striple, as she’s in the same situation as I am with the Stradas. Dunlop has discontinued the tire she was previously using, so she has the next-gen tire on the rear until the older front tire wears out.
Dear Bolty:
My tire selection is limited by the product that is currently available for my bike’s odd-sized wheels. My choice is Metzler and maybe one other. But, I am curious about the age of the tires you are getting by collecting the survivors of a discontinued line. A year or two is no big deal, but after that, I’m told they start to dry out. Any concerns there?
@Jack Riepe: That’s an excellent point and the reason why I wouldn’t recommend “stocking up” on discontinued tires in the traditional sense of the word.
However, if you’re a high-mileage rider, it never hurts to have the next set of tires ready to go. Even I run through a rear tire around every 7 to 8 months or so. This new tire has the code “1809,” meaning it was made early last year.
Hello! I check here from time to time and I really do enjoy your writing and subjects.
And thank you so much for sharing the joy of living with an SV650.
It’s a treat to read your blog! Once I saw the rear Strada on one beautiful pic of your bike, and the thought just sprang to mind: “gotta love them tires!” Usually I retire the rear Strada at 12.000km and the front at 18.000km, but after 10 days twisting wonderfully in the Gerês region here in Portugal, they finally got some well-deserved wearing on the sides (1cm chicken strip still on reserve, though) and are ready to pop out and make room. Thanks for the precious info on it’s successor, the Angel
Per your recommendation I bought a set today for $250. I’m anxiously awaiting their arrival!
@Raúl Vicente: Olá! Thank you for your kind words regarding the blog — comments like yours make it worthwhile. I’ve heard the riding in Portugal is excellent, and now I know someone I can ask about it.
@Jason: That’s a good price. I think you’ll enjoy them.
I’m riding a Ducati sports classic 1000s. Can i match a pirelli diablio strada rear with a pirelli angel front tyre?
Motorcycle tires are designed as a set. As such, I personally would not be comfortable mixing two different tires.