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Dunlop RoadSmart III vs Pirelli Diablo Rosso III — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 1 + 0 road tests and 16 + 9 owner reviews. How we score

RoadSmart III is ahead, 80–73

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Dunlop RoadSmart III
Tire ADunlop

RoadSmart III

Summer

± 7Provisional

Tests 72 · 1 test Owners 85 · 16 reviews

Best test result: #3 of 6 in 2020 Motorcycle Sports Touring Tyre Test (dry braking)

Category by category

Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.

  1. 78

    Dry

    RoadSmart III +4
    74
    Why this score
    SourceRoadSmart IIIDiablo Rosso III
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests72≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online8678

    RoadSmart III: 60% × 72.1 + 40% × 85.8 = 78

    Diablo Rosso III: 60% × 72.1 (est.) + 40% × 77.6 = 74

    No road tests of dry for Diablo Rosso III. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 83

    Wet

    RoadSmart III +9
    74
    Why this score
    SourceRoadSmart IIIDiablo Rosso III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 80 (est.)≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online8875

    RoadSmart III: 60% × 80.1 (est.) + 40% × 87.6 = 83

    Diablo Rosso III: 60% × 73.2 (est.) + 40% × 75.1 = 74

    No road tests of wet for RoadSmart III. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

    No road tests of wet for Diablo Rosso III. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 78

    Comfort

    RoadSmart III +5
    73
    Why this score
    SourceRoadSmart IIIDiablo Rosso III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online8276

    RoadSmart III: 40% × 71.6 (est.) + 60% × 82.4 = 78

    Diablo Rosso III: 40% × 70.3 (est.) + 60% × 75.5 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for RoadSmart III or Diablo Rosso III. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. 76

    Treadwear

    RoadSmart III +9
    67
    Why this score
    SourceRoadSmart IIIDiablo Rosso III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 72 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online8267

    RoadSmart III: 60% × 71.8 (est.) + 40% × 82.4 = 76

    Diablo Rosso III: 60% × 66.4 (est.) + 40% × 66.8 = 67

    No road tests of treadwear for RoadSmart III. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for Diablo Rosso III. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  5. 86

    Handling (owners)

    RoadSmart III +7
    79
    Why this score
    SourceRoadSmart IIIDiablo Rosso III
    Reviews found online8679
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop RoadSmart IIIPirelli Diablo Rosso III
Relative Score 80 73
Dry 78 74
Wet 83 74
Comfort 78 73
Treadwear 76 67
Handling (owners) 86 79

Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.

Weight the categories that matter to you

Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.

Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

RoadSmart III

± 8

Diablo Rosso III

Pros, cons & observations

Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.

Tire A RoadSmart III

Pros

  • Exceptional tread life and mileage compared to dedicated sport tires.
  • Sharp, responsive steering and handling characteristics.
  • Consistent and reliable grip in both dry and wet road conditions.

Cons

  • Occasional reports of rear-end slippage during aggressive cornering with power input.
  • Front tire wear can be uneven or faster than expected depending on suspension setup.
  • Some users noted a firm ride quality due to the stiff carcass construction.
All owner themes in the RoadSmart III review

Tire B Diablo Rosso III

Pros

  • Exceptional dry grip and predictable handling at various lean angles
  • Improved wet-weather performance compared to more aggressive track-oriented tires
  • Fast warm-up times providing immediate confidence

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread life, with some users reporting premature rear tire wear
  • Potential for rapid degradation under aggressive riding styles
  • Isolated reports of structural issues such as delamination
All owner themes in the Diablo Rosso III review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Dunlop RoadSmart III B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso III
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop RoadSmart III

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III

Winner: Dunlop RoadSmart III — better wet, treadwear and handling. It leads or ties in every category we score. Dunlop RoadSmart III rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 16 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Pirelli Diablo Rosso III rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 9 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 83 vs 74 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 76 vs 67 on treadwear.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 86 vs 79 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 78 vs 73 on comfort.

Tire A · Dunlop RoadSmart III
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Tire B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso III
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RoadSmart III or Diablo Rosso III?

Which is better in the wet, RoadSmart III or Diablo Rosso III?

Dunlop RoadSmart III, 83 vs 74 on our wet score.

Which grips better on dry roads, RoadSmart III or Diablo Rosso III?

Dunlop RoadSmart III, 78 vs 74 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, RoadSmart III or Diablo Rosso III?

Dunlop RoadSmart III, 78 vs 73 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, RoadSmart III or Diablo Rosso III?

Dunlop RoadSmart III, 76 vs 67 on our treadwear score.

How do we compare tires?

Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.

Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.

Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology