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Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop RoadSmart III vs Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV — Compared

Relative Score (0–100): 60% professional tests, 40% owner reviews.

Too close to call: RoadSmart III 77, Diablo Rosso IV 76.

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Tire ADunlop

RoadSmart III

Summer

Tests 72 · 1 test Owners 80 · 16 reviews

Best test result: #2 of 6 in 2020 Motorcycle Sports Touring Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Tire BPirelli

Diablo Rosso IV

Summer

Tests 74 · 1 test Owners 79 · 181 reviews

Best test result: #5 of 12 in 2025 Sport and Hypersport Motorcycle Tyre Test (overall ranking)

Category by category

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

  1. 76

    Dry

    RoadSmart III +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceRoadSmart IIIDiablo Rosso IV
    Professional tests (TWG score)7268
    Reviews found online8187

    RoadSmart III: 60% × 71.9 + 40% × 81.4 = 76

    Diablo Rosso IV: 60% × 67.8 + 40% × 86.7 = 75

  2. 79

    Wet

    Diablo Rosso IV +1
    80
    Why this score
    SourceRoadSmart IIIDiablo Rosso IV
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 77 (est.)81
    Reviews found online8279

    RoadSmart III: 60% × 76.7 (est.) + 40% × 82.2 = 79

    Diablo Rosso IV: 60% × 80.7 + 40% × 79.4 = 80

    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 0.56).

  3. 74

    Comfort

    Diablo Rosso IV +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceRoadSmart IIIDiablo Rosso IV
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 71 (est.)
    Reviews found online7981

    RoadSmart III: 60% × 70.9 (est.) + 40% × 79 = 74

    Diablo Rosso IV: 60% × 71.2 (est.) + 40% × 81 = 75

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

  4. 72

    Treadwear

    RoadSmart III +6
    66
    Why this score
    SourceRoadSmart IIIDiablo Rosso IV
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 69 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online7766

    RoadSmart III: 60% × 69 (est.) + 40% × 76.5 = 72

    Diablo Rosso IV: 60% × 65.7 (est.) + 40% × 66 = 66

    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 0.31).

    No road tests of treadwear for Diablo Rosso IV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.31).

  5. 83

    Handling

    Diablo Rosso IV +4
    87
    Why this score
    SourceRoadSmart IIIDiablo Rosso IV
    Reviews found online8387
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop RoadSmart IIIPirelli Diablo Rosso IV
Relative Score 77 76
Dry 76 75
Wet 79 80
Comfort 74 75
Treadwear 72 66
Handling 83 87

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

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Recomputed
Headline score

RoadSmart III

Diablo Rosso IV

The professional test results behind the scores

Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.

DisciplineCategoryRoadSmart IIIDiablo Rosso IVΔHead-to-head
Overall Ranking Overall #2/6 2020 Motorcycle Sports Touring Tyre Test #5/12 2025 Sport and Hypersport Motorcycle Tyre Test – Different tests

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 IV

Pros

  • Exceptional dry and wet grip with a high level of rider confidence
  • Fast warm-up time and predictable handling at deep lean angles
  • Improved steering precision and turn-in compared to previous generations like the Diablo Rosso III

Cons

  • Higher price point compared to some competitors and previous models
  • Noticeable reduction in grip and increased rear wheel spin as the tires wear down
  • Requires full operating temperature for optimal performance late in its life cycle
All owner themes in the Diablo Rosso IV review

Specs side by side

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

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop RoadSmart III

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV

Too close to call: Dunlop RoadSmart III and Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV are within 2 points overall. Dunlop RoadSmart III is stronger on treadwear. Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV is stronger on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop RoadSmart III scores 72 vs 66 on treadwear.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV scores 87 vs 83 on handling.

Tire A · Dunlop RoadSmart III
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Tire B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV
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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.

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