Head-to-head Updated

Dunlop SportSmart MK3 vs Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV — Compared

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

Diablo Rosso IV leads, 76–73 Narrow edge

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Tire ADunlop

SportSmart MK3

Summer Ultra High Performance tires

Tests – · none yet Owners 75 · 3 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 73

    Dry

    Diablo Rosso IV +2
    75
    Why this score
    SourceSportSmart MK3Diablo Rosso IV
    Professional tests (TWG score)–68
    Reviews found online7687
  2. 70

    Wet

    Diablo Rosso IV +10
    80
    Why this score
    SourceSportSmart MK3Diablo Rosso IV
    Professional tests (TWG score)–81
    Reviews found online7080
  3. 74

    Comfort

    Diablo Rosso IV +1
    75
    Why this score
    SourceSportSmart MK3Diablo Rosso IV
    Reviews found online7981
  4. 73

    Treadwear

    SportSmart MK3 +7
    66
    Why this score
    SourceSportSmart MK3Diablo Rosso IV
    Reviews found online7866
  5. 77

    Handling

    Diablo Rosso IV +10
    87
    Why this score
    SourceSportSmart MK3Diablo Rosso IV
    Reviews found online7787
Scores at a glance
Dunlop SportSmart MK3 vs Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryDunlop SportSmart MK3Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV
Relative Score 73 76
Dry 73 75
Wet 70 80
Comfort 74 75
Treadwear 73 66
Handling 77 87

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

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.

Important
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Important
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Neutral
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Recomputed
Headline score

SportSmart MK3

Diablo Rosso IV

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A SportSmart MK3

Pros

  • Excellent grip levels when tires are at operating temperature
  • Impressive tread longevity for a sport-oriented tire
  • Highly capable performance for spirited road riding

Cons

  • Reduced traction in cold weather conditions
  • Noticeable loss of grip on dirty or compromised road surfaces
All owner themes in the SportSmart MK3 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 SportSmart MK3 B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV
CategorySummer Ultra High Performance tiresSummer
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SportSmart MK3

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV

Winner: Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV — better wet and handling. Pick the Dunlop SportSmart MK3 if treadwear matters most to you.

Pick tire B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV scores 80 vs 70 on wet.

Pick tire B You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV scores 87 vs 77 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Dunlop SportSmart MK3 scores 73 vs 66 on treadwear.

Tire A · Dunlop SportSmart MK3
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.

76

Narrow edge

Diablo Rosso IV

Amazon