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Dunlop SportSmart TT 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 8 + 9 owner reviews. How we score

Diablo Rosso III is ahead, 73–60

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Dunlop SportSmart TT
Tire ADunlop

SportSmart TT

Summer

± 7Provisional

Tests 52 · 1 test Owners 63 · 8 reviews

Best test result: #4 of 12 in 2025 Sport and Hypersport Motorcycle Tyre Test (dry handling)

Category by category

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

  1. 76

    Dry

    SportSmart TT +2
    74
    Why this score
    SourceSportSmart TTDiablo Rosso III
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests76≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7878

    SportSmart TT: 60% × 75.7 + 40% × 77.6 = 76

    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. 34

    Wet

    Diablo Rosso III +40
    74
    Why this score
    SourceSportSmart TTDiablo Rosso III
    Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests28≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online4375

    SportSmart TT: 60% × 27.8 + 40% × 42.7 = 34

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

    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. 66

    Comfort

    Diablo Rosso III +7
    73
    Why this score
    SourceSportSmart TTDiablo Rosso III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online6576

    SportSmart TT: 40% × 68.4 (est.) + 60% × 65 = 66

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

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

  4. 64

    Treadwear

    Diablo Rosso III +3
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSportSmart TTDiablo Rosso III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 65 (est.)≈ 66 (est.)
    Reviews found online6367

    SportSmart TT: 60% × 65 (est.) + 40% × 62.8 = 64

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

    No road tests of treadwear for SportSmart TT. 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. 78

    Handling (owners)

    Diablo Rosso III +1
    79
    Why this score
    SourceSportSmart TTDiablo Rosso III
    Reviews found online7879
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SportSmart TTPirelli Diablo Rosso III
Relative Score 60 73
Dry 76 74
Wet 34 74
Comfort 66 73
Treadwear 64 67
Handling (owners) 78 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
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Recomputed
Headline score
± 7

SportSmart TT

± 8

Diablo Rosso III

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A SportSmart TT

Pros

  • Outstanding dry grip and traction during cornering and acceleration
  • Fast warmup time on both street and track
  • High stability and excellent steering feedback

Cons

  • Poor performance and lack of grip in wet conditions
  • Slower warmup and potential slipping in colder weather
  • Stiffer carcass reduces comfort and increases sensitivity to road imperfections
All owner themes in the SportSmart TT 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 SportSmart TT B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso III
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop SportSmart TT

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III

Winner: Pirelli Diablo Rosso III — better wet, comfort and treadwear. Where the Dunlop SportSmart TT is ahead, it is by less than 3 points. Dunlop SportSmart TT rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 8 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 B Your priority is wet-weather safety

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III scores 74 vs 34 on wet.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III scores 73 vs 66 on comfort.

Pick tire B You want the longest tread life

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III scores 67 vs 64 on treadwear.

Tire A · Dunlop SportSmart TT
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Tire B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso III
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SportSmart TT or Diablo Rosso III?

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

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III, 74 vs 34 on our wet score.

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

Neither, by our numbers: 76 vs 74 on the dry score, within 3 points.

Which is more comfortable, SportSmart TT or Diablo Rosso III?

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III, 73 vs 66 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, SportSmart TT or Diablo Rosso III?

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III, 67 vs 64 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