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Dunlop Sportsmart 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 0 + 0 road tests and 11 + 9 owner reviews. How we score

Sportsmart leads, 76–73 Narrow edge

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Dunlop Sportsmart
Tire ADunlop

Sportsmart

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 78 · 11 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 78

    Dry

    Sportsmart +4
    74
    Why this score
    SourceSportsmartDiablo Rosso III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 75 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online8477

    Sportsmart: 60% × 74.6 (est.) + 40% × 84.1 = 78

    Diablo Rosso III: 60% × 71.7 (est.) + 40% × 77.1 = 74

    No road tests of dry for Sportsmart. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).

    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 0.41).

  2. 76

    Wet

    Sportsmart +2
    74
    Why this score
    SourceSportsmartDiablo Rosso III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 75 (est.)≈ 73 (est.)
    Reviews found online7875

    Sportsmart: 60% × 74.6 (est.) + 40% × 77.8 = 76

    Diablo Rosso III: 60% × 73 (est.) + 40% × 74.9 = 74

    No road tests of wet for Sportsmart. 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. 75

    Comfort

    Sportsmart +2
    73
    Why this score
    SourceSportsmartDiablo Rosso III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online7775

    Sportsmart: 40% × 70.4 (est.) + 60% × 77.3 = 75

    Diablo Rosso III: 40% × 69.9 (est.) + 60% × 75 = 73

    No road tests of comfort for Sportsmart. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

    No road tests of comfort for Diablo Rosso III. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. 69

    Treadwear

    Sportsmart +2
    67
    Why this score
    SourceSportsmartDiablo Rosso III
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 68 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7167

    Sportsmart: 60% × 68.1 (est.) + 40% × 70.8 = 69

    Diablo Rosso III: 60% × 66.7 (est.) + 40% × 67 = 67

    No road tests of treadwear for Sportsmart. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

    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 0.36).

  5. 84

    Handling (owners)

    Sportsmart +5
    79
    Why this score
    SourceSportsmartDiablo Rosso III
    Reviews found online8479
Scores at a glance
CategoryDunlop SportsmartPirelli Diablo Rosso III
Relative Score 76 73
Dry 78 74
Wet 76 74
Comfort 75 73
Treadwear 69 67
Handling (owners) 84 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
± 8

Sportsmart

± 8

Diablo Rosso III

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A Sportsmart

Pros

  • Exceptional dry and wet grip that inspires rider confidence
  • Predictable feedback and handling, especially when approaching the limit
  • Fast warm-up times suitable for both road and occasional track use

Cons

  • Inconsistent tread life, ranging from 3,000 to 8,000 miles depending on usage
  • Stiff N-TEC construction can feel harsh over road imperfections
  • Occasional reports of air pressure retention issues on specific rear units
All owner themes in the Sportsmart 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 B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso III
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle

Which one should you actually buy?

Dunlop Sportsmart

Pirelli Diablo Rosso III

Narrow edge: Dunlop Sportsmart — better dry. It leads or ties in every category we score. Dunlop Sportsmart rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 11 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 You want the most grip on dry roads

Dunlop Sportsmart scores 78 vs 74 on dry.

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

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

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

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

Dunlop Sportsmart, 78 vs 74 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, Sportsmart or Diablo Rosso III?

Neither, by our numbers: 75 vs 73 on the comfort score, within 3 points.

Which lasts longer, Sportsmart or Diablo Rosso III?

Neither, by our numbers: 69 vs 67 on the treadwear score, within 3 points.

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