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Michelin City Grip 2 vs Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV — 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 + 1 road tests and 8 + 184 owner reviews. How we score

Too close to call: City Grip 2 and Diablo Rosso IV are level at 80.

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Michelin City Grip 2
Tire AMichelin

City Grip 2

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 84 · 8 reviews

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV
Tire BPirelli

Diablo Rosso IV

Summer

± 7

Tests 75 · 1 test Owners 85 · 184 reviews

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

Category by category

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

  1. 80

    Dry

    City Grip 2 +3
    77
    Why this score
    SourceCity Grip 2Diablo Rosso IV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 76 (est.)68
    Reviews found online8792

    City Grip 2: 60% × 75.8 (est.) + 40% × 86.9 = 80

    Diablo Rosso IV: 60% × 67.7 + 40% × 91.5 = 77

    No road tests of dry for City Grip 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.42).

  2. 84

    Wet

    Level
    84
    Why this score
    SourceCity Grip 2Diablo Rosso IV
    Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests≈ 81 (est.)81
    Reviews found online8987

    City Grip 2: 60% × 80.9 (est.) + 40% × 89.2 = 84

    Diablo Rosso IV: 60% × 81.4 + 40% × 87 = 84

    No road tests of wet for City Grip 2. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).

  3. 75

    Comfort

    Diablo Rosso IV +5
    80
    Why this score
    SourceCity Grip 2Diablo Rosso IV
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 72 (est.)
    Reviews found online7985

    City Grip 2: 40% × 70.8 (est.) + 60% × 78.6 = 75

    Diablo Rosso IV: 40% × 72 (est.) + 60% × 84.7 = 80

    No road tests of comfort for City Grip 2. 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 IV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).

  4. 74

    Treadwear

    City Grip 2 +3
    71
    Why this score
    SourceCity Grip 2Diablo Rosso IV
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 69 (est.)
    Reviews found online7875

    City Grip 2: 60% × 70.6 (est.) + 40% × 77.9 = 74

    Diablo Rosso IV: 60% × 69.4 (est.) + 40% × 74.6 = 71

    No road tests of treadwear for City Grip 2. 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 IV. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).

  5. 86

    Handling (owners)

    Diablo Rosso IV +5
    91
    Why this score
    SourceCity Grip 2Diablo Rosso IV
    Reviews found online8691
Scores at a glance
CategoryMichelin City Grip 2Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV
Relative Score 80 80
Dry 80 77
Wet 84 84
Comfort 75 80
Treadwear 74 71
Handling (owners) 86 91

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
± 8

City Grip 2

± 7

Diablo Rosso IV

Pros, cons & observations

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

Tire A City Grip 2

Pros

  • Exceptional grip in both dry and wet conditions
  • Improved confidence and stability when cornering and leaning
  • Solid mileage and tread longevity

Cons

  • Slightly stiffer construction can reduce impact absorption or comfort on rough roads for certain riders
  • Transmits noticeable road feedback and creases
  • Requires a brief warm-up period of around 5 minutes to reach maximum stickiness
All owner themes in the City Grip 2 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 · Michelin City Grip 2 B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin City Grip 2

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV

Too close to call: Michelin City Grip 2 and Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV are within 2 points overall. Michelin City Grip 2 is stronger on dry and treadwear. Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV is stronger on comfort. Michelin City Grip 2 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 8 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire B You want the most comfortable ride

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV scores 80 vs 75 on comfort.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin City Grip 2 scores 80 vs 77 on dry.

Pick tire A You want the longest tread life

Michelin City Grip 2 scores 74 vs 71 on treadwear.

Tire A · Michelin City Grip 2
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Tire B · Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV
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City Grip 2 or Diablo Rosso IV?

Which is better in the wet, City Grip 2 or Diablo Rosso IV?

Neither, by our numbers: 84 vs 84 on the wet score, within 3 points.

Which grips better on dry roads, City Grip 2 or Diablo Rosso IV?

Michelin City Grip 2, 80 vs 77 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, City Grip 2 or Diablo Rosso IV?

Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV, 80 vs 75 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, City Grip 2 or Diablo Rosso IV?

Michelin City Grip 2, 74 vs 71 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