Head-to-head Updated

Michelin City Grip 2 vs Pirelli Diablo — 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 8 + 9 owner reviews. How we score

City Grip 2 is ahead, 81–67

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Michelin City Grip 2
Tire AMichelin

City Grip 2

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 85 · 8 reviews

Pirelli Diablo
Tire BPirelli

Diablo

Summer

± 8Provisional

Tests – · none yet Owners 66 · 9 reviews

Category by category

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

  1. 81

    Dry

    City Grip 2 +18
    63
    Why this score
    SourceCity Grip 2Diablo
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 76 (est.)≈ 65 (est.)
    Reviews found online8760

    City Grip 2: 60% × 76.2 (est.) + 40% × 87.3 = 81

    Diablo: 60% × 64.7 (est.) + 40% × 60.1 = 63

    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).

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

  2. 84

    Wet

    City Grip 2 +14
    70
    Why this score
    SourceCity Grip 2Diablo
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 81 (est.)≈ 70 (est.)
    Reviews found online8970

    City Grip 2: 60% × 81.1 (est.) + 40% × 89.4 = 84

    Diablo: 60% × 70.4 (est.) + 40% × 70.1 = 70

    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).

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

  3. 76

    Comfort

    City Grip 2 +10
    66
    Why this score
    SourceCity Grip 2Diablo
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 71 (est.)≈ 68 (est.)
    Reviews found online7965

    City Grip 2: 40% × 71 (est.) + 60% × 79.2 = 76

    Diablo: 40% × 68.3 (est.) + 60% × 64.8 = 66

    No road tests of comfort for City Grip 2 or Diablo. The test half is the tested tires’ average (69): owners’ comfort ratings barely follow the road tests.

  4. 73

    Treadwear

    City Grip 2 +5
    68
    Why this score
    SourceCity Grip 2Diablo
    Professional tests (TWG score)≈ 70 (est.)≈ 67 (est.)
    Reviews found online7868

    City Grip 2: 60% × 70.2 (est.) + 40% × 77.8 = 73

    Diablo: 60% × 66.9 (est.) + 40% × 68.4 = 68

    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 0.35).

    No road tests of treadwear for Diablo. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.35).

  5. 87

    Handling (owners)

    City Grip 2 +22
    65
    Why this score
    SourceCity Grip 2Diablo
    Reviews found online8765
Scores at a glance
Michelin City Grip 2 vs Pirelli Diablo: scores by category (0–100)
CategoryMichelin City Grip 2Pirelli Diablo
Relative Score 81 67
Dry 81 63
Wet 84 70
Comfort 76 66
Treadwear 73 68
Handling (owners) 87 65

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

City Grip 2

± 8

Diablo

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

Pros

  • Excellent dry grip once the tire reaches operating temperature
  • Inspiring feedback and planted handling for confident cornering
  • Strong performance in wet weather conditions

Cons

  • Rapid rear tire wear and tendency to square off
  • Requires significant warm-up time to reach optimal traction
  • Can feel unstable or 'sketchy' in cold or damp conditions before warming up
All owner themes in the Diablo review

Specs side by side

Attribute A · Michelin City Grip 2 B · Pirelli Diablo
CategorySummerSummer
Vehicle typeMotorcycleMotorcycle

Which one should you actually buy?

Michelin City Grip 2

Pirelli Diablo

Winner: Michelin City Grip 2 — better handling, dry and wet. It leads or ties in every category we score. Michelin City Grip 2 rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 8 reviews), so read this result as provisional. Pirelli Diablo rests on little evidence so far (0 tests, 9 reviews), so read this result as provisional.

Pick tire A You enjoy sharp, responsive handling

Michelin City Grip 2 scores 87 vs 65 on handling.

Pick tire A You want the most grip on dry roads

Michelin City Grip 2 scores 81 vs 63 on dry.

Pick tire A Your priority is wet-weather safety

Michelin City Grip 2 scores 84 vs 70 on wet.

Pick tire A You want the most comfortable ride

Michelin City Grip 2 scores 76 vs 66 on comfort.

Tire A · Michelin City Grip 2
Tire B · Pirelli Diablo

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City Grip 2 or Diablo?

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

Michelin City Grip 2, 84 vs 70 on our wet score.

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

Michelin City Grip 2, 81 vs 63 on our dry score.

Which is more comfortable, City Grip 2 or Diablo?

Michelin City Grip 2, 76 vs 66 on our comfort score.

Which lasts longer, City Grip 2 or Diablo?

Michelin City Grip 2, 73 vs 68 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