handling that allows it to change line mid-corner
without a fuss, but still stable at high speed.
TAKE AWAY
which the compounds change – there’s just
huge amounts of grip, especially at the slick
edge of the tyre (which has wear indicator
dots to help track-dayers gauge tyre wear).
The story is the same with the rear tyre. The
three compounds blend well together, after
6-7 laps the carbon black edge compound was
working well, with just a light abraded surface. I
was expecting a feeling of transition between
the shoulder and the road/wet-oriented 100%
silica compound but there was nothing, just
a feeling of one compound and no zones.
Next up, I tried Ducati’s new Panigale V4S. This
was the first time I’d ridden it, and it’s a stunning
bike. I hesitate to say it but it’s one of the best
bikes I’ve ridden on track. It has the ease of
use of the BMW S1000RR and Yamaha YZF-R1,
but with a guttural growl, stunning suspension,
brakes and chassis. On the Diablo Rosso Corsa
II it’s quick steering but stable at all speeds up
to almost 280km/h through the downhill right
hander into turn 1. There’s awesome stability
under both acceleration and heavy braking.
Mid-corner, accelerating hard had the rear
starting to slide but the Ducati Traction Control
doesn’t let there be any fuss at all, just a small
level of controlled slip. And after all this abuse?
Again, I was expecting the silica compound to be
fried, but it stood up to some serious abuse.
The story was the same on Yamaha’s R1, nimble
30 KIWI RIDER
If you’re a road rider who wants top dry grip with
great wet performance and don’t want to change
tyres to go on the track, this is a tyre with a broad
capability that covers rain and dry track days. I don’t
think you can really ask for much more than that. It’s
all a long cry from the tyres of the 80s and 90s which
either offered top grip or great mileage. I remember
wearing out a rear Pirelli Dragon Corsa within
1600km on my Yamaha FZR600R back in 1994.
The tyres we get to play on today have the benefits
of both track and road tyres of the 90s but without
the compromises of either. A friend messaged
saying the Rosso Corsas were his favourite sticky
tyres, which took him to the Alps and back from the
UK every year. He asked if the new version would
do that while sticking like shit to a blanket. If Pirelli’s
claim of 15% more mileage is accurate, which we
can only take their word on at the moment, then I
think the days of having to compromise are over – it
looks like you can have your cake, and eat it.