In 10 years, the Diablo range has evolved from product to product and through the iterations of sport motorcycles' power and handling capabilities by continuously offering products satisfying the needs of the pure on-road environment, the extreme limits reached in professional racing, and everything else in between. Significant numbers are linked to these 10 years of success of the Diablo range: more than 5 million tyres sold, raced on by more than 60,000 pilots, including both professionals and amateurs, and more than 800 compound solutions to date made available by Pirelli to riders competing in World Superbike.

The stages of Diablo's success

The birth of the myth
Diablo was born in 2002 as a tyre intended for road use and the original concept and successful parent to the entire Diablo range, quickly becoming the benchmark among sport motorcyclists due to its considerably higher performance and distinctive tread pattern compared to other sports tyres at the time. Later in 2003, a "meaner" version of Diablo was produced, the Diablo Corsa, a dual compound sport tyre for demanding riders who sought tyres whose performances extended both on the road and the track.

From the WSBK to the road
In 2004, Pirelli became the sole supplier of tyres to the Superbike World Championship and this was the key ingredient for developing and launching, in 2005, the new Diablo Superbike tyre designed for professional use only on the track. In 2007 it was the year of the first generation Diablo Supercorsa SC which in 2008 was followed by the race replica version, Diablo Supercorsa SP, for use by the most demanding street motorcyclists. With the Diablo Supercorsa, Pirelli for the first time made available to motorcyclists all the successful know-how and technology used in the World Superbike and World Supersport Championships, giving rise to what became a slogan for success: "We sell what we race, we race what we sell."

The Rosso Generation
In 2008, the original Diablo was replaced by the Diablo Rosso which was then joined two years later by its alter ego Diablo Rosso Corsa for mixed road / track riding. In 2011, the Diablo Rosso was upgraded to the Diablo Rosso II, an ideal evolution of this key product inheriting all the popular sporty characteristics while strengthening values in terms of versatility, performance in wet and even wear. The range of high quality radial tyres of the Rosso Generation uses modern technologies derived from Pirelli's experience in the WSBK Championship such as EPT (Enhanced Patch Technology), responsible for increasing overall grip in dry conditions by optimizing the tyres' footprint on the ground down at all lean angles, along with distinctly aggressive tread groove designs and other identifying elements of strong visual impact on the shoulder edges and sidewalls with even the ability to personalise the tyre with exclusive labels custom-designed by end user.

Diablo Supercorsa: the myth continues
The Diablo range celebrates it's 10 year history and success with the world premiere of the new Diablo Supercorsa at the 2011 EICMA show in both the special compound "SC" and the race replica "SP" versions, the latter aimed at all riders using who use their motorcycles with a sport riding style on the road and who like to have fun on the track.

The future is around the corner
Pirelli has its eye always towards the future: in 2013 the Italian maker will be ready to adapt to a major change in the regulations of WSBK: starting from beginning of the 2013 Superbike World Championship, Pirelli will replace the current Diablo Superbike 16.5" slick tyres, the reference measurement to date, with slick tyres in 17" sizes. This choice will allow Pirelli to continue to remain true to its philosophy of bringing the solutions developed in sport competition directly to the everyday motorcycle racer, making an even closer link between Pirelli's development work in a World Championship racing environment and the road-worthy products who adopt these technologies at continuously faster pace.

The 17" slick tyre is the optimal response for those looking for top performance trackday riding or for both amateur and professional racing compared to that of 16.5", which requires a second set of wheels and a more complex bike tuning. The 17" version offers a more common setup for easy handling and consistent performance, a 10% larger contact area due to its higher profile and a carcass able to offer more lateral support, features that will be of strong benefit to motorcyclists throughout the world and continue to feed the myth of Diablo.

Welsh dragon Davies breathes fire into 2011 WSS season

This year's FIM Supersport World Championship season was to all effects a true turning-point. The number of bikes on the starting-grid at each race was very healthy indeed, with the line-up never dropping under the 30-bike mark. This was above all thanks to new cost-saving regulations (one bike available for each rider together with only one overseas round) and commitment from four manufacturers - Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Triumph - who were represented by a range of professionally-run teams.

The 12-round championship trail from Phillip Island to Portimao saw exciting racing all the way, with the title win going to Welshman Chaz Davies, who had a superb season on the Yamaha ParkinGO team's YZF R6. 8 podiums and 6 wins was his end-of-season tally. Davies clinched the title at Magny-Cours, with one race remaining, and then finished off the season in fine style with another win at Portimao. The season-long performance by Davies and the Giuliano Rovelli-run squad was the best possible visiting-card for the Italian entrepreneur's new adventure in Superbike in 2012.

Although the numbers appear to confirm the supremacy of the former Daytona 200 Mile winner, during the season Davies had to hold his own against a wild bunch of determined customers, who were always up amongst the frontrunners. An exciting season was on the cards right from the opening round in Australia, where it took a photo-finish to separate Luca Scassa (also on a ParkinGO Yamaha), Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Provec Motocard.com) and the talented Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) in third. A few weeks later Scassa took his second win in two races from his team-mate and home crowd favourite Chaz Davies, but lost the plot somewhat in subsequent rounds at Assen, where he crashed out, and at Misano Adriatico, where he didn't compete after being caught testing at the circuit a couple of weeks before the race, something that is not allowed by the FIM rulebook.

Scassa eventually ‘bookended' his season with a fine win at Magny-Cours and an overall fifth place in the standings, but throughout the year the second place scrap raged fast and furious. It was always going to be between Supersport's grid of ‘young lions' and ‘wily old foxes', and the runner-up slot went to David Salom, who had moved up to the factory Kawasaki Provec Motocard.com team. Despite not scoring any wins the man from Majorca had the satisfaction of finishing ahead of former champion Fabien Foret, who returned to the Ten Kate Honda this year, and who picked up the 13th win of his Supersport career at Imola. Australian Broc Parkes was the Kawasaki Provec team leader and one of the favourites for the championship, but he crashed out on several occasions and his one win at Misano was not sufficient to propel him to the title.

Other riders who made a name for themselves this year were Britain's Sam Lowes, who finished sixth overall for Parkalgar Honda in his first full season of international Supersport racing and the two-times ex-Supersport 1000 winner James Ellison, who twice finished on the podium in the final four races with the Bogdanka PTR Honda team. Another Brit to make an impression, not always positive however as he was involved in a series of spectacular crashes and come-offs, was Gino Rea, who won at Brno on his Step Racing Honda to make it five different winners this year.

With a healthy range of 16 nations represented on the grid, Italy had its flag-bearer in Scassa but perhaps more was expected of the other contenders and Massimo Roccoli (Kawasaki Lorenzini by Leoni) and Roberto Tamburini on the Bike Service Racing Team Yamaha were only able to figure up front on rare occasions.

All in all, it was a hard-fought season for World Supersport, one that gave Chaz Davies the first world title in his career and one that earned a fourth crown for Yamaha in the Manufacturers' battle, bringing an end to eight long years of Honda supremacy in the class.

Sofuoglu returns to WSS with Kawasaki Lorenzini

The promotion of Lorenzini by Leoni as official Kawasaki team in the Supersport World Championship has now been followed by the signing of the category's two-times world champion, Kenan Sofuoglu. With Sofuoglu, the aim of the Italian team after the confirmation of the technical partnership with the Akashi manufacturer, is clearly to win next year's championship.

Sofuoglu, from Turkey, was Supersport World Champion in 2007 and in 2010. He has just finished a season in the Moto2 category, finishing in seventeenth position with a podium obtained in the Dutch round at Assen. With Kenan's arrival, a high level season is now on the cards, one that could make Kawasaki win again after the only title won in 2001 with Andrew Pitt.

"I am very happy for this opportunity given by Kawasaki which has arrived in a particular moment of my sporting career," declared Sofuoglu. "The experience in Moto2 was important, but, for me, it is fundamental to fight for the title and I am sure that with the Lorenzini team this will be possible. I come back to the Supersport World Championship happy for this choice, relying on the technical support of an important manufacturing company."

"I am very happy about Kenan's arrival, one of the strongest Supersport riders," said Lorenzini. "The season that is arriving will be extremely involving, but I am confident that with such a good rider and my team we will be able to honour the green Kawasaki ."