Tuesday 9 May 2023

BMW S1000R Tyre review Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV (4) 4600 miles in 18 months

Tyres new at delivery from BMW at start of my ownership

start 9253 miles (Nov 2021)






end 13920 (May 2023)









so they have lasted for 4667 miles (18 months) 
This is in the UK
Nov to May
So a lot of my riding is done is cold and/or wet conditions


120/70 ZR 17

190/55 ZR 17


tyre pressures cold are

2.5 bar / 36psi

2.9 bar / 42psi


Im a heavy guy 110kg without gear, and well out of rear preload adjustment (see blog post)
fyi For most of the miles the preload was set incorrectly for a much lighter rider

I ride all year round, in almost all conditions (not snow and ice!)
I dont hang around and ride make good progress.


rear needs replacing
front still has plenty of tread left (despite cupping)

great feel
confidence inspiring
warm up quickly

great in warm/cold , dry/ wet conditions equally.

only ever felt traction lost under heavy throttle in wet conditions, even then no scares and my fault not the tyres!
never tried on track but I would assume they are excellent if not overheated.

down to the rear wear markers its clear, thats the end of the tyres life (cords starting to show), from being legal to something Id prefer not to ride on (and illegal) in 200 miles.
(i did get a puncture (which also might be due to it being highly worn) which may have accelerated the wear)

cant talk about costs, as I didnt buy these, they came on the bike.

the rear squared off (as expected) 
the front has appeared to 'cup' quite a bit.
the smooth transition on turn in feel was lost a little in the last 1000 miles, with me feeling the tyres stepped when tipping it in.
Didnt feel unsafe but noticeable

I also think its a good looking tyre pattern (but in reality thats the last thing you should care about if you ride a bike any distance or in any conditions


The Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV are a superb tyre that I wholeheartedly recommend.
In theory I could just have only a new rear Rosso IV (matched set) but Im changing to Michelin Pilot Road 6 's to try and get the same grip/feel but a greater mileage.

Comparison of costs 2023

                                  Road6   RossoIV

120/70/17 front tyre    £138         £131

190/55/17 rear tyre      £191        £181

Depending on where you buy, the Rosso IV is generally cheaper than Road6 so might be a good choice if you do less mileage.

Fantastic tyre for mixed usage, just dont expect many miles from them.











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