MT75 VS Diablo Scoots

[Lou]

So ive been looking for some tires for my sisters '07, and after reading through the ninja250.org site (great info on tires) i came to a tie between MT75s and Diablo Scoots. Main reason its between those two is because shes realy broke right now (always i think LOL) and in need of tires without breaking the bank. I know both wear relatively quick so i plan on doing tire mount and install myself to be more cost effective. So i just wanted to get some feed back about peoples preference between the two. Any experiences or feedback would be as always apreciated thnx!!!

[coondog]

Some people swear by diablos but they're not rated high enough. There pricier ones are but screw that, give me a rim fitting soft compound made for your motorcycle anyday. MT75 may only produce one of the two rim sizes nowadays but i hear conti makes a great second (this is grapevine). I have two 75's on my 05 now. Diablo kept bikes in mind when making tires but the proper ninja 250 ones are over-priced. Good Luck.

[greg737]

Some people swear by diablos but they're not rated high enough.

We've been down this road before, haven't we?

The above quoted statement seems to say that Pirelli Diablo Scooter tires can't handle the performance of the EX-250. Although the quoted statement is rather vauge it seems to be implying that the Diablo Scooter tire isn't good enough for the EX-250 because it is only "P" rated which translates to 94 MPH continuous.

That's why I keep the following cut-and-paste ready:

Before we start talking about tire speed ratings and actual motorcycle speeds we need to make sure we're actually doing an "apples to apples" comparison.

The EX-250 is known to have a speedometer error of approximately 8% with a stock sized front tire installed. That 8% speedometer error means that if you've got the bike at an indicated 102mph (which, with stock gearing and stock tire size, requires 12,000 rpm in 6th gear) you'd actually be going 94.4 mph

Now that we've established the 94 mph continuous speed that the Diablo Scooter tires are rated for actually translates to right about 102mph indicated on a stock-tired EX-250 we can move on to what tire ratings, like the Diablo's "P" rating actually mean.

There are some folks here on the forum who make it sound as if the Diablo tire was designed to explode the moment your speed touches 90mph. Why the crusade against a tire rated for higher continuous speed than 98% (or more) of EX-250 riders would ever want to achieve?

Here's the "knowledge is power" part of my post....

Tire speed ratings are about resistance to heat buildup, too much heat and the tire begins to degrade back into the original component parts/ingredients that were vulcanized together to make the tire. Speed ratings are based on laboratory tests where the tire is pressed against a large diameter metal drum to reflect its appropriate vehicle load, and run at ever increasing speeds (in 6.2 mph steps in 10 minute increments) until the tire's required speed rating has been met. So to "limit test" a Diablo Scooter tire to it's designed "P" rating the test would take a total of 2.5 hours of ever-increasing speeds with the last 10 minutes of the test occurring at 94mph (actual mph, not at EX-250 speedo-error mph).

I'd really be surprised if any EX-250 rider (on public roads) could sustain a high enough speed long enough to cause a Diablo tire to begin degrading.

[Lou]

I doubt my sister would run her bike at 90mh maybe 80 some yeah, but not 90for a long period of time. San Diego speed on the freeways gets fast but not that fast. I mostly looking for a econo tire that will handle wet and dry well at the sacrafice of life untill she can save up for a better combo.

[Lou]

Thnx for your imput guys.

[Lou]

Anybody else have a preference between these two?

[greg737]

San Diego speed on the freeways gets fast but not that fast. I mostly looking for a econo tire that will handle wet and dry well at the sacrafice of life untill she can save up for a better combo.

You have to take the "this tire is no good in the wet" stories with a grain of salt. It's easy to have a scary moment that may not be completely the tire's fault.

San Diego is a perfect example of a dangerous wet-riding city because it can go a long time between rainstorm events. If it's been dry for a while when it does rain you're not just dealing with wet pavement, you're dealing with all the oil & grease & antifreeze & who-knows-what-else drippings that have been accumulating during the dry spell.

There's a huge difference in the experience of a wet road vs. a greasy/oily wet road.

[Lou]

Very true, I know she'll try to avoid riding when the rain starts or it rains hard, but if in that situation which tire would you put more faith in (dont mean to put you on the spot LOL)

[Timon]

I'm running the Diablo Scooter tires on my 250. So far, I love them. I've even done a little bit of wet weather riding in them. Obviously nothing extreme in wet riding conditions, but they held up in a downpour in the city, and some light rain in the twisties.

I'd highly recommend them myself as they are inexpensive, handle well in both wet and dry conditions, and the "P" rating has no real impact (especially considering it takes a long time to get the 250 from the average of 80mph, speedo, on the freeway up to 102).

[Lou]

thnx for the imput Timon

[Jinx250]

I have the Diablos on my 07. 3500+ miles and they still look very good. No flat spotrting in the rear either. And even though I do not ride in the rain, I did get to ride through a corner that was wet from one end to the other (maybe a couple hundred feet, a looooong sweeper). Did I mention that I was mid corner when the pavement went from dry to wet? I did not feel any difference in the grip. I think either one would be perfectly fine, and BikeBandit sells them for nearly the same price. I think it would come down more to which sizes you wanted to get.

[Lou]

Great thnx. I think im going with the Diablos, seem popular. Havent heard much from the Mt75s

[Jinx250]

Originally Posted by Lou

Great thnx. I think im going with the Diablos, seem popular. Havent heard much from the Mt75s

MT75s are also fantastic tires. I couldn't tell you how many miles I have on mine because the odo on that bike doesn't work.

[greg737]

Originally Posted by Lou

Great thnx. I think im going with the Diablos, seem popular. Havent heard much from the Mt75s

You've said that these tires would be for your sister's bike, right?

A point in favor of the MT75 would be that they come in 120/80-16 for the rear which slightly lowers the bike (compared to the Diablo, 130/80-16), which could be a good thing if your sister is a small woman or has a short inseam.

And they're known to have very good grip, wet or dry.

[coondog]

much better grip than yours. buddy you need to get laid.

[Lou]

Thnx for your imputs guys. Ive read the MT75s actualy lower the bike abit which is a real plus for shorter riders! Keep posting if you know anymore info like approx. tread life and other things. Always apreciate the feedback.

[greg737]

Originally Posted by coondog

much better grip than yours. buddy you need to get laid.

Dude, if you'd just stop posting misinformation then I wouldn't have to come along behind you and clean the crap up by posting facts.

[JeffM]

I did a bunch of wet laps at a track day on Diablos and they did just fine. YMMV.

Jeff

[coondog]

I did a wet track day with the stock dunlop k671 rim protectors, that's why they're just as popular as the diablos. For all you readers at least the Dunlop K671 is mentioned in the "Tire" section of our site here.

[JLinde1339]

I've been eyeing the MT75's, as it seems that motorcycle superstore has them in stock pre-gen sizes, for just under $130 for the set. Have no info on them, however. My main concerns are more for treadwear than their grip factor.
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[andylawcc]

Originally Posted by coondog

I did a wet track day with the stock dunlop k671 rim protectors, that's why they're just as popular as the diablos. For all you readers at least the Dunlop K671 is mentioned in the "Tire" section of our site here.

you mean Dunlop K630? or KENDA K671?


anyway, OP, I have the Pirelli Diablo Scooters, and it finally hit a nail and have to call it an end. This is after roughly 8000 miles and 8 track days (admittedly, i am still a C Group rider so wasn't able to push it to it's limit). I only rode it once in the wet and wasn't noticeably more unstable. For the price I am very pleased. and I have a set MT 75 ready to go (track day tomorrow).

if you want to go cheaper and not scarifice too much, try the Kenda K671. It got good user feedback on the ninja250.org. and they are like (last time I checked) 10 bucks cheaper both front and back.

[coondog]

Originally Posted by JLinde1339

I've been eyeing the MT75's, as it seems that motorcycle superstore has them in stock pre-gen sizes, for just under $130 for the set. Have no info on them, however. My main concerns are more for treadwear than their grip factor.
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grip is as good as any outside possibly BT45's (talking track AND street). these tires were made for our rims, period. tread life is not as long as you'd like as it's an all soft compound tire (say 8k miles as a swag - on the rear). all i wanted to say bout diablos is there "step up one" tire is a world above their Pee (original), and i'd like to mention it waas i who brought out the fact that the diablo P was intended for manufacture including the ninja 250 specifically, albeit as an economical route. hell the pirellis are economical as well but fit the rim and are a noth above in every way.

[JLinde1339]

So at 8k I could reasonably expect to get a season out of them? Mainly street riding, but after going from the old stock dunrocks, I might start driving a little more aggressively...hehe...
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