Pirelli

The Ducati models are all fitted with Pirelli tires straight out of the factory. On my Monster I had the Rosso III and now on my DesertyX the Scorpion Rally STR. I’ve switched brands in the early beginning, only to come back to the Pirelli line of tires. Something to do with heavy cupping which is not convenient, especially with the distances I cover. Ever since, I’ve been loyal to the quality of Pirelli and it has never let me down, in any type of weather or surface. If I had to categorize myself into a level, I’d say I’m a sporty rider within limits (roads and myself), but I do demand the best grip for my adventures.

Scorpion Rally STR – STR stands for Street, because they are slightly less knobby than the Rally racing set. This 50/50 option has been nothing but perfect for my adventures on the DesertX. I have solid grip on and off the roads and also in wet conditions I still get out of them what I need: a comforting feeling and ultimate safety. The larger and wider blocks do not give you that typical adventure tire wobble on the road and I ride exactly the same with these as with my Rosso’s on those surfaces. For heavy muddy conditions I’d prefer the Scorpion Rally. With a 70/30% ratio on/offroad I put an average of 12.000 kilometers on a set.

Diablo Rosso III – The third generation of the Rosso family: a sport tire for road use, both on dry and wet road with technology developed within the World Superbike Championship. The amount of wet roads I covered with these is a number I’ve lost count of. Let alone the amount of dry ones! But the unprecedented riding behavior of the Monster 821 has never diminished and the bike kept its sporty character. Because of the bi-compound with a wide side soft stripe I get some serious grip from mid lean angle. In 75.000 kilometers on my monster I once had a set of a different brand, only to quickly return to Pirelli. On a sporty naked bike you don’t want heavily cupped rubber. I have put an average of 15.000 kilometers on a set.

Everyone has its own preferences when it comes to their motorcycle setup, and that is very much a good thing! Wouldn’t it become pretty boring if we would all ride the same machines in the same colors and all? I’d say there is no difference in picking the right tires for your moto. One likes the 50/50 and others a very race-minded sporty tire. You can choose a tire pretty easily according to your style on the Pirelli website and explore all the details.