Honda’s latest Fireblade is going to be one of the hottest new sportsbikes on the market in 2020, and Italian tyre maker Pirelli are celebrating after their acclaimed Supercorsa SP was selected as original equipment.
Members of the press are currently in Qatar, shaking down the new Honda CBR1000RR-R and SP models in the middle of the desert at Losail Circuit, where the surrounding sands blowing over the tarmac can prove a real test for tyres.
The latest Supercorsa SP V3 had adopted a bi-compound rear tyre to deliver better mileage than it’s predecessor, while they’ve also been able to utilise a higher percentage of soft compound in the shoulder area for better cornering grip.
Pirelli have further enhanced compound performance with their revised tread pattern, which is repeated six times over the tyre surface. The slick shoulder area is now 24% wider than that of the V2, thus increasing contact area and grip.
The longitudinal grooves, expanding from the central area to the shoulder, improve uniformity of wear, especially when the tyre is being pushed hard.
As part of their racetrack to road philosophy, the Italian firm have also employed a WSBK developed high-module fibre in the rear tyre carcass, which has a considerably lower deformation ratio. The result is a stiffer rear carcass, to better withstand the forces generated during aggressive cornering and hard acceleration on the most powerful superbikes.
