The aim of this glorious day out under the Roman sun was to try the new Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa, as developed in the WSS championship. These are the tyres supersport (and superstock) racers are gunning around on right now and will be on the shelf for us to buy in 2008.

The new Diablo Supercorsa has a host of changes aimed at improving corner entry, mid-corner and corner exit life. One of the main tricks in the new tyre's book is increasing the contact patch. Not by making it fatter, as you'd expect, but by stretching it so you have a longer contact area on the track, especially at full lean.

Both front and rear tyre profiles are narrower making steering, even on these super-fast WSS bikes even quicker. But the improved contact area and maintained neutral profile make steering still as smooth and progressive as before. The increased contact patch allows a softer compound which also helps give you more confidence in all the right areas – braking, turning-in, mid-corner and getting on the gas again. This short list of requirements is a simple one and the same one racers and trackday goers have always needed more of. In short I felt like I had more grip, more stability and more drive.

Pirelli's involvement in the world supersport paddock is clearly paying off it seems. Race tyre development is a constantly evolving process and with so much feedback and data coming back to the R&D department in Milan since Pirellis from WSS teams and all around the world in national championships, we're clearly now seeing significant results in the tyres we can buy and fit to our bikes.

Single make tyre rule still a bad thing you say? Not from where I'm sitting its not.

More info will appear in the magazine next month but for more Pirelli info go to www.pirellityre.com/web/motorcycle/default.page