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• The Sicilian Clan
• Forewarned is forearmed
• Half angel half demon.
• On track the artist !
• A little angel watching over you
• Dimensions table:

The Sicilian Clan

Pirelli invited us for a "life-size" test drive on the back roads of Sicily with the Angel ST. Rather new conditions that change the orderly testing on circuits. Meeting with "the Sicilian clan".

Harnessed with protections of shoulders, elbows, knees, back and even a neck protector, the tester Pirelli tells me: "Every day we do about 500 km on these roads"…. Oh man, it’s not really engaging as a costume, they are that dangerous the Sicilian county? Maybe I should go directly in a leather suit? "The advantage is the weather, here it is never cold and it rarely rains. You can ride all year round in good conditions. If we want bad weather, we have the testing centers in northern Europe…. In short, it is hot and beautiful here, as in the famous counterpetry of our Belgian friends. In fact between leather and cooking I hesitate because at 9 am the thermometer already displays 35 ° ….

Forewarned is forearmed

The day before, during the presentation briefing which revealed the route of the test, we were told that the course of about 200 km in the shape of a triangle consists of three parts: the first section is slippery and at the time when we take it, there will be traffic on some sections. Be careful, the roads here are narrow. The second section is very bumpy with large areas of bitumen deformation.

"And the third is billiards with grip? »I asked.

"No not at all, it’s a mix of the first two. Very slippery and very bumpy roads! Our customers don’t just drive on perfect asphalt, they take small, slippery and overheated side roads with potholes and gravel, which is why we also have to test our tires in these conditions to see how they react. We therefore wanted to share this experience with you.…. »Concludes Pierangelo Misani director of the R&D department…. Thank you for the invitation, we enjoy it in advance.

Half angel half demon.

It is often thought that a tire is frozen, but in fact it evolves quietly throughout its career. So our two friends Scorpion Trail and Angel ST, who are not partridges of the year, did not however keep both feet in the same hoof.

An approach that takes into account the comments of users, the evolution of motorcycles and also the progress of the competition. It was the Dunlop Roadsmart’s spectacular leap forward in wet conditions that prompted Pirelli to improve its Angel ST on this type of surface. In fact, it receives a mixture of gum more loaded with silica to better withstand rain and cold. As a reminder, it still benefits from EPT (ehanced patch technology), whose carcass with several radii of curvature gives it an optimal footprint on the corner. When the bike tilts, the contact surface increases, which improves grip and feel.

In addition, the ICS (ideal contour shaping) whose steel belt carcass at 0 ° thinned ensures better management of pressure zones, promotes stability.

In use, the Angel ST is proving convincing for what we have seen of it. Tested on four different motorcycles (Honda 600 CBF, CBR F, Hornet and Kawa Z 1000) it offers a good level of comfort particularly highlighted on the rough roads of the Mediterranean island. With a bitumen as slippery as a wet tub, the roads just gave us an idea of ​​the behavior…. when stalling! One or two overly generous gas strokes out of the corner and the rear takes off while the front remains calmly riveted to the road. It’s progressive, it makes up for it, everything you would expect from a tire worthy of the name. As for the wet ground on the other hand, it will be necessary to go elsewhere to judge..

On track the artist !

To complete the experience, Pirelli took us to another testing ground: Pergusa Autodrome…. An old bitumen track not really nickel either. Located around the lake of the same name, it is surrounded by safety rails and eucalyptus trees which are shedding their leaves…. Again, it takes a few turns to get used to it and appreciate all the finer points of the decor…. By dint of turning, we still gain confidence. We find the least bumpy trajectories and we ended up breaking the ground clearance of the Z 1000 and the 600 CBRF for what we tried.

The grip on a dry track is therefore correct if we refer to the purpose of this tire. Regarding the stability at high speed, improved by the addition of carbon black, it seems good, again considering the condition of the track. The bumps in one of the straights lifted both the rear wheel of the CBR F and the switch tripped at full fifth. It heckles! But in these difficult conditions and in the fast corners, the Angel ST is staying the course. Same feeling when braking hard, it’s stable and it does not straighten out even when entering a turn.

The price for this stability is undoubtedly a relative laziness in one of the squabbles of the layout that I missed twice with the 600 CBR F. Excessive optimism? Sure a sporty profile would have been sharper there, but in absolute terms what you ask of a road tire is a straightforward and unsurprising response. The reassuring "roundness" that the Angel ST seems to have is arguably more suited to touring than a tire that is too sharp. The Angel ST will also be able to better meet the needs of larger, somewhat heavy vehicles, which it can easily withstand high powers as we have seen..

A little angel watching over you

Despite these difficult driving conditions, we did not regret the slightest incident on the course. We have to believe that an angel had taken us under his protection…. Marketing specialist Pirelli has as much fun as its customers decorating and personalizing its tires. For the Diablo Rosso II and Rosso Corsa, it was by giving them the opportunity to mark the tires with their name, or that of their favorite driver. Here it is by playing on the profile of the sculptures which draw an angel when the tire is new and which turns into a devil over the kilometers (beyond 1000 km), more or less quickly depending on how much you do. whether or not to work on your erasers.

A little nod, but also a reminder that the Angel ST is versatile: a serious side for rain and mileage endurance and a playful side for grip. This short presentation will not have allowed us to discover all its facets, but whether it is handling, grip or stability, the Angel ST seems to be up to the task. Despite the oppressive heat and our little jaunt on the circuit, it did not deteriorate outrageously, which is partly reassuring about its longevity. For the rain, we will have to believe what Pierangelo Misani says, because from our point of view under the crushing Sicilian sun, it remains a mystery and a ball of rubber ….

Strong points

• Stability
• Comfort
• angle neutrality
• progressive behavior

Weak points

• Lack of liveliness ?
• Wet handling untested

Dimensions table:

• Front: 17 inches
  120/60 120/70

• Front 18 inches
  110/80 120/70

• AR: 17 inches
  150/70 160/60 170/70 180/55 190/50

• 18 inch AR
  160/60

Longevity tests and biker reviews on the Angel ST front tire and the Angel ST rear tire

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