TESTED: Pirelli Scorpion Enduro S

Words: Hayden Wright

Photos: Mike Blewitt

Pirelli’s Scorpion line of tyres has been gaining some traction both locally and on the world racing scene over the past few years. Through their implementation of innovative casings, terrain-based tread patterns and discipline specific rubber compounds it seems there is a Pirelli Scorpion mountain bike tyre for anything from XCO to DH. Their most recent update available to market is an update to their SmartGRIP gravity compound, found on the Scorpion Enduro S tyre I have on test. Claims of a softer compound, increased traction and a longer use life than its predecessors have all been put to the sword over the past few months. The Enduro S is the most aggressive tread pattern available in the Pirelli Scorpion lineup, and has been designed specifically for aggressive riding in loose and soft terrain. During testing I paired it on the front with a Scorpion Enduro R on the rear, and later a Scorpion Enduro M

Hunting a rear tyre to match? Check out our review on the Pirelli Scorpion Enduro M!

Setup

I mounted up the Scorpion Enduro S to the front of my enduro bike with relative ease. While the Hardwall casing is stiffer than most in this category, I was still able to easily pop the tyre on my 30mm wide carbon rim with the help of a lever and inflate with a glug of Pirelli SmartSEAL sealant. Upon measurement the Scorpion S came in at 2.7” which is a touch over the claimed width, and may cause clearance issues with some fork arches and rear ends. Be sure to check this before purchasing. 

Pressure

For the first ride, I ran pressures similar to what I would run in a Maxxis DD or EXO+ front tyre. Starting at 22PSI (80kg rider weight), I found the ride feeling to be quite harsh. The character of the tyre was much more rigid than I expected, and required less pressure to allow it to deform to the trail under me. While Pirelli’s recommended pressure range bottoms out at 22PSI I ended up settling on 18PSI. This allowed the casing under the tread of the Scorpion S to deform nicely on the trail, with the HardWALL sidewall still providing plenty of support. Following a similar process, I ended up settling at 22PSI in the rear for the 2.6” Scorpion Enduro R + Tubolight HD insert. Across the few months of testing, I’ve not had a single rim dint with these pressures, and I was very impressed with the damped feel the casing.

On the trail

The past few months have been unseasonably wet around my local trails, taking them from baked in hard pack to soft and loamy at times. This proved to be the perfect testing ground for the Scorpion S and the new SmartGRIP tread compound. While feeling firmer than most under hand, it did very well at digging in to soft soils, providing huge amounts of front traction whether under braking or turning. At times, it was almost comical how much front traction I felt I had, particularly on slow steep sections of trail where the dirt was at its finest. I could simply keep pulling the front brake harder and harder and the Scorpion S would keep digging into the trail and giving me the grip I desperately needed. Thanks to the rounded cross-sectional profile, the tyre also performed very consistently when I added lean angle right through to when it lost traction into a slide or drift. Rather than having a square edge to the tread which typically leads to a quite sudden slide, the Scorpion range has a much smoother transition across the tread. This made them feel predictable even when pushing the limit, and lead to both the Scorpion S and R rubber piloting me to a few PR’s on some local favourites. 

While I found the R to have many ride characteristics of the S, it’s design focus is based heavily around being a fast-rolling rear trail tyre. As such, I found it lacked braking traction on steep trails which led to the back of my bike wagging around like a dog’s tail when things got a little wild. Swapping the rear to Pirelli’s Scorpion Enduro M which is their mixed terrain tyre proved to be a better match under braking leading to a more balanced ride on steep trails. 

As summer has begun to hit, my testing grounds have become hard pack and rocky. While not it’s recommended terrain the Enduro S has still been doing a good job getting traction and deflecting hits. The HardWALL casing is yet to show even a blemish front or rear, and the tread shows very few signs of wear after two months of use. Traction levels may not be quite as high as some hard-packed or mixed terrain tyres which have a softer tread compound, but I am still enjoying pushing my own limits in the dust with this tyre combination.  

Verdict

The new SmartGRIP compound on Pirelli’s Scorpion Enduro S has massive amounts of grip in soft and wet terrain. The rounded tread profile is predictable even at aggressive lean angles, and makes for a confidence inspiring ride when paired with a Scorpion R or M rear tyre. If you are looking for a grippy set of tyres which are puncture resistant and long lasting, look no further. 

Sizes: 27.5×2.6, 29×2.4, 29×2.6 (Tested)

Casings: ProWALL, HardWALL (Tested)
Weight: 1180g claimed, 1217g(Actual)

RRP: $129.99

Available Through: fesports.com.au

Hits

• Impressive grip in soft and loamy soils
  Stiff sidewalls
• Hard wearing tread pattern

Misses

• Clearance on 2.6’ tyre
• Not the best choice on hardpack – but that’s in the name