IN BRIEF
Pirelli has redesigned and renamed its gravity mountain bike tyre range, now called Scorpion Gravity. It comprises three tread patterns: Blacksting for speed on hard, compact terrain, Emperor for mixed terrain and Red Claw for loose, muddy and dusty terrain. According to BikeRadar, Emperor and Red Claw replace the former RACE M and RACE T. The range comes in four casings, from ProWALL to DHWALL+, and three compounds, Medium, Soft and Supersoft — the Red Claw being available only in DualWALL and DHWALL+, in Soft and Supersoft compounds; according to BikeBiz, all casings are now designed for e-MTB use.
| Models | Scorpion Blacksting, Scorpion Emperor and Scorpion Red Claw |
| Casings | ProWALL, HardWALL, DualWALL and DHWALL+ |
| Compounds | Medium, Soft and Supersoft |
| Emperor (ETRTO) | 60, 62, 63 and 65-622; 62, 63 and 65-584 |
| Blacksting (ETRTO) | 62 and 65-622; 60, 62 and 65-584 |
| Red Claw (ETRTO) | 62 and 65-622; 62 and 65-584 |
| Weight (example) | 1,000 g for the Emperor Team Edition ProWALL Supersoft in 60-622 (official product page) |
| Price | in the UK, from £54.99 to £79.99 (according to BikeBiz) |
Pirelli is overhauling its mountain bike tyres for gravity riding. According to Cycling Industry News, the new range was developed for this type of riding and lets riders choose between different tread patterns, casings and compounds. BikeBiz specifies that it covers trail, enduro, freeride and downhill racing.
Scorpion Gravity: three tread patterns, three terrains
The tread patterns are inspired by three different scorpions, reports Cycling Industry News. On its product pages, Pirelli aims the Blacksting at riders looking for speed on hard, compact terrain, in bike parks as well as on dry, rocky trails. The Emperor targets mixed terrain and changing conditions. Finally, the Red Claw was developed for loose, muddy and dusty terrain, where traction becomes essential.
Two of these names replace older models: according to BikeRadar, the Emperor succeeds the RACE M and the Red Claw the RACE T. Cycling Industry News states that the Red Claw builds on the RACE T, reworked for loose-over-hard ground, dust and off-camber sections.
Four casings and three compounds
According to Cycling Industry News, the ProWALL casing is the lightest in the range to offer sidewall protection, with weights of 700 to 900 g. The HardWALL, at 900 to 1,100 g, brings more stability and impact resistance. The dual-ply DualWALL targets enduro, bike park and freeride riding, at between 1,100 and 1,300 g. The most protective, which Pirelli writes as DHWALL+ on its product pages, is intended for top-level downhill racing, from 1,300 g to over 1,500 g. These ranges come from the press: according to Pirelli’s official product page, the Emperor Team Edition ProWALL Supersoft in 60-622 weighs 1,000 g, above the 900 g stated for this casing. According to BikeBiz, all these casings are now compatible with standard mountain bikes, lightweight e-MTBs and full-power models.
The three compounds follow Pirelli’s motorsport colour code, explains BikeBiz: yellow for Medium, red for Soft and purple for Supersoft. The official catalogue also lists a Team Edition version of the various combinations.
Developed with Fabien Barel
Pirelli’s engineers worked with Fabien Barel, three-time downhill world champion, as well as Brendan Fairclough, Jack Moir, Thomas Genon, Juan Diego Salido, Fabio Wibmer and Lachlan Blair, according to BikeBiz. According to BikeBiz, which announced it on 22 September 2026, UK prices range from £54.99 to £79.99 and the first stock was arriving in the UK that week. As of 23 September, the euro price could not be established from Pirelli’s official product pages, accessed from France.
