MTB Tire Test: Pirelli Scorpion XC RC Lite Team Edition 28x2.4

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After testing nearly all of Pirelli's road bike and gravel bike tires, we're finally going to look at one of their mountain bike tires: the Scorpion XC RC Lite Team Edition. As the name suggests, the Scorpion XC RC is designed as an all-round XC tire that should serve various conditions, from casual weekend carving to demanding racing conditions.

We've tested the 29x2.4 Lite version, that's tubeless-ready but doesn't come with reinforced sidewalls to keep the weight to a minimum. If you prefer reinforced sidewalls and don't mind the additional weight penalty (50 grams for the 29x2.4 version), you should opt for the ProWall version of the Scorpion XC RC. Even though the Lite version doesn't come with reinforced sidewalls, we had no problem with inflation or sealing of the Lite version.

From experience with other tires, reinforced sidewalls don't add much rolling resistance (probably just 1 to 2 watts per tire), and the reinforced sidewalls are usually the better choice in a tubeless set up. If you need that last bit of rolling resistance and low weight performance, we recommend the Lite version over the ProWall version.

Unlike most of Pirelli's gravel bike tires that use their SpeedGrip compound, the Scorpion XC RC comes with their SmartGrip compound. We're not sure we had the SmartGrip compound in the test lab yet, but it's an indication Pirelli's mountain bike and gravel bike tires are more different than you might expect.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Pirelli
Model	Scorpion XC RC Lite Team Edition
Year	2023
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	3022100
EAN	8019227402216
TPI	120
Compound	SmartGrip
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	60-622
Size Inch	28"
Width Inch	2.40
Specified Weight	650 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	58
Made In	Pro Data
Available Sizes	29x2.20 29x2.40

Pirelli Scorpion XC RC Lite Team Edition Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	650 grams
Measured Weight	625 grams
Measured Width Carcass	57 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	58 mm
Measured Height	56 mm (un-round)
Measured Knob Height Center	2.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	4.0 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	2 mm
Measured Total Thickness Sidewall	Pro Data
All size measurements are taken at an air pressure of 35 psi / 2.4 bars on a 17.8 mm inner width rim.

Rolling Resistance Test Results

Rolling Resistance Test Results
Inner Tube	None (40 ml sealant)
Measured Width	57 mm
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 47-50 = 42 psi/2.9 bar 51-55 = 38 psi/2.6 bar 56-60 = 34 psi/2.3 barHigh Air Pressure (34 psi / 2.3 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 47-50 = 35 psi/2.4 bar 51-55 = 32 psi/2.2 bar 56-60 = 29 psi/2.0 barMedium Air Pressure (29 psi / 2.0 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 47-50 = 28 psi/1.9 bar 51-55 = 25 psi/1.7 bar 56-60 = 23 psi/1.6 barLow Air Pressure (23 psi / 1.6 bar)	29.9 Watts CRR: 0.00896
Rolling Resistance Real tire width in mm: 47-50 = 21 psi/1.4 bar 51-55 = 19 psi/1.3 bar 56-60 = 17 psi/1.2 barExtra Low Air Pressure (17 psi / 1.2 bar)	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance 55 psi / 3.8 bar	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance 45 psi / 3.1 bar	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance 35 psi / 2.4 bar	Pro Data
Rolling Resistance 25 psi / 1.7 bar	Pro Data
The MTB section is a multi tire size section, air pressures have been adjusted to the measured casing width. All numbers are for a single tire at a speed of 29 km/h / 18 mph and a load of 42.5 kg / 94 lbs. Use the formula: RR (Watts) = CRR * speed (m/s) * load (N) to calculate rolling resistance at a given speed and load.

Puncture Resistance Test Results

Puncture Resistance Test Results (higher is better)
Total Puncture Score Tread	30 Points
Total Puncture Score Sidewall	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Tread Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Tread Total Tire Thickness	2 mm
Sidewall Puncture Force Sharp Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Puncture Force Blunt Needle	Pro Data
Sidewall Total Tire Thickness	Pro Data

Hard Surface Static Grip Test Results

Static Grip Test Results
Wet Grip Average	68 Points
Wet Grip Center	Pro Data
Wet Grip Edge	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	2.0 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	4.0 mm
Grip in points = coefficient of friction * 100 MTB grip test rim width = 30.0 mm
Wet Grip Test and Off-Road Tires (info)

Conclusion

The Pirelli Scorpion XC RC doesn't blow us out of the water when it comes to its overall performance in our tests. Rolling resistance is quite high for a "lite" all-round XC mountain bike tire that also doesn't offer impressive puncture resistance of either the tread or sidewalls.

What saves the Scorpion XC RC is its performance in the hard surface wet grip tests, where it comes out as the best gripping mountain bike tire when we look at the average grip. Most of this high average grip comes from the very strong performance in the center grip test; the edge grip is still decent but not as impressive.

It's not an overall great performer, but if you're not too worried about rolling resistance, we can see it working well in areas where its strong points meet your needs.

RATING: 3.5 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Recommended

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