Tire Lab Test: Pirelli Scorpion XC RH Lite Team Edition 29x2.4

The Scorpion XC RH is a brand-new tire from Pirelli, and it's a significant new release for us, as it's one of the first Pirelli mountain bike tires to come from their new factory in Italy. If you've followed our website for a while, you'll know that Pirelli tires manufactured in Italy offer a significant performance boost over their predecessors, which were often manufactured to Pirelli's specifications in external factories.

For now, these new made-in-Italy mountain bike tires can be recognized by the "Race Compound" that's only produced in their Italian factory. The Race Compound is developed and produced by Pirelli's motorsport laboratories, and it's now the most high-performing compound in Pirelli's Scorpion mountain bike range. As far as we know, only the Scorpion XC RH, XC RC, and XC M now have versions equipped with the new Race Compound.

The Scorpion XC RH with Race Compound is available in either the Lite or ProWall casing, which offers additional sidewall protection. We've tested the Lite casing version, and together with the low center knobs on the new XC RH tread pattern, it is the absolute fastest mountain bike tire from Pirelli.

We've tested the Scorpion XC RH in the 29x2.4 size and with the yellow Team Edition colors. As far as we can see, only the colors differ between the Team Edition and the standard edition, and there should be no difference in performance between the yellow-labeled Team Edition and the white-labeled standard edition.

We've compared it to the Pirelli Scorpion XC RC Lite Team Edition (read our review) with the SmartGrip compound that we tested in 2023, as well as a selection of the best-performing mountain bike tires you can buy today.

Manufacturer Specifications

Manufacturer Specs
Brand	Pirelli
Model	Scorpion XC RH Lite Team Edition
Year	2026
Supplied By	Bought in store
New or Used	New
Mileage	0 km
Price Range	High
Buy At
Manufacturer part number	4631100
EAN	8019227463118
TPI	120
Compound	Race Compound
Bead	Folding
ETRTO	60-622
Size Inch	29"
Width Inch	2.40
Specified Weight	690 grams
Max Air Pressure (psi)	44
Made In	Pro Data
Available Sizes	29x2.40

Pirelli Scorpion XC RH Lite Team Edition Test Results

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements

Size, Weight, and Thickness Measurements
Specified Weight	690 grams
Measured Weight	637 grams
Measured Width Carcass	59 mm (un-round)
Measured Width Tread	62 mm
Measured Height	Pro Data
Tire Circumference	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.8 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	3.9 mm
Measured Total Thickness Center (excluding knobs)	1.8 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	59 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)	16.7 Watts CRR: 0.00501
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
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	35 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	1.8 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	69 Points
Wet Grip Center	Pro Data
Wet Grip Edge	Pro Data
Measured Knob Height Center	0.8 mm
Measured Knob Height Edge	3.9 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 RH Lite delivers remarkable performance in our tests, and we now consider it one of the fastest mountain bike tires on the market. When we compare the new XC RH with Race compound and Lite casing to the old XC RC with SmartGrip compound and Lite casing (read our review), we see an absolutely insane jump in performance for the new tire. The most significant improvement is seen in the rolling resistance tests, where the XC RH comes in at 17 watts (for a single tire), while the old XC RC came in at 30 watts!

Yes, we see a reduction in center knob height, but experience shows this doesn't have a significant effect on the rolling resistance on a hard surface. We expect the new XC RC with Race Compound to come in somewhere around 18-19 watts in the same test, which would still be a massive reduction. As we've seen before, the compound is simply the most essential ingredient in a bicycle tire, and massive gains can be made when no corners are cut in this department.

We also see that the 29x2.4 volume is really good, with a casing width of 58.6 mm on our small test rim; on wider rims, these should easily go over 60 mm. One confusing thing is that our test sample weighed just 637 grams, while the specified weight is 690 grams on Pirelli's website. With this big a difference, and the fact that they specify both the Lite and ProWall casing at 690 grams, we expect an error in the specified weights of the new tires on Pirelli's website.

When we compare the Scorpion XC RH to the Schwalbe Thunder Burt (read our review), which we consider the benchmark in this category, we see the Scorpion rolls a tiny bit slower but performs much better in the hard-surface wet grip test and offers better tread puncture resistance. The Scorpion XC RH is a serious tire to consider when you're looking for a Thunder Burt-ish tire.

When buying Pirelli Scorpion mountain bike tires, make sure they come with the Race Compound and are made in Italy.

Compare the new Scorpion XC RH Lite and old Scorpion XC RC Lite
Compare the new Scorpion XC RH Lite and Thunder Burt Addix Speed

RATING: 5.0 / 5
TEST VERDICT: Highly Recommended

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