The new Vyrus Alyen is about as extreme as it gets in the world of homologated road motorcycles, appearing to share more in common with an aircraft than a motorcycle in terms of the styling.
Packing a Ducati 1299 V-twin engine lifted from the Panigale 1299, the Vyrus is equipped with over 200bhp and all of the integrated rider safety aids offered thanks to an Inertial Measurement Unit that governs all of the electronic systems. This 1285cc V-twin motor has now been superceded at the very top of the Ducati range by the V4 motor, but Vyrus has ordered a batch from Ducati as crate-shipped motors.
With a claimed weight of 165kg (minus the fuel load) the performance of the Vyrus Alyen is going to be on a par with the very fastest superbikes available today.
The extreme design of the Italian built bike began nine years ago with a sketch by British designer Adrian Morton but has been worked on by fellow designers Ascanio Rodorigo and Yutaka Igarashi over 57 different versions and nine years. It’s become even more extreme over that time it appears.
The bodywork is shaped completely from carbon fibre with the frontal aerodynamic set-up the most noticeable part of the design.
The beyond the wild styling, the engineering of the bike is something special too. The twin swingarm set-up (front and rear) is highly unusual with only the Bimota Tesi H2 working along similar lines these days.
There’s a magnesium chassis, Rotobox carbon-fibre wheels and a steering system referred to as Hydraulic Wired Steering System (HWSS) which uses a pair of steel cables attached to the ends of the handlebars and connected to the front wheels through sealed sheaths.
The Vyrus description of this states: “The cables are sealed in a special sheath with a special fluid based on nano particles inside which, like a hydraulic piston, push the movement of the wheel while maintaining a comfortable and safe driving feeling.
“The most fascinating aspect of the steering system is that when sitting in motion there are no elements interposed between the handlebar and the front wheel.
You can see this when viewing the bike in side profile where there is clear space between the handlebar and the front wheel; the steering apparently working by remote control!
The Vyrus is a limited-edition and small volume bike and the high-quality components come from the usual top-of-the-tree suppliers like Ohlins for suspension and Brembo for brakes.
An Ohlins TTX40 shock is fitted but because of the unique Vyrus Alyen chassis and twin swingarm set-up, the shock isn’t part of a traditional suspension system. Instead it works as part of a twin pushrod, twin-pivot system unique to Vyrus.
Vyrus information states: “The Vyrus pushrod suspension has been developed in a further step thanks to the use of a new device. The Ohlins TTX 40 MK “through rod” is characterised by the configuration of the stem that slides inside the body of the suspension unit. In this situation it works as a steering damper. On the Vyrus Alyen, the pressure is the same on both sides of the hydraulic piston with significant advantages over the control of the front tyre and the way it moves over bumps. The adjustable connecting rods and support rockers are made of Ergal 7075 alloy.”
There are Brembo carbon ceramic brakes with 320mm diameter front discs and Brembo GP4 RR P4 callipers. These are straight from the World Superbike racing series and are complemented at the back of the bike with a 245mm Brembo disc and SS P2 calliper.
The handlebar controls are CNC-milled from a solid, one-piece of metal. ) from solid. The handlebar hides all the oil pipes and electrical cables inside and also controls the rider’s steering input to the steering cables.
The Vyrus Alyen is clearly not aimed at the touring market with a miserly 11-litre fuel tank meaning any rides (if indeed many or any of these bikes are ever seen outside a motorcycle collection) are going to be short and sweet!
The lighting system consists of two mini LED spotlights for the high beam and low beam and these are integrated part of an illuminated insert that acts as a daytime running light. At the back, a small position/stop light has been integrated into the numberplate holder.
This element is also made of composite, designed to resist vibrations and assist the elements as indicators, lights and numberplate illumination as well. The design of the license plate support is designed to be as invisible as possible.
There’s no indication of price or availability on the Vyrus Alyen at this stage but a check of the specification and the limited numbers of bikes that will be available means it’s going to be super-expensive and exclusive.
