Vyrus unveils Alyen 988, ‘essence of an artistic concept’ from another world

At one point in time, Italian motorcycle shop Vyrus was home to the most powerful production motorcycle in the world, the 987 C3 4V. That bike was powered by a Ducati-sourced 1,198-cc supercharged V-twin engine that made a claimed 211 horsepower. Ten years later, Vyrus is still making some of the most striking and most powerful motorcycles on the market, and continues to use Ducati engines under the saddle. The new Vyrus Alyen 988 might be the company’s wildest creation yet.

Vyrus describes itself as an innovative workshop that builds high-tech sport bikes. The company has more than 30 years of experience and is based in Rimini, Italy, which is located east of Florence on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. Vyrus prides itself on using high-quality materials and functional designs, but it channeled its artistic side for the Alyen. 

“Nothing has a conventional behaviour, innumerable invention and technologies, as well as the design proportion and volumes that are totally reinvented,” the company said in a rough translation on its website. “We approached Alyen with philosophical attitude, emphasizing art expression, as essence of an artistic concept for a traditional motorcycling use. It’s the actual idea of what the future is expecting from us.” 
 
The futuristic Alyen 988 uses a watercooled Ducati four-stroke, two-cylinder 1,285-cc engine with electronic fuel injection and a gear-pump lubrication system. It makes a claimed 202 horsepower at 10,500 rpm and is linked to a six-speed transmission with a wet clutch. The Alyen has a self-supporting composite body and a magnesium frame with a double omega design.

For handling, the suspension is a Vyrus-designed twin pushrod setup on the front and rear, while the steering is handled by a Vyrus hydraulic wired steering system. The front tire is 120/70 ZR17, while the rear tire is 200/60 ZR17. Look closely, and you’ll notice the wheels are made of woven and crushed carbon fiber.

Beyond that, Vyrus doesn’t provide much information on the rest of the bike’s specs or details. Check out the gallery above and watch a multi-part series of the making of the Alyen.