In addition to the badass 50cc Vyrus from yesterday, the same seller has a “full-size” one that I think is worth sharing.
If you need a refresher, Vyrus is a boutique Italian manufacturer that was founded in 2003 by Ascanio Rodorigo – one of the key players behind the Bimota Tesi. Based in Rimini, the shop is located just a few miles down the road from Rodorigo’s former employer. The Vyrus team works almost exclusively with Ducati motors, cradling each one in a hub-steered frame and wrapping it in a plethora of fancy carbon fiber parts.
Unlike its predecessors, however, the 986 M2 didn’t have an Italian heart; in fact, it wasn’t even a V-Twin! Instead, Vyrus opted for an inline-four sourced from a Honda CBR600RR. What’s more, the 986 M2 differed from the marque’s previous hub-steered bikes in that it used a pair of hydraulic push/pull pistons (rather than a set of mechanical steering rods and Heim-joint linkages) to actuate the hub’s steering arm.
Their reason for the change? To break the mold and build the ultimate Moto2 competitor.
Accordingly, Vyrus outfitted the bike with a medley of motorsport-ready components. The trademark Omega frame elements were machined from billet aluminum alloy, incorporating the engine as a structural member to save weight and mounting the radiators low to improve the center of gravity. Braking duties were taken care of via some top-dollar Brembos, while a set of longitudinally-mounted shocks kept the platform planted. Rolling on a set of lightweight forged alloy wheels, the whole package tipped the scales at a scant 298lbs dry (a figure that just skirts the lower limit of Moto2 regulations).
For all of its promise, the 986 M2 didn’t garner the interest that Vyrus had hoped it would. As a whole, the Moto2 teams were a fairly conservative bunch; with traditional telescopic forks making up the status quo, it proved a hard sell to convince them to bank their results on something novel. Thus, unfortunately, the 986 M2 never made it to the grid. Vyrus did sell the model in various guises, though, including a factory edition, a rolling replica kit, and a street-legal road bike.
This example (VIN: ZA998600RNCH50029) is one of the kit bikes – the owner bought it directly from Vyrus and then had it assembled by Michael “Woolie” Woolaway, the former bike builder at Deus Ex Machina in Venice, California. It has all of 74 miles and “the goal was having something wildly unique and sharp on the track yet perfectly reliable.”
The modifications list is worth a special mention:
Custom bodywork “hand-sculpted and laid in carbon fiber.”
The seller had the engine “completely rebuilt by Fuzzy of Fuzimoto” with a big bore kit (2mm overbore), Carillo rods, JE pistons, and the head milled by .025. All-in, it makes a claimed 135 horsepower.
Rotobox carbon fiber wheels.
“A full titanium SC Project exhaust system, purchased from a Moto2 team.”
Optional Öhlins front and rear suspension units.
Custom handlebar setup and controls.
At the end of the day, it’s a crazy, dedicated track bike that’s going to require a crazy, dedicated buyer. I’m a weirdo who owns a Tesi 3D and even I think this is insane. But if you lived in a state with lax rules it’d be cool to turn this into a street bike…
Find this big Vyrus for sale in Roanoke, Indiana with bidding up to $24,600 here on Iconic Motorbikes.
Disclosure: Bike-urious is a partner in Iconic Motorbikes.