Vyrus 600cc sports bike
Images of a new hub-steered Italian sports bike have been leaked, which will compete in Moto2 and go on sale in March
We first reported on niche Italian motorcycle maker Vyrus back in February 2010, when the company unveiled its $100,000 Vyrus 987 C3 4V ultra-bike, a 211hp beast that was claimed to the be world's most powerful production bike.
But now it seems the Italian company is about to try its hand in the support class for the world's premier motorcycle category, MotoGP. Enter the Vyrus 986 M2 race bike, a vehicle designed to compete in the Moto2 category.
The first image of the new Vyrus race bike has been leaked and according to Italian sources the 986 M2 will be a competitive chassis. Interestingly it will be only chassis in the Moto2 paddock to sport hub-steering.
Like all bikes in the Moto2 category, power comes from a 600cc Honda CBR600RR engine.
The hub-steering system replaces traditional front forks, and has been successfully fielded in GP racing in the past. The ELF 500 ROC (second image) two-stroke V4 race bike competed in the 1996 and 1997 500cc Road Racing World Championship, and it featured a hub steered front end.
Whether the Vyrus 986 M2 chassis will be competitive remains to be seen, but it is an ideal promotional tool for the small Italian company, which currently sells the 987 C3 4V, also a hub-steered bike. That particular $100,000 machine features a wild design and is touted as the world's most powerful production motorcycle, motivated by a supercharged version of the Ducati 1198 motor.
Sources suggest that Vyrus is also planning a more affordable sports bike, one that would be based on a modified version of the 986 M2 Moto2 race bike, and is expected to make its global debut at the Verona motorcycle show on January 21, before going on sale in March 2011.
An affordable 600cc Italian exotic with hub-steering? The MV Agusta F3 might have some competition in the very near future...
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