2010 Vyrus 987 C3 4V Supercharged
Yes, you read the name correctly. Italian specialty tuners Vyrus have added another carbon-fiber laden superbike to their stable. The 987, their newest example, holds the distinction of being the most powerful production motorcycle in the world. The base model uses a Ducati 1198 engine that produces 170bhp; the bike itself weighs only 359lbs. Vyrus will also make available an ‘R’ model, boasting 14 more ponies and shedding 11 pounds (from where, we’re not sure). The cream of the crop, however, appears to be their supercharged version, which is clearly not for the faint of heart. This street-legal monster claims an output of 211 horsepower despite a curb weight of a mere 339lbs. Such numbers put the Vyrus in direct competition with Ducati’s heralded Desmosedici RR. Aesthetically, the Vyrus looks like a carboned and overengineered version of Bimota’s Tesi 3D, which speaks directly of the bike’s lineage. Both the Vyrus and the Bimota can be linked to the famed Massimo Tamburini; they were developed virtually side-by-side and share the ‘wasp’ look, minus the fairings for the Vyrus. Carbon fiber jokes aside, we love the look of the Vyrus; it is brutal and direct, and shows off all of the bike’s options without any pretense. It is a machine built purely for speed and is priced accordingly-the supercharged version tops out at lofy $112,000, nearly double the price of the base model.
Continue reading for more images.
