Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/912289
VYRUS 986 M2 STRADA FULL TEST P60 stable under power in spite of be- ing so short. Ride quality was excellent, too—not only surprisingly good for a sport bike, but compliant and ef- fective in smoothing out road rash, and for sure much more so than the stiffly sprung shocks we had to run to stop the Tesi weaving at speed, a problem I grappled with all the years I raced a hub-center bike that was so hyper-sensitive to setup, with bump steer a constant issue that was sometimes impos- sible to dial out. Where the Vyrus also excels compared to its Bimota ancestor is the ease with which I could flick it from side to side along the Strada Panoramica. The Tesi was always hard work to lift from side to side at any sort of speed, whereas the smaller Vyrus felt much more agile and responsive. The quite radical geometry, with just an 18-degree effective head angle and 3.7 inches of trail (adjustable up to six degrees wider from there, and from 3.1 to 4.1 inches), allowed it to change direction faster than most bikes of comparable size, thanks also to the ultra-short 53.1-inch wheelbase. Yet that steep head angle didn't result in any significant instability as a tradeoff for that quick, agile handling, although to begin with I found myself over-steering into the apex of a turn, because I was subconsciously treating the Vyrus like a "normal" Supersport Honda, which isn't exactly heavy in chang- ing direction but is slower-steering than the Vyrus. Mental adjustment did the job. Okay, but what now? Where does the two-wheeled Vyrus (vi- rus?) that's transmitted when you ride the bike, and gets under your skin to attack your preconcep- tions, go from here? "It's an important fact that Kevin Schwantz held the 500 GP Assen lap record on the most demand- ing grand prix circuit for 10 years," says Ascanio with the fervor of a true believer. "This tells you that we're standing still—even with better tires and more horsepower, they still couldn't beat his time. So, in my opinion, this is just one more confirmation of what we already know, that the motorcycle industry has been running up and down in the same place for a long time. Although they continue to develop ordinary telescopic forks, from 32mm 50 years ago up to 50mm today, the fact is you can't go faster unless you put on better tires or develop a more power- ful engine—the actual design of a motorcycle has stood still. It's our objective to try to persuade people to take a fresh look at two- wheeled chassis design, and the Vyrus is the result." The Vyrus 986 M2 is an exqui- sitely conceived, finely detailed and brilliantly executed motor- cycling masterpiece, a genuine two-wheeled work of abstract modern art that Picasso himself would have been proud of. The fact that it proved to work as well dynamically as it looked aes- thetically was almost an added bonus—so good luck, Ascanio, in your mission to change the two- wheeled world. CN VYRUS 986 M2 STRADA ENGINE: ..... Liquid-cooled DOHC 16-valve transverse in-line 4-cylinder 4-stroke with offset chain camshaft drive DISPLACEMENT: .............................. 599cc BORE X STROKE: ................. 67 x 42.5mm COMPRESSION RATIO: ...................... 12.2:1 CLUTCH: ............................ Wet multi-plate TRANSMISSION: ............................6-speed CHASSIS: ...............Twin aluminum double inverted Omega frame spars holding engine as fully integrated chassis com- ponent, with 7020 aluminum sub-frames FRONT SUSPENSION: ................Aluminum hub-center swingarm with horizontally- mounted YSS double-rocker shock and rising rate pushrod linkage REAR SUSPENSION: ... Strutted aluminum swingarm pivoting in crankcases and frame spars, with horizontally-mounted YSS shock operated by rising rate pushrod link FRONT BRAKE: .......Dual 4-piston Brembo M4.32 Monoblock calipers, dual 320mm Brembo T-Drive steel discs REAR BRAKE: .... 2-piston Brembo caliper, 220mm Brembo steel disc FRONT TIRE: ........120/70-17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso II REAR TIRE: .......... 180/55-17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso II RAKE: ...................................................... 21° WHEELBASE: ................................... 53.1 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ................................. 32.1 in. FUEL CAPACITY: ............................ 2.9 gal. WEIGHT: ...... 332 lbs. (oil, water, no fuel, claimed). MSRP: ....................... $44,954 (as tested) S P E C I F I C A T I O N S