Yes, I know, the last thing we need right now is an Alien Virus, as the past two years certainly felt just like that. However, Vyrus, the company, has been around long before the COVID-19 pandemic made it to the mainstream. The boutique Italian motorcycle maker is known for its absolutely crazy designs which oftentimes result in motorcycles that look like they'd be hell on earth to ride. The latest of which takes the form of the Alyen 988.
The bike was first teased in October 2020, and now, it appears that the wheels on the project have begun turning. Just like its bigger sibling, the original Alyen 1300, the Alyen 988 gets crazy, over-the-top, outlandish, and whatever other adjective is synonymous to absolutely bonkers, styling. It quite literally, looks like an Alien, especially when viewed from head-on, wherein the hand-guards, headlight, and side fairings make it look like a monster lunging straight at your face.
Underneath the crazy bodywork lies a Ducati Desmodromic L-twin motor, used as a stressed member to support the overall structure of the bike. Of course, apart from the crazy bodywork, the first thing you'd probably notice is the bike's front end. It uses a steering mechanism similar to that of the Bimota Tesi, wherein a hub-centric steering mechanism is used, and the front is equipped with a swingarm rather than conventional telescopic forks. It makes use of a unique pushrod suspension system on both ends, equipped with nothing but the finest components such as a fancy Ohlins TTX 40 shock absorber.
Adrian Morton, former MV Agusta lead designer, is responsible for the Vyrus Alyen's wild aesthetics. Bringing Morton's vision to life, t he Vyrus Alyen uses a unidimensional carbon-fiber weave, which is a dry carbon manufactured by modern-day engineering wizardry. Unidimensional carbon, in addition to being lightweight, has exceptional tensile strength and is made by weaving strands in only one direction. The untreated surface has a unique texture that resembles brushed aluminum.
Of course, we can't talk about an ultra exclusive, extremely rare rolling piece of art without mentioning pricing and availability. The Vyrus Alien 988 costs an eye-watering $193,000 USD. Only 20 of these monstrous machines will ever see the light of day.
