The Ducati Vyper has long been rumored, but now spy shots have surfaced regarding the supposed design. Posted first on www.motoblog.it, the curious looking Ducati sports the firm’s trellis frame and prominent dual-can ride-side exhaust. A large V-Twin reportedly powered the prototype models, which certainly fits with the Ducati line, even if the overall mega-performance cruiser application does not.

Should the Vyper indeed materialize out of rumor and spy photos, it figures to line up against fellow monstrous road oddities like the Yamaha VMAX and Triumph Rocket III Roadster (both of which are currently in the Motorcycle USA testing garage for a comparison review). If the Vyper stays a Twin it would make for a lively 2-3-4 comparison review in the future. An even more intriguing option would be if the Italians hucked a total curveball by cramming a MAX-like V-Four in the final production version. It wouldn’t be the first time Ducati has shocked everyone with an unexpected V-Four production run…

Whatever its configuration, if Ducati designs the Vyper solely for dyno bragging rights, it will be hard pressed. Rear wheel dyno results for our latest comparison test bikes show the VMAX spinning up 165 hp at the rear wheel, with the Rocket III Roadster cranking a ridiculous 132 lb-ft of torque.

The Vyper has been churning the rumor mill for quite some time now, making an appearance in our Euro Gossip May 2009 column (the column also reported on the future rumored release of a "BMW GS-styled" Ducati - the new Ducati Multistrada). At the time, the Vyper appeared to be based off the Ducati Streetfighter design.