Club MotoAmerica

There are two major factors that I see impact the cost of racing above all- limitations and change.

New rules have just been released in an attempt to reduce costs for teams participating in the MotoGP World Championship. These new rules may in fact have the opposite effect.

Change = cost
The single greatest cost to a team is when a new rule renders their current equipment uncompetitive or worse, illegal. For the third time since 2002 an entirely new engine and chassis will need to be designed by the manufacturers for MotoGP, what may be a welcomed exercise for a major manufacturer may be a complete barrier to entry for a small manufacturer. It is not only the cost of the new project that is looming for a team but the uncertainty that a similar rule can be employed again at will, rendering their “new” motorcycle useless.

I do not believe there is a conspiracy to keep out young innovators that could challenge the status quo but frequent rule changes virtually guarantee such an outcome. Even companies the size of Ducati will be at a bigger disadvantage than those the size of Honda. Change = costs and companies with poorer results but more money gets to reset and reboot the competitive level of the grid with every global rule change.

Limitations = cost
It would seem logical that by limiting a team’s ability to evolve every part of the motorcycle would ultimately result in reducing costs. A standard business model; scope reduction = costs reduction. Want to reduce the cost of your new real estate venture, reduce its scope/size. However racing is a different business; each team will look for any and every competitive advantage available to them, that is how you win and winning is why you race. Limitations often divert efforts to smaller and smaller areas where it is increasingly more expensive to find a competitive advantage.

Hypothetical scenario- In the effort to save teams money NASCAR ruled a shock could not have an “external reservoir”. An external reservoir shock is the current standard and readily available to every team at a minor additional expense. This ill-conceived idea was to add a limitation thus a cost savings was certain to follow. The small teams simply adopted this rule and found their current supply of shocks illegal and now needed to purchase drawers of new lower spec shocks which- added cost. The stronger, better funded teams designed or purchased a secret shock- a shock that was one of the most specialized and expensive shocks in the world. A shock with a reservoir that was concentric to the shock body and thus technically not remote. These shocks functioned identical to the banned version but added significant cost to the teams. Additionally, racing became less competitive due to the haves and have nots. Hypothetical or little known secret?

Max. bore 81mm
As the current MotoCzysz C1 990 has a bore of 82mm I feel we may actually have a slight and temporary advantage in reference to the rule change, if a max. bore must be implemented I am glad they chose 81mm.

I suspect their reasoning was similar to ours; 81mm-82mm is the greatest bore, thus bore/stroke ratio, thus piston speed, thus RPM we felt we could manage with valve springs. The new rules have fixed the max bore size and displacement, thus the stroke length and effectively RPM, sort of. Though this is generally a good idea, it is a very convoluted way to get to the point- an RPM limit. The casualty of the new rule- diversity and character.

With the rules limiting the bore to 81mm and the maximum number of cylinders set at 4, it is virtually guaranteed all competitors will run either V4 or I4 configurations. It will no longer be possible to have a competitive 3 cylinder or twin and the rules simply eliminate 5 or more cylinder options. The future? Honda may run a version of their VFR- V4, Ducati a version of their Desmocedecci RR- V4, Aprilia a version of their RSVR- V4 and Yamaha may use a version similar to their R1- I4. The same with all the others; BMW if they entered, a version of their S100RR -I4, Kawasaki a ZX10R- I4, only Suzuki really being the wild card, probably dropping the V4 for a GSXR I4 version. The best we can hope for- some unique firing orders to mask the otherwise already seen offerings- not exactly leading edge technology, pushing the boundaries of our sport. Again I think this may give MotoCzysz a distinct advantage with our longitudinal hybrid version of a narrow V and I engine, it would also be unique and quite exotic amongst all the competitors in the field.

Real limitations, real costs savings
If cost reductions are the honest reason for the rule change then let’s pick rules that will actually limit costs. The goal should be to limit costs without limiting creativity, diversity or competitiveness. Equally important the new rules should preserve what is at the heart of the series, a series that is supposed to shape and give birth to future motorcycles- innovation.

RPM’s- Limiting bore will not unilaterally limit RPM’s, it does however make higher RPM’s even more costly. Teams will focus on reducing piston inertia and mass by utilizing more exotic materials, methods, possibly even foregoing some durability. If you want to reduce the costs associated with higher RPM’s cap RPM’s- period.

Black Boxes- The other great expense? The enormous and complicated electronic package that is equal in importance to the entire mechanical effort in obtaining a faster lap. A “spec box” leased to each team by Dorna for 1 dollar annually could eliminate this redundant cost and effort duplicated by each team . The boxes could be propagated with all the menus and windows required to personalize the entire electrical system for each team’s unique application. The “spec box” could ultimately be as powerful as the best currently in the pits today but available to all teams making this the easiest, single means to add parity to the grid. And yes- the box should have TC embedded into the code, shut it off if you dare or your rider insists but I assume none would.

Spec Fuel and Spec Tires- Though in an ideal prototype championship you would have NO limitations, spec fuel and tires (like electronics) do reduce costs, add parity and do not significantly lower the fans racing experience.

Less restrictions- Instead of more restrictions, which only redirects costs and dumbs down championship racing, we should try lifting restrictions. What if there was no limit on displacement? There is no easier method to obtain competitive HP than thru displacement. Why not let Suzuki or Motoczysz run a 1,200cc or 1,500cc or 1,750cc engine if they feel they can mitigate the certain compromises of their decision. In addition allow teams to employ mechanical aspiration solutions like turbo charges or superchargers, maybe KR was just a small supercharger away from drafting Honda down the straights of Sepang. KERS or hybrid ideas should also be allowed as long as teams start the race with no extra energy on board. This would certainly add diversity and possibly new manufacturers.

Add Pit stops- Ok I may be on the verge of losing all my credibility, but here goes… allow all teams unlimited fuel and give them a near Q race tire, but require 1 pit stop. This will reduce the amount of testing and tuning and fine set up that cost millions of dollars a year whilst trying to get the most out of the least.

Grid positions are too often a reflection of R&D budgets. The amount of money saved and the elevated competition this one idea could add to racing is a game changer. Some of the best racing I witnessed last year centered around rain races and the added strategy and excitement of watching the riders pit and change bikes- magic. If a team can have as much fuel and traction as they require then the race matters more and testing matters less. Give Colin Edwards two soft tires per race and he will be racing with Stoner every weekend. Give Nicky all the fuel he needs (equals less evasive off throttle electronics) to point and shoot at will and the weight difference between he and Danni will only be that of the… um… family jewels. My bet is on Nicky!

Damn those 800’s
If the latest rules would have been announced three years ago MotoCzysz would still be focused solely on trying to enter MotoGP… My ultimate goal- still! Unfortunately for our MotoGP effort but fortunately for our business effort MotoCzysz has directed its primary focus on electric propulsion and though I do believe this to be the ultimate performance vehicle of the future, I would give anything to have a shot at MotoGP in to 2012. I believe based on the rules that MotoCzysz could have an extremely competitive 81mm 4 cylinder motorcycle ready for the grid by 2012. We know exactly where our strengths and weakness lie and how to remedy the shortcomings and elevate the entire motorcycle. We came a long way in our first engine design and I am confident by our second iteration we will be competitive. The chassis is very complete, all who have ridden the C1 claim it to be the best handling, most neutral motorcycle they have ever ridden.

I apologize to those that feel I have let them down but I can assure you it was not because of lack of effort by everyone involved. Building a competitive MotoGP bike is an undertaking harder and more challenging than most can imagine (see KR, Kawasaki, KTM, Ilmor, Aprilia, BMW and in an unrelated but related event- Buell) doing so in the publics eye can be humiliating. But it is what it is- my ultimate goal that I will continue to work towards as opposed to sitting back and criticizing others who are or at least trying.

The 2012 season is a great opportunity! MotoCzysz now has the base motorcycle, enough time and rules actually leaning a little in our favor- we could not ask for a better opportunity. Let’s hope others feel the way I do. There is heavy lifting to be done but great things can be accomplished with many hands and the assistance of a few true believers.

Happy Holidays,
Michael Czysz

After midnight, one July evening in Monterey, California, the team was rolling the original MotoCzysz C1 out of a hotel on the peninsula when a man stop them to look at the bike. He was very interested and said something about “I lieka”. Several years later the same man walks out of a press conference on the Isle of Man and heads directly to the new MotoCzysz E1pc, he grabs the throttle and revs the motors and says “Iz vedy vedy fast, I lieka”. This time he was with a friend and after a quick chat they took out a Sharpie and signed the tank. The man was Valentino Rossi and his friend was Giacomo Agostini.

-MC

“The race only goes as planned for the winner, for everyone else it is either quit or back to the drawing board.” -MC
 

OVERVIEW-
1st practice (Tuesday)
The shipping crate containing the motorcycle arrived as planned. Unfortunately we fell behind on the first practice day due to the support crate being delayed which we only received just before technical scrutineering. This practice marked only the second time the E1pc would be on track and the first time to run a full race distance- not ideal!

The overall mode at the TT was one of very piqued interest. As the eBikes left the starting gate there was plenty of comments on their noticeable lack of acceleration and sound- then our bike left, it looked significantly faster then the competition off the line and down bray hill and seemed to surprise a great number in attendance. Unfortunately only a few miles after the start we lost two engines and the bike retired.

2nd practice (Wednesday)
We replaced all three motors Tuesday evening thanks to the generosity of the Agni team and prepared the bike for qualifying. Like Tuesday we still had the bike in a very conservative state of tune. The current to the motors was limited below manufactures recommendations and the batteries were only charged to a mild state as well as fiercely protected from a state of low discharge.

We started in nearly last place, minutes behind the first bike and again Mark Miller shot down Bray Hill with class leading speed. Within the first 5 miles Mark reported he had passed every other motorcycle except for the Agni machine which left the starting gate first. Mark rode thru the Sulby straight speed trap at a conservative 92.8mph and only trailed Agni by 11 seconds at the Ramsey hairpin mile 24 (approx. ¾ race distance).

Somewhere near Cronk ny Mona (approximately 1 mile from the start/finish the voltage dropped below our LV target and the controllers faulted and stopped. After sitting for 5mins Mark flipped the switch to see if he could ride her home thus rebooting the controllers and came limping up the final hill where Mark showed great heart and commitment by helping the E1pc across the line for what had to be the ugliest but to us, the most heart felt finish in the TT.
 

Jurby Practice (Thursday)
I rode the closed circuit in the same low state of tune to confirm yesterday’s results which though were ugly were results none the less and gave us data to calculate and configure from. The afternoon went flawless and after a front shock and spring change, saw me lapping all the other eBikes at the test.

Race evening (Thursday night)
We estimated we needed about 30%-40% more power to finish the race at full throttle for the current limit we had set and used all week which was 70% of the E1pc full potential. We had a plan and things were looking very good for Friday- based on the calculations we were very very optimistic.

Here is the breakdown:
Fuller state of charge (to manufactures recommendations) +9% energy
Lower low voltage limit (to manufactures recommendations) +26% energy
Deployment of secret weapon (to my two sons delight) rear battery pack +15%

Totaling 50% more energy density onboard for race day

For added measure we even reduced the current by 10% to conserve the motors as we felt we had extra speed in hand.

Race day (Friday AM)
All the work was done. Like most of the other teams must have experienced too, the last 5-6 months was a living hell, 100% consumed by the motorcycle. We had jumped into very unfamiliar waters and been promised lots electrical wizardry from several “experts” but in the end received very little. Everyone who worked on the MotoCzysz project from the painters to the machinist from my father to my sons were affected, the team worked increasingly harder picking up the slack left by the “experts”. But it all was about to be justified, it was all about to righted- Nobody, I mean Nobody was going to show up on race day with 50% more ability!
 

Race Day (race time)
When I saw Mark Miller I told him one thing “You can go100%!” He looked at me astonished; this is not the “Rain Race” scenario I have been feeding him for the last 2 months. “Are you sure?” he asked. I answered “100%”.

Race Day (only minutes later)
I don’t even know where but we experienced another motor failer and just like that our race was over…back to the drawing board.

POST SCRIPT
The MotoCzysz E1pc
I was repeatedly told the MotoCzysz E1pc surprised everyone at the TT ( now that I write this I am not sure if the motorcycle was the surprise or the poor results). It was the most integrated electric motorcycle in the paddock, with more torque and power than any other bike and the chassis was up to the challenge. It was the only motorcycle with hot swap batteries and should have been challenging for the win. However this was not a show event but a go event and simply came before we were fully ready. A few days at the IOM has identified where I need to put my efforts moving forward.

The Secret Weapon
After the embarrassing qualifying practice my two sons were very quiet and clearly worried by our results. It was at that moment that the greatest Daddy moment in my life occurred. I knelt down between them and told them don’t worry and then leaned in and whispered “I have a secret weapon”. This was immediately followed by complete confusion and puzzlement. “Secret weapon?” Max (the more reactionary one) asked with one of those scrunched up, head tilting, puppy dog faces, then complete silence. “More batteries” blurts out Enzo (the more contemplative one) followed by an even louder “More Batteries” from Max then Enzo says “More batteries, so you can go faster…longer?!” followed by Max screaming “MORE BATTERIES FASTER LONGER” shhhh shhhh I say but it is all over, they are jumping around hugging each other and me and chanting “secret weapon”…”secret weapon”…”secret weapon”.

Congratulations to Team Agni
If we learn nothing else from this event it is to follow your heart and never give up. That is what Cedric Lynch has done as he has been working on electric vehicles for over 25 years. We want to give a heart felt congratulations to the entire Agni team for their record setting inaugural TTXgp win. Every team that participated deserves recognition and should be congratulated, even the teams that made such a strong effort but for whatever reason came up short and did not make the start should even be appreciated.

Mark Miller
What a racer- Fastest American on the Isle!
Mark never saw the bike until the night before and never rode it until he took off down Bray hill, throttle WFO. You cannot imagine this if you have never lapped the IOM- insane and very trusting. He made my wife burst out in tears when she saw him pushing the MotoCzysz over the finish line. Next year Mark.

Terry Czysz
As hard working as anyone on the team my Father gives his all and his heart to these projects- this time he gave a little too much heart. Terry Czysz suffered a heart attack just after the bike was crated ready to ship to the IOM and that is why he was unable to attend the race with the team. He is doing great and will NOT miss next year’s event.
 

RIP rider John Crellin
I was particularly drawn to the Tork team from India as they said they learned everything about building bikes from watching me on YouTube and in the end took a brilliant third place- now I need to watch their videos!

John Crellin was team Torks rider and one of the riders I rode with at Jurby the day before the race. He was tragically lost to the mountain the following day. Rarely does one experience such high and lows as in racing. RIP John Crellin-

MC

In less than 24 hours I leave to go to the biggest race of my life, not because it is the largest, not because it is the fastest but because it will be the first time a MotoCzysz motorcycle will compete in an FIM sanctioned event.

In less than five months we took a suggestion and turned it into a motorcycle. A motorcycle that is unlike anything I have ever ridden. No gas, no oil, no clutch, no need to even warm up the engine- no engine. Gone is the age old ritual of rhythmical throttle blips that can audible seduce a motorcyclist into a pre ride trance- now your bike waits for you. Enter what may be the next big thing in motorcycles; invisible, nearly silent and magically linear power.

June 12, 2009, on the Isle of Man, will be the worlds first zero emissions (electric) Grand Prix, the TTXGP. With teams from around the world ascending on the Isle, this is a true international competition and even though the machines are futuristic the race is not and the premise even less so- this is an old fashion ‘run what you brung’ race. Never would my Grand Father or even my Father imagined such a motorcycle would ever exist, even I would have doubted this event possible in 2009 only a few years ago.

MotoCzysz will be on the Island Friday, tech the E1pc ‘D1g1tal Superbike’ on Saturday, practice Monday, Wednesday and Friday- Mark Miller will ride a race my father and I (and I hope my sons too) will never forget- a race that will forever be MotoCzysz’s first and a race that may be the worlds first view of ‘next generation’ motorcycles.

I hope we do not disappoint-

MC

To be issued a trade carnet (passport for racing vehicles to move freely across country lines) a serial number is stamped on the vehicle for identification along with the country of origin. No where else is there a better example of ‘old meets new’. MC commemorated the bike with the race and reason it was built, the Isle of Man, June, 12 2009- there is only 1- and it is proudly made in the America.

The previous post, and all E1pc dyno testings to date, utilized off-board batteries. The video above is from our latest series of tests utilizing the MotoCzysz on-board battery packs and the results were exactly on target. MotoCzysz was able to deliver the amperage required to obtain the target torque output from the motors within the designed voltage parameters, seeing no appreciable sag. This was a very solid result from our proprietary battery packs. The MotoCzysz battery packs are a very integrated and sophisticated solution, which incorporates BMS (battery management system) contoured profile and are fully “hot swap” functioning. They will undoubtedly be the most advanced battery packs at the TT.

The MotoCzysz E1pc “Digital Superbike” went from 0–120 in less than 11 seconds and that was with a very slow, 3 second roll on. As you can see in the video, MC rolls on the throttle so slow it’s even hard to see his hand move. We estimate that an aggressive roll on will reduce this time by 2 seconds. In addition, this first test utilized 75% of our total IOM pack and not at a full state of charge. If all of our estimates are correct, we could have a Digital Superbike with 0-120mph times in the 7 to 8 second range.

More importantly, this is NOT a drag bike – but a sportbike. With torque and acceleration in hand, coupled with MotoCzysz’s understanding of motorcycle dynamics, the MotoCzysz E1pc could do well when it arrives at its first track test later this week. It is hard to not feel like we are really at the forefront of something new. Will new be good? We will let you know later this week.

- MC

Though not nearly as loud as the C1, the sound of progress is far less silent than you might imagine.

I am very behind on updating the blog (even with hundreds of motorcyclists reminding me) and this short entry will not right my wrong. But I have been in the fight of my life to keep MotoCzysz moving forward. After attending meetings around the world, it was clear that there currently is little interest in standard gas ICE (internal combustion engines) all of the interest, money and deals are happening in alternative fuels and electric.

I remember feeling sad for weeks when I learned 2-strokes were on their way out but my mourning was short lived once I laid eyes on their replacements – the mighty 4-stroke 990’s. While I am NOT claiming ICE to be out or electric to be the “new” MotoGP, I am stating that this is a very magical power source. The torque deliver is what every engine designer and tuner tries to mimic. In ICE, this can only be achieve by adding layers of electronics; we now just have the electronics!

MotoCzysz is not just pursuing an electric motorcycle (that sounds like such a slow downer) but a bigger concept using electric drives – the “Digital Superbike”. The Digital Superbike, like your computer, has “open architecture” and can be upgraded and reconfigured. This is definitely an industry first and may be a major paradigm shift in the way people buy and own motorcycles. The sound of progress is building in volume…keep your ears open.

I apologize for the lack of updates. More news coming soon.

Ride safe,
-MC

More details to follow very soon.

“The MotoCzysz C1 presents unique advantages in terms of motorcycle dynamics that deserve to reach the marketplace. It’s not until you ride it that you realize how much improved its handling and performance are compared to a conventional in-line four.” – Alan Cathcart

Alan Cathcart, the most experienced motorcycle journalist in the world, rode the 08 990 C1 last Saturday (10-18-08). Mr. Cathcart was one of the 3 original journalists to test the first Proof of Concept bike. This was his first time to see, hear and ride the latest spec, pre-production C1 – Alan was very impressed and his comments echo those of earlier test riders, like Jeremy McWilliams, who called the C1 “the best turning bike ever”.

Alan tested the MotoCzysz C1 at the Reno-Fernley racetrack in Fernley, Nevada. Though the track officials could not have been more accommodating, the track itself was extremely rough and very bumpy; conditions that helped illustrate the benefits of the C1.

MotoCzysz has a very stiff frame coupled with controlled flex of critical suspension points. This is contrary to the industry standard of flexible frames. It gives the rider a solid platform to work from and lowers the flex points closer to the source, effectively reducing “unsprung” or “unflexed” weight. The result – the rider better feels and understands the circuit conditions and available grip while still feeling in control of the motorcycle, compared to other bikes used as benchmarks that felt displaced and vague.

In addition, Alan also commented on what we feel has been one of the C1’s unique characteristics – power delivery. Unlike all other motorcycles available today, MotoCzysz effectively decoupled the engine’s torque and gyroscopic forces from the chassis. This means that there is no handling effects due to hard acceleration. As Alan commented – under acceleration, the bike does not change trajectory (push wide). It simply just accelerates on the line you choose.

Look for Alan Cathcart’s full riding impressions of the C1, published in magazines around the world.

Unlike other start-ups, motorcycle start-ups never really hit rock bottom, even when you are positive you have, you can always go lower – it’s bottomless. – Michael Czysz, MotoCzysz

MotoCzysz, on many occasions, has demonstrated the C1 to interested parties.  These guests, typically investors, are expecting to witness a standard routine occurrence; to watch a bike circulate a track.  What they do not know is that we are in constant development and often riding in front of them with new parts for the first time and/or strategies that have never been tested before.  This is not a desirable scenario, but given our constraints we have no option; this test would be no different.

The bike has never sounded, looked or felt better.  That particular day the C1 was amazing.  We were all extremely proud. Down the pit lane on the limiter and the C1 boomed a staccato sound, reminiscent of a huge automatic artillery weapon.  The use of the limiter was not needed, but the sound that bounced off the pit wall was fantastic and intoxicating.

Clearing the pit exit and dropping the limiter, the bike rushed onto the straight with all cylinders firing at full pressure.  The sound instantly ignited into an overall engulfing combination of growls and shrills; the same sound you would imagine if Ducati made a Formula One engine.  One second later, second gear; a second after that, third, all while the front tire just hovered over the pavement.  She felt eager and ready to shine.  I remember thinking ‘Today was going to be a great day’.

The mood of the entire office changes before a test.  The amount of work doubles, as does the effort, but the overall atmosphere is eerily electric with a real sense of purpose.  Def-com level 5 preparation usually starts about two weeks prior to the test date.  All the latest spec parts are finished and an engine build sheet is produced.  It documents the hundreds of variables that have been specified for the next build.  The engine is built, and then loaded on the engine dyno for a break in.  It then runs through a series of tests for optimization, and then off to assembly.  Before leaving for the track, the assembled bike is rolled onto the chassis dyno for a final check.  The bike is ready to run, but still has yet to be set up for the track, where another set of parameters need to be optimized. 

After our initial sighting lap, we were met with the usual series of problems you get with a new spec prototype.  To be honest, the number and brevity of the issues were higher than normal that day, due to the large number of new parts.  The most important guests to ever see the C1 were due in a few hours and we were far from showing our full potential. The pressure was getting to us; we were clearly starting to panic.

Finally, after two hours of tripping over each other, hunting for misplaced tools and waiting for spares left behind, we got the call. ‘We have finished our lunch early and are on our way to the track.  Fluids in, warmers on; we needed to get in at least one lap at pace before they arrived. 

I had been working with this particular company for months and the anticipation for this meeting was high from both sides.  This company is a giant in the industry.  They build hundreds of thousands of bikes, generate billions of dollars in annual revenue and have hundreds of millions of dollars, in cash, sitting in the bank.  Just a small percentage of the interest they earn from their cash reserves is all we need.

After months of intense focus preparing for this meeting, while trying to launch a new company, while trying to raise money, and while trying to design a new motorcycle, everything slowed down and everything got really quiet.  This is the hidden blessing of a helmet.  All the peripheral distractions of business and life, with its constant interruptions and continuous white noise of problems, dissolve.  In a helmet, it is an entirely new world; a world of quietness, peace and solitude.  I love my helmet.

As I accelerated down the straight, I hoped all issues were resolved.  Test riding is different than normal riding – it is much scarier.  Within seconds, 150+ mph, break for the first corner, and BAM…as fast as you can think, you are sliding thru and off turn one with your single pursuit in life cartwheeling in front of you. Inside the insulated world of your helmet, the sound seems amplified.  The crisp noise of carbon fiber being ground by asphalt.  The gravely sound of aluminum being re-machined by the circuit.  Everything is being destroyed.  Everything is being ruined.  Everything is sliding to a stop.

I could not bear to look. Seconds ago, I was riding a vehicle that could change our lives and hopefully make Americans proud. Before I stopped sliding, I stood up and walked away from a pile of what feels like a life long amount of work, I had to get back to the pits.  I had VIP guests waiting. 

After years of riding arguably, questionably, and at times, potentially very unsafe prototypes, this one was expected to be near perfect.  A fatigued rod end bolt holing the case and oiling the rear tire caused the accident.  I had gone through a lot of near misses with the C1.  A crash was eventually inevitable, but the first was particularly painful, not only in the physical sense.

Next week, we will be testing the latest spec C1 that is yet again even better that the version we last tested and Cycle World reviewed.  This is without question the best spec machine we have ever built.  We are anticipating over 200hp at the crank.  It is good to feel the pre-test electricity again.

- MC