Club MotoAmerica

I lost the race before the first corner- then won the race after the last corner. It was a single, 16 minute race that perfectly mirrors the MotoCzysz attitude-
Never give up!

I was a little apprehensive going into the FIM e-Power race at Laguna Seca, not only because I was personally racing, not only because the E1 is still in early development, but because of the fans. The Red Bull USGP hosts some of the most loyal, dedicated and educated motorcycle racing fans in America and they attend to watch the greatest racers on the fastest motorcycles in the world. MotoCzysz was very excited to be part of this great event but I could not help think that our “project” would be laughed off the peninsula. To my and everyone’s surprise, the e-race had the most exciting finish of the weekend!

Obviously not comparable to a MotoGP motorcycle, (thankfully a concept understood by nearly everyone) the e-Powered machines lapped quicker than most expected. There was even some appreciation for the break from the ear splitting MotoGP bikes, though we were “eerily quiet”. In the end, the interest and support for the electric motorcycles from the MotoGP teams, the other riders, and especially the fans was unexpected- a result that left me almost more satisfied than the race win itself… almost.

Pre Race
The MotoCzysz E1pc has been solidly reliable from the first test. This has allowed the team to spend more time on development and less time on re-engineering. We had only ever “tripped” the system once, causing the system to fault and stop the bike, after a firmware revision this never happened again- until Laguna, during qualifying when the system tripped-faulted again. We are confident it is a noise issue on one parameter that we do not filter, a minor problem but one we could not patch at the track. Other than the “trip” the bike performed perfect.

The primary issue we focused on over the weekend was suspension, we simply have not had the E1 on this type of circuit. Laguna Seca is on of the two tracks where the MotoGP riders experience the highest compression G loads and we were under sprung and under valved for the circuit. We made good progress, but with only two practice sessions we did not get as close to a race set up as I would have liked.

The Race
With an improved, rebuilt front shock and raised ride height we gridded on the front row in P2. Barnes was P1 and though I wanted pole, we stuck to our plan and focused on race setup during qualifying. We put in more laps than any other team during practice and qualifying, collecting more data and worked towards the best race set-up possible. After qualifying we increased the power potential of the E1. We took only a very small step as we we were moving into untested parameters and wanted to be smart.

There was one benefit to P2; I was hoping to follow Barnes for the first half of the race, learn, then try to make a break during the second half- that strategy lasted about 50′.

Lights out… full throttle… fault… trip… die… I raise my left hand (thinking of Scott Russell the entire time) until the 3rd place bike went by, then I drop my hand and started to reset the system. Once the controller was reset, I could finally start to accelerate again but I had already lost 4 seconds in the process, all before T2. I passed at least one rider going into T2 and then caught up to DeRidder who was in P2 but I could not get by until T5 and lost another second.  Before we even completed the first lap, I was already 5 seconds behind Barnes.

Lap 2-3 I am very aware of the throttle, and accelerate judiciously to not trip the system again and though my times are dropping I loose another 2 seconds to Barnes. At this point I still believe we are in the race and try to stay relaxed and focused. However on lap 4, I have another big setback; Barnes and I encounter our second lapped rider and clearly Barnes gets by #15 Mike Hannes better than I do. I catch Hannes but cant make the pass until exiting the corkscrew loosing another 2.5 seconds in the process. At this point our deficit to Barnes grew to 9.8 seconds, the largest gap in the race. I kept telling myself “relax, be technical and do not… give up”.

Lap 5 was the turning point- we matched, even slightly bettering Barnes time.  Lap 6, 7 and 8 we continued to turn quicker times than Barnes reducing the overall lead by another 3 seconds and were now trailing by 6.6 seconds. I could see the gap starting to close on lap 6 and saw it closing more quickly on laps 7 and 8. I knew Barney was not slowing… it was his bike.

Going into T11 for the last time, I closed up to within 1 second behind Barnes. A nice drive, no trip… and a win could be possible. As we started down the straight for the finish line I was focused on the drive and Barnes and didn’t even see the bike we were lapping until Barnes went left to make his pass. My closing speed on both bikes was very high. I quickly veered right and made the pass for the win on the outside shoulder of the track.

I never gave up during the race and on lap 8 with Barnes clearly in sight, I became even more motivated. I set all my personal best sector times for the weekend in laps 8 and 9 and set the overall e-Power lap record 1′44.496 on the last lap of the race-

I want to thank our team (my Dad, Adrian, Fred, Ryan and Kevin) for never giving up. Michael Barnes for being such a gracious competitor, the FIM for their professionalism and MotoGP fans for having an open mind and allowing me to live the dream.

All my best, MC

E racing is a balance of performance and efficiency- Nearly every e-motorcycle set their fastest lap early in the race and slowed towards the end. Conversely the MotoCzysz consistently lapped faster every lap (excluding lap 4). In the end it is the motorcycle that averages the highest speed over the entire race that will prevail. At the moment, e races are marathons not sprints, which on the surface makes the racing look slow and boring but to the informed, adds another element of strategy and interest.

The victory felt proper, even important; it was only in the leccy (what the locals call an electric motorcycle) class but the sense was- this may be the class of the future.

2010 saw electric racing being elevated from exhibition status to full TT classification. Along with classes for sidecars, 600cc, 1,000cc motorcycles there is now an official electric motorcycles classification- We are living in very interesting times.

The IOM-TT is seeped in history and the TT trophy is as iconic to motorcycle racers as the Stanley cup or America’s cup is to its respective fans. The winners of the TT are given a smaller replica of the “priceless” TT trophy and their name are engraved on silver plaques that encircle the base. Racing giants like; Hailwood, Surtees, Agostini, Dunlop and McGuiness underline and give support to the overwhelming feat that the newest winner of the TT has accomplished and will forever keep guard over the latest name added to the very exclusive club. For over 100 years this trophy has been the undeniable document of heroic men who have challenged the fiercest of opponents, the mountain and won.

This year there was a new trophy, just as shinny but far more modern, a single wave of silver that was engraved with a new TT Zero logo, the logo of zero emissions or “leccies”. This trophy too will never leave the island and will eventually hold the names of all the TT Zero winners in the future.

It was widely accepted that sometime over the next 100 years the original trophy will no longer make the trip out to the winner’s circle, being ultimately replaced by the new trophy. That the new trophy, different then the original, will be the de facto keeper of the “post combustion” winners. This new trophy will however just like the original be the object of desire for the new challengers, the shrine that will recognize their bravery, talent and luck. The place of honor for the men who not only survived the mountain course, but championed. And with the addition of every new name, everyone will search to read who was first! The name they will find, the name that will always be the first will be an American- Mark Miller who rode the American MotoCzysz to victory in 2010.

To stand at the base of the IOM FRICKING PODIUM and hear our National Anthem being played, was worth everything it cost to get there.

MC

Note: This was only the second time the American National Anthem has ever been played at the IOM. This is only the second time an American motorcycle has ever won at the IOM, last time was an Indian, 1911. But this was the first time, in over 100 hundred years, that an Americn rider won on an American motorcycle- hell’s ya!

It is very easy to take for granted how marvelous and remarkable an internal combustion engine really is- in fact, I think it is incomprehensible.

The MotoCzysz engine designed for the C1 is one of the most powerful (hp per liter) engines ever built in America. It has a mean piston speed of 25 meters per second which is an unremarkable 56 miles per hour, a speed typically driven daily. However the trip for the C1 piston is much shorter than your daily commute, the piston leaves its location (home) and arrives at its destination (office) after traveling less than 2”, yet still manages a respectable 56MPH average for the entire trip. So a piston starts and stops much quicker than the family mini van.

The C1 has a redline of 16,000 rpm, much higher than the average car engine, a little higher than the average sportbike engine but lower than a Formula One engine. At 16,000 rpm each piston makes its commute (home to office) 533 times per second or 160 times during the blink of your eye. Also the piston is not a solo commuter (part) it has on average 10 additional parts (rod, rings, pin, bolts, etc) that commute with it and the piston typically drives in convoys with 4, 6, 8, 10 even sometimes 12 other “commuters” and that is just the pistons. There are 16 to 32 valves in the average car that also obediently “commute” along with hundreds of other parts that add to the “traffic”.

So effectively, after a hundred years, we have artfully evolved a machine that can convert outrages reciprocating motion into simple, purposeful rotary torque. What if we removed all the reciprocating insanity/beauty and replaced it with a single rotating part, the result- a magic torque generator, an engine for the future, more likely from Mars than Detroit. Enter the electric motor.

One part- going one direction

Energy storage/conversion aside, the electric motor is the simplest most efficient tool for the job- if that job is to create rotary drive torque. The problem is, there has never been an electric motor specifically designed for a motorcycle let alone a Superbike.

Motorcycles are highly evolved machines that benefit the rider significantly when the ideal torque delivery is achieved. This “engine characteristic” is an important factor allowing the rider to feel more in control and confident and thus get the most out of his/her machine. The greatest strives to deliver idyllic torque has come from the abundance of electronic aides to fix the problems of the internal combustion engine. The ultimate electronic aid- a purpose built electric motor.

The first version MotoCzysz D1-10 generates over 100rwhp (rear wheel hp) which may not sound like much until you add the 250ft/lbs of torque to the equation. A current 2010 600cc sportbike makes 118hp (105+- rwhp) and 48 ft/lbs of torque at the crank, so the RWHP is right on target, the game changer is torque. Torque is the accelerative force; a motorcycle with more torque will out accelerate a motorcycle with less torque. Geared for the same top speed, we calculate our D1-10 motor will out accelerate a current 600cc in line four. The other “motor” benefit- the D1-10 delivered its power by converting 90% of the on board energy into torque, the 600cc in-line four- 35%.

Three MotoCzysz dyno records were broke on the last run;
1- Highest ever measured torque
2- Highest ever measured RPM
3- no oil leaks… (on at least one run)

This after one year of evolution- 99 more to go.

MC

PS. yes- we were on the limiter…

My previous blog synthesized down to one sentence-
Dustbin fairings (true to the definition) add unnecessary risk for a racer competing on the IOM.

Aero Maters
The second most convincing attribute compelling us to pursue the C1 (ICE) engine layout had do to with a potential aerodynamic benefit. After neutralizing the gyroscopic forces of the crankshaft the aero benefit of a 6” wide engine was tantalizing. We knew we could not create more HP than Honda- fortunately we also thought we may not need to. Some of the time our HP deficiency would not matter as the rider is using less than full throttle 70% of the time. Our rider may be at 55% throttle while the Honda rider is only at 50% throttle, we would be less efficient but traveling at the same speed. However full throttle is full throttle there is no 110%, so our strategy to make up the full throttle deficit was- Aerodynamics.

The MotoCzysz C1 engine is 6.5” wide; though the perimeter of our fairing generally matches the silhouettes of the other offerings we had less frontal area. We also had the added benefit of exhausting the high pressure air captured for the radiator more efficiently to the low pressure side as the air would move cleaner past a 6” wide obstruction than an 18” wide obstruction. When the riders are at 100% throttle the speeds are often high, a minor aerodynamic improvement of only a few percent can trump any HP advantage left to be found in an internal combustion engine (ICE).

One of the early examples that aero matters, has been substantiated by Craig Vetter’s Fuel Economy Contests-

http://craigvetter.com/pages/470MPG/VetterFuelEconomyContests.html

Additionally and to the finest point- teams behind elite bicyclists understand this best. Over a 40km race distance an aero helmet can save a rider 47 seconds over a none-aero helmet, a disk in the rear wheel 33 sec. and smoothing you’re your shoelaces with tape 7 seconds… Aero matters- this is not the issue.

Law of Cube
2X speed = 8X power

Want to double your speed with no aero benefit then find eight times the power! Doubling your speed increased the aerodynamic drag or resistive force by a factor of 4. Doubling your speed means, to achieve the same distance in half the time, 2X the work. The conclusion; 4×2 = 8 the law of cube.

Since 90% of the energy delivered to the wheels is used to overcome aerodynamic drag, reducing drag is “found” energy. Every vehicle, ICE or electric should make aerodynamic efficiency a priority- this is also not the issue.

Dustbin by definition
The definition of a dustbin fairing is very specific; a Hayabusa fairing is NOT a DB fairing. Typical DB fairings have large surface areas far forward of the bikes Cg, resulting in the center of pressure (CP) forward of the Cg, this is inherently unstable. Like the unstable fighter jet tamed by massive amounts of electronic intervention, a dustbin fairing could also be neutralized- but not by any current e-teams budgets.

BMW and Honda both have had formula one teams thus access to the most advanced aerodynamic data on the planet. To think these companies are following some conspiracy by not improving their own motorcycles ability is… lets just leave it at, an interesting theory. The lack of development has also been blamed on the “ban”. Read the rules for MotoGP and you will find Dorna and the FIM allow for significantly larger fairings covering a much greater area than what the teams and engineers have elected to run- trust there is some foundation for this decision.

We are still racing
The goal of racing a motorcycle is to complete the circuit in the shortest time possible. It is a misnomer to assume (and this is only being done by those with no high level race experience) that because the machine is NOW electric everything should change. As one of the only companies to have built a chassis specific for e power, that also runs proprietary suspension, MotoCzysz is obviously not rooted in tradition. The game changer is the “form” of energy and the method to create torque. Decades of development that have made the fastest motorcycles fast- is still relevant.

The rules for electric racing are very open; I believe this to be one of the purest prototype classes left in racing. To that end we are drawn to this because it is new, the playing field is uniquely level, progress feels important and innovation can prevail. In fact all the internet “experts” confident in their own opposing ideas should grid up, no excuse. There is plenty of opportunity for innovation as the rules stand now- this too, is not the issue.

The IOM is a tough and honorable proving ground but should be limited as a testing ground. A true Dustbin exchanges rider’s safety for efficiency. I have taken great risks over the last several years riding my own prototype machines but I have never been more concerned than when someone who has little to prosper from the experience does the same. Until you have built a bike baring your name you cannot understand the pressure of having a rider set off for a hot lap. Racing is risky, accidents and untimely deaths happen and we all accept it- that is racing and that- is not the issue.

The real issue is-
are we holistically dedicated to the future of our sport?
Will the future of motorcycling come down to making riders less safe? Real advancements need to be improvements in both technology as well as safety. Sending a rider out on an inherently unsafe machine, to race the most demanding circuit in the world because as a group we failed to make any other real advancements, seems very antiquated.

MC

PS. Unfortunately issues like these are too common in e racing as a result of the disproportionate amount of new individuals involved with NO prior racing or motorcycle experience.

PSS. MotoCzysz will also have a second fairing on the Isle- a Streamline/BD style fairing, if Mark Miller (a very brave man) chooses to race with it will be his sole decision- I hope we do not have to have that conversation.

In 1957 dustbin fairings were banned from road racing, in 2009 some people think it’s a good idea to bring them back- they are seriously mistaken.

There are many debates about why the dustbin (AKA “garbage can”) fairing was ruled illegal in ’57. The reasons range from aesthetics to politics but one of the undisputed reasons is that several crashes were attributed to the dustbins and their negative effect on handling- and that was on a 1957 motorcycle! What made the dustbin fairing dangerous for 50’s era racing motorcycles makes it suicidal for 2010 era racing motorcycles.

Old
From my office desk I can see my Grandfathers (Circa early 1960’s) 125cc Grand Prix motorcycle, this race machine was state of the art for the era. Though 125’s have the slowest top speed they often achieve the highest apex speed. 125’s are designed with very aggressive geometry to be the quickest steering and best handling bikes on the grid. Want to understand the ultimate handling abilities of motorcycles from a by-gone era? Look to 125’s.

My Grandfather’s 125 looks old, old tires, old steering angle, old Cg, old suspension everything looks old- because it is. The steering rake is 26.5 degrees the trail is more than 100mm, the tires have virtually no profile and the Cg looks lower than any modern motorcycle I have ever seen and this was one of the best handling motorcycles of the era. This “razor sharp” 1960’s Grand Prix motorcycle would be considered a slow steering street bike by today standards- it is all relevant to speed.

New
As motorcycles become faster, so must steering. The faster you ride a motorcycle the less time you have to do… well… everything. Speed compresses time. For a given bike to go thru a series of corners faster it must brake harder, steer quicker, transition faster and do so ideally with the same amount of rider input as before. Since the beginning of motorcycling every part of the motorcycle has evolved to allow the motorcycle to turn faster with less effort. Since the 1957 ban, rake has steepened, trail decreased, Cg raised, wheelbase shortened and tires profiles optimized. Modern motorcycles turn significantly quicker with less input than they did “back in the day”.

Racing
Racers push the limit, that’s what racers do and the “race line” is no exception. Racers enter a typical corner inches from the outside edge of the track, ride an arch to the apex then again to the outside edge of the track on exit. They do not just steer this arch changing trajectory at will like you do in your family car, this is the consequence of carrying the maximum speed possible thru a corner. This optimum line is duplicated by nearly every racer, ever corner, every race, it is the limit and there are only millimeters of cushion between being on line and running off the track.

When the best racers in the world arrive at a track with winds in the 15-25+mph range a modified fairing can be fitted to their bike. This fairing has less surface area, often achieved by drilling a series of holes in it. The holes reduce the overall area and help balance the Delta P (pressure drop) across the fairing caused by a side wind. This pressure differential creates a very noticeable force on the motorcycle sucking the fairing into the low pressure area opposite the direction of wind.

Remember motorcycles turn by leaning and modern motorcycles turn/lean very easily. Take a modern motorcycle and add a large side area or fairing to it and it will be subjected to forces beyond the rider’s control. Stretch that fairing fore and aft the wheels and you have now increased the leverage of that force and effect. Add additional height and now the fairing is subject to even higher wind speeds that have an even greater lever to lean and pull the motorcycle. More frightening, the rider can only overcome the unwanted change in direction by turning the motorcycle towards its new trajectory as to counter the lean initiated by the wind. This is a very counter intuitive maneuver that takes additional time and real estate most racers do not have.

Cigars and Toothpicks
Even straight line instability can be the experienced (no need for side winds) if the motorcycles center of pressure is too far forward ahead of the Cg which is typical to dustbin style fairings (with no tail). There is a great simple explanation of this in the “Worlds Fastest Indian” (highly recommended). The instability caused by this mis-calculation is even an issue at Bonneville where riders only go straight, have miles of course and can’t even find anything to hit. If Bonneville was 24’ wide and lined with stone walls streamlining would be banned- and so it should be at the IOM.

Electric racing is still racing
There is a place for streamlining. Our joint venture with Bajaj has identified aerodynamics as a project priority and one of the best methods to achieving greater efficiency and range in our project. The original C1 spent time in CFD and actual wind tunnel testing, by no means am I opposed to improved aerodynamics. As efficiency is such a component to electric racing it is easy to see why someone may think this is a good idea but I am certain this same person has no modern day racing experience.

Personally I have ridden at pace at, Willow Springs, Las Vegas and Miller Motorsports; tracks that get periodic winds. I have been blown of track several times, sometimes from a tailwind at the end of the straight, other times at corner exit. I can personally attest that in every case the bike would have been more out of control if it had a larger fairing- suicidal with a dustbin.

I hope the other manufactures and team owners will stand with me and personally elect not to race the IOM with the antiquated dustbin fairings. As our rider Mark Miller recently said: It’s war out there, this is not some college HPV project.”

MC

Years ago I was at an event where Oliver Stone was asked how he made a film, his answer? “Inch by mother-fucking inch” Fast forward to today and I can completely relate. Want to know how you build a motorcycle? “Millimeter by mother-fucking millimeter.”

 
Over the booming and echoing sound of the Ducati D16 and the MotoCzysz C1, idling only feet apart I yell to the other stunt rider “After the pass I’m going to lean on you pretty hard.” Adam nods his helmet; I think he understands, “OK?” I say? Then we hear “Rolling… Sound… Action,” off I go with the Desmo close behind.

We are gaining speed- to execute what the entire stunt crew has been referring to as “the shot” over the last 3 days. It is hardly the race thru the 3 foot opening in the fallen log that has our attention. More disconcerting is the road (actually a narrow path) that makes a left just past the log where we need to go right. What lies only a foot from the edge of the path- a deep ravine, “Cut.”

“Dude you hit me hard”… “You alright” I ask?” Ya but”… over the wakie talkies we hear “That’s a wrap, next location.”

It was very cold in up state New York; the streets were covered in leaves and often wet, making it risky to go very fast. “Should we go faster” I ask? “No” says one of the stunt coordinators “We can’t easily track and film you at a higher speed.” I am glad to hear this but can’t help thinking, “we are shooting a big budget film, and shouldn’t we go ‘a little’ faster.” The next day we get our chance.

The crew is setting up for one of the ’speed shots’ a long lens, shot through the woods towards a series of curves. We are wearing ear pieces but must relay our information to the director and crew through a PA and his wakie talkie. Over the com we hear “OK- for this first pass come by the camera at about 50 mph and we will see how it looks.” The C1 does not have a speedometer but during the first framing and practice runs I switch to a street bike, so off we go- 50 mph. On the way back I pass the crew doing about 75. When I get back to my starting mark I hear “That was cool how fast was that?” I tell the PA “75″, over the com I hear “OK this time 75″, so off we go- 75 mph. On the way back I pass the crew doing over a 100. “Wow that was really cool how fast was that?” the voice over the com asks. After the number is related we hear “OK let’s try a hundred.” This feels like a pretty respectable speed for this section of road but on the way back I pass the crew at about 125. The voice says “Noooo- let’s just stick to a 100- we’re good.”

MC

“Money Never Sleeps” the timely sequel to the classic film “Wall St.”, both directed by Oliver Stone will be in theaters April 21.

view trailer>

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