Up-Close with the 2011 MotoCzysz E1pc

MotoCzysz was out at Jurby Airfield yesterday, turning a wheel for the first time on the Portland company’s 2011 MotoCzysz E1pc electric superbike. With TT Zero’s first practice session tonight on the Mountain Course, the team has been busy getting ready to field two bikes for riders Mark Miller and Michael Rutter.

While Miller will ride the updated 2010.5 MotoCzysz E1pc, Rutter will be on MotoCzysz’s new machine that features the 200+ hp MotoCzysz D1-11 VDR D1g1tal Dr1ve electric motor. With more power at the motor, more battery on-board, and a lighter overall package, MotoCzysz has its eyes on the 100 mph mark, and the £10,000 check the Isle of Man TT has put up as bounty for the milestone. Photos after the jump.

MotoCzysz has made obvious aesthetic changes to the 2011 MotoCzysz E1pc, with the race team sporting the blue, white, and silver livery of sponsor Segway. However, it’s the technical changes that impress us the most, as the new E1pc has a stronger motor, more battery power, and a overall lighter package. As expected, the MotoCzysz six-axis fork system is up front, though it has been revised from the previous version, and sports a new linkage design. The rear suspension has also changed, as all that is visible is a carbon fiber strut that connects the swingarm to the shock, which is located under the faux-fuel tank.

Nestled in-between the carbon fiber frame, which looks gorgeous by the way, are two enclosures that house Dow Kokam battery packs. Czysz is not saying how many kWh are on-board, but we’d guess about 20% more over last year’s E1pc. We’ll get a chance to see today how the 2011 MotoCzysz E1pc fares on its first run around the Mountain Course, while Mark Miller’s 2010.5 MotoCzysz E1pc is already a veteran of the Isle of Man TT. With improvements to its motor design and software, MotoCzysz is confident that the 2010.5 bike will crack the 100 mph mark, while the untested 2011 bike has great potential to blow the TT Zero competition away, though there also exists reasonable uncertainty about the until-yesterday-untested package. For how that plays out, we’ll have to run our tried and true phrase, and say that time will tell.