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Segway Sponsoring MotoCzysz 2011 Racing Season

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We heard rumors that Segway was sponsoring the MotoCzysz Isle of Man TT effort, but passed them off as too crazy to be true, as the rumors also suggested a three-bike team at the Isle, which we knew not to be true. Now we get official word that Segway is indeed sponsoring the Portland-based company, but not just at the Isle of Man TT, but throughout the 2011 racing season. We’re not sure which races that will be exactly for MotoCzysz, but you can count on an appearance at the FIM/TTXGP Laguna Seca round at the very least.

The press release goes on to say that “this combination results in a world class team of mechanical, electrical, and software engineers whose years of experience and knowledge will lead both companies to successes not only at the track but also with new vehicles in the marketplace,” which to us sounds like MotoCzysz has been busy hot-rodding a different kind of two-wheeled electric vehicle up in Portland. I can’t speak for the whole A&R crew, but personally I’d pay good money to see Michael Czysz on a Segway.

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Racing

MotoCzysz Fielding Two Bikes at the Isle of Man TT

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Sources have been hinting that MotoCzysz had two bikes in the works for the upcoming TT Zero, and now we’ve gotten confirmation from the Portland, Oregon company that it will indeed be fielding two bikes at the Isle of Man TT. As with the past two years, Mark Miller will be at the helm of the MotoCzysz machine, but this year he will be joined by Michael Rutter on the second Czysz bike.

Mark Miller rode the MotoCzysz E1pc to victory last year during the TT Zero, while Rutter was a solid Top 10 contender in the Superbike, Superstock, and Senior TT classes. Though the Englishman has won 27 BSB Championship races, and competed in both MotoGP and World Superbike, this will be Rutter’s first foray into electric motorcycle racing.

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Racing

Rumor: OEM Entering Electric Racing This Season

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There’s a quiet rumor going on in the electric racing circles that a major OEM of internal combustion motorcycles is poised to enter one of the electric racing series this season. Which manufacturer and which series is not being openly discussed, but judging from whom is talking about the possibility, and perhaps more importantly who is not talking about it, our best guess would be a Japanese manufacturer like Honda is at the center of the rumor. Honda has already been caught testing hybrid componentry at the 25hrs of Thunderhill, coincidentally with technology produced by electric motorcycle upstart Mission Motors.

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Racing

Around the Isle of Man with the MotoCzysz E1pc

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The Isle of Man TT organizers have released some on-board footage of the TT Zero winning 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc. Other than the impressive speed from the electric sportbike, what’s really noticeable about this video is the wind noise. The subject of electric motorcycles lacking the exhaust note normally associated with motorcycles has been hashed out numerous times before, but watching this video reminds us of a comment that Michael Czysz once made to us about how electric motorcycles were like sailboats.

Once you get out to the open water, and turn off your motor it transforms the experience into something else. We imagine that must have crossed rider Mark Miller’s mind at some point…before he quickly had to train his attention on the rapidly approaching street course. Check the video out after the jump.

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Bikes

Up-Close with the TT Winning MotoCzysz E1pc

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Last week we got a leaked photo of the 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc, and knew the bike would be a contender in today’s TT Zero at the Isle of Man. Now that the TT for electrics is over, we can get a closer look at the machine that left the competition behind in the dust. MotoCzysz was a scratch at last year’s TT, and following that mantra the team effectively started-over from scratch for their 2010 effort. Back for 2010, there is of course the familiar MotoCzysz-designed 6X Flex front-end suspension system, but the rest of the bike centers around a revised energy package that’s been refined to engineering simplicity.

We’ve already covered how the central “suitcase” or eDD incorporates space maximizing v-shaped removable battery packs that pop-out with the push of a button. And how the entire 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc involves virtually no wiring, since everything dovetails perfectly together. We’ve also covered how the MotoCzysz D1-10 motor is replacing the three Agni motors from last year’s bike. Running off nearly 500 volts of power, the liquid-cooled IPM motor makes 250lbs•ft of torque, and generates over 100hp. The aerodynamics of the 2010 bike have been completely rethought, and employ a palatable design that achieves the aerodynamic goals to give the team a greater advantage with their limited on-board energy.

All of this is well and good, but it doesn’t mean shit if the bike doesn’t go fast.

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Racing

MotoCzysz Wins TT Zero – 96.820 MPH Average

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Mark Miller took the 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc to victory today at the Isle of Man’s TT Zero race. Miller lapped the MotoCzysz E1pc around the Mountain Course with an average speed of 96.820 MPH and with a time of 23:22.890. Just shy of the 100 MPH average speed barrier, Miller passed through the Sulby speed trap going 135.300 MPH, and topped 140 MPH at one point.

Following Miller was Rob “Bullet” Barber who averaged 89.290 MPH on the streamlined Team Agni machine. James McBride finished on the podium with a 88.653 MPH average on the Man TTX race bike. Jennifer Tinmouth on the second Agni finished 4th, just seven seconds behind McBride.

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Racing

Rain Cancels TT Zero for Wednesday [UPDATED]

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UPDATE: TT organizers have released the schedule for tomorrow, find it added after the jump.

Racing action at the Isle of Man TT was delayed and finally cancelled because of inclement weather today, and as such the second Monster Energy Supersport race, the second Sure Sidecar race, and the TT Zero race have been pushed back to Thursday.

At first the TT was merely postponed because of low-hanging clouds on the course that limited visibility; but as the morning wore on, rain began falling on the Mountain Course, and race officials sacked the days events.

TT Zero and the rest of the races are expected to take place tomorrow, but the Isle of Man has not released the new schedule yet. Check back to this article for an update on race times for Thursday when we get them.

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Opinion/Editorial

The Big Question for Tomorrow’s TT Zero Is…

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What’s going to be mounted on these protruding brackets? So far the 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc has been lapping the Isle of Man without its full fairing on the motorcycle. If history teaches us anything, the presumption, of course, should be that MotoCzysz has something still up its sleeve before the team takes to the Mountain Course tomorrow for the TT Zero event. Last year it was batteries in the tail-section, this year it would seem to be streamlining the E1pc.

While Michael Czysz has derided the use of a dustbin style fairings in road racing, he has acknowledged that a course like the Isle of Man creates an opportunity for a race team to find some benefits in the design. As such, Czysz wrote three months ago that he would have a dustbin fairing at the ready, should someone else show up with one as well…and that’s exactly what’s happened.

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Racing

MotoCzysz Sets Unofficial Lap Record at TT Zero with 94MPH Lap – Closing in on £10,000 prize

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MotoCzysz set an unofficial lap record today at the TT Zero, the Isle of Man’s electric class for the Isle of Man TT. Averaging 94.664 mph over the Mountain Course, Mark Miller and the 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc were clocked doing 131.1 mph through the Sulby speed trap. Compare those times to Rob Barber & Team Agni’s 83.689 mph run for the day, which was short of the team’s 2009 performance of 87.434mph (which is also the current class record). The Isle of Man government has setup a £10,000 prize for the first team to crack the 100mph average barrier, which could well be in MotoCzysz’s grasp after today’s showing.

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News

Spy Shot: 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc at the Isle of Man

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UPDATE: We just got an email from Michael Czysz about the new E1pc, and the team’s progress so far at the Isle of Man. Read it after the jump.

Our Bothan Spies were hard at work this weekend, and have brought us this photo of the 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc that will be racing the TT Zero at the Isle of Man TT. From the pictures, the 2010 E1pc is sporting a significantly smaller tail (no hidden batteries here!), and a bevy of battery packs.

From what we can gather, there’s 12.5 kWh of battery power visible, assuming Czysz & Co. are using the same packs from the eDD. The front-end is the same MotoCzysz-patented design, while the rear of the motorcycle looks to have a longer swing-arm and conventional shock placement.

The motor is attached to the “suitcase”, low on the bike (as seen in the eDD renders) facing the clutch side of the motorcycle. It’s then linked via chain to a concentric shaft off the swing-arm (similar to the MotoCzysz C1), with the final chain linkage on the standard right-hand side of the E1pc. More info and photos as we get them. Big thanks to our anonymous tipster!

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Racing

Gear-up for the Isle of Man with John McGuinness

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As the Isle of Man TT gets ready to start racing this weekend, John McGuinness remains as the only rider to crack into the 130mph lap average speed (edit: Hutchinson broke 130mph on Thursday). The British rider reportedly hasn’t even been going full charge up the Mountain Course during the practice session, which should make for this year. Take a look at what a lap around the Isle of Man with McGuinness is like in the video above, and check the race schedule after the jump.

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