MotoCzysz
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MotoCzysz (pronounced ) was an American motorcycle company based in
Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
that intended to compete in
MotoGP Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
. The C1 prototype engine was designed with perfect balance not needing a
balance shaft Balance shafts are used in piston engines to reduce vibration by cancelling out unbalanced dynamic forces. The counter balance shafts have eccentric weights and rotate in opposite direction to each other, which generates a net vertical force. Th ...
. Some of the patented innovations included a
slipper clutch A slipper clutch ''(also known as a back-torque limiter)'' is a specialized clutch with an integrated freewheel mechanism, developed for performance-oriented motorcycles to mitigate the effects of engine braking when riders decelerate. The main pu ...
with twin clutches, and a unique front suspension. The business also developed a successful electric racing motorcycle, the E1pc.


History

MotoCzysz was founded by late American engineer and professional motorcycle racer
Michael Czysz Michael Czysz (1964 – 7 May 2016) was an American motorcycle road racing rider, engineer, motorcycle designer/developer, and entrepreneur. Czysz attended Portland State University, and transferred to the Parsons School of Design at The Ne ...
. In June 2009, MotoCzysz raced in the world's first zero-emissions motorcycle grand prix. The race took place on the Isle of Man TT course. This race was the subject of the 2011 documentary ''Charge'' where the MotoCzysz team were referred to as the "swaggering American hotshots". In October 2009, MotoCzysz and
Bajaj Auto Bajaj Auto Limited () is an Indian multinational automotive manufacturing company based in Pune. It manufactures motorcycles, scooters and auto rickshaws. Bajaj Auto is a part of the Bajaj Group. It was founded by Jamnalal Bajaj (1889–1942) ...
announced a joint venture to create a green automobile. Analysts speculated that the vehicle could be a
hybrid vehicle A hybrid vehicle is one that uses two or more distinct types of power, such as submarines that use diesel when surfaced and batteries when submerged. Other means to store energy include pressurized fluid in hydraulic hybrids. The basic princip ...
. MotoCzysz teamed with Remy Electric Motors LLC to develop an electric drive system for four-wheeled vehicles. The company then signed a deal with TAC Motors of Brazlia in 2012 to supply those drives for TAC Motors' Stark SUV.


C1


Frame

The C1 features a
carbon fiber Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
frame that exhibits more stiffness than most other motorcycles. The frame also serves as the bike's
airbox An airbox is an empty chamber on the inlet of most combustion engines. It collects air from outside and feeds it to the intake hoses of each cylinder. Older engines drew air directly from the surroundings into each individual carburetor. Modern ...
.


Engine

The 990 cc four-cylinder engine is mounted to the frame longitudinally, rather than transversely as on most similarly configured motorcycles. A transverse arrangement fights a bike's gyroscopic tendency to stand up when leaned over and applying throttle. The C1, in order to negate the resulting gyroscopic forces of the longitudinal orientation, has its lengthwise-mounted
inline 4 A straight-four engine (also called an inline-four) is a four-cylinder piston engine where cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft. The vast majority of automotive four-cylinder engines use a straight-four layout (with the e ...
engine cut in half, with the resulting
crankshaft A crankshaft is a mechanical component used in a piston engine to convert the reciprocating motion into rotational motion. The crankshaft is a rotating shaft containing one or more crankpins, that are driven by the pistons via the connecting ...
halves counter-rotating. Thus, the bike handles with no noticeable gyroscopic force from the engine. Two of the bike's four throttle bodies are controlled mechanically, while the other two are controlled electronically by the ECU, hypothetically smoothing power delivery. The ECU-controlled throttle bodies can be adjusted by computer for refinement of the throttle curve. For the 2007
MotoGP Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
season, the
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM; en, International Motorcycling Federation) is the global governing/sanctioning body of motorcycle racing. It represents 116 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regiona ...
(FIM) and
Dorna Sports Dorna Sports, S.L. is the commercial rights' holder for the motorcycling sport of Grand Prix racing. Established in 1988 as an international sports management and marketing company, it is headquartered in Madrid, with branch offices and/or subs ...
reduced the engine capacity to 800 cc for the class, rendering the C1's configuration ineligible for competition. Michael Czysz commented in a blog post that they were looking towards racing the bike in either AMA or WSB competition.


Production

As of mid-2010, MotoCzysz was offering to take down payments towards 50 MotoGP replica bikes offered for $100,000. A production date was unspecified.


Awards

The C1 was recognized with ''
Robb Report The ''Robb Report'' is an American, English-language, luxury-lifestyle magazine featuring products, including automobiles, aviation, boating, real estate and watches. Founded in 1976, it is currently owned by Penske Media Corporation. It also dist ...
MotorCyclings 2007 Achievement in Design Award.


E1pc

The E1pc all-electric sportsbikeMCN Article - Exclusive photo: finished MotoCzysz E1pc revealed, claiming V-MAX-beating acceleration
/ref> was announced in June 2009 as an entrant for the
TTXGP TTXGP are the official promoters of FIM eRoadRacing, an electric motorsport race series. Founded by Azhar Hussain MBE in 2008, TTXGP started life as the first zero-carbon, clean-emission race to take place at the Isle of Man TT as teams from aro ...
but did not finish the race. In 2010, it took first place in the 2010
TT Zero TT Zero – an electric motorsport event introduced for the 2010 Isle of Man TT races – replaced the similar TTXGP race as a 1-lap (37.733 miles) circuit of the Snaefell Mountain Course. The TT Zero event as an officially sanctioned Isle of M ...
event at the Isle of Man TT, and set a new course record. For the 2011 TT Zero Race, MotoCzysz riders Michael Rutter and Mark Miller took first and second places and for
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
the same riders finished first and third. In the 2013 TT Zero Race, Rutter again won at a new record race-average speed of 109.675 mph, with team-mate Miller suffering breakdown.
Cycleworld.com ''MotoCzysz Claims Fourth Consecutive TT Victory''. Retrieved 2013-07-01


References


External links


Official web site
{{USA motorcycle manufacturers Motorcycle manufacturers of the United States Manufacturing companies based in Portland, Oregon Privately held companies based in Oregon