One hundred miles per hour is nothing for the race bikes racing on the Isle of Man during the famed Tourist Trophy races, but it is an elusive target for the electric motorcycles joining the action. Michael Czysz and his crew are closing in on it though.
Mark Miller lapped the 37.7-mile course aboard the MotoCzysz at an average of 94.66 mph. That’s the quickest pace yet for an electric motorcycle during the Isle of Man TT, but it’s unofficial because it happened during practice. Still, it makes Miller an early favorite to win Wednesday’s TT Zero electric motorcycle race.
“I’m really confident now with the bike and will happily not touch it now until the race,” team boss Michael Czysz — pronounced sizz, as in sizzle — said in a statement. “I think that the bike is capable of achieving the 100 mph lap as we still have something in reserve but it will require everything going right on race day.”
The team, from Portland, Oregon, led the field by more than 3 minutes during practice, putting Miller well ahead of James McBridge of ManTTX and Ron Barber, who handily won last year’s race for Team Agni. Miller hit 99.974 mph at one point. The government of the Isle of Man has promised £10,000 to the first team to achieve 100 mph.
Ten teams are competing in the TT Zero, which split from the TTXGP to stage its own race under rules set by the FIM.
Photo: Isle of Man TT
Read More http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/06/motoczysz-isle-of-man-tt-zero/#ixzz0qLVkNTh8
