PPIHC: Carlin Dunne Sets Outright Best Motorcycle Time at Pikes Peak Tire Test on a Lightning Motorcycle

The competitors for the 91st Pikes Peak International Hill Climb have just concluded a two-day tire test at the Colorado road course, and it should perhaps come as no surprise that our boy Carlin Dunne has posted the outright fastest lap for a motorcycle during the tire test (the Santa Barbara native set the outright two-wheeled course record last year on his Ducati Multistrada 1200 S). What is surprising about Carlin’s result at the tire test is that he was on the Lightning Motorcycles electric superbike. That’s right, the fastest bike so far for 2013′s Race to the Clouds is a 200+ hp electric superbike that is refueled with solar energy. Petrol heads, eat your heart out.

Report: Indianapolis “Opting-Out” of 2014 MotoGP Race?

Talking to the Indy Star, Mark Miles (CEO of Hulman & Co, the parent company to Indianapolis Motor Speedway) has put some doubt into the historic venue’s commitment to host the MotoGP Championship. Having a contract to run the race through the 2014 season, Miles said that IMS might opt-out of the final year in its agreement with Dorna (IMS apparently has this option for a brief window after the 2013 Indianapolis GP). However while the news has focused so far on IMS’s ability to opt-out, both Dorna and Indianapolis Motor Speedway have options in their contract to go through with the 2014 round, and with a bevy of variables in the air, we may or may not see three American GP rounds next year.

2014 Yamaha FZ-09 – Three Cylinders of Naked

Surprise! America will be getting a 847cc three-cylinder naked bike for the 2014 model year, the 2014 Yamaha FZ-09. Replacing the Yamaha FZ8 in the Japanese company’s line-up, the FZ-09 is the first motorcycle from the tuning fork brand to sport the Yamaha’s new line of three-cylinder engines. The Yamaha FZ-09 comes about as the MIC is reporting its second-consecutive year of growth in the 751+cc sport bike segment, as well as increase in commuter riding over short-distance sport riding. With those trends in mind, Yamaha has punched out the displacement on its middleweight naked bike, and focused on giving riders a comfortable, yet stout, motorcycle. Priced at $7,990 MSRP, we think Yamaha hit the nail pretty much on the head with this one.

Trackside Tuesday: The Mind-Killer

In the past few years I’ve come to believe that, while superior physical differences (their reflexes and fine motor skills) are significant, it’s the mental differences that are the most interesting. I suppose anyone who has ridden a motorcycle even a bit beyond one’s comfort zone can appreciate some part of the physical aspect of riding a racing bike. For most of us, even the speed of racers in local events is impressive compared to our street riding. While the skills with throttle, brakes, and balance are on a level similar to the best athletes in other sports, I think that what really sets motorcycle racers apart is their ability to overcome fear.

Video: Still Think Electric Motorcycles Are Slow?

The progress in the last five years on electric motorcycles has been astounding. Taking their first laps around the Isle of Man TT Mountain Course, a 87.434 mph pace was the best an electric motorcycle could do at the prestigious road race in 2009 — a pace that was on par with the 50cc record set in 1971. In just five years after the first laps were taken by electric motorcycles at Snaefell, these machines have grown their average lap speeds by over 20 mph at the TT Zero race, setting a new record of 109.675 mph in 2013, and boasting a rate of improvement of roughly 5 mph each year since 2009. If hitting 142.2 mph down the Sulby Straight speed trap wasn’t further proof of the speeds these bikes are achieving, maybe some visual evidence will help support the notion.

Here’s Your Feel Good Moment of the Week — Now, What’s Your Excuse for Not Riding Today?

Darius Glover is a dirt bike racer. Like you and me, he lives to ride, and when he is on two-wheels he feels the freedom that only other motorcyclists can truly understand. The thing is though, Darius is paralyzed from the waist down. Where others would give up their dreams and this sport, Darius at the age of 15 instead pushed onward. No pity parties, no excuses, just simply a daily example of where there is a will, there is a way, and a reminder that you can achieve anything that you put your mind to. It’s hard not to get a bit choked up listening to Darius tell his story, but you walk away feeling uplifted after feeling his attitude come across the screen.

Erzberg Rodeo – Red Bull’s S&M Playhouse for Motorcycles

Any race where 1,500 riders start, 500 qualify, and only 14 finish, has got to be an epic competition, and considering the fact that the Erzberg Rodeo starts in the excavation pit of an Austrian mine…well, it takes a special rider to be enticed by such an event. One such special rider is Graham Jarvis, who was the first of the fourteen men to reach the 20th and final checkpoint. Taking 2 hours and 52 seconds to complete the course, Jarvis made the 2013 Erzberg Rodeo look downright easy. However, with one look at the race-day conditions from this past weekend, we know it was anything but.

Controlling the Uncontrollable – The Role of Ritual in Racing

While normally, MotoGP fans never get enough of seeing Valentino Rossi on TV, there is one shot they would (for the most part) gladly be spared. As he leaves the pits, Rossi stands on the footpegs, and pulls his leathers from between his buttocks, before sitting back down again and leaving. These rituals – part useful limbering up, part invocation of Lady Luck – are something many riders perform, in their attempt to exert control over themselves, and over their environment. In a fascinating press release – by far the most interesting we have received in many months – the Aspar team today provided a discussion and explanation of what riders are trying to achieve through the use of these rituals.

Up-Close with the 2013 MotoCzysz E1pc

Hoping to make it four wins in a row, it goes without saying that the MotoCzysz crew is working hard to close the gap to the John McGuinness and the Mugen team. However, having Team Principal Michael Czysz stuck back in the US, undergoing cancer treatments, must certainly add another level of motivation for the on-island MotoCzysz crew. Making time in their busy schedule, Asphalt & Rubber got to take some up-close photos of the 2013 MotoCzysz E1pc. The most obvious changes made to the MotoCzysz E1pc for the 2013 TT Zero race are the use conventional suspension pieces. Of course, it’s not a completely standard suspension setup, as MotoCzysz has developed its own adjustable triple clamp that incorporates tunable lateral flex parameters.

MotoGP: Max Biaggi To Test Ben Spies’s Ducati at Mugello, Michele Pirro To Replace Spies at Barcelona

Max Biaggi is to make a surprise return to riding a MotoGP machine. The former 250 and World Superbike champion will take a seat on Ben Spies’ Ignite Pramac Ducati as part of a one-day test at Mugello, as part of Ducati’s testing program, according to Italian site GPOne. Spies was scheduled to stay on at Mugello to take part in a two-day test, but after the first day of practice at last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, it was clear to both Spies and Ducati that his shoulder was still too weak to ride a MotoGP machine. With work continuing on the Desmosedici, it was important for Ducati to get as much data as possible on their bike, and so Biaggi was offered the chance to ride the machine.

MotoCzysz Wins TT Zero – 96.820 MPH Average

06/10/2010 @ 9:51 am, by Jensen Beeler12 COMMENTS

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.

The 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc was a dominate force at the TT Zero event, passing Rob Barber on his Agni before Ballaugh, the second timing point. Miller would go on to extend that position by just under two minutes by the race’s conclusion. With MotoCzysz the clear winner, the second, third, and fourth place bikes were more evenly bunched, and less than 20 seconds apart at the finish.

Eleven seconds behind Barber, McBride showed good speed, making up his 10 second start time difference on Tinmouth by Glen Helen, the first timing point. McBride passed Tinmouth after Glen Helen and went on to maintain his third place position throughout the race.

For Team Agni, the benefits of streamlining Barber’s bike seem to have been negated. The Bullet was able to marginally improve on his speed from last year (+2 MPH on average), but averaged only 1 MPH more over the Mountain Course than his teammate Tinmouth who had conventional fairings on her bike.

MotoCzysz saw similar results with its aerodynamical efforts. Mark Miller lapped the E1pc without the bulk of its fairings around the TT course with an average speed of 94.664 MPH in practice, improving on that pace by just over 2 MPH in today’s race with those fairings installed.

Unfortunately for TT Zero there were a number of no-shows and non-starters today, including 666 Racing (the only Mavizen bike expected at the Isle of Man), Electric Motorsports, and Tork Racing. Additionally, eight bikes left the starting gate, but only five finished.

Source: Isle of Man TT; Photo: Popular Science

Tagged under: 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc, American, E1pc, electric, electric racing, IOMTT, Isle of Man, Isle of Man TT, Mark Miller, Michael Czysz, Motoczysz, MotoCzysz E1pc, TT Zero, video

Comment:

Doctor Jelly says:
June 10, 2010 at 9:54 AM
WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
travis says:
June 10, 2010 at 9:58 AM
Hell fuckin yeah! Great work Mark, Michael, Adrian and Marty and to whoever else helped them complete this amazing bike and win the race!
RareSportBikesForSale says:
June 10, 2010 at 10:18 AM
Congratulations MotoCzysz!!
dc
hoyt says:
June 10, 2010 at 11:33 AM
I didn’t realize the sliding section of his front-end was slightly angled.
If Team Czysz is reading, how much battery life remained?
Congratulations
dp says:
June 10, 2010 at 12:10 PM
“If Team Czysz is reading, how much battery life remained?”
I think they said 10% more in an interview
MTGR says:
June 10, 2010 at 1:48 PM
Nice to see they finally have something more than a (very) pretty face to show for all their efforts. Congrats.
bg says:
June 10, 2010 at 2:02 PM
And don’t forget Terry Czsyz in there too…
Asphalt_Rubber says:
June 10, 2010 at 4:52 PM
MotoCzysz Wins TT Zero – 96.820 MPH Average – http://aspha.lt/12o #motorcycle
Dr. Gellar says:
June 10, 2010 at 9:54 PM
Fantastic! Congratulations MotoCzysz…well done! It’s great to see some good fortune and success finally come your way. Lookin’ forward now to seeing how the E1pc performs at Laguna. As much as I enjoy MotoGP, if I go this year to the USGP…it’ll be primarily to see your creation. I am very, very happy for you all… :-)
BMG says:
June 11, 2010 at 12:23 PM
Congratulations on the win with the E1pc. Please do not stop development on the C1 though, there are those of us who still root for ICE motorcycles.
Bret says:
June 12, 2010 at 4:27 AM
Wow I would like to see ANY motor sport event see this kind of improvement in 1 year.
Congratulations.
With continual development of these Zero TT Bikes….ICE Bikes don’t stand a chance.
25:53:50 Last year
23:22.89 This year
Josh says:
June 16, 2010 at 11:59 AM
I’m surprised the bodywork didn’t give a greater speed increase. I wonder if something else changed to negate the aerodynamic advantage as compared to the semi-naked speed run.
Its a good rate of improvement, but a heck of a long way from so good that ICE bikes don’t stand a chance. Especially if you allow unlimited ICE bikes.

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