Video: On-board the 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc

June 23, 2010

Riding the 2010 MotoCzysz E1pc, Mark Miller became the second ever American rider to win a race at the Isle of Man TT. This video was filmed on-board as he did that, unfortunately the exciting bits — cornering and passing — have been edited out for some reason. Still, this should give you some idea what it’s like to go 141mph on an electric motorcycle. >

IOM TT

kavs

I love the eerie quiet. Like riding with a great set of earplugs and factory cans…
Prich

Shhhhhhh. He’s raaaaacing.
pdub

Ok, this does make me want one. We all love the mechanical life of our fire breathing petrol burners but this makes me think of what pilots say about flying gliders, that it’s the purest form of aviation. One of these would remind me what it was like bombing down hills on curvy public roads with my chest to the seat on 20″ BMX bikes passing cars without needing gravity to do so. Bring it on.
Isaac

I wish I could have one of those E1′s. The drive train alone (batts and motor) is $40,000. Add that to some:

Carbon body and frame…….$20,000
Ohlins TTX36R……………$2800
Marchesini Forged Mags……$4700
Perelli Super Corsa’s…….$450

too much more to list.

I am guessing this bike would be in teh neighborhood of 90K
- stacey
  
  That’s pretty cheap compared to some WSBK bikes.
  - pdub
    
    Yeah cheap compared to a WSBK bike and you get early 90′s 600 street bike weight and HP (torque & efficiency are another matter). Sounds like a deal. What does a clean CBR F2 go for these days? $2k? Not starting a electric-vs-petrol war like all these Motoczysz articles kick up. The E1pc is about the coolest thing happening in bike tech outside the GP paddock & Mr. Czysz is a moto saint for putting is ass & fortune on the line chasing this dream. Let’s just not be unfair in comparisons. It’s in a league of it’s own at them moment. Let’s get our popcorn and see how the show develops.
    - Grant Ray
      
      Oh, you’re totally right on line. Think of it this way.
      
      How much did a Works Cagiva 500V4 cost to build in 1993? How much would that bike cost now if it showed up at auction? How much did the Desmosedici RR cost when it debuted? And how much does the fully-equipped S1000RR cost today?
      
      Electric racing bikes the caliber of the Czysz won’t be cheap any time, and maybe never. But we’ll get that performance someday in a mass-marketable package. It just may take a couple of decades.
- http://www.justzeros.com Brandon Glanville
  
  I bet it’s quite a bit more. I think they built their own suspension from scratch. The batteries are all assembled by hand there at there shop from their design and engineering. The list goes on. I bet that bike has $250,000 to $500,000 just in labor.
W

The bike is beautiful and good on ‘im for showing what can be done with drive and determination if anybody deserves some success it Czysz, but I still haven’t heard even an idea on how all these electric vehicles will be built without the critical materials the technology calls for….

Report forecasts shortages of 14 critical mineral raw materials

Raw materials are an essential part of both high tech products and every-day consumer products, such as mobile phones, thin layer photovoltaics, Lithium-ion batteries, fibre optic cable, synthetic fuels, among others. But their availability is increasingly under pressure according to a report published today by an expert group chaired by the European Commission. In this first ever overview on the state of access to raw materials in the EU, the experts label a selection of 14 raw materials as “critical” out of 41 minerals and metals analysed. The growing demand for raw materials is driven by the growth of developing economies and new emerging technologies. The list was established in the framework of the 2008 EU Raw Materials Initiative1 in close cooperation with Member States and stakeholders. The results of the report will be used for the drafting of a forthcoming communication on strategies to ensure access to raw materials which the Commission will publish in autumn 2010.

European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani, in charge of Industry and Entrepreneurship, said: “Today’s report provides very valuable input for our efforts to ensure that access to raw materials for enterprises will not be hampered. We need fair play on external markets, a good framework to foster sustainable raw materials supply from EU sources as well as improved resource efficiency and more use of recycling. It is our aim to make sure that Europe’s industry will be able to continue to play a leading role in new technologies and innovation and we have to ensure that we have the necessary elements to do so.”

The expert group considers that 14 raw mineral materials are critical for the European Union: Antimony, Beryllium, Cobalt, Fluorspar, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite, Indium, Magnesium, Niobium, PGMs (Platinum Group Metals), Rare earths, Tantalum and Tungsten. Forecasts indicate that demand might more than triple for a series of critical raw materials by 2030 compared with the 2006 level.

For the critical raw materials, their high supply risk is mainly due to the fact that a high share of the worldwide production mainly comes from a handful of countries: China (antimony, fluorspar, gallium, germanium, graphite, indium, magnesium, rare earths, tungsten), Russia (PGM), the Democratic Republic of Congo (cobalt, tantalum) and Brazil (niobium and tantalum). This production concentration, in many cases, is compounded by low substitutability and low recycling rates.
http://www.justzeros.com Brandon Glanville

Fantastic! I’m glad Czysz nailed it. Those guys have been working hard and this really moves the technology of e bikes forward. The next 5 years are going t be really interesting.

Good work to everyone in the electric motorcycle industry. Those first step are always the hardest, but things are looking better and better.
Kit

No offense to anyone, these guys are amazing, but I’d rather ride IOM on a Ninja 250 with a shit Two Brothers exhaust. Where’s my damn exhaust tone?
eric

Amazing. It’s almost like aladdin’s flying carpet ride. Imagine being able to hear the birds and wildlife as you pass through nature, instead of just hearing engine noise. I’m excited about the future. This, coming from a dyed-in-the wool, longtime bike rider (and former ducati monster owner, r.i.p.).

Kit: to each his/her own. Keep in mind, e-bikes aren’t going replace i.c.e. bikes anytime soon; it’s just nice to see that there are going to be real alternatives out there. Variety is the spice of life, my friend.
gr8scotny

Great video. Superb bike. Looking forward to the future! Keep up the good work!