Motoczysz Wins the Isle of Man TT – Again

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants 1 Comment

Gizmag.com reports this morning that Motoczysz (roughly, “moto-sizz”), won the Isle of Man electric Tourist Trophy race at an average speed just short of the fabled “ton,” or 100 miles per hour.  Although 28 percent shy of the best internal combustion machine’s time, Gizmag urges looking at it from the perspective that it’s been 54 years since a petrol-powered motorcycle achieved that speed. Mike Hanlon, reporting for Gizmag, notes that the bike’s 99.513 mph average demonstrates, “yet another quantum leap in electric bike performance from last year’s 96.820 mph average and the 2009 winning average of 87.434 mph.”  This had to be a bit frustrating for the winning rider, since the 100 mph average would have netted him an additional prize of 10,000 pounds sterling (about $16,000). Rider Michael Rutter and teammate Mark Miller finished 1-2 on the Portland, Oregon manufactured bikes, and one managed a 149.5 mph run through the speed traps, showing the enormous speed these bikes can …

Sikorsky’s Project Firefly™ Electric Helicopter Demonstrator

Dean Sigler Electric Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

 Sikorsky Innovations, the technology development arm of Sikorsky Aircraft, revealed last week at the Farnborough International Air show and this week at AirVenture 2010, the Firefly™ Technology Demonstration Aircraft, the first all-electric helicopter. Based on an S-300C, the electrified version replaces the original Lycoming drive train with a U.S. Hybrid power package consisting of a 200 horsepower electric motor, motor controller, and 1,100-pound lithium- battery from Gaia.  To monitor operations and “the health” of the craft, Sikorsky has installed an LCD display in the modified center console. One benefit of electrified helicopters would be the discarding of the traditional complex series of mechanical links between the main rotor power takeoff and the tail rotor.  The tail rotor on Firefly can be powered by small electric motor linked to the main rotor’s speed output signal. The battery pack’s high weight will allow only 15 minutes of flight at first. “Our objectives with Project Firefly are to provide a proof of principle …

MotoCzysz Takes Isle of Man in Style

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MotoCzysz, an Oregon-based builder of high-end, high performance motorcycles, won the second Isle of Man electric Tourist Trophy (TTZero – for zero emissions) race today, June 11. The MotoCzysz E1PC eclipsed last year’s overall speed for that event’s winning Agni bike of Cedric Lynch, 87.434 mph, and raised that over 10 percent, to 96.820 mph. It came close to running a 100 mph lap of the island, according to Gizmag, but Mark Miller, the Californian riding for the team, held it back to ensure a finish and a win. It did go through the traps at one point at over 135 mph. Even the Agni Z1 ridden by Rod Barber, was faster than last year, finishing second at an average speed of 89.290 mph. Despite the improved times, electric motorcycles still lag behind their internal combustion cousins, but are making progressive leaps toward equalling the best laps of 1,000cc racers. This sudden interest in electric tourist trophy racing is a result of backing and …