Freak of the Week: Buzz-by

June 10, 2011 marks the end of the Isle of Man TT event and also marks the centenary of its mountain course. First held in 1907, this incredible venue is even older than the Indianapolis 500, of which only celebrated its 100th anniversary last month.

More than an event with an illustrious past, the Isle of Man TT is also an event that warmly embraces the future. In FotW #21, we take a look at the third annual Isle of Man TT Zero, the clean emission electric motorcycle race.



Arguably the most stand out team in the electric class is Portland based, two-time TT Zero winner, MotoCzysz. This year, MotoCzysz fielded their unique Segway-Czysz motorcycle to win their event and to set a new electric lap record of 99.513 average mph, thanks to their newly developed 3-phase AC motor capable of producing an equivalent of over 200hp.

Moreover, the fairings on this year's motorcycle completely shroud its innards. Last year, the 2010 MotoCzysz E1PC's fairings were conveniently stuck in customs, allowing fans to get a closer look of the Czysz's brilliantly engineered battery array design.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to dig up any substantial specs on the 2011 model but I imagine it's essentially an enhanced and refined version of their 2010 bike. Undoubtedly, the battery array is the E1PC's party piece. The 2010 E1PC possessed a 10 individual lithium polymer cell array, each cell weighing 19.5 Lbs.

Rather than have wires connect batteries to the bike, MotoCzysz created these docks that lock the batteries into receivers integrated onto the bike’s frame, conducting the batteries and supporting the batteries’ weight at the same time. This allows for lighter weight, stronger rigidity, durability, and quicker servicing.

The TT Zero is a fantastic event that deserves it's place in the Isle of Man program as we benefit from innovations emerging from MotoCzysz's and their competing teams. Both batteries and electric motors will get lighter and lighter as well as better packaged within a chassis. Whether you are an advocate of alternative energy or not, the question is no longer "if", only "when".

Le Mans

This upcoming weekend will be chock full of racing.  MotoGP visits the renovated Silverstone circuit.  Formula 1 is in Canada.  There's probably a NASCAR race somewhere.  But to top all of those is the endurance race by which all endurance races are measured against, Le 24 Heure Du Mans or the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

To get everyone up to pace, here's a very concise yet still entertaining documentary.  Enjoy!

What Can Brown Do For You

The United Parcel Service, or UPS, recently released video of a new big brown truck in its prototype testing phase.  At first glance, the truck in the video looks like any other UPS delivery truck.  However, the defining characteristic isn't in the aesthetics but in the material makeup.  The new truck is about 1,000 lbs lighter than the aluminum bodied truck due to its extensive use of ABS plastic.  By shedding that weight, The Big Brown Machine can use a smaller motor and be a whopping 40% more efficient.  This got us thinking about past environmental initiatives enacted by UPS.

When Motor Racing Was Dangerous And Sex Was Safe.

Spectators of racing often look to the past and say,"those were the golden years."  This is said for many reason including the quality of racing, lack of electronic wizardry, and the diverse personalities of the drivers.  However, many drivers have paid the ultimate price over the years and it's too easily forgotten how their sacrifices have led to the relatively safe racing that we watch today.

The Main Title

Thanks to Bullitt, both Steve McQueen and the Mustang Fastback had become larger than life. Because of the immensity of the two icons, sometimes car fans forget something very important. Read this slowly and deliberately: Bullitt is only a movie.

With that in mind, and appreciating Bullitt as such, I wanted to share something with you guys this weekend. Not only did Bullitt win the Academy Award for Best Film Editing, but it was also nominated for Best Sound.

I must confess, I wasn't taken by the Lalo Schiffrin's score at first but now I can't imagine any other tune that could compliment Lt. Frank Bullitt so perfectly.

2 Legit

Aside from the tornadoes hitting western Massachusetts, there has been some lovely riding weather lately.  In addition to the splendid temperatures, a friend of mine is in the market for a new motorcycle and he's very much into bobbers.  Add in the Danny Choy factor of sharing a love for cafe racers and we have a perfect storm brewing.  Thankfully we found this video and it supplies a much needed old school motorcycle fix while keeping us out of debt.

Big thanks to Oscar of the Squadra Sutge motorcycle group in Spain for these beautiful shots!


A KIND OF PASSION, a tribute to classic motorcycles and the people who love them from Squadra Sutge on Vimeo.

Freak of the Week: Frenchie Fiat

Alain Bublex, anybody? Alain Bublex? No?

According to fr.wikipedia, l’encyclopédie libre, Alain Bublex graduated from the Graduate School of Industrial Design in Paris to later join Renault's design team. Unfortunately, his career did not continue for very long as Bublex says, "I wanted to make cars, they wanted to make a profit."