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When it comes to motorcycle races, there are two that separate the men from the boys: the Isle of Man TT and the Macau Grand Prix. Both races are held on public roads with little to no margin for error. At the Isle, if you make a mistake, you’re flying off the side of a mountain. At Macau, a mistake puts you into a wall. Continue Reading »
The Isle of Man TT races have earned the distinction of the wildest motorcycle competition on pavement. Rocketing around public roads lined with houses, fences and cliffs at up to 190 mph around a 38-mile course is distinctly unlike the relatively safe confines of a modern racetrack. The specter of death walks close to riders at the IoM – more than 200 people have lost their lives on the course over the event’s 100-plus years.
Ryan Farquhar earned his third ever Isle of Man TT win in the return of the Lightweight TT class.
Absent since the 2009 Isle of Man TT with 250cc machines, the 2012 iteration of the Lightweight class features 650cc twins such as the Kawasaki Ninja 650 (or ER-6F, as it’s known on that side of the Pond) which most competitors rode. The race was moved back to Saturday, June 9, after rain forced organizers to cancel the initially-scheduled Friday race.
Farquhar got off to a strong start to the three-lap race, leading the opening lap with a time of 19:40.21, followed by James Hillier who also put in a lap time under 20 minutes with a time of 19:54.32, and Michael Rutter in third at 20:01.87. Continue Reading »
Third time’s a charm. 2010 and 2011 TT Zero winner MotoCzysz, with rider Michael Rutter, finally became the first to average a speed of 100 mph on the Isle of Man‘s 37.733 Mountain Course on an electric motorcycle, capturing the long-sought after 10,000 British pound (US$15,000) bounty.
Wearing the #1 plate for winning last year’s TT Zero, Rutter completed the 2012 TT Zero with a time of 21:45.33 for an average speed of 104.056 mph on the new 2012 MotoCzysz E1PC. Rutter had passed the 100mph mark earlier in the week during practice but that was considered unofficial as it was done outside the actual competition. Rutter won last year’s race but fell agonizingly close to the 100 mph target with an average speed of 99.604 mph, Continue Reading »
MotoCzysz unveiled what may be the most aerodynamically designed motorcycle ever produced … and we’re not just talking about electric bikes here. The covers were pulled from the 2012 MotoCzysz E1PC electric race bike ahead of the TT Zero electric race at the Isle of Man, revealing a sleek silver and red sportbike with aerodynamically curving wings and fins.
The updated E1PC is MotoCzysz’s latest stab at claiming the 10,000 British pound bounty for being the first electric motorcycle to score an average speed of 100 mph on the Isle of Man’s Mountain Course. MotoCzysz took the last two TT Zero races and is a favorite to do it again this year, but the 100 mph barrier is the bigger goal.
Mark Miller won the 2010 TT Zero with a time of 23:22.89 to average a speed of 96.820 mph, a good 7.53 mph faster than anyone else, and last year, Michael Rutter came agonizingly close to the target speed, averaging 99.604 mph with a 22:43.68 lap time. Continue Reading »
Mark Miller, seen here aboard the MotoCzysz electric race bike, won the 2010 TT Zero. Team Segway Racing MotoCzysz will again return to the TT Zero with past TT Zero winners Mark Miller and Michael Rutter as its riders in the 2012 race.
The Isle of Man TT press office today announced a total of 18 entrants in the 2012 SES TT Zero electric motorcycle race — a record number of riders according to the IoM TT website.
Eighteen is a record number of entries, at least for TT Zero it’s a record, but more have entered in a previous race as you’ll read below.
Lots of people are familiar with the Isle of Man TT races. The popular Irish road race that takes place along the 37.3-mile Snaefell Mountain Course is known for its high speeds, courageous riders and the fact that it’s held entirely on public roads.
Perhaps a more outrageous race is the North West 200. The precursor to the TT races, the NW 200 is another true road race normally conducted about a week before the first practice session of the TT, and is used as a tune-up race for many riders getting ready for the TT. What separates the two is the fact that the NW 200 is an actual road race, where each competitor starts at the same time. The TT is a time trial, where each competitor is released in ten second intervals. For a taste of how crazy the NW200 is, check out this video.