Featured Motorcycle Brands
Published: January 1st, 2010
Share
American-made MotoGP Contender?
By George Obradovich, Dec. 06, 2004
Okay, okay, some of you may have already seen the feature in Cycle World, but no one, to my knowledge, has mentioned it here. So I'll take the bullet. The "it" is the American MotoGP project being undertaken as we speak in Portland, OR: The MotoCzysz C1.The bike features a 15-degree, 990 cc V-4--mounted front-to-rear instead of across the frame--complete with twin counter-rotating cranks and two, count 'em, TWO clutches. The whole engine is only about 6.5 inches wide. But the new-think doesn't end there. The chassis features carbon fiber, a new type of girder fork design and some kind of hybrid mono/twin shock out back that I can't begin to explain how it might work.
The C1 is the brain child of designer and project leader Michael Czysz (hence the nearly unpronounceable "MotoCzysz"). After seeing a Britten V1000 up close and personal at a museum, Mr. Czysz decided it was a crying shame that the good old Yoo Esss of Ayyyy wasn't represented in MotoGP by an 'Murrican manufacturer.
And before anyone goes shouting "pipe dream," yes, they've got a prototype up and running. Although I haven't read the Cycle World feature, I understand they had very good things to report. There will also be an upcoming feature in RoadRacer Magazine.
Mr. Czysz, I salute you.
Check it out at www.motoczysz.com
Would you like us to deliver Motorcycle.com Articles in your mail box once a week? Simply submit your e-mail address below !
Motorcycle.com presents an unrivaled combination of bike reviews and news written by industry experts
More by Motorcycle.com Staff
Comments
Join the conversation