Motoczysz Motogp Update

MOTOCZYSZ MOTOGP UPDATE

ROUNDUP

THE AMBITION IS HUGE, the goals lofty, but nobody said putting an all-new racebike on the grid at a MotoGP round would be easy.

That’s because it isn’t. MotoCzysz and company founder Michael Czysz

knew it was a

stretch to try to get their all-new C1 prototype (“Secret Superbike,” CW, January) ready for the big show at Laguna Seca this July, and it ultimately became clear that they weren’t going to make it to the starting grid.

“We will not make the grid this year,”

confirms Czysz. “We started too late to get the right crew and a world championship-caliber rider, and there is too much politics involved.”

Czysz will, however, be at the track, and has approval for the C1 to make parade laps prior to the race. “We’ll have an American former world champion ride an American MotoGP bike at the American MotoGP round,” he says enthusiastically, without giving the surprise away. There has been plenty going on, even without trying to get race-ready. The flashy tri-color paint scheme livened up the C1 ’s looks but, true to his designer roots, Czysz was already working on new colors

and graphics. Testing has continued, with plenty of chassis tweaks, as well as successful modifications to the separate slipper clutch. “The way the slipper clutch works now is sick,” he says. But he would-it’s his baby!

More importantly, Czysz said the first round of funding from a “major” sponsor was essentially locked up last March, and that by the time you read this the Portland, Oregon, headquarters will be fully staffed and working diligently on the second prototype, which is the bike Czysz intends to race at the 2006 USGP.

A full announcement of the company’s sponsorships and associations, as well as racing and production plans, will come at Laguna Seca in front of the MotoGP world.

“It’s going to be huge,” Czysz says. “No one is going to believe it. The partnership we’ve got is going to blow up!” Hopefully, that will be a good thing... -Mark Hoyer