The American who built a Racebike in his Garage

This is the story of Michael Czysz, the high end architectural designer who decided to quit everything to pursue his dream of building the best racebike in the world.
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Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."
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[@jamesmannheimer2755]

I was the team manager for Tonkin Czysz racing, back when he drove formula Mazda race cars with Brad Tonkin. Michael was a very smart man with a passion for racing. He will be missed. R I P

[@solidkreate5007]

Yeah he was a good man. He actually talked back and forth with me when I asked him questions. I wish someone would continue his legacy. RIP Michael.

[@matus1976]

Czysz, Britten and Munro are true inspirations and will be for generations.

[@derekeboyd]

I've been to the MotoCysz facility in SE Portland to drop off parts and it was far from a "garage." It was small for a motorcycle manufacturer, but very secretive and professional. RIP Micheal. he was a visionary in the industry and help make the Portland motorcycle scene one of the coolest in the world.

[@kiwihame]

Superb overview Bart. So glad my mention helped inspire you to make this excellent video. As well working for Britten, I had many conversations with Michael and members of his team. Like John, Michael was a genius. Such a tragedy, losing both of these amazing men. They would have gone on to even greater things.

[@PandaStencils]

Great video. Michael Czysz was a true innovator and way ahead of his time. Thank you for putting together this video.

[@John-f1g1e]

Beautiful story. Thank you for your kind words and appreciation for the visionaries.

[@rogermeyer3941]

Thanks for sharing. I was fortunate to meet Michael at Laguna Seca and my son is friends with his son and has been to his home/seen a few of his bikes. Michael is gone but he’s not forgotten.

[@aussiebaz5363]

I just subscribed. What a brilliant docco, thank you. I'm lost for words, what an incredible man. Bloody cancer ay, just goes to show you, no one is safe.

[@pinslayer4579]

As a lifelong motorsickle rider ( Read old man) I can honestly say I truly love the internal combustion engine. Yup they vibrate and smell a little but that's part of the character for me. I'm glad I got to live when I did and don't regret at all that I'll be dead before the planet runs out of dead dinosaurs.

[@DustyVisorMotorcycles]

Same here mate, I can appreciate his efforts, but I will never buy an electric bike. My kids probably, but me, well, I'm a bit of a dinosaur too............

[@randallmason9687]

If it was up to Me, we would be riding 1,000cc V4 2- stroke street bikes! The smell alone would be worth it!!!

[@craigcourtney4209]

@@DustyVisorMotorcycles even if there not your cup of tea a company in Melbourne is making small volume electric motor cycles , Savic, they look good and if they bring people to motorcycling that may never have because of the petrol they burn , that’s a good thing

[@DustyVisorMotorcycles]

@@craigcourtney4209 Agreed, future motorcylists will be on electric bikes, I'm sure that they will get a buzz out of newly released models of the future. Generational thing I guess. 😎

[@NewZeroland]

That was so beautiful. I loved your message at the end, and I'm excited to see where motorcycles go in the future as well :)

[@christophemissinne3932]

The C1 will forever be #1 on my bucket list. Pure poetry on wheels

[@blantant]

I had the great pleasure of meeting michael at laguna seca. He was brilliant and an inspiration and was taken from us too soon. Rip

[@ebr-fan1117]

How about Erik Buell... He is still an innovator. Buell motorcycles are still being hand built too, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

[@conspiracytherapist2473]

If Buell had built a 2 STROKE street legal SUPERBIKE utilizing University of Wisconsin’s Direct Injection method burning E85 to combat emissions, he may have been able to save the plight of the 2 STROKE and won a world SUPERBIKE Title. But, the propaganda sound bites about how stupid alcohol fuel is never stop coming from the petroleum industry that owns the alcohol fuel industry. D’oh!

[@racer14glr91]

I had a part in the Discovery program on Czysz. Sad to hear of his passing.

[@davemacdonald2306]

John Britten didn’t have the millions that everyone assumed. He had the very best technicians that were genuine friends, the very best riders,Andrew, Chris, Jason, etc, that were also friends, and these guys and girls, along with his family, allowed him the time and energy to make a groundbreaking machine that was built by passion. Coupled with, very determined, mostly kiwi’s or New Zealanders, that broke the word Impossible down to I’m Possible. Loads of these people gave their time and help because John was a fantastic humble person that never called for help, but instead inspired people to get involved through his, Mike Brosnan, Murray’s, Bob’s,, Mike Sinclair, and countless others that were involved in other motorcycling sectors to want to be involved. I was, and enjoyed every minute of it and met some lifelong friends and acquaintances from being there. What is a damned pity is what was said at the end of this clip. God gave these two very special people the tools and ability to build something like no one had ever done and then both were snatched away by cancer prematurely. What could they have achieved if they were still here? For them, it wasn’t about the money, it was about two guys, in two different era’s, that had huge passion for motorcycles and doing something on a shoestring that defied all the major motorcycling manufacturing companies.

[@amastrickland8526]

An absolute genius lost way too early to this world but achieved so much. Always admired John Britten and always love seeing other innovative and passionate men like Michael Czysz...thanks for the video

[@Adoogin]

Lol, glad I checked your channel and did a search for Czysz before making a comment on your beautiful Britten story.

[@savage22bolt32]

I'm glad you made the playlist for this group of vids. Hopefully it will help your channel when I share this vid, and my buds might be encouraged to watch another. You put out some great stuff Bart! Edit: bart

[@Earthneedsado-over177]

It's sad when such a brilliant passionate individual dies too young when there are people who seem to want to do nothing but bring harm to the world. And the bastards live forever! Really interesting, not necessarily a biography just a story about a man and a vision.

[@donniebunkerboi9975]

Did you just call me bastard

[@j.scottmcdonough562]

There was a guy in the late 70's who built a track road race bike with a 3 cyl snowmobile engine and I believe a frame made from flat plate magnesium, it was really thinking out of the norm. I remember an article in Cycle World but couldn't find his name on Google, found a picture on Pinterest with no info.

[@hardluckvintagegarage6968]

I believe that was the Tul-Aris motorcycle. Built by JohnTuluie using a Polaris two cycle three cylinder engine.

[@sburns2421]

The 990cc bike, a very narrow angle V-four with concentric counter-rotating crankshafts rather than a traditional inline, was an interesting idea put into metal for sure. While the quixotic aspirations of competing in MotoGP were laughable (maybe this was just to bring attention to the project for investors, unknown), it would have made for a pretty cool and unique sportbike or perhaps gentleman track toy. On the initial C1 the CHASSIS was equally interesting and had the potential to advance the state of the art. But the motorcycling press at the time focused almost completely on the C1 engine...and that the bike would be on the GP grid in a year or two. It is therefore ironic that the bike that actually was a pretty amazing racing machine was one which ditched the IC engine entirely, retained much of the clever chassis, and performed in the new class of E-bikes. Prior to the electric Czysz, I would have argued that aside from determination (and spending piles of money) he didn't really deserve to be mentioned in the company of Britten. For electric bikes though, Czysz got it right and he is basically the Britten on that niche.

[@maxczysz3930]

Amazing video, thank you for making this.

[@Spartan_-du9wi]

One of the best videos i have ever seen. Truly inspirational!

[@ericalger5003]

Great Video! Another American motorcycle innovator is Erik Buell.

[@72SSAbody]

Yes! This is spot on. A video on Erik and his bikes would be great.

[@ericalger5003]

@@72SSAbody I was working for Harley-Davidson's engineering department and was planning on buying a Buell 1125CR when I got off work on the day Harley announced that Buell was being closed. I didn't buy it once I heard that news. Harley-Davidson never understood Erik Buell, his vision or his bikes. Erik was never allowed to have a budget that would have allowed him to compete with the European and Japanese in terms of engine performance.

[@ihateeverything3972]

Aw yeah, I've become obsessed with V-2 superbikes owning an RC8R. I would like to own an EBR one day, and I'm a Honda fan boy so hopefully an RC51 too.

[@marksparks59]

Thanks for presenting this story of another great man

[@jasonandrew1182]

so much work must've gone into this, thanks

[@martius6026]

My dad was working for Ilmor when they were trying enter MotoGP with Ilmor X3. They couldn't race due to lack of funds and sponsorships. Unfortunately he had similar fate, died by cancer.

[@allamar9083]

Amazing man ….what a loss to the Racing world and his family. So sad.

[@adamg6199]

His original 4cyl ICE prototype was genius, his electric bikes were amazing such a tragedy his life was taken before his engineering could be adopted in mainstream.

[@SrijitoGhosh]

Can you do a story on Tork motorcycles? They had podium finishes in multiple TTZero, and other such races from back in 2009. It shall be a really inspiring one. How an underdog motorcycle company from a developing economy and an underdog British racer made it big in one of the toughest races in the world! You would certainly enjoy it yourself, as well...

[@Hlodowig1989]

I just found your channel in recomendations... you have the best thumbnails of all youtube ✌

[@nathanpeachs2704]

What a legend, sad that he went the same as JB. Did you do a vid on Bert Munroe yet? Most people know him from "Worlds Fastest Indian". To me this is what riding and owning a motorcycle is about having fun.

[@drsmoooth8787]

It was an honor and a pleasure to meet and speak with Michael at PIR.

[@jlsracing997]

I loved his ic race bikes, but have absolutely no interest in electric. Got to see and hear it at Monterey when he brought it to the Moto GP race. None the less it was a great loss. Minds like his don't come along every day.

[@JDye-youtube]

So I’m in San Diego in the early 90’s and I show up in this alleyway of garages to look at a piece of furniture someone is selling. Two garages down there’s another garage with the door open. I see one covered bike and the tail of another partially covered bike in the garage and I had never seen anything like it. I have a ZX-11 at the time so naturally I’m curious. After looking at the piece I came to look at, I see a guy in the garage so I ask him what kind of bike it is under that cover. He pulls the cover off and it is a custom made bike with a V-6 Ferrari engine in it. He whips the cover off of the other one and it is also a V6 Ferrari bike. They were amazing, custom shrouds covering the belts, etc. He even explained how he had to mate a motorcycle transmission to the Ferrari engine. He told me that he had been a MotoGP racer in Canada many years ago. His name was Andreas Georgeades. I saw those bikes in a motorcycle mag a few years later.

[@amastrickland8526]

Wow what a treat...special breed of people

[@jimwhipple9784]

I owned a CNC shop and did work for this guy. Like my shop, I know of many others that were defrauded by this guy and have never been paid. DeLorean comes to mind...

[@jimihendrix991]

...so basically, he was an actual scumbag...

[@cybcx404]

Im next but great video, thanks for the content. I hate that these great motocycle builders are gone so soon.

[@chrisfournier6144]

I did not realize that Michael died in 2016. A brilliant creator of many things! RIP.

[@conspiracytherapist2473]

Same here Chris Fournier. RIP. I personally don’t think people need to die of cancer but that is another subject entirely. What might be more interesting is my mother’s maiden name is Fournier.

[@udxpierre]

Imagine how boring a full E bike race must sound at the TT. 90% of the reason why we love it is cause of the sound of speed.

[@Yourfriendwasmagnificent]

And yet a deaf person couldn't care less 🙂

[@LIONGOD]

im starting to beleive building your own revolutionary motorcycle is a death sentence, just based on these videos. and the fact that none of these guys are alive anymore

[@austinshroyer7381]

Amazing video my dad told me of a time when he almost got to test ride one of the motorcysz electric bikes but unfortunately was crashed before he had the opportunity.

[@henrymorgan3982]

He fulfilled a dream. More than most humans can claim. RIP.

[@timfarley274]

He acheived the fantasy twice.

[@Rainman...]

The perfect case study for money doesn't equal success or championship is Toyota's foray into F1 which was slightly competitive towards the end but the amount of money they spent... it was an utter failure. 1 billion++

[@APEX_EVERY_CORNER]

@bart if you want to add to this series. look up Dan Hanebrink. He lived in my hometown and put some amazing things togeather

[@shawnprice1688]

That’s hands down my Favorite bike

[@mattpfeifer9302]

The man races Isle of Man and cancer is the cause of his demise. That's a plot twist. This is a man who kids need to learn about and look up to.

[@lachezarlazarov7566]

There was a documentary film on Discovery channel back in the day. Very interesting it was.

[@David-fd6db]

Erik Buell... has left the chat. (In all seriousness you should read up on him. )

[@shafferjoe1962]

If I remember right, he was building a engine that the cylinder and head were one piece. No head gasket.

[@ronmullard5718]

life is so cruel at times ....two innovators taken to soon....

[@blixhuxley1055]

Weird how the greats all die young. The greats in this particular niche that pits the talents of the individual up against the corporation, that is. Interesting

[@anthonysach-htec5934]

Have you seen The World's Fastest Indian? A 2005 New Zealand biographical sports drama film based on the Invercargill, New Zealand speed bike racer Burt Munro and his highly modified 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle.

[@adrianruckborn9188]

John Britten,The Genius All Time... R.I.P John....

[@kprathap-]

Rip legend 🤍

[@gwot]

damn, so much Electric motorcycle (EM?) competition a decades ago, and we still don't have a saturated EM market now? I blame the oil industry :P but I'm glad rumors are starting to develop for big manufacturers making EM, hybrid motorcycles, and coming together to standardize battery packs, not just some start-ups.

[@RenardFiscus]

Well done

[@brittenv1000]

Awesome video. 👌 Where are the c1 bikes now? And where can I see the documentary that was made on the c1?

[@javilorenzana]

They absolutely had a ton of money. I'm a self taught *software* engineer. Yeah, I absolutely think I could build a bike if you give me USD 25M. Probably not that beautiful, I'm not a designer, and probably not that good, I'm probably not that smart.

[@scottyskydog]

Excellent video!

[@MorroBikes]

John Britten's school? Nice bike.

[@thegreenberetlife0191]

He would post on Speedzilla from time to time… It’s Mugen, pronounced with a hard G…

[@Perception_]

*_...electric..._* Ok, I'm out. Sad to see he flushed all that work down the toilet for something as interesting as a box of paperclips...

[@savage22bolt32]

Another good one bart!

[@brewcrew574]

Have you ever heard of the Tularis?

[@scott3065]

Awesome report‼️👌👌👌👌😁

[@martinboodukofi3]

Me like your videos Me now subscribed Please keep the depth and quality of research as good as it's been

[@aprilandsuzi550]

I got to sit on a britten back in 1995

[@TheJagjr4450]

IMHO they reduced the CC's JUST TO HURT CZYSZ.

[@MCJohn-117]

Can you do a vid on Tularis 800?

[@XO43137]

Britton is amazing.

[@km6832]

I disagree with your rebuttal to these two guys having money. Money is literally the biggest factor in these home brew projects. Look at any guy building a project car in his garage, its always come down to money, no matter how much skill you have you need the money to see it through. So for you to say its a naive outlook i disagree, money plays a big roll. Especially in this specific case with the electric development, its only recently electric bikes started coming to the fore front of 2 wheeled transport and if he was a innovator as you said he was then money definitely plays a role, to develop battery packs and the electronic for those things had to be incredibly expensive

[@biggaywizard]

I worked at Motocorsa in Portland where Michael used to buy all of his parts for his various prototypes. Several of my friends own his old Ducaties and Aprilias. All of his original prototypes were made by Speedymoto machine shop and a top tier aftermarket Ducati parts manufacturer. Many people in Portland motorcycle scene had a bittersweet relationship with him. Some of his initial ideas quite honestly were just bad. His very first motor was two oil cooled GSX-R motors cut in half and reconfigured. He was a highly ambitious man who could rub people the wrong way. He really figured out his stride when he moved into the electric motorcycle, he had a prototype modular electric motor that would have been brilliant. The other thing that I wish people knew about was when Tom Cruise crashed one of the Csycz prototypes, allegedly. 🤣

[@craigcourtney4209]

It seems to me when you need people to do something for you that is your idea because it’s not there’s they are negative at first and convincing them to do it wether it succeeds or fails , seems to rub them up the wrong way

[@emianne7685]

It was not alleged! my papa still holds a grudge. we dont even mention tom cruise around him much unless you want a frustrated sigh. cruise didn’t even apologise or pay for the bike!

[@macmckay9466]

Did he actually build a whole new engine and exhaust system and body and framework by hand, like John. I think not.

[@bartbullock9742]

Well.. the bike looks serious.. I would so love to push the limits

[@DaBinChe]

Damn both Micheal and John pass of cancer...both gone too soon.

[@jdolecki100]

So what happed to the company? We’re are the race bikes

[@roryherk1805]

Power figure is misleading. Gas bikes go 30 mph faster on average at iom

[@posniknelb6114]

I was interested until you mentioned electric 😐

[@DiscoR53]

Mugen; It’s pronounced Mo-gen

[@tesm_jsf]

So this is where fluump is 😅

[@shanerr7252]

electric racing is the worst shit even, no range, no sound, no smell, no atmosphere

[@jb-rx3qd]

Again, another visionary that died early. Yep he was assassinated.

[@upcyclegarage7685]

moto gp who wins

[@pippy4658]

No he built an abomination of an electric race bike that was a bag of shit and his bikes and company are no where now.

[@Team-fabulous]

Electric bikes are the work of Satan. If it doesn't suck, squeeze, bang, blow it ain't a proper motorcycle. Plus the TT Zero race was a total joke and it was outrageous to give it a TT win status. Thank god they don't run this nonsense anymore.

[@WalkerKlondyke]

Lost all interest as soon as I saw it was electric.

[@SharhbiniRauf]

How to make vehicles run on alkali solution, ammonia solution, alcohol solution: ELECTROLYSIS (CAN BE FUELCELL DRY/WET HHO, RADIO FREQUENCY HHO, OR PLASMA HHO GENERATORS) INSIDE FUEL FILTER (INJECTION VEHICLES) OR BIG CUSTOM FLOAT BOWL (CARBURETOR VEHICLES) , AND INSIDE COMBUSTION CHAMBER BY PLASMA FROM MULTI SPARKPLUGS, WATER LASER IGNITION SPARKPLUGS, WE NEED HACK THE ELECTRYCITY BY ADDING AIR SCOOP WITH WIND TURBINE ELECTRIC GENERATOR (ALL LAND, SEA AND AVIATION VEHICLES CAN USE IT AS EXTERNAL ELECTIC CURRENT GENERATOR) INSIDE IT AND PUT ALTERNATOR ON PROPELLER SHAFT OR AXLE (FOR CARS, TRUCK AND OTHER WHEELERS VEHICLES) AND ELECTRIC MOTOR STATOR GENERATOR INSIDE CENTER OF REAR VELG AND FRONT VELG (FOR CARS, MOTORCYCLES) THIS GUARANTEED FREE ENERGY BY MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES AND WIND THAT COME FROM FRONT OF VEHICLES, THEN USE SUPERCAPACITOR IN HYDROGEN GENERATOR CONNECTION CABLE AND VARISTOR IN COIL-IGNITION SPARKPLUGS CABLE, THEN MAKE ELECTROLYSIS INSIDE FUEL FILTER first electrolysis (PEM OR PLASMA HHO OR BY RADIO FREQ HYDROGEN GENERATOR), BECAUSE GRAFITY EFFECT, WATER INSIDE FUEL FILTER OR FLOAT BOWL WILL MAKE PRESSURE SO HYDROGEN DON'T COME BACK TO FUEL TANK COME DOWN BUT UP RIGHT INTO INJECTOR OR CARBURETOR FUELS SPRAY, BY INJECTING OR SPRAYING BOTH HYDROGEN AND WATER INTO INTERNAL COMBUSTION CHAMBER CHAIN REACTION (EXPLOSION BY NEXT ELECTROLYSIS STAGE MUST BEEN HAPPENING INSIDE COMBUSTION CHAMBER) PLASMA SPARKPLUGS OR WATER LASER IGNITION SPARKPLUGS WILL MAKE ELECTROLYSIS+IGNITION , THE PRINCIPLE IS SAME LIKE LIGHTNING STRIKE ON SEA (NATURAL ELECTRIC PLASMA ELECTROLYSIS) THAT CONVERT SEA WATER INTO HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN + MAKE PRESSURE AT SEA WATER THEN BURN IT CAUSE BY LIGHTNING STRIKE HIT HYDROGEN (EXPLOSION OF WATER ON SEA BY LIGHTING STRIKE) ON IT THIS MEAN ALL VEHICLES ACTUALY CAN RUN AND BURN ON WATER AND HYDROGEN, THE SCHEME WILL SAME TO FUELCELL ELECTRIC VEHICLES WHICH WHEN INSIDE I.C.E ENGINE WE BURN HYDROGEN AND WATER IN FCEV WE JUST INJECTING HYDROGEN FROM ELECTROLYSIS RIGHT INTO FUELCELL

[@kasperkjrsgaard1447]

Add a few ,,,,,, and ...... and maybe a ! too. And get rid of the caps lock. It’s unreadable.

[@sgomez3047]

Lost me after 3 minutes brother! Good riddance

[@peterkoning21]

Using 'new' and 'innovative' in the same breath, sentence just makes me cringe !!!!

[@fearsomename4517]

I really appreciate what Michael brought to the motorcycle industry. I would love to take one for a rip around a track. I just left a comment on Triumph video from about two months ago. Great channel. Thanks, Bart.

[@doug3512]

You're right about Michael inspiring passion. I had the good fortune to build parts for his bikes and convinced my boss to sponsor the IOMTT race bike in their final year. Michael was a special designer and leader.

[@JC-gw3yo]

An amazing man... I hope he passed his spirit and great mind along with children

[@barneyjensen4470]

Awesome you got his name and bikes out there as he did as mentioned phenmenal outside the box things like Britten. He had a very unique front fork as one example. One or more motorcycle magazines had numerous articles about him and his bikes. So sad to lose him and John Britten so early. God speed to them and others similar. True dreamers, visionaries and the best of mankind. Currently Elon with Tesla and Space X is also way out there.

[@LeVainCasque]

I'm so happy you made this. You even included the footage I've somehow not seen before. I was legit sad when this man passed. He was my Icon. And you could see in all his interviews, and interviews of those around him, that he was just so cool. I really wanted to see a Czysz vs. Energica rivalry.

[@moriwaki1105]

I saw this bike at the TT in 2010.....it was the most Beautiful Bike I have ever seen.....Incredible design....and Incredible achivement.

[@johnsolimine1164]

To the narrator. "you couldn't build a race bike from scratch if you had twenty-five million dollars." I hate blanket statements like that. ...then the ending redeemed my faith in the narrator when he said, "maybe the next John or Michael is watching this video." Although, my time has passed, I'm sure there's more innovative people out there... circumstances notwithstanding, they will arise

[@tokyosmash]

If we’re talking about Britten why aren’t we talking about motorcycle renaissance man Erik Buell?

[@aaronzxr750]

What a great man and fantastic video! Well done and thank you for creating it.

[@fidelcatsro6948]

This video reminds me We need to find cure for cancer..too many dying early before their time..