The Racing Team

PRESENT

Preface:
In the late summer of 2010 three men met so as to make a decision about our racing team's future. One of them looked at me rather reflectively and then he said some words I'll never forget: "If You'd ask me NOW, if we shoud continue this project, I definitively would say NO, so please ask me in a couple of month!" This was the way the acting director of the TGM gave his agreement for supporting our race activities.

From June to September 2010 the bike was waiting for us down in the basement of the TGM. Unfortunately the basement became kind of wet during the summer month and the water was rising up to a level of 30 centimeters - perfect conditions for storing an electric motorcycle. We salvaged the bike and spent some weeks of heavy maintenance to awake her for some testing at the Slovakia race track. The testing didn't work that well - our good old Curtis controller died after a few laps.

Perfect testing conditions at the Slovakia racing circuit (November 2010)

Never the less we learned a lot: Top speed is poor and so is the engine power. The rear suspension behaves some kind of strange especially in slippery conditions. Lion-batteries don't like rain. Our test rider Phillip Magner doesn't like rain either. Controllers can die rather quickly.

During the following year (2011) the bike was redesigned. We built a brand new 6-gear engine incorporating two coaxially arranged AGNI DC electric motors. Besides that the bike got a new swing arm and a fully adjustable WP suspension system was built in.

A Kelly controller was ordered, dozends of parts were x-rayed and investigated for fatigue. Total weight was reduced and a new fairing with an integrated ram air engine cooling system was designed by Hermuth Müller.

During these days I was desperately looking for an ACU approved rider, who was willing to ride our bike at the TT 2012. I called sidecar TT winner Klaus Klaffenböck and he gave me a hint to contact the most experienced zero class TT rider: Rob "Bullet" Barber, winner of zero class TT in 2009!

In spring 2012 the bike was ready for further tests but far from being finished. (I wonder if any racing bike ever was finished). Press and TV stations gathered round the test circuit located in Teesdorf near Vienna. Apart from a burned clutch caused by excessive accelleration tests (carried out by Phillip Magner), the bike performed impressively well.

Racing at the TT 2012

For my sense the IOM TT commences, when crossing the Irish Sea - somewhere in between Heysham's Steam Packet ferry terminal and Douglas. All that ballasting stuff is left behind on the shore line. The only thing that counts, is to finish a race - what a simple minded straight forward philosophy! I'm loving it.

But in reality it's not that easy. Even the best teams (those in fancy paddock A) do have problems. Our problem started after a short test ride. Back in the paddock the controller decided to retire and we had no spare one with us.
A desperate Emanuel Sonnleither was fighting a full day without any success to reanimate this godless piece of electronic stuff.
At every other racing event I would have commentlessly surrendered - but the people at the TT are different and full of empathy. 48 hours later the bike had an other controller, borrowed from MAN TT racing team. Alas - a short time before qualifying we had to realize that this controller could only fire a 150 amps. So the 14 indavertently became the weakest racing bike in the world. Nevertheless, and I don't have any idea how, Rob Barber met the required qualification time just so.

Lucky 14 right before qualifying (4th June 2012)

It is to mention, that Rob was riding the bike in a way, that the remaining electric energy left in the batteries would have reached easily for another 36 miles lap.
Never the less: to make the bike competitive again we had to organize a better performing controller. Meanwhile lots of people were aware about the problem we were struggling against. Finally the badluck of the japanese KOMATTI MIRAI racing team became our chance to succeed. Because of massive technical problems they couldn't fix their zero bike to bring it into an acceptable racing condition. So finally they lended us their spare controller without any operational guarantees.

Race day 02:00 am.
2 days of heavy maintenance behind. Weather: typically irish - heavy showers of rain. The bike was ready for a first test run - of course in our workshop van. Power ON - NOTHING! The "new" controller was deaf as a doorpost, it didn't respond at all.
But this day was Emanuel's day. He was able to figure out the controller's fault. Then he connected the bike's on board electric power system to the controller interface by means of a voltage divider and the problem was fixed.

Controller problems ...(June 2012)

Race day 04:00 am.
Weather: still irish. Testrun in our workshop van: We've learned our lesson. Lots of smoke and rather noisy. The bike's cycle analyst displayed 560 amps dissipated by the rear wheel brake. Far from 1100 amps but better than nothing.

Besides an uncharged transponder the pre race scruteneering was pretty easy. Dr. King was assisting with his personell transponder and everything seemed to turn out fine.

Many zero teams, which had made an entry in 2012 unfortunately had to retire early or they couldn't get their bikes ready to race. Finally seven teams (8 bikes) were competing the race. Rob insisted to start from last position.

TT 6th June 2012: Racing down Bray Hill for the very last time (Lost Espandrillo)

The race itself was rather nerve busting. We tried to track the race on Manx Radio, learning that the bikes one by one were forced to retire. Because of transponder transmission problems it turned out rather difficult to get a clear overview. In the end four bikes were still in the race; then Mike Rutter(1), John McGuinness(3) and Mark Miller(2) one by one passed the finish line.
One bike still left on the road. Really no one of us knew who it was - and silence on Manx Radio.
Minutes trickled away and then a dream came true. People at the grand stand jumped from their seats. Someone shouted: " He's comming!" The only thing I saw from my point of view behind the pit lane wall was a black Arai Helmet passing the checkered flag.

IOM TT 6th June 2012, Governor's Bridge: Rob Barber hard on the brakes! (Lost Espandrillo)

Lucky 14 forever!

After those exciting days at the IOM our team decided to donate our Lucky 14 to the Technical Museum Vienna. For my sense the museum's people were honestly pleased to get a fully operational racing bike right from the race track (irish bugs sticking on the fairing included). Intermediately we produced a short footage, featuring the 14 - but this was a hard piece of work gathering the bikes, the riders, the improvised pit lane, the grid girls, the cams, the permissions, the weather and last but not least (no joke!) the producer at the same time on the same track.

... almost Ballaugh Bridge, ... almost I said. (Teesdorf, Austria 2014. S. Stoiber)

Finally a peservation order was put on our Lucky 14. She now is displayed permanently at the Technical Museum Vienna/Austria.