Birth of a Racer, the documentary about the development of the Motoczysz C1 motorcycle will first air in the U.S. March 25th on Discovery HD Theater.
The show will run several times through the end of March and throughout April. Check your local schedule for times in your area, if you get the Discovery HD Theater channel.
This should be an interesting show giving most everyone a lot more information than they have so far seen about the development of this new bike from Michael Czysz and company, and it will certainly be a lot more interesting than some of the builder dramas Discovery has shown before.
Link: Discovery HD
Brian says
I just went to the Discovery Channel web site to see if it was going to be on this week. No such luck, if you don’t have the Discovery Channel “HD” channel on your cable you are out of luck. Hopefully it will air at some later date. I can’t, however, imagine that many home across the country have it yet, since HD just came on the market in a big way during the last 6 months.
Brian
kneeslider says
I don’t understand the HD channel choice, either. First they aired it all over the world before showing it in the U.S., then they put it on a channel many don’t get. Weird.
christopher says
i still fail to see how “racer” has anything to do with Motoczysz. i’m not minimizing their ingenuity or the fact that they’ve created an awesome machine. i’m just saying, it ain’t gone racing yet!
kneeslider says
“i’m just saying, it ain’t gone racing yet!”
Neither has any Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Ducati or any other “racer” during development. If his aim is racing, then it’s a racer until proven otherwise, and no, I do not know what series or class it would be in. Just ignore the title and enjoy the show.
hoyt says
Discovery – you’re really blowing it in the homeland to put it lightly.
B.Case says
My advice is find a friend who has HD. If you haven’t seen MotoGP in HD yet, you don’t know what you’re missing.
christopher says
“Just ignore the title and enjoy the show.”
very good advice. it sounds obvious, but i hadn’t thought of their absence in racing as simply being a long development cycle. i absolutely DO hope they make it to racing someday. i’m quite intrigued by Motoczysz. i am, however, annoyed i don’t get HD.
hoyt says
It is infuriating that an American company is not fully behind this with their main channel, promoting the hell out of it to the masses.
And, it’s not just because it is Moto Czysz. It could be any American, Canadian, Mexican company…(anyone from the Americas)
Nothing like this has come from the western hemisphere in a very long time. That is a story in and of itself, especially in an era where durable goods and innovation are being shipped abroad.
Who at Discovery is not realizing the marketing potential with something like this in a year where Indianapolis and Moto GP are trying their best to grow the sport?
B.Case says
For what it’s worth, I just saw the whole 2 hour program and I truly think it needs to be available to more people. Of course, I’m sure it will be on DVD for those who want it. I don’t remember “One Man’s Dream” ever being on American TV, but that didn’t stop enthusiasts from ordering a VHS from New Zealand.
The show interviews Robb Report Moto editor Arthur Coldwells, where he says that he doesn’t know how anyone can wish Czysz anything other than absolute success. I thought that this was well said. I met Michael once at a bike show, and I’ve had nothing but respect for him and his efforts since.
The ending, where Michael talks one on one about the future, I thought showed much promise. To me, this is not just a story about motorcycles. It should be a familiar story to many thinkers out there who have worked hard against the odds in any industry towards a goal. Over the 2 hours you’ll witness the highs and lows, the confidence and defeat. And even at the absolute bottom, they still press on. Hope and tenacity are powerful forces. It’s a universal human story, and it’s the best show I have ever seen on Discovery, period. (yes, the Planet Earth series was good, but come on, this is motorcycles)
Unfortunately, it’s just one documentary and doesn’t lend itself to becoming a series. So OCC reruns are all we get. Maybe, just maybe, if other thinkers out there get inspired and swap their mouse and keyboard for some wrenches, they too can start building something so Discovery has something to film.
In other words, with all due respect to all, if you’re not part of the solution…you’re part of the problem.
Best of luck to Czysz…
Jason says
Saw the show last night, very cool concepts. I hope he makes it, but I don’t think the capital is going to be there. I don’t understand why one of the big manufacturers doesn’t step in to help. The bike would get done and still remain unique. The manufacturer could adapt Czysz’s technology into their own products moving the bike evolution forward. I wish him the best of luck.
ANDREW says
Great show, well done, neat bike! Personally i love that HD shows exlusives… makes me feel i get sonething extra for my extra cable dollar!
I am sure it will be on regular discovery channels sometime in the future…
Go get an HDTV and enjoy!
mark says
Really good show. Afterwards I checked the MotoCzysz website and found that one of the Honda race teams is testing the Czysz suspension design. Makes sense for MotoCzysz to license some of their technologies in order to raise some capital.
I can’t wait to see where the company goes with this. Could we have an American John Britten on our hands?
Hugo says
Say Brian…don’t you know a motorcycle company who makes interesting bikes with a funny-front-end suspension and also had a lot of difficulties after katrina 😉 sounds like an interesting documentary to me 🙂
B.Case says
Ha! Yeah, “FFE”, that’s a Foale term right? Interesting documentary, maybe. Actually, a production company came in to follow the wraith during ’04-’05 and shot enough film for 13 episodes, but it was never completed.
R1E says
Just watched the documentary. Really helps put everything you read about the MotoCzysz story into better perspective and understanding. A true inspiration to people who strive and dream of really doing something extraordinary in the world of product development.
Doug says
I saw the show yesterday, 3/30/2008. Very cool! The thougt of counter rotating motor was just too cool! I loved the guy who said, How come we didnt think of that? Just goes to show you outside of the box players and NON engineers types can have a larger picture that will bring new innovative ideas.
I hope it works. It is all his design he could sell it and it would be refined and used for sure.
I just cant help thinking the mono block is part of the development problem. If you have an issue in there the whole thing is screwed! Give it a traditional head but use the same egine desine and you are in! You can easily pinpoint issues and make repairs without tearing the whole thing doen every time. One you have it working well then move to the mono block. Just my thought on it….
Very cool show!!
Very Cool Bike!!
I hope it works!!
Good luck to them!!
Where does he get his money?
Doug says
I meant to say tradional type of head you mount on, but still follow the triple cam shaft and all that. Just machine it out as its own peice.
KEVIN says
HOW FAR ALONG IS THIS BIKE THE SHOW WAS FROM 2006 WHY NOT DO A FOLLOW UP DA
B.Case says
I think the show was produced in 2007, not 2006. Go to Motoczysz blog for updates. Cycle World test ride of pre-production bike will be in July issue.