MUGEN

July 05, 2016

For the third successive year Shinden won the race, this year ridden by Bruce Anstey!

 

Race: ISLE OF MAN TT RACES 2016
Class: TT Zero Challenge
Distance: 37.73mi (60.721km) × 1 lap (37.73mi)
1st practice: June 3 (Fir) / Fine / 16°C
2nd practice: June 4 (Sat) / Fine / 19°C
3rd practice: June 6 (Mon) / Fine / 23°C
Race: June 8 (Wed) / Cloudy, partially fine / 21°C

 

The Isle of Man TT 2016 was held in the Isle of Man, one of the GB Crown dependencies, from May 28th to June 10th. Team MUGEN took part in the race with the newly developed SHINDEN GO with two riders, #1 John McGuinness and #5 Bruce Anstey. We entered the race week in good shape after test runs at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan and the Castle Combe circuit in the UK.

On June 3 (Fri): Fine, 16°C

■  1st Practice
#1 John McGuinness 1st place (Lap Time: 19'20"236 / Ave. speed: 117.07mph (187.312km/h))
#5 Bruce Anstey 2nd place (Lap Time: 19'49"641 / Ave. speed: 114.18mph (182.688km/h))

Unlike most years the weather on the Isle of Man remained quite hot throughout, and the first practice for TT Zero was held under such conditions. There are three scheduled practice runs for TT Zero and they are each important preparation for the best race set-up. All participants must take part in at least one practice session to qualify to race, although the order of start for the race is pre-determined by each rider's assigned number.

Since the Isle of Man is located in high latitude, even at 10pm the sun shines like day time around this time of year. As scheduled #1 John McGuinness started off the practice run at 8:40pm, and the two machines of #1 John McGuinness, #5 Bruce Anstey went out. Although #5 Bruce Anstey was suffering slightly from an accident in another class the previous day, he was fine and able to complete the practice run without hindrance. The two riders both finished the practice run as 1st and 2nd fastest with neither suffering any machine issues.

Along with them #6 William Dunlop, #9 James Cowton, #11 Timothee Monot also completed their practice runs.

 

[ TT Zero 1st Practice result ]

Ranking	Machine Number	Rider	Team	Lap Time	Average Speed (miles per hour)
1	1	John McGuinness	TEAM MUGEN	19'20"236	117.07
2	5	Bruce Anstey	TEAM MUGEN	19'49"641	114.18
3	6	William Dunlop	VICTORY	20'03"630	112.85
4	9	James Cowton	Brunel University	24'00"473	94.29
5	11	Timothee Monot	TMR	30'43"067	73.70

Entry: 14 / Participants: 5 / Completed: 5

 

On June 4: Fine 19°C

■  2nd Practice

Good weather continued and the practice run for TT Zero was scheduled to take place at 4:58pm after the races of superbike and side car, and practice runs for the super sports, light-weight, and super-stock. But because of a huge accident which occurred in the immediately preceding Superstock practice the TT Zero 2nd practice run was canceled and we missed a precious chance to collect valuable run data.

 

On June 6: Fine 23°C

■  3rd Practice
#1 John McGuinness 1st place (Lap Time: 19'04"307 / Ave. speed: 118.70mph (189.92km/h))
#5 Bruce Anstey 2nd place (Lap Time:19'28"000 / Ave. speed: 116.29mph (186.064km/h))

In the second week of the Isle of Man TT on 6th June the final practice run took place. The good weather continued and the temperature in the end went up to 23°C. And with strong sun shine, we felt as if it was summer.

After several time schedule changes, which are characteristic of the TT races, the 3rd practice run started at 4:24pm.

#1 John McGuinness set off first, followed by four other machines and then team-mate #5 Bruce Anstey. #1 John McGuinness bettered his time of the 1st practice run from 19 mins 20.236 secs down to 19 mins 04.307 secs and again ended up quickest. #5 Bruce Anstey also improved on his previous time and Team MUGEN once again finished 1st and 2nd places. Along with them #6 William Dunlop, #8 Daly Mathison, #9 Allan Venter, #11 Timothee Monot completed their practice run.

 

[ TT Zero 3rd Practice result ]

Ranking	Machine Number	Rider	Team	Lap Time	Average Speed (miles per hour)
1	1	John McGuinness	TEAM MUGEN	19'04"307	118.70
2	5	Bruce Anstey	TEAM MUGEN	19'28"000	116.29
3	6	William Dunlop	VICTORY	19'36"630	115.43
4	8	Daly Mathison	University of Nottingham	23'06"300	97.98
5	9	Allan Venter	Brunel University	25'50"821	87.58
6	11	Timothee Monot	TMR	31'21"892	72.18

Entry: 14 / Participants: 6 / Completed: 6

 

On June 8: Fine 21°C

■  Race
#5 Bruce Anstey 1st place (Lap Time: 19'07"043 / Ave. speed: 118.416mph (190.572km/h))
#1 John McGuinness 4th place (Lap Time: 23'50"538 / Ave. speed: 94.949mph (152.806km/h))

Two days after the 3rd practice run, on June 8th, the TT Zero race was carried out with partially fine weather. Managing temperature of electric parts including battery and motor plays a quite important role in EV bike racing, and the unusually warm weather in the Isle of Man this year was not helpful in terms of it.

At 4:10pm the race started a bit advance of the scheduled time. #1 John McGuinness led the race away followed on the road by #5 Bruce Anstey, and then #6 William Dunlop. The pace of #1 John McGuinness was much faster than that of the last year and an average lap speed in excess of 120mph could be easily anticipated. Team mate #5 Bruce Anstey ran just a few seconds behind, as did #6 William Dunlop and the three of them were competing hard.

However a sudden and unexpected trouble caught #1 John McGuinness while leading the race, when, on landing after a jump the emergency button inexplicably operated causing the machine to lose all power and stop. He was able to reset the switch and restart the machine but was by now delayed by a matter of minutes.

Meanwhile, #5 Bruce Anstey, having seen his team-mate (and principal rival for the race win) stopped by the roadside, eased his pace considerably in order to reduce the potential for the same (and at this time unknown) trouble with his own machine. At the race's end #5 Bruce Anstey came out to the top and was followed home by #6 William Dunlop, with #8 Daly Mathison.

All the spectators were astonished when they heard about the incident through the live radio as, unlike other races, in the case of the TT there is no way other than the live radio stationed at several points of the course or sector time information from the transponder to know about the current situation during the race. To make things worse the transponder of Anstey's machine was not working, which was a repeat of what had happened during the practice run as well, and Team MUGEN had literally no means to know where the heck they were!

Anyway after seventeen mins second place starter, #5 Bruce Anstey was the first to appear on the main straight tracked by the helicopter with the TV camera-on board. #5 Bruce Anstey crossed the finish line in front of the spectators in the grandstand to the distinctive electric bike sound. Team MUGEN had now won the race for three successive years! The second place was #6 William Dunlop, the third #8 Daly Mathison. As soon as #1 John McGuinness had restarted his machine, he brought it home running at a high pace and took the chequered flag in fourth place.

 

[ TT Zero Race result ]

Ranking	Machine Number	Rider	Team	Lap Time	Average Speed (miles per hour)
1	5	Bruce Anstey	TEAM MUGEN	19'07"043	118.416
2	6	William Dunlop	VICTORY	19'32"504	115.844
3	8	Daly Mathison	University of Nottingham	22'39"864	99.884
4	1	John McGuinness	TEAM MUGEN	23'50"538	94.949
5	9	Allan Venter	Brunel University	23'55"383	94.628

Entry: 14 / Participants: 7 / Completed: 5
Best lap: #5 Bruce Anstey: MUGEN SHINDEN GO / TEAM MUGEN / 19'07"043 / Ave. speed: 118.416mph

■ Comments of #5 Bruce Anstey

The race was quite good. Owing to the final set up of the Shinden GO, I was able to win the race. On the way I saw John stop and I didn't know what was going on with him so I decided to reduce my speed to avoid the same trouble and complete the race. It is a pity that I could not stand with John on the podium but I am so happy to bring this victory to Team MUGEN.

 

■ Comments of Director Miyata

I thank you very much for your support. Bruce won the race and John took 4th place in the end. We did not exceed the previous record on this occasion; however, winning for three successive years is a very satisfying achievement for us. But again since we could not make a new record as a result I have some regret since the machine itself was in quite good condition. Bruce decided to adjust pace to avoid the same trouble, which was the correct decision in the circumstances I believe.

I am so glad that Bruce could win the race, but at the same time I feel so sorry for John. John did very well in the practice runs and we were sure that he could win the race with the new record, but with the unexpected trouble.

Although nothing regarding Shinden project in the near future has been determined yet, during this event I still found several issues which need to be solved to set a new record.

In the event I get a chance to come back to this race, I would like to reinforce the Shinden with better technology and would seek to not only win the race again, but also to set a new record at the same time.

 

 

♦ Official site of the Isle of Man TT