100 – Triple Digits and the Holy Grail Rolled Into One…

[xcel]

That would be 100 mph and 100 mile all-electric range thanks to Brammo’s latest bikes.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - May 9, 2012

Brammo Empulse – Brammo has come a long way in a short period of time.

Our last ride of an all-electric bike, the Zero-S back in 09, proved to be anything but inspiring. No fuel consumption is great but when the vehicle cannot keep up with standard traffic (i.e. slower than while between the limits) and its range is radically impaled at those speeds, you know there are problems.

And then there was Brammo. They too had range and top speed issues early on. Worst yet, they have built some of most hideous all-electric streetable bikes known to the motorcycle community.

Anyone remember the Enertia?

Enertia: The Ultra-Clean, All-Electric Motorcycle

Brammo drops the price of its Enertia BEM by $4,000

YUCK!

Promise and hideous in the same sentence.

That is about to all change.

Brammo in a PR revealed pricing and production plans for its all-new Empulse and Empulse R while providing enthusiasts in LA a first look at the new design.

Brammo has made advances in electric motorcycling but this is a first. That being a 100-mile all-electric range and 100-mph top speed.

Two models

Empulse - The body work is all plastic, has semi adjustable front suspension and semi adjustable rear suspension.

Empulse R - Carbon fiber for headlight shroud, front and rear fenders, top panel and the rear light housing.

Pricing

Brammo will be pricing the Empulse and Empulse R at $16,995 and $18,995 respectively.

Production for the Empulse R will take place first with limited availability in June 2012 and in volume by Q3 2012. The Empulse will be available in Q1 2013.

The Brammo pair arrive with a water-cooled AC motor and fully integrated IET six speed transmission, seating for two, regenerative braking and on board J1772 Level 2 charging capability.

In a prepared statement, Craig Bramsher, CEO and President of Brammo sid the following:

"From concept to production the Empulse product has evolved quite a bit. We are bringing you a different motorcycle that promises to be more than what our riders expected."

Brammo Empulse and Empulse R Specifications

6 speed gearbox
3kW J1772 Level 2 charging
Water cooled and sealed motor
BPM 15/90 Battery Module <-- Not sure who makes it but those details are probably unimportant right now.
Regenerative braking
Speedo, tach, range prediction, gear position, directional’s and SoC
Dynamic Data Collection – A black box records all on bike functions second by second to create a complete picture of every ride and charge.

Front Suspension - Marzocchi
Brakes - Brembo
Wheels - Marchesini
Frame - Brammo E-Beam fabricated in Italy by Accossato.
Tires - Avon.
Styling - A naked street bike

What I find even more interesting is all the green and performance sites on the net clambering all over the Brammo PR when probably < 2% of them even ride. WTF is a matter with that?

[atlaw4u]

I like everything but the price.

[antrey]

The CEO is absolutely right in that it's lots more than I expected....ALOT MORE EXPENSIVE!! That's a ridiculous price. I've been watching closely with great hope. The initial prices for the Empulse on their website started at $9995 and added a few thousand at increasing battery sizes. This is almost double the price. I don't blame them though, as these price points are likely the only way they can make any money on them, too bad they likely won't sell many until battery tech gets an order of magnitude cheaper.

[southerncannuck]

I agree. That's about half the price of a Volt or Leaf. There's no way that the batteries cost them that much.

[EdwinTheMagnificent]

I thought the price on my VFR750 was ridiculous until , years later , I saw the price of the VFR800.

[herm]

I'm with you guys.. I refuse to pay any more than $3k per wheel.

[Earthling]

If I was spending that much money, it would be on a BMW R1200RT, a top of the line touring bike. That's why I own a bike, to go on long road trips, although I also use it for around town errands and short joy rides on the weekends in the nearby countryside. An electric bike simply isn't versatile enough to suit my needs.

If you restricted yourself to a range of 100 miles, you could get by with a much cheaper dual purpose bike that would give you 80 mpg or better.

Harry

[chilimac02]

If you factor mpg per person then passenger cars are way more efficient....

[Earthling]

Originally Posted by chilimac02

If you factor mpg per person then passenger cars are way more efficient....

Only when they have passengers. Most cars on the road, probably 80 percent, have one person onboard, the driver.

Harry

[Logans07HondaFitty]

If you haven't seen one in person these bikes are beautiful for what they are. Very well done and very clean for being a bike with a E-motor and lots of battery.