I am interested in buying an electric motorcycle. (What I really want is a Tesla Model S, but they are one year away and my bank account balance is even further away.) For the trip I plan to regularly take, ~50 miles partly over hilly terrain, I want a bike with an 80 mile range (because I figure manufacturers pad those numbers a bit) or a bike with a swappable battery pack. I don't have a problem spending 15 minutes on the side of the road and can muscle a 80lb pack if needed. I found Brammo. Their Enertia plus might do the trick, but it says 60 miles for "suburban/rural commuting" so that might be pushing it, and their batteries are not swappable. Zero Motorcycles might work if their batteries were swappable, but it doesn't say on their website. I left a phone message. I found some articles saying that Honda and Yamaha were to have electric motorcycles in 2010 or 2011 but I have not found them. What can you tell me about electric motorcycles that might suit my needs?
A follow on would be if you have direct experience with the range of an Enertia Plus, I am very interested in hearing about it. Thanks!
Welcome to CleanMPG OriEri! Here is a review that Wayne did on the Zero. I have read a lot of good about the Brammo too. CleanMPG Reviews the 2009 Zero Motorcycles Zero S
Thanks for the pointer to the review. You sure do know this forum well! The review was useful. It convinced me that that bike won't do the trick. Not enough range and I had not considered how much things might slow down uphill. That review was in 2009. The current model specs list a higher top speed. If the battery is swappable, maybe this will do the trick, but in the pictures it does not look like it is easy to access. I'll post their response to my query about that. The Empulse would do the trick. I asked when it would be available and received the following in an email: "Delivery of the Empulse is expected to commence during the 2012 riding season. Exactly when will depend on your position in the pre-order queue and your location." The company has products out, so odds are the Empulse will be a real product eventually, but production glitches for a new product can be unpredictable. I want something by the end of the year if not sooner. I am looking at their Enertia Plus. That might have the range I want and they are claiming "late 2011" for those so that smells more real to me. Any suggestions besides ZeroMotorCycles and Brammo products?
