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Brammo Electric Motorcycle Headed on Epic Trip From Detroit To Washington D.C.

 
2,100 views Oct 19, 2009

Enertia electric motorcycle

Enertia electric motorcycle

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Though most production electric cars are still a few years away, several electric motorcycles are already available to the public, or will be very soon.  To highlight the capability of their electric motorcycle, Brammo's director of product development Brian Wismann and Dave Schiff of Crispin Porter Bugosky, set out on a ten day journey from Detroit to the nation's capitol riding the Brammo Enertia electric motorcycle.

The entire journey can be followed at the web site ShockingBarack.com.  The site's intention as well as the intention of this 10 day ride is to raise awareness about electric vehicles and of course to promote the companies electric motorcycle.

The 10 day journey began in downtown Ann Arbor.  The Enertia's range limits the two riders to just 42 miles between charges which allows for several planned stops along the way.  The Enertia charges in about 4 hours, making the trip to Washington a time consuming ordeal.  However, the entire 520 mile trip will only cost an estimated $4 in electricity compared to more than $25 of gas for a comparable gasoline bike. 

Highlights on the web site include video feeds, photos of mischievous acts, and documentation of stops at famous sites along the way.

The Enertia retails for $11,995 and is one of a handful of current options available for those looking for an electric motorcycle.

Source:  ShockingBarack.com





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Comments (11)

  1. By Jason M. Hendler Posted: 10/19/2009 6:00am PDT

    Ouch, only 42 miles, yet it still costs $12K. Seems like an EREV or fuel cell would work better in this instance. Does it have regenerative braking?
    I agree with the Brammo people that those DOE funds should extend to domestic 2 wheel vehicle production.
     
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  2. By  Brammofan Posted: 10/19/2009 10:41am PDT

    It does not have regenerative braking. Brian Wismann, the lead designer at Brammo, (also one of the riders in the shockingbarack trip) detailed the reasons why Brammo decided against regen. Check out my blog and search for "regen". It should pull up two articles containing information on this issue. www.brammofan.com
     
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  3. By Jason M. Hendler Posted: 10/19/2009 11:10am PDT

    Brammofan, Thanks for the answer, here is the link below:
    http://brammofan.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/brammo-enertia-regen/
    Lately, I've been riding the Currie Tech eZip hybrid electric mountain bike that I bought through Walmart, as well as a 50cc gas scooter. Even though the 50cc gas scooter has a higher top speed, its acceleration is so lame compared to the ezip, that I enjoy riding the ezip much more. This is why I think an EREV motorcycle would be so great, because you would get great acceleration, range and rapid refill in a single motorcycle - that's an unbeatible combination.
     
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  4. By EVO Posted: 10/19/2009 1:03pm PDT

    Jason H,
    1. That's about the same range, with a stock tank or around two gallons or less, of millions of already existing high performance light weight gas motorcycles, such as the Yamaha YZF400, when used as they are designed. Why are you saying ouch to what's already out there in the millions at a higher vehicle lifetime cost?
    2. Reality check for you on what proper mountain bikes are and cost:
    http://www.bikebling.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Chumba-XCL-XTR-Kit-2009
    3. EREV motorcycles already exist. Peugeot, Piaggio, Venture, Aptera, XR3, etc., etc. Motorcycles typically lead automobiles by years to decades in technology, market strategy and offerings.
    3. Still, kudos to you for taking your first monumental baby step into e-world and finding that even a $500 Walmart pedal assist e-bike beats the pants off a $500 50cc gas scooter in acceleration (the most torque feet (torque to weight ratio) wins).
    Just so you know, an inexpensive 50 cc gas scooter compared to a Yamaha YZ450F is almost as far apart as your Currie e-bike is to a Brammo Enertia.
    http://www.countyimports.com/50cc_scooters___mopeds
    http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/products/modelspecs/209/0/specs.aspx
     
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  5. By bateman Posted: 10/20/2009 8:42am PDT

    Agree with Jason, 42 miles is lame for a $12K motorbike. What makes Brammo think they can avoid the fate of the Vectrix and the many other e-motos that have fallen by the wayside, especially in this economy where
    even Harley is struggling. The e-motos Brammofan mentions are all in overseas markets far different from the States and I'd challenge him to name one profitable e-moto mfgr here in the U.S. Ely Schless's e-motos have gone through numerous incarnations under various owners over the past several decades and none has been able to stay in business to date. Where's the market research here, and how did Brammo ever get financing? Much as I'd like to be a fan, I predict these bikes--and the company--will be gone within a couple years.
    Side note: I ride a 1000W Tidalforce S750X e-bike with a $1200 lipoly aux pack that gives me almost the same range as the Brammo at about 1/3 the cost, granted at slower speeds, but I can still average 22-23 mph and get a decent workout to boot. I also own a 10-year-old Denali e-motobike, one of Schless's early creations, that collects dust in the basement as I find the Tidalforce much more fun to ride.
     
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  6. By Brett Woods Posted: 10/21/2009 12:41am PDT

    That's one Sweet looking bike ! ! Better looking than the Zero Motorcycle frame/cladding wise IMO. I agree with EVO and I appreciate his comment.
    But I've got to wonder how many "miles" you can get out of the battery - and then I would worry that it would not hold a charge after a couple of years - and then I couldn't find a replacement battery because they were out of business or some such.
    Like to see an Urban obstacle course gymkhana run
    with two pro riders - and read the resulting article. Brammo Electric Vs. Buell City X? BMW G650XCountry? Aprilia SVX 450? I don't know. What does this machine compare with?
     
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  7. By EVO Posted: 10/21/2009 8:44am PDT

    @ Brett
    Yep, sadly, the choice and color of plastic bits and visible materials matter more to some folks. I happen to prefer things that actually go fast to things that look like they go fast, but that's just me.
    Mine's already a couple of years old and holding charges just fine, thank you very much. With so many suppliers out there and the motorcycle industry doing especially well (except Buell) in the current vehicle market, replacement parts are also no issue at all.
    Electric motorcycles directly compare with no gas motorcycles as none of the gassers have maximum torque at 0 rpm, no shifting required, instant, nearly linear strong acceleration available at all times or luxury quiet.
     
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  8. By EVO Posted: 10/21/2009 1:37pm PDT

    Maybe compare a Brammo Enertia to the Yamaha ec-f and ec-fs if Yamaha ever gets off its rusty rear end and starts to produce and sell them:
    http://www.electronicsinfoline.com/News/New_Gadgets/Automobile/yamaha-electric-commuter-concept-models-ec-f-and-ec-fs.html#
    No, they are not electric bicycles or mopeds (no pedals) and they are not scooters (no step through frame). What I end up calling them depends on their motor, performance and speed specs, but for now, it's only proper to call them commuter motorcycles.
     
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  9. By AAAndrew Posted: 10/22/2009 11:34am PDT

    Evo said, "for now, it's only proper to call them commuter motorcycles"
    I guess that's what's appropriate for such a short range, (relatively) low-speed bike. It looks like a lot of fun for just zipping around town.
    What I'm looking forward to are bigger, road bikes that start to bridge the gap between motorcycle-like electric cars, and these commuter bokes. Scale down the Aptera and make it a sit-down bike, even with the three wheels to give it stability, but keep it open, and you've got something truly different. But you've got to have the speed and distance. There are stretches of road out West where it's practically 42 miles between outlets. And if you're dealing with serious hills, you are not going to get 42 miles.
    Just saying. But it looks like a nice local bike nonetheless for those who can afford it.
    AAAndrew
     
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  10. By Jason M. Hendler Posted: 10/24/2009 12:04pm PDT

    EVO, if you are into competitive mountain biking or plan to do it for hours per day, then $6K for a mountain bike may be worth it. If, like me, you need to ride in urban / sub-urban streets with a real threat of part or all of your bike stolen, then you don't want to invest more than a few hundred bucks. As for an expensive high speed EV motorbike, I can't imagine it moving at top speed for less than an hour, then konking out.
     
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  11. By EVO Posted: 10/29/2009 11:32am PDT

    @ Jason
    No imagination needed:
    "The team dropped almost a lap early in the race when they ran out of gas and had to push into the pits." It happens all the time, less often with electrics.
    http://www.dirtbikemagazine.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=C14BB24B7D7D418486205DC39514505B
     
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