Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Richard230]

Here is the message that all of the Empulse pre-order received a short time ago:

We are proud to announce that we will be revealing the production version of the much anticipated Brammo Empulse on May 8th, 2012. The launch event will take place in Los Angeles and will be webcast live to all pre-order customers. Since the Empulse concept was first revealed, a vast amount of development and testing has taken place and we are confident that you will be delighted with the ground-breaking electric motorcycle we are about to reveal. On April 18th we will announce full specifications of this exciting milestone in the evolution of motorcycling, giving you every opportunity to become familiar with the Empulse before seeing it for the first time on May 8th.

Electric motorcycle racing is an integral part of our lives here at Brammo and our experience and championship record on the track has played a critical role in the evolution of the Empulse from concept to production. Professional racers have had a hand in the development of the Empulse and they will be sharing their Empulse riding experiences and impressions with you at the reveal on May 8th.

[Lipo423]

They just released the specs...with all due respect, nothing to write home about...the bike is nice, cool and has better components than Zero (forks, brakes, etc...), but performance is not very exciting...There is something to recognize though, they are honest with range 

Full Specifications for the 2012 Brammo Empulse R:
 
Drivetrain 
Motor Type  Permanent Magnet AC (PMAC) – Water Cooled
Motor Controller Sevcon Gen 4
Peak Motor Power  40kW,  @  8,200 rpm (54 hp)
Peak Torque  63Nm  (46.5 foot pounds)
Final Drive  Direct Chain Drive (14/48) 520 O-ring chain
Transmission IET 6 speed gearbox with multi-plate, hydraulic activated wet clutch

Battery Type  Brammo Powerâ„¢ BPM15/90 Lithium-Ion ( NCM Chemistry)
Battery Pack Capacity  9.31 kWh (nominal), 10.2 kWh (max)
Battery Pack Voltage  103.6 V (nominal)
Recharge J1772 Level I maximum charging time:   8 Hours. (0 – 99% SOC, no cell imbalances)
Level I and II Level II maximum charging time:  3.5 Hours.  (0 – 99% SOC, no cell imbalances)
 
110V AC to J1772 Level 1 Adapter included Every 10 minutes of Level II charging adds up to 5 miles of range
Battery Cycle Life  1,500 cycles to 80% capacity (100% DOD)
Performance 
Max Speed  100 + mph   (160 + km/h)
Driving Range  City: 121 miles*   (195 km)
Highway: 56 miles**    (90 km)
Combined: 77 miles***  (124 km)
 
*SAE City Riding Range Test Procedure for Electric Motorcycles (variable speed, 19 mph / 30km/h average)
**SAE Highway / Constant Speed Riding Range Test Procedure for Electric Motorcycles (70 mph / 113 km/h  sustained)
*** SAE Highway Commuting Cycle (.5 City weighting, .5 Highway weighting)
Operating Modes 2 Operating Modes selectable through the handlebar switch:
1. “Normal” – limits acceleration by reducing maximum current delivered to the motor through the motor controller in order to maximize driving range.
2. “Sport” – provides maximum performance in both acceleration and top speed.
Regenerative Braking Under deceleration, energy is returned to the battery system to both extend driving range and provide familiar rider feedback.
Operating Cost Assuming 13 cents /kWh for electricity:
 
1 cent per mile around town
2 cents per mile on the highway
 
Approximately 400 miles for every $4.00 of electricity (city)
Data Collection Brammo DDCâ„¢ (Dynamic Data Collection) records key motorcycle parameters at 1Hz (1 sample/second) for analysis and service support.
Chassis 
Frame  Brammo E-Beamâ„¢ Aluminum, Fabricated by Accossato in Italy
Suspension / Front Fully Adjustable 43mm Marzocchi Forks
Suspension / Rear Fully Adjustable Sachs Shock
Triple Clamps Forged Aluminum
Swing Arm Tubular Steel, Fabricated by Accossato in Italy
Sub Frame Tubular Steel, Fabricated by Accossato in Italy
Brakes / Front Dual 310mm Brembo floating disk with twin four piston Hydraulic Brembo Brake Calipers, Radial Mount.
Brakes / Rear Brembo single disk with dual piston Hydraulic Brembo Brake Caliper
Wheels- Front / Rear 17″x 3.5″ Marchesini / 17″ x 5.5″ Marchesini
Tires- Front / Rear 120/70-17 AVON AV79 / 180/55-17 AVON AV80
Instrumentation  LCD display; speed, tach, odometer, gear position, energy consumption, battery status, estimated range and system status
Dimensions 
Wheelbase  58.0″    147.32 cm
Seat Height  31.5″     80.0 cm
Width 31.8″ (bar end-to-bar end)     80.77 cm
Height 42.6″ (highest portion of the dash)    108.2 cm
Length 81.3″   206.5 cm
Ground Clearance 7.3″     18.54 cm
Rake / Trail 24 degrees / 3.8″
Storage Capacity  Optional Brammo hard saddle bags and top trunk.
Fuel Economy 485 mpg-e      206 km/L-e
Vehicle Weight  440lbs. / 200kg
Carrying Capacity Cargo Capacity   365 lbs. / 165.6 kg
(805 lbs. / 365.1 kg total combined motorcycle, rider, passenger and cargo)
Warranty 
 2 Years (Limited Factory Warranty) 1 year Fender-to-Fender Limited Warranty, 2 year Limited  Powertrain Warranty (Batteries and Motor)
Colors True Blood Red, Eclipsed Black, White Noise

[CliC]

Hmmm, more power than the Zero, but more weight, too. It'll be interesting to see whether the tranny makes up for that.

[ZeroSinMA]

I've speculated here that if and when the Brammo Empulse ever ships it will either have fewer features or a higher price than originally advertised. Now, based on the spec, it looks like they kept all of the features they promised but notice they are not talking about the price.

On the Brammo web site, the pre-order page says: "Price: TBA"

Are folks pre-ordering the bike without knowing how much it will cost? That's crazy.

My guess > $16k.

[Lipo423]

I bet you $1 that it will be more in the $18-20K 

[flar]

Are folks pre-ordering the bike without knowing how much it will cost? That's crazy.

My guess > $16k.

Yes, very crazy.  I'm sorry I spent that $0 on that preorder.  Dang!

(just kidding, but since they aren't charging for the pre-orders, there is no sanity barrier to cross there...

[Richard230]

In a case of almost being too late with the news, last night I finally got around to reading the May issue of City Bike which I picked up about 10 days ago and saw this statement in their "News, Clues & Rumors" column:

"On May 8th, two new models - dubbed the Empulse and Empulse R - will be shown to the press and deposit-holders in Los Angeles, with journalists getting demo units during the summer. The distinction between the two models is unclear, but we were shown a snapshot of the redesigned Empulse, and we think you'll like it: think a lighter, tidier-looking Suzuki SV650, with clean, simple bodywork and a standard tube handlebar instead of the racy-looking clipons of the prototype.  Of course, hataz' gona hate, so there will be on shortage of juvenile jeering and cries of "fugly" from those who don't like change, but we think a whole new generation will be turned on (heh,heh) by this bike, and we wouldn't be surprised to find it made bike of the year by more than one publication."

I found the statement that journalists would be receiving test bikes during the summer interesting. I wonder if that is going to be before or after pre-order customers receive their bikes?