So many of you know that I sold my eVFR and decided to get a Brammo Empulse R (backstory here:
http://blog.evfr.net/?p=514).
After about a couple months of waiting, Brian at Brammo called and said he was coming to the Portland area with my bike and would be there that weekend. Talk about excited. I barely slept. It felt like being a kid on Christmas! He sent a teaser pic of the bike sitting at Brammo HQ:
March 2nd, 2013Brian arrived about 8:00 AM Saturday morning in one of Brammo's Vans:
Before I took it out, he gave me a very detailed overview of the bike, gave me my bag-o-goodies, showed me the new charger (with Brammo Logo) and handed me the keys. I took it around the block and when I pulled up next to the van I had this huge grin on my face, and he and his Father in law both laughed.... the EV grin was obvious.
I rode up to this breakfast place near me so we could grab a bite to eat and chat. The ride over was a blast. All I can say is WOW. IMHO, this thing outperforms my SV650 in my opinion (butt dyno). I barely noticed any of the much discussed transmission lash. I figured out how to reduce/eliminate it by just easing the throttle a bit when I'm at a stop until I feel the gears push the bike ever so slightly. Power shifting through the gears is easy and I only use the clutch to downshift. As a beginner, it was simple and easy to get on the bike and start riding. I felt completely comfortable. It rides smoothly, shifting is natural and benefits are more clear. I can keep the motor RPM's wherever I want them (like in the 5000rpm high efficiency range). I could haul a passenger and get the same performance by wisely choosing my gear and If I wanted, I could just accelerate like a bat outta hell in first gear up to about 45-50mph.
Breakfast was fun.... we chatted about the bike, racing, friends we have in common and their plans for expanding the dealer/service network. I hadn't seen Brian since the TTXGP race in Portland last year, so it was nice to catch up. We both left from breakfast and I went out for a little spin, called my friend and took it on the backroads for about 30 miles.
It was a very pleasant experience from a buyers point of view. It met and exceeded my expectations.
A few more pics:
After meeting up with Brian, I called my buddy and rode about 40 miles on some twisties nearby my house. It was such a blast. The bike takes off when I want it to, the transmission is easy to power shift (Brian showed me how best to do that). I only really use the clutch to downshift. It was nice not having the loud hum of the exhaust right behind me. I could hear my buddy behind me in my old SV650 (He bought it).
March 3, 2013Sunday I only got about 10 miles before it started to rain (no raingear yet)... then I had a Portland Timbers soccer game to go to.... so not much driving Sunday.
March 4, 2013Chelsea Sexton (EV1, Who Killed the Electric Car) was in town promoting theelectricgeneration.org so I went down with some Oregon Electric Vehicle Association (OEVA) members to Bridgeport Brewery and had dinner (no beer for me though). Total ride was about 15 miles... and it was pretty dark on the way back. I think I need to adjust the light a little, but it was pretty cool, out there in the dark.... just cruising on the back-roads.
So my 3rd day impression (note, I have limited riding experience on my old eVFR and my 2000 SV650):
- The bike handles well for my weight/height. The suspension seems fine, but I'd like to take to a tuner to get a second opinion
- I only use the clutch to downshift. I blip the throttle/shift up for higher gears
- I mostly use second gear around town
- The bike is pretty flickable and easy to ride around turns
- Charging is so easy and I think pretty reasonable from a 15A 120V socket. I haven't tried L2 yet
- Regenerative braking is awesome. Need to make sure to ease into regen around a corner since it's on the rear tire. I can slow to almost a stop with Regen, usingvery little of my brake
- The build quality of the bike is great. I'd like a quick release for the seat, but I carry an Allen wrench. I store an emergency tire inflator and pressure gauge under the seat.
- I thought I'd want more information about the batteries voltages, motor/battery current but what I've found is that the dashboard displays exactly what I need while riding. The rest can hopefully be downloaded off of the memory card and analyzed later.
- I ignore the range on the dash and keep an eye on the battery SOC.
- The "thunk", "lash", "clunk" etc is almost neglegent if you just ease the throttle forward while at a stop to take up the transmission slack. The only other time is coming off throttle and into regen. It's no more or less than my old SV650 coming off throttle into engine braking before a turn. It's a non-issue for me.
- This bike gets a LOT of looks as I pass by people.
