I just picked up a copy of the 2012 Cycle World Buyer's Guide. They didn't print a ride review of any electric motorcycle in the publication. However, in their motorcycle guide section, on Page 33 and 34, right below the 1455 pound "Boss Hoss Gangsta Trike" (now there is a vehicle that needs at least three wheels), is the Brammo Empulse.
There is a paragraph describing the bike, along with a photo of the original version. The description mentions the IET, which "is intended to help the electric motor emulate the feeling and performance of a conventional engine, with a specially developed clutch and gearshift that enables the Empulse to accelerate hard from a dead stop up to is high speed." No price is provided, battery capacity is listed as 10 kWh, wheelbase as 57.0 inches, seat height as 32.0 inches and weight as 420 pounds, in the specifications column.
On the next page the Enertia Plus is shown. The description says that the model has a "Power battery" with a "claimed range of 40 to 80 miles". The bike has a tighter turning radius than the original Enertia and "charging with the supplied battery cord has been simplified". "The Enertia Plus comes in four imaginatively named colors: True Blood Red, Peacekeeping blue (
), Eclipsed Black and Aluminum Silver." Price is given as $8995, wheelbase as 55.9 inches, seat height as 32 inches, battery capacity as 4 kWh and dry weight as 324 pounds.
Below that is the 2012 Enertia, which you no doubt have heard of before. The colors are described as being the same as for the Plus. Price is given as $7995, transmission is "automatic", and everything else, including the weight remains the same as the Plus, except for the battery capacity, which is 3.1 kWh.
The Zero models are also described in the back of the alphabetical buyer's guide and the Vectrix is no where to be found.
