Print

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

[NomadRip]

There isn't really much for me to add to what everyone already knows about the Brammo Enertia, other than I have touched one and you haven't

I live in Florida, but the girlfriend and I took a trip to visit family in Tacoma, and figured it was close enough to take a drive down to Portland while we were there to see the Enertia.

We had plenty to see and do in Portland, and spent much of our day and a half hiking and checking out downtown. After spending the day with an old high school friend of hers around the Columbia River Gorge, I plugged in Jantzen Beach into the GPS to go find the Best Buy. We were dog tired and it was 5pm already. We still had to drive back to Tacoma that night, but since it was my first time ever in Portland, it would have been crazy not to go check it out while I was there.

I hadn't saved the address, but I knew that was an island, so it shouldn't be too hard to find. It was not listed in the GPS, so I am assuming it was a newer store. It was easy to locate just driving around for a minute.

The Enertia is the first thing you see when the automatic doors open. The green one is on display among all the other electric vehicles they have there. They may have the sounds of angels singing as they open, but that could have just been in my head. 

A salesperson immediately came up and talked to us about the bike. Nick was very knowledgeable about nearly every aspect of the Enertia. They have obviously spent the time to train them well. He was even willing to draw a map of a route to take on the unfamiliar island if I wanted to take a 15-minute test ride. He knew everything I knew about it and then some.

In order to take a test ride, you need to have the following:

• Long pants
• Closed-toe shoes
• Motorcycle endorsement on License
• Proof of insurance card

They supply a helmet, jacket and Gloves. Nick may have said something about a lowest age limitation, but since I'm old & decrepit, it didn't apply to me.

Since I was already beat to hell from traveling and hiking and didn't bring my insurance card, I didn't bother with a test ride. I did want to, but I am not likely going to purchase one anytime soon, so I wasn't bothered by that.

Nick was very helpful, but he said they don't work on commission, so no need to ask for him specifically if you get in there. You can test ride the Enertia or any of the other vehicles they have there, Segway's, various bicycles and a scooter.

If I'd had more time, I would have gone on a test ride. The trip was pretty spur-of-the-moment, and we hadn't gotten more than a few hours sleep each night, trying to cram so much into our short trip.

I put some pictures up here and here, but they are really nothing special. Just pics my ladyfriend took of me taunting Brammofan and Skadamo over Twitter while I sat on an Enertia  

[Brammofan]

Thanks for this ride report touch report, Nomad.  I'm embarrassed to admit that I wouldn't have been allowed to ride it either: in spite of my sterling credentials and appearance of credibility, it's been decades since my driver's license had a motorcycle endorsement on it.  Guess I'll have to do something about that pretty soon.

Great report, though.  I especially appreciated this:

The Enertia is the first thing you see when the automatic doors open. The green one is on display among all the other electric vehicles they have there. They may have the sounds of angels singing as they open, but that could have just been in my head.

It's good, also, that the Best Buy sales staff sounded ready, willing, and able to help you. 

[skadamo]

Thanks for the write up! It seems a lot of us are taking big side trips on little sleep to see electric motorcycles. BTW, those photos are deemed unsafe by flickr when I try to view them. hmmm.

Glad to hear the store staff is knowledgeable and not on commission. Hope that will go for all the stores.

brammoFan, yes you need to get your license. I think Zero or Electric Motorsport make a good bike to learn on.

[frodus]

Its cool to see the brammo bikes in person....they had the TTXGP bike there about a month back.... Here's a few photos:

http://www.evfr.net/coppermine/thumbnails.php?album=34





Overall its a very clean, very well-done design. Has a good feel when ya sit on it. There isn't really much after the end of the seat though, it looked a little weird, but it looks pretty slick.

[NomadRip]

BTW, those photos are deemed unsafe by flickr when I try to view them. hmmm.

I think they should be good now. I've not uploaded pics to Flickr before. I found a permissions setting for worksafeness or whatever, so you should be able to see them now?