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[Richard230]

Two days ago I received an email message from Brammo saying that I was not to forward or tell anyone about the message.    I was told that I could finally get on the purchase list for buying the Empulse R.  I was pre-order number 98 and it has been 2 years and 2 months since I placed my order for the Empulse 10.0.  The message said that I had until October 1 to confirm my order. Then a dealer would be contacting me and I would have to give them a deposit. After that I would be contacted by Brammo to schedule a test ride on the Empulse.  Finally (assuming that I liked the test ride, I guess), my bike would be delivered to my closest dealer for purchase by me. The estimated delivery schedule was not reveled.

That sounds like about a 90 day process to me.  I would have been getting my new bike just in time for Christmas. Good thing it doesn't snow around here.  

I seem to recall that Hollywood Electrics offered a thousand dollars to anyone buying a 2012 Zero if they were offered the purchase of an Empulse by September.  I don't think he is going to have to pay up.

[Brammofan]

1. I think you mean the Empulse R.  The Empulse RR is the designation for their racing motorcycles which are not for sale.
2. My email didn't say anything about not telling anyone about the message.  What it said was "Important Information - Please Do Not Share/Forward this E-Mail"  The reason for that is because the link in the email has a link that is unique and tied to the person who submitted the pre-order.  

[ZeroSinMA]

The thread title should read, "Brammo asks pre-order customers for money" no?

Nothing has "arrived" except a demand for money by Oct. 1 merely to get on a purchase list for a bike to be delivered some day off in the future.

Without a firm delivery date this latest email from Brammo may possibly indicate that the company is maybe getting closer to actually shipping a product, maybe in 2013, but more likely it means that Brammo's Inertia+ and Empulse R delivery delays and resulting lack of revenue as R&D spending continues and cash hemorrhaging grows are now forcing Brammo to get money from customers.

My take is that the higher ups at Polaris are demanding Brammo get cash from pre-order customers to prove to Polaris management that it makes sense to continue funding Brammo R&D. Actual cash proves real demand for the product. Or maybe they really need the cash.

How big a deposit are they asking for? If it's more than a couple hundred bucks then we have our answer.

Alternate thread title: "Hope springs eternal for Brammo fans".

[protomech]

I seem to recall that Hollywood Electrics offered a thousand dollars to anyone buying a 2012 Zero if they were offered the purchase of an Empulse by September.  I don't think he is going to have to pay up.

October 31. The terms of the offer were "as originally advertised". Since Brammo is not selling a $14k 10.0 kWh direct-drive bike, it's a shoo-in.

[Richard230]

1. I think you mean the Empulse R.  The Empulse RR is the designation for their racing motorcycles which are not for sale.
2. My email didn't say anything about not telling anyone about the message.  What it said was "Important Information - Please Do Not Share/Forward this E-Mail"  The reason for that is because the link in the email has a link that is unique and tied to the person who submitted the pre-order. 

I don't know where that extra "R" came from.   

When I first saw the "do not share" note, I assumed that I was not supposed to tell anyone about the message.  After a while, I decided that since everyone was already talking about the message, I guess it meant something else.  The "do not forward" part I did get. 

[Electric Cowboy]

I don't know about you, but I'm not going to pay to wait another 2 years. They have already pushed the date back since announced in may and it seems they will be announcing another date in November... Maybe they should show that they are building bikes and have more than 5 made and people might feel better. Show the factory floor with guys building many bikes. Show the surplus of bikes being built ready to ship to customers. Proove that you really are producing. Also, I hope they do this. It would be great to see. I want all elmotp companies to succeed. I just wish they allade people trust in elmotos. Brammo is making people think it is all vaporware. Get with the program guys, show us what you have got.

[Richard230]

The thread title should read, "Brammo asks pre-order customers for money" no?

Nothing has "arrived" except a demand for money by Oct. 1 merely to get on a purchase list for a bike to be delivered some day off in the future.

Without a firm delivery date this latest email from Brammo may possibly indicate that the company is maybe getting closer to actually shipping a product, maybe in 2013, but more likely it means that Brammo's Inertia+ and Empulse R delivery delays and resulting lack of revenue as R&D spending continues and cash hemorrhaging grows are now forcing Brammo to get money from customers.

My take is that the higher ups at Polaris are demanding Brammo get cash from pre-order customers to prove to Polaris management that it makes sense to continue funding Brammo R&D. Actual cash proves real demand for the product. Or maybe they really need the cash.

How big a deposit are they asking for? If it's more than a couple hundred bucks then we have our answer.

Alternate thread title: "Hope springs eternal for Brammo fans".

I think the deposit amount is being left up to the retail dealer this time around. The original pre-order offer said that a $500 deposit would be required within 90 days of delivery.  My guess is that the current request is more to firm up orders so that Brammo can better schedule parts and suppliers and organize their production line.  Since many of the chassis parts are being made in Italy, getting them built and delivered on time might be a hassle, based upon my previous experience with Italian motorcycle manufacturers and their parts delivery systems.

[manlytom]

let's claim it on the earthquake about a year ago. the company I worked says that we are still impacted by some supplies out of Italy going into our final products.

[ZeroSinMA]

let's claim it on the earthquake about a year ago. the company I worked says that we are still impacted by some supplies out of Italy going into our final products.

As anyone knows who has built a high-tech product, problems and delays grow in exponentially with product complexity... of design, supply chain, etc.

Brammo's Empulse R is way more complex than Zero's. The six gear xmission and water cooled motor are but two additional elements that are no doubt giving Brammo headaches from a reliability and manufacturability perspective. But Brammo hasn't even shipped the more simple Zero S SF9 equivalent, the Inertia+, have they?

[protomech]

Brammo's Empulse R is way more complex than Zero's. The six gear xmission and water cooled motor are but two additional elements that are no doubt giving Brammo headaches from a reliability and manufacturability perspective. But Brammo hasn't even shipped the more simple Zero S SF9 equivalent, the Inertia+, have they?

Not yet to consumers, though Brammo has reportedly been supplying the Enertia Plus to the Hong Kong Police Department since June-ish.

By capacity, the Enertia Plus sits between the ZF6 and ZF9 bikes (6.2 kWh, 5.6 kWh, 7.9 kWh respectively).

I don't know how involved Brammo was in the design of the SMRE motor/transmission combination - I suspect SMRE is 99% responsible for designing the motor for reliability and manufacturing.

The delay in the (comparably) simpler Enertia Plus points to the batteries or the sevcon controllers as the reason for the lengthy Empulse delay, NOT necessarily the motor and transmission.

Speaking of controllers.. it will be interesting to see if Brammo has used the extra development time to improve the reliability of the sevcon controllers, or if we'll eventually see reports of glitches and cutouts appear in the brammo forums. It would be somewhat ironic if they do iron out those issues by shipping much later than Zero, and reliability concerns for the transmission and liquid cooled motor prove to be unfounded.

[dkw12002]

In other words, if you are speeding in Hong Kong and see a motorcycle with a flashing light, is could be coming from the  cop's dashborad  signaling his bike is about ready to die. 

[protomech]

I doubt they're using a 13 kW electric bike as a pursuit vehicle.

[ZeroSinMA]

I doubt they're using a 13 kW electric bike as a pursuit vehicle.

A 7.9kWh bike might take you most of the way up Victoria Peak.

[manlytom]

been trying to find an Enertia on my frequent visits to Hong Kong. Not seen any yet.

Like however the free parking in many places in HKG for EVs ! parking is a challenge.

except for going to Stanley or the Peak traffic is very slow so would get good range out of it.

[protomech]

I don't know where that extra "R" came from.   

You can edit your original post and change the subject up at the top.