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[firepower]

Only improvement seems to be 10lbs (4.5kg) lighter.

http://www.brammo.com/empulse/

Anyone know what its acceleration 0 to 60mph (100km/h) time is?
Zero SR is 3.3 seconds

[benswing]

Here's the list from their site touting graphics and handlebar changes...

Charging – Still the only electric motorcycle to offer a 3kW integrated onboard charger, the 2014 Empulse is compatible with nearly 7000 Level 2 public charging stations available in the US, with no extra equipment required. An Empulse owner can charge from 20% to 80% in less than 2 hours using this existing nationwide charging infrastructure. Overnight charges in your garage are no problem either, as the Empulse comes standard with a J1772 charge coupler that plugs into a standard household outlet.

Battery Brackets –The distinctive Empulse battery brackets that secure the Brammo Power 15/90 battery packs are now redesigned and nickel plated, adding a distinctive and technical look to the bike’s familiar profile.

Dash – The 2014 Empulse sports a redesigned LCD dash in a robust waterproof housing, which displays a wide range of riding metrics including: battery SOC (State-of-Charge), roadspeed, motor speed, odometer, energy use, gear position, battery status, estimated range, and system status.

Handlebars – The 2014 Empulse has changed to a tapered aluminum handlebar with oversized clamp diameter. These bars give a better overall riding position and are manufactured by Accossato in Italy specifically for the 2014 Brammo Empulse R.

Tires - 2014 sees a move to new rubber manufactured by Continental. The SportAttack 2 is acknowledged as the best all-round performer. Continental engineers focused on creating a sport bike tire that can provide the best overall quality.

Colors – Two new colors are introduced to the color palette this year, standard for the Empulse R and optional for the Empulse. In addition to True Blood Red and Eclipsed Black,customers can now select:
Maillot Jaune* Yellow and Neodymium** Silver Metallic.

Bold New Brammo Graphics – The lower body panel now sports a white Brammo logo to make identification even easier for those not yet familiar with the world leader in electric motorcycles.

[protomech]

The 2013 Empulse R was tested at 4.8 seconds 0-60.
http://www.cycleworld.com/2013/10/31/brammo-empulse-r-vs-zero-s-electric-motorcycles-comparison-test-specs-photos/

2014 should be a little faster with lower weight, but probably still slower than the Zero SR from 0-60.

[Richard230]

Still, you have to admit that the Empulse seems to be a well-designed, developed and manufactured electric motorcycle and it does look very much like a contemporary sportbike.  And, I do appreciate them using name-brand quality chassis components and tires. 

Also, I note nothing was mentioned about updates to the 2014 Enertia line - or if there will be one this year.   

[NoiseBoy]

Looks like we have hit a plateuax in EVMC development?  Both Zero and Brammo making only minor incremental changes for 2014. I exclude the SR as its still a 2013 bike but with a bigger controller.

[protomech]

I think the next step will be high voltage production bikes (200+ V). Mission is scheduled for a summer release. Energica claims 2015. I suspect both Brammo and Zero are working furiously at producing a production HV bike, perhaps for 2015 .. and I think that's part of why the 2014 model refresh was relatively weak.

Benefits:
- lower cable weight
- quick-charging for touring
- smaller onboard chargers

Drawbacks:
- more, smaller cells for the same pack size esp if offering multiple capacities like Zero's 1/2/3/4/5 module lineup
- HV is more dangerous to work with, insulate properly esp on a 2 wheeled application
- combo of the two above means packs will be more expensive
- controllers are more expensive

Quick-charging format battle is going to hurt both the manufacturers and consumers .. unfortunately .. and I doubt it'll be cleanly resolved before 2016. But once it's resolved and a dominant format rolls out, I hope Zero and Brammo will be ready with bikes that can give up little to ICE bikes with respect to touring capabilities.

[Electric Cowboy]

Also, As far as I know, Foxie, the 2012 Zero S ZF6 still hold the record for fastest production electric motorcycle...

And the 2013 Zero did 127mph... I dislike marketing claims. Go set a record and then say you have the fastest bike in the world.