Test Ride!  100% Electric, Brammo Enertia Motorcycle

Posted by: Tim Reha | Tuesday, January 26, 2010 | 0 Comments |

Over the past few years I have had good luck to gain first looks and test rides for a number of electric vehicles. Back in 2007 at the Future in Review we test rode in the Tesla Roadster and Altair-Nano test vehicle.

Electric transportation is moving rapidly into the future with new battery technology moving forward quickly.  This year it was time to investigate the latest in “Electric Motorcycle Technology”, so I contacted Brammo, an Ashland, Oregon based company. A few years ago I was in contact with Brammo’s CEO/Chairman Craig Bramscher,  whom I recall was the U.S.A. importer for a very fast sports car called the Ariel Atom that does 0-60 in 2.3 seconds. At the time Craig said he had something in development but could not tell me what it was at the time. I always wondered what he had in the lab?

This past weekend I finally found out what Craig had “in the lab”—the Brammo Enertia Electric Motorcycle. My buddy Dave Lipshin and contacted Dave Murray, the Portland based technician for Brammo Inc.  Dave said to meet us at the Best Buy just outside of Portland where the Brammo Enertia electric motorcycle is for sale today!  You may think it is odd to sell a $7,995.00 electric motorcycle at Best Buy, but as Dave Murray explained “this is more like a laptop than a gas powered motorcycle”.

We the filled out paperwork to test ride the Brammo Enertia, deemed to be the first production electric motorcycle made right here in the U.S.A. . I am really excited about the electric transportation industry and for startups who are making products right here in the U.S.A.  If we put a few billon dollars into innovative startups like Brammo, instead of into (enter your favorite government waste program here) then we would create a sustainable industry and new jobs.

Brammo Electric Motorcycle Video Time Codes:

0:00-2:00 - Questions about the Brammo Enertia Electric Motorcycle
2:00-4:00 - Brammo Enertia Battery Technology Information
4:00-6:00 - Pre-Ride Brammo Enertia Motorcycle Operation Overview
6:00-9:48 - Brammo Enertia Test Ride and First Impressions

Brammo Enertia Electric Motorcycle Overview

Web: http://www.brammo.com
Tweets: http://www.twitter.com/Brammosays
Facebook:  Friend up Brammo on Facebook
Specs: http://www.brammo.com/learn/#specifications
Environmental: http://www.brammo.com/green/

General information from the Brammo Website:

“The beginning to be environmentally friendly. At just $7,995 the Enertia makes it easy to save money and the environment. Here are some of the ways that BRAMMO and the Enertia keep the world clean:

- 100% electrical motor; no gasoline, motor oil, or other petrochemicals
- Manufactured in the United States with 100% clean energy
- Uses recycled materials in many components
- Production requires less than 10% of the material resources needed for an average car
- The Enertia powercycle can be recycled
-The Enertia’s Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are very safe and do not contain any heavy metals
- The Enertia’s batteries can be recycled for many other uses
- BRAMMO is a 100% clean technology company

Tim Reha’s Notes:

A number of my friends try to compare electric motorcycles to gas motorcycles and seem not to “get” what the mission of these electric vehicles are all about.

This is a commuter electric motorcycle to get you from Point A to Point B safely, at low cost, with low maintenance. Males tend to want to whip out their private parts and puff out their chests when discussing technology and vehicles. Most in-city commutes are less than 40 miles per day, much less in fact. Thus, the Brammo Enertia fits within the acceptable commuter sweet spot.  The Brammo Enertia, from my first impression, was designed for quality and safety. The build, fit and finish are rock solid, actually even better than I expected. Even better—this electric motorcycle is surprisingly quick and performs in the rain like a champ. I like the idea of not having to warm up a motorcycle and pray that it starts in the morning - problems I have always had with other gas motorcycles.

I have owned dirt bikes and street bikes for over 25 years and enjoyed the cafe-racer design with some feel of a motorcross-turned street bike. Support these entrepreneurial efforts as they are the only way we will get the U.S.A. back on track. When I say this I mean, give companies like Brammo your feed back and have an open mind to the new electric vehicles. They are a lot of fun, quite, recyclable, low operational cost and low maintenance. In the next decade we will see nano-technology increase the power to size ratio for batteries. Thus, the cost and range of electric motorcycles will drastically improve. Today, you have the chance to own a totally viable commuter motorcycle that is fun for a decent price if you look at the overall cost of ownership, fuel and maintenance picture. Do yourself a favor and contact Brammo for a test ride to see the future for yourself today.

A special thank you to Dave Murray our knowledgeable and fun Brammo Portland technician. We had a lot of fun!

Please comment below if you want to have Brammo setup a Test Ride Day here in Seattle in February or March 2010. I will contact them and put together an event if you put an effort to spread the word and invite your friends.