Patience is not...

[flar]

Thanks for the pointer to the Saietta web site - it never showed up in a single google search that I did - just blogs that mentioned a few scant details.

I still don't see a price (even a ballpark figure) on their web site or any information on availability other than machone telling me that there is a 2 month lead time.  It seems rather full of invented technical terms and missing pieces to be something that I'll believe can be ordered until I see reports of bikes in customer's hands.

At this point, though, I'm thoroughly enjoying my new gas bike (purchased primarily to be a good long haul backup to whatever electric bike I eventually get) and enjoying it enough that my urge to buy the first e-thing that is rumored to ship with my needs met is fading every day.  I still plan to go electric in the near future, but I may let the landscape play out a bit first.

And on the delivering-on-their-promised-schedule front, Tesla started deliveries of the Model S on time - kudos!  I still believe that the Empulse R will ship within a reasonable ballpark of their recent claims as well (not necessarily by end of June, but soon).

[machone]

If interested you could phone or email:

''You may also contact us by email at enquiries@agilityglobal.net, or by telephone at +44 (0)207 278 2228.
Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm'' That's GMT+1

Prices are 9975GBP or 13975GBP for S and R. Don't take my word for it, ask them, which is all I did, because I was interested after Freepz posted the film in Offtopic

  I still believe that the Empulse R will ship within a reasonable ballpark of their recent claims as well (not necessarily by end of June, but soon).

So do I, but if I can get my hands on something faster, sooner, I will.

[flar]

If interested you could phone or email:

''You may also contact us by email at enquiries@agilityglobal.net, or by telephone at +44 (0)207 278 2228.
Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 6:00 pm'' That's GMT+1

Prices are 9975GBP or 13975GBP for S and R. Don't take my word for it, ask them, which is all I did, because I was interested after Freepz posted the film in Offtopic

Thanks machone, I appreciate you forwarding those numbers, but my point wasn't "I want to know this information and I lack the opposable thumbs to type an email".  My point was, if it isn't on the web site then we are still talking rumors.  If I have to ask basic information like pricing and availability via email then I don't want to know the answers because I'll fill my own in: "We're still just waving our hands, but we think this information, which we're not really sure enough of to put on our web site or publicly announce, might give you an impression that will keep you interested".

I'll wait for the information to get real. Then I'll probably still wait to hear confirmation that the hardware is real enough to be in consumers' actual hands...

[ttxgpfan]

@implovator, how much are selling your Enertia for?

[Virtually Yours]

Well I called Brammo a little more then a week ago to "make sure I didn't miss the email/phone call" and I was told the delay was due to "marking department changes" and that I should be contacted by the end of June to confirm my order.
It sounded like B.S., and well, it's the last day of June, I got nothing...

This is why I'm not a doctor, I have no patience.

This is wearing me thin. I hope this is not an indicator what the service, repairs, and future business with Brammo are going to be like.? However, one can't help but to wonder...    

[protomech]

Brammo has a pretty good reported history of going above and beyond to service their bikes. But their preorder communications are absolutely abysmal : /

[Deadly Silent Ninja]

Brammo has a pretty good reported history of going above and beyond to service their bikes. But their preorder communications are absolutely abysmal : /

Plus one on that. It seems that they have yet to hire someone to take care of that part of their business... It would seem kin of intuitive that, if you are trying to sell something, you should have someone to play the part of salesperson and keep potential customers, especially the fanatics in this forum, a little more informed about their orders...

Well, I don't want to start beating on that dead horse again, but letting people know that they are going to be a little late with their orders is not exactly rocket science... Even a simple Facebook post would do: "Hey, sorry everyone, we will start calling you on July 15 because of changes in our marketing department." See? It doesn't hurt and it avoids a lot of headaches, such as having more than a thousand people calling to ask what happened with their pre-orders... The silence about it is what gets people mad and frustrated.

C'mon, Brammo people, you should know better than that by now...

[Gavin]

Brammo has a pretty good reported history of going above and beyond to service their bikes. But their preorder communications are absolutely abysmal : /

I can attest to the service part...I had an error/service code show up on the display...Bike still rode fine, but I sent a message to Brammo..."Hey, riding home I got a V58 error code on the LCD...what should I do? Ok to ride?"

This is the exact message I got back the same day:

Hi Gavin

The v58 error is a 12v supply issue.

Not a big problem and you are ok to ride the bike still.

I will be in Ashland on Monday next week and heading back to los Angeles on Wednesday.

I will plan to fly out and replace the part on that Friday if that works for you?

Now I quickly replied back, "Well the error code went away with a restart...do you really need to fly out? if yes, do you need a place to stay?"

So, long story short, he didn't need to fly out for a one time error code that went away with a restart. Especially as the bike is running fine...even with me getting closer and closer to the battery upper thermal limits....today I was at 116 battery temp for a while. Air temps over 100 easily.

But he was ready to fly from LA to Albuquerque to replace a part for me...no questions asked...for an issue that wasn't even stopping me from riding.

So I would say service is pretty good...

Gavin

[oobflyer]

I, too, ran out of patience.

I pre-ordered the Empulse immediately after I saw the unveiling in July of 2010 at Laguna Seca:

 

At the unveiling I was told that the bike would be available by the following summer. I waited... but when the Zero ZF9 was announced a year and a half later, I placed a pre-order on it too. I decided I would buy whichever bike came out first.

I placed the Zero pre-order in November 2011. I was told that the bike would be available the following March. Exactly two months later (in January!) I received a phone call that my bike was ready to pick up. I was flabbergasted. I just expected that the availability would be delayed - like so many EV promises.

My next concern was: would I regret the decision? The Zero and Brammo specs were similar, the prices the same... surely as soon as I rode the Zero home I would get a phone call from Brammo saying my Empulse was ready!

But now, after Brammo's announcement of more delays and increased costs, and after almost four months and 4,000 miles of riding the Zero, it seems like I made the right decision. I can't imagine waiting another year and paying an additional $3,000 to get my Empulse. I haven't heard a word from Brammo in any case.

I still look forward to test-riding the Empulse next year (?) - it will be an interesting comparison - by then I will have about 12,000 EV miles on my Zero  ;-)

[Deadly Silent Ninja]

Watching that video makes me wonder if that bike will ever come to be either by Brammo or by any other company. It looked mighty fine and it was just perfect for my needs...
I hope that a few years from now, Brammo will be doing really well and will commission a limited series of the cafe' racer Empulse for an affordable price.

[EmpulseRider]

Well we are hearing something new here... looks like production has been officially pushed out to August: http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120701/NEWS/207010316

It sounds like they ran into a few bumps in the road... I didnt expect them to deliver in June so Im not all that surprised or dismayed. The dates Craig originally mentioned seemed too ambitious to me. I will give them the benefit of the doubt I am bummed about being stuck with a car this summer though...

[implovator]

@implovator, how much are selling your Enertia for?

I'm not really sure. Tough to gauge what it's worth, really. A friend in the office is really interested. If he doesn't go for it, then I'll have to put some thought into a proper listing for it.

[ttxgpfan]

Brian has been posting pictures of testing on twitter.  Testing?  Still?  They HAVE to deliver by August, or Zero and Hollywood Electrics is right. 

[Shinysideup]

Brian has been posting pictures of testing on twitter.  Testing?  Still?  They HAVE to deliver by August, or Zero and Hollywood Electrics is right. 

Yeah, and I don't think it's great marketing strategy to launch an electric bike after the rains start.

[implovator]

I've got some sad news. I finally got fed up with...[rant redacted].

I just put down a deposit on a 2009 BMW R1200GS to replace my gasser (WeeStrom). I've been commuting and adventuring on the Strom more and more the past three years. Despite the fact that it's a cheap substitute for a proper adventure touring rig, it's served me well...until I started doing some two-up trips with it. Anyhow, I figured it's time to stop rationalizing away its inadequacies and to finally get my dream bike.
...
And here's controversial part. I know I won't be riding the Enertia much once I pick up the GS next week. I know when school starts up that I won't be able to commute to the office and campus on the Enertia. It's just going to sit there in the garage and collect spider webs. Because of this reality as well as the emotion that I described in my redacted rant above, I'm selling the Enertia too.

Thought I'd give an update. I've put 2500 miles on the GS. I can't believe how capable the thing is. Despite it's rediculous heft, it handles like a dream on and off road going fast or slow. I feel like I can almost track stand the bike at lights.

I've made a half-hearted attempt to sell the Enertia, but I haven't sold it. Surprisingly enough, I'm riding it more often lately. School started up, so I need to commute from work to campus on the gasser two days a week. I find myself riding the Enertia and not the GS at least one or two of the remaining days. Looks like the Enertia is not getting neglected now that the new steed is in the garage after all.

And...the sting of the GS purchase has worn off a bit. I had a mild windfall helped restore what I had been saving for the Empulse. What am I getting at here? I think I'm back in the game for an Empulse R.

If the upcoming reviews are as positive as Wes', then that's the last motivation that I need. I was a bit concerned that the Empulse R might turn into another compromise bike for early adopters at an even steeper price tag. But 75 miles of mixed riding and 50 miles on spirited rides. That might cover my entire day of commuting on a school day (68.9 miles). I could see myself riding the Empulse all week long and only pulling out the GS for weekend trips to the mountains. And the handling of the Empulse is just what I need to get my corner carving fix around town so that I'm not a hooligan on the GS in the mountains.