Brammo Owners Forum

This happened repeatedly to me when I first got my Vectrix. I just quit expecting to have any charge left when the fuel gauge got low. Vectrix never did figure out how to address the inaccuracy of the fuel gauge. (I know I'm comparing apples to oranges - no offense to Brammo!)
This problem hasn't occurred since I swapped out the NiMH batteries for the LiFePo batteries.

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  ;-)

I wonder about the inclusion of the Zero on the Wikipedia list - this is from Zero's website:

Zero's scalable "quick charge" accessory offerings for 2012 allow Zero S and Zero DS customers to acquire as many as three standalone chargers (in addition to the existing on-board unit) for up to a ~75% reduction in charge time. Zero XU, Zero X and Zero MX customers can choose to add one more standalone charger for a ~50% charge-time reduction. In technical terms, the Zero S and Zero DS have two charge circuits, whereas the Zero XU, Zero X and Zero MX have one, and up to two chargers are allowed in each circuit. For the Zero S and Zero DS, the first "2x" quick-charge accessory adds a charger that plugs into its second charge circuit (the onboard charger is plugged into the first). Additional Zero S and Zero DS charge accessory options (3x and 4x), as well as the single Zero X/Zero MX option, use a “Y” adaptor that allows up to two chargers to plug into a single circuit.
Please keep in mind that most household electricity circuits are rated to 110V/15A, which can only support a single charger. As a result, in order to make use of Zero's quick-charge accessories, you must plug each charger into a separate 110V/15A circuit. If connecting to any other, higher-rated household circuit, you must make sure it can safely support the load of each of Zero's 1,200W input chargers.

It doesn't sound like J1772 plug to me....

Has Brammo officially announced that the Empulse will be using the J1772 standard?

When I asked about it earlier (I can't find the thread now) I was told, unequivocally, that they would definitely NOT be using the J1772 plug. And then the L.A. Motorcycle show happened.

This is a significant, game-changing issue. A bike that could make use of all of the charging stations being installed around the country would have a huge advantage over bikes that charge on 120V.

Just saying.

Brammofan? BrammoBrian? Anyone? 

I noticed the same bike that Richard saw - sadly the only electric bike there!

http://brammoforum.com/MGalleryItem.php?id=297

Zero's 114 mile range on their 7.9 kwh bike is fine if you operate it exactly like the bike was tested.

I think the 114 range is based on the 9kWh version.

...in addition to increasing top speed, should it not also increase the range?

This seems quite logical - that's why auto makers changed their transmissions from three to six speeds over the years - to take advantage of the power band and make the most efficient use of fuel.

I would think that Brammo would have had the time to test the new power train with the new transmission and post some new specs....

The torque is still available at 100% on my Vectrix up until I hit the governed top-speed (68 MPH). Officially the Vectrix tops out at 68 MPH, but the speedometer reads 72 MPH before I feel the power cut-off to the motor.
The top-speed of the Empulse (100 MPH) would be really sweet, but the top-speed of the Zero-S (88MPH) would be more than adequate for passing (for me).