Interview With Brammo CEO Craig Bramscher

[FreepZ]

http://www.brammo.com/video-ceo/

The page has changed from:

"Please enjoy this video while we get the interview video ready" (Or something like that)
- The Fast Forward Video -

To:

"This video will be available soon."
- No video -

It looks like the curtain is rising, very slowly, and the video will be coming real soon now.

[EmpulseRider]

Im starting to suspect that Brammo's definition of "soon" and my definition of "soon" are 2 very different things... I must be more patient  .

[EmpulseRider]

Just finished watching this... from what I gathered, the 2 Empulse models will carry the same battery 9.7kWh. Craig has some very interesting things to say... well, just watch the video, I dont want to spoil it for anyone...
No images of the new Empulse in case you were wondering, just a great interview with Craig which answers many questions about the Empulse and Brammo.

Video is VERY well put together.

[FreepZ]

Yep, the video is out. They did put it out today, as promised. Thanks Brammo!

Like EB said: there is a lot of interesting information there.

Here's what the interviewer (Nick Negron?) asked Craig:

• 1:40 What would you like to tell the fans?
• 3:17 What happened to the 6.0 and 8.0?
• 4:03 What about people who pre-ordered the 6.0 or 8.0?
• 4:55 Why did customers ask for a gear box?
• 5:46 How did you overcome the issues with the gearbox on a high torque motor?
• 6:57 Can the bike go 100 mph?
• 7:25 Can you get 100 miles range?
• 8:00 What's the breaking system like?
• 8:40 Can the bike really go 100 mph?
• 8:58 When will we see the Empulse R?
• 9:16 When can we see journalist reports?
• 9:36 Who has been able to ride the Empulse?
• 10:07 Where will it be assembled?
• 10:35 How can customers get an Empulse?
• 11:04 How economical is it to run?
• 12:07 What are the running costs?
• 12:37 How did the Empulse 10.0 turn into the Empulse 10.0 R?
• 13:44 Talk about the TTXGP win.
• 14:42 Where do you see Brammo in 5 to 10 years?
• 15:36 Talk about the design of the Brammo brand.
• 19:33 Any last thoughts?

See the video for the answers...

[860]

Just watched the full video.  I just had a deja vu moment, like I was watching Elon Musk talking to people about the Tesla Roadster back just before the production Roadster's started being built.  It was very good to hear Craig talking about the Empulse like this.  There wasn't any hard performance numbers, but the whole thing about it being fun to go out and ride with zero guilt is the whole EV motorcycle experience that I'm looking for.  I definitely want that bike built on passion experience Craig talked about (with a few EE's hidden in the background making it all happen.)  I want to commute to work and play on the weekend with an attitude and enjoyment that I'm just not finding in any other e-moto besides the Empulse.


Craig confirmed what we've long expected; that the Empulse 6.0 and 8.0 are dead, because the smaller battery packs just weren't up to the job of a 100+ mph e-moto.  Ok, so I'm not going to be able to get an $11,995 Empulse 8.0 that I signed up for.  Time to deal with that.  Or rather, I'll deal with that in 3 weeks after the full reveal when Empulse and Empulse R prices are revealed.  With them both having the same battery pack, I don't know whether they will really be different bikes at different prices or not.  Or if they are going to be just two different configurations of essentially the same bike with similar prices but with a choice of upright/nudie vs. tucked/fairing.

I did wonder about Craig mentioning both 5-speed and 6-speed transmissions.  Is there a 5-speed designated for some other Brammo bike?  Like an engage or something?

[Deadly Silent Ninja]

I only heard two things:

1- $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$   

2- "Great financing plan!" 

So... I think Richard was probably right. I'd say the Empulse comes at $16,000 and the Empulse R at $18,000.

If that's the case, even with number 2, I might be Empulseless for a long time. I hope Craig was only creating some higher expectation for the price tag by showing all the added value to the bike and, on May 8, he will reveal a < $15,000 bike (with "great financing plan"), creating a stampede of purchases... 

[Brammofan]

"People like Shelina and Steve...."

This, coupled with the news today that CRP will not be racing this year makes me wonder....

Is Shelina Moreda going to ride Brammo's second Empulse RR in the TTXGP? 

[1lesscar]

I just saw all 20 mins of it. May/June we should see reviews for the Empulse in magazines, etc. No big surprises. A little history of where Brammo is going in the future and where it has been. Empulse R is like the 9.7 in the 6, 8, 10.0 range.
From the sound of it, Brammo should take good care of their customers
IIRC 10.0 was in the $15000 range, right?

[ttxgpfan]

"People like Shelina and Steve...."

This, coupled with the news today that CRP will not be racing this year makes me wonder....

Is Shelina Moreda going to ride Brammo's second Empulse RR in the TTXGP? 

Mmmmm mmm mm mmmm MMMMMMM mmm mmmm m m mmmm.

[Gavin]

Very well done. Loved the bikes in the background (black plus with painted boomerang....grrrrr, that is the bike I wish Brammo had lent to me...but then they would have never seen it again ...  Ps...make mine just like that, but blue in the boomerangs please.)

Good info, good energy, nice multiple shout outs to the fans.

Kick stand down and makes a Facebook post?! Super cool.

Of course I'll be the prick that puts the kickstand down at every light..my facebook will be a constant stream of "Gavin is at the corner of Candelaria and Menaul"..."Gavin is at the corner of Candelaria and Carlise"..."Gavin is the most annoying person on Facebook"...

It does make Brammo sound like a super cool company to work for...I'm already used to working 60 plus hour weeks and still having a blast at work....even so, I would love working at Brammo if they had a need for a Pediatric Sonographer...but that seems unlikely

Shelina was mentioned twice...I did not know she worked for Brammo...an interesting surprise...and will make going to Seca that much more interesting...2 bikes running is nice...hanging out where it isn't 1000% male will also be a bonus. Hanging with the dudes is fun...but having a nice conversation with a pleasant women is just a bit more fun...

One other nice thing...

Brammo mentioned that specs would be here on a certain date...and they were...they mentioned a video...and here it is...they mentioned leaked teaser photos...and that is happening...they have the reveal planned for the 8th and the place set and the media attending...

They have been very much on the ball lately and meeting their timeline...give me hope for the Plus soon and the Empulse shortly after.

Gavin

[Gavin]

Some fun images....

The new turn signals (on both the Plus and Empulse...and Classic?)




Not sure why the tail light is hanging down...


Gavin

[Gavin]

MY BIKE!!!

Oh, black ENG TEST BIKE with the painted boomerangs....how I wish you were in my garage right now

I would be testing the bleep out of that bike..



Ps...note the Electric Bike Parking sign on the back wall...a nice shout out to BrammoFan (I have one of those in my garage)...

G

[EmpulseRider]

"People like Shelina and Steve...."

This, coupled with the news today that CRP will not be racing this year makes me wonder....

Is Shelina Moreda going to ride Brammo's second Empulse RR in the TTXGP?  

I gotta say Shelina is quite easy on the eyes... and could probably school most fellas out on the track. Doesnt get much better than that... I prefer blondes though. That last bit there should cover my ass with the wife

[FreepZ]

Not sure why the tail light is hanging down...

Gavin

Oh goodness. Is that Enertia mooning us?

[protomech]

Well, that puts my speculation to rest about a cheaper lower capacity Empulse.

I view the Facebook / Twitter integration as the same sort of hand-waving they've been doing since well before the Enertia launch. Anyone remember when the Enertia was going to have wifi / GPS integrated? They need to get the bikes out and then add the fancy bits.

Odd that Mr. Brammo kept mentioning a 9.7 kWh capacity. When the LA Times covered Brammo at the Long Beach motorcycle show they mentioned a battery pack in the 9.5 - 10.0 kWh range. The specs are pretty clear, though .. 9.31 kWh nominal capacity. I assume the 9.7 kWh reference is a mistake.

It's possible Brammo has switched to a high energy cell for the Empulse, and a 6.0 / 8.0 kWh battery couldn't pump out enough power for the 40 kW motor (5-7C). That may mean Brammo's battery costs are a little lower.

I think Brammo will want to avoid the $20k price point for the R, and there will probably be a $2k price gap between the standard Empulse and the R. So maybe we will see a $16k Empulse and an $18k Empulse R. Here's hoping, anyhow..