Author Topic: MotorcycleUSA review..  (Read 1067 times)


Gavin

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Re: MotorcycleUSA review..
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2013, 06:47:54 PM »
Shows the power of a negative review...

This review is a good, comprehensive review of the Empulse R and nobody mentions it...the City Bike review gets tons of mentions and replies.
Sigh

One quibble...he states there is no reason for neutral...but as a parent with kids and now grand kids...a silent when on bike needs a neutral...somebody will jump on and pretend to drive and twist the throttle and get a bit of a surprise...or one of my lunkheaded friends will twist the throttle while on putting on my helmet or something...

Gavin

BrammoBrian

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Re: MotorcycleUSA review..
« Reply #2 on: March 03, 2013, 09:26:58 PM »
Yes - the unfortunate truth.  I think this also shows the benefit of a journalist taking the time to at least talk to us about how to operate the bike before trying to evaluate it.  The City Bike review was done with them just picking up a demo bike from Scuderia without speaking with anyone at Brammo.  Shame on us for letting it happen.  I think they were just confused more than anything else. (said with a distinct gruffness. ;) )
« Last Edit: March 03, 2013, 09:34:42 PM by BrammoBrian »

7racer

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Re: MotorcycleUSA review..
« Reply #3 on: March 03, 2013, 10:44:04 PM »
I thought it was a fair review too....but my attitude on the 6 gears have changed since when I first started riding it.  Like I mentioned, I do find the 6 speeds to be very useful around town.

I guess if you are tracking the bike and have it almost all the time in the power band, you really don't need more gears.  But normal spirited driving is a treat with the extra gears.

ttxgpfan

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Re: MotorcycleUSA review..
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2013, 02:02:25 AM »
I enjoyed this review, and posted it to facebook and twitter immediately.  They had similar things to say about the gear box but had a better understanding of why.  At least the City bike guys said the gearbox might show its usefulness in spirited riding.  And I wouldn't say the City Bike review was a negative review either, they just didn't see the point of the gearbox.  These guys reviewed the 2012 Zeros too, which may have given them a preconceived notion that SS is fine for an elmoto.  Doesn't excuse them from doing their homework though.

Gavin

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kingcharles

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Re: MotorcycleUSA review..
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2013, 04:50:03 PM »
One quibble...he states there is no reason for neutral...but as a parent with kids and now grand kids...a silent when on bike needs a neutral...somebody will jump on and pretend to drive and twist the throttle and get a bit of a surprise...or one of my lunkheaded friends will twist the throttle while on putting on my helmet or something...

I would hope that at least the bike will be disabled as soon as you put the kick stand down?
Once you go EV, gas is history!

Gavin

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Re: MotorcycleUSA review..
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2013, 05:01:11 PM »
Yes...you are correct

Maybe the neutral is a bit unnecessary, but I still think it has its uses...

Gavin

Shinysideup

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Re: MotorcycleUSA review..
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2013, 01:16:09 AM »
Neutral is useful for lubing the chain and for rolling the bike any distance. IIRC, somebody mentioned that it might even satisfy a legal requirement. My main use, almost on a daily basis, is to let interested onlookers listen to the motor rev in neutral.

The security feature to prevent idiots from making false starts is real: shortly after purchasing the Empulse, an idiot that I know intimately had started up the bike and went to back it out of a diagonal street parking place. The crown of the street was steeper than I had assessed when I rushed into the spot, late for an appointment (or I would have backed IN to the slot), and I had a bit of trouble backing the bike up. Because there was no engine noise, I totally went oblivious to the fact that the throttle was hot. Because I had my head turned to see oncoming traffic behind me, I couldn't see the blinky green lights. As you can guess: I grabbed the grips to give a big haul backward, which activated the throttle and the Empulse lurched forward like  the champ-off-the-line that it is, hit the curb at a 60 degree angle which was enough to throw me off balance, just as the front wheel hopped the curb.

Man, talk about waking you out of your reverie!

One thing I learned (aside from not starting the bike until I back it up!), is that the Empulse is not an easy bike to lift by oneself when the front wheel is on the sidewalk and the back wheel is in the gutter. Who knows... if the bike had been in Neutral, it might have rolled back easier too.

Frame savers worked, BTW. Sorry for highjacking the thread...
« Last Edit: March 05, 2013, 01:28:47 AM by Shinysideup »

Brammofan

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Re: MotorcycleUSA review..
« Reply #9 on: March 05, 2013, 07:46:09 AM »
:o
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Richard230

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Re: MotorcycleUSA review..
« Reply #10 on: March 05, 2013, 11:09:12 AM »
The Vectrix scooter uses a throttle system that when you are stopped, rolling the throttle forward causes the vehicle to back up slowly, is a great idea. It is tough to back into a parking space on a hill when heavy traffic is moving next to the parking lane and even tougher to push the bike backward out of a downward slope into traffic so that you can take off. Having a powered reverse would be a real help, but Vectrix seems to have all of these ideas sewn up.  :(
current bikes: 2018 16.6 kWh Zero S, 2011 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 Classic, 2009 BMW F650GS, 2007 BMW R1200R, 2005 Triumph T-100 Bonneville, 2002 Yamaha FZ1 and a 1978 Honda Kick 'N Go Senior.

BrammoBrian

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Re: MotorcycleUSA review..
« Reply #11 on: March 05, 2013, 11:47:11 AM »
I would hope that at least the bike will be disabled as soon as you put the kick stand down?

Correct.

kingcharles

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Re: MotorcycleUSA review..
« Reply #12 on: March 06, 2013, 03:32:20 PM »
The Vectrix scooter uses a throttle system that when you are stopped, rolling the throttle forward causes the vehicle to back up slowly, is a great idea. It is tough to back into a parking space on a hill when heavy traffic is moving next to the parking lane and even tougher to push the bike backward out of a downward slope into traffic so that you can take off. Having a powered reverse would be a real help, but Vectrix seems to have all of these ideas sewn up.  :(

A simple button for reverse would be fine too. The computer could restrict the throttle to max 2mph when in reverse mode.
Once you go EV, gas is history!