Saving/Selling for a new Brammo Enertia!

[SamM]

Some of the information and comments in this thread are redundant but I wanted to post here in the appropriate forum subsection. I've moved from thinking, to wanting to purchase, to actually saving some cash towards a purchase.  

To me, the Brammo Enertia electric motorcycle is a bright turning point in motorcycling history. An affordable electric motorcycle that is both, user friendly and has a range that covers most commutes. Then there's the hard part, getting it out there in sufficient numbers, so that people can actually buy and ride them everyday. Brammo deserves many accolades for doing what others could not. I absolutely love the bike and I can't wait to get one for myself!

My plan for this year, was to save up a good bit of money and buy a new touring type motorcycle to add to my stable. I no longer like big displacement motorcycles. The bike that I have been looking at is the new 2010 Kawasaki KLE650 Versys. My plan for this new motorcycle was to only use it for longer out of state trips, which I rarely do. Maybe once a year! I'd also use the Versys occasionally for local riding on good roads, maybe on the weekends. When looking realistically at it, this is not a smart way to use my hard earned money! My daily driver motorcycle is a 2008 Kawasaki KLR650 that I have significantly lightened and improved upon. This motorcycle project is almost complete and I'll be back on the road with it shortly. I currently have another rather odd project. The new project is a diesel powered KLR. My plan was to build the diesel motorcycle to use for my daily 38 mile round trip commute. The bike would get great mileage, probably over 120mpg but after seeing the Enertia and researching it, I think it would be a much better choice for a commuter motorcycle. No fuel! How cool is that? The diesel project is all but dead, I believe I'm done with it. The next step is to sell off all the parts that I have aquired for the diesel bike. This should be fairly easy to do once I commit to it. Going from diesel to electric is a much better choice! The gasoline powered KLR will work for the majority of my riding when I honestly look at it.

On to the Enertia!  

I work for a large utility company that uses a great deal of electricity. Charging the Enertia at work will not be a problem for me. I've checked and they are cool with it. Charging the Enertia wouldn't amount to a drop in the bucket when compared to our monthly usage. This really makes my choice to switch from the Versys to the Enertia a no-brainer! The new plan is to sell everything. I currently have 3 motorcycles to part out in order to get the Enertia. Last week, I contacted the local Best Buy store to ask if they could get me one. So far, I have not received a reply from the store manager. I understand that this will probably not happen but it's worth a shot. I also asked if they would sponsor me with some cash for my purchase, this would be in exchange for advertising on the side of the bike. As I said, no reply yet. Tomorrow, I will be contacting the local bank that financed my last motorcycle purchase. I will offer them the same deal, cash for advertisement. If they finance the balance of the bike, when I'm ready to purchase I will advertise for their bank for that service. I'd rather not finance the bike but a small monthly payment might be worth it, to get the bike earlier than planned. As of today, I have $2000 saved towards the purchase price of the Enertia. Barring anything unforseen, I will have $5000 on August 1st. If my eBay auctions go well, much more is possible.

I want to thank everyone on this site for all their patience and help with all my endless questions and comments about the Enertia. You guys and gals have been awesome and a great source of real world information on the Brammo Enertia! Most of this is TMI, but I just want to explain where I am coming from on my quest into the world of electric transportation. I'm a motorcyclist through and through!

What color should I get? The green & orange are jumping out at me.

Thanks!

SamM  

[Brammofan]

I'm loving the "advertising supported" model.  I have considered whoring myself out  advertising products on the bike as consideration for stuff... such as gear.

I wonder about the whole Best Buy to Best Buy shipping question, too.  Maybe Adrian or Topher can help with that.

Ms.Brammofan scoffed at me when I told her that most offices have a 110 outlet somewhere behind them so that you can charge while at work.  You will have no problem with that, it seems.

Good luck and keep us updated as you make progress toward your goal. 

[SamM]

Brammofan,
I'm looking at it more like, giving the bike a job. I figure that if people are going to be looking at it and I'm going to be answering questions, I may as well try to make something back. It might not work out exactly as I have invisioned it, but it's a thought. Also, getting the word out might make the Enertia available quicker in my area. If people know that Best Buy sells them, they might be more inclined to ask more questions as to why they aren't available for purchase here. Kinda like Demand and Supply rather than Supply and Demand. It could help the next guy that wants one.

Honestly, it seems to me that Best Buy could put the bike on a Best Buy truck that's coming here anyway, and have it droppped off here without ME paying the extra $500 to a freight company. It's a matter of just talking them into it.

We have outlets everywhere at my workplace. They are located outside of the building but not really in the parking lot. There are obviously numerous outlets inside and in the separate buildings onsite. My Enertia will be charged from inside the building that I work in. Since it doesn't use gasoline there is no problem riding into the building and plugging it in. I work 12hr shifts and rotate every 2 weeks from day to nightshift. My charging will be off peak every 2 weeks, after conditioning the batteries. I'll most likely recharge the Enertia at home and at work. My 19 mile commute on mountain roads will probably require a full charge each way.

EDIT: As I get older, it's becoming more important for me to simplify my life. How many motorcycles do I really need? More has always been better as far as I'm concerned but it's not as important anymore. My 2008 Kawasaki KLR650 will serve as my main trip bike and the Enertia will be used for commuter duty. Here's a picture of the KLR. I've dropped the weight down to less than 350lbs and many more modifications and weight reductions are in the works. Shortly, I will be buying a new LiFePo battery that weighs 30oz. This will drop another 8lbs from the bike. It also has new USD forks from a 2008 Kawasaki KX450F and a RICOR IAS rear shock. It's not just a regular, run of the mill KLR650 anymore. My new Excel wheels and engine mods are on hold until after the Enertia is bought and paid for. 

SamM

[BrammoBrian]

Sam,

Congratulations to you for making the decision, but more so congratulations to Brammo for gaining such a discerning customer.  We are always happy to answer questions as I feel like the product shines more brightly the more the thinking behind it is understood.  That's fantastic that your company is willing to let you charge it indoors! Good luck with the sponsorship pitch! 

As for colors... it's really hard to go wrong.  I've noticed that the orange doesn't photograph as well as the green, but looks really nice in person.

[ALephart]

+1 vote for Orange!

It was'nt my first choice. And on the way home from geting it I was already envisioning what color to paint it. Even had soemone at Brammo look into a special color for me, but quickly change my mind. But honestly the orange gets more looks and stares then any other color!

All the best,
Aaron Lephart

[SamM]

Brian,
Thanks! I really feel as though this is the correct path for me, since we (my family and I) are actually building a GREEN home too. I'm a motorcycle enthusiast to the core. That's what I do, ride bikes! The Enertia will give me the best of both worlds. A great riding experience, which is what we are all looking for but with an eye towards what is possible for our future. One of my riding buddies actually mentioned the Brammo Enertia to me lastnight. When I told him I was thinking about a purchase, he said, "I knew you would be!" I don't expect the Enertia to replace my other motorcycle but compliment it!

ALephart, orange is my first choice! One of my other bikes is a KTM 950 Adventure.

SamM

[Brammofan]

Brammofan,
I'm looking at it more like, giving the bike a job. I figure that if people are going to be looking at it and I'm going to be answering questions, I may as well try to make something back.

I hear you, brother.  I didn't get into this gig with the idea that I would ever end up with a Brammo Enertia (at least not until my last kid made it through college ... that would be in . . . gulp . . . 12 years).  But as soon as I found out I had won it, I had visions about its use as another tool in my arsenal, along with the blog, this forum, twitter, etc.  This is the arsenal I use to get the word out about Brammo and why we need to move away from an oil-dependent economy. 

[SamM]

Brammofan,
Amen to that! I absolutely hate buying gasoline these days. It just really gets to me. We need to move forward and give it up. We're addicted to the stuff. When I'm riding or driving to work and sitting at a stoplight, there seems to be more and more people on the highway everyday. Traffic is crazy! And I live in a small town in West Virginia. I think to myself, where are all of these people going and isn't there a better way to do this. And then I realize that this same scene is being repeated in countless other cities and towns across America. We simply must come up with a better transportation solution. Why isn't someone, doing something? The kicker to all of this is that I am just as quilty as the guy sitting next to me in traffic. If I am not willing to change, then why should he? 

Well, on a lighter note. I just got off the phone with the lady at the bank. It looks like they may help me out. They offered me 3.9% financing on the balance of the Enertia after my $5000 down payment. This will get me on a bike much faster than I had hoped. I'm hestitant but I may go for it. First, I need to find a bike and fill out the application. With a $5000 down payment they really can't say no afterall, they did finance my last bike. 

My quest continues!

SamM

[SamM]

Ok, so now I have a real dilema! Over the past several months I have saved up 4k dollars and now Brammo has a new bike on the market. Which one do I buy? The new Empulse sort of reminds me of my Buell S1W. Cool bike! Will standard handlebars be an option? If not, I will need to adapt it for standard handlebars. I don't need or want clip-ons. I need a standard type riding position. Is it fast off the line?

Recently, I saw Lance Armstrong's new Nissan Leaf commercial. Wow, those look cool too! I need one of those! But not a first model year version. I'll wait a year for the car to be proven. Maybe two!

I guess my money is going to sit in the bank and grow until I have enough to buy both. By then something better will probably be in the works. I'll be parting out my other bikes and putting an additional $1000 away every month. I'll have enough for the bike next year and the EV car in another year or so.

Glad I checked the site!

SamM

[Phantom]

I have a real dilema!...Which one do I buy?

It is great dilema to have. If you think it will take one year to save up, you can make your choice when more information is available. You will have options from Brammo based on new top speeds and ranges. You can choose the bike the best fits your needs from a cost/benefit ratio. I would bet that you choose the Empulse next year.

Will standard handlebars be an option?

Yes, an upright ride posture will be an option. I imagine the handlebars and footpegs would be different than the current prototype to accomodate that option.

Is it fast off the line?

The Enertia is fast enough off the line for me to easily keep up with cars on the road. I would still ike to change the power settings to give it a little more acceleration from a stop, and I think that will be an option in the future. I read that the Enertia is currently setup to prevent the throttle from giving the bike too much power from a starting position for safety reasons. I would suspect that the Empulse will have more motor torque in general and be setup to be fast enough off the line..

[Brammofan]

Hey Sam!  If you're thinking about getting the Empulse when it comes out next year, you should probably go to the site and put in your pre-order.  It doesn't cost anything today - When the Empulse is within 90 days of production, they'll ask for a $500 refundable deposit. 

Basically, it saves your place in line.  If you saw the unveiling and hung around the Brammo tent at Laguna Seca last weekend, you'd see that saving your place in line is a good idea.  They had these pre-order cards there, and there was a steady stream of folks filling them out all weekend.

[SamM]

Honestly, I'd rather not be locked into a purchase by a certain date. You never know what will happen. If a bike is available when I'm ready, I'll buy it. I don't see the demand exceding the supply. You never know though, it could happen. Then there's always the used market. People will probably jump into these without thinking it through. A used bike could turn up.

Since these are only being sold through Best Buy, I'll contact them to see what bikes they have when I'm ready.

Thanks for the great info!

SamM

[SamM]

Well, I finally decided to go ahead and pre-order a 2011 Brammo Enertia Plus. I'm officially 897th on the list. This gives me a lot of time to finish saving up for the purchase. Nobody seems to know when these bikes will start arriving to owners. My bike probably won't arrive this year. At least that's what I'm thinking. They are still a long way from production.

I've made a new deal with a different local bank and I'll be advertizing for My First United Bank on the side of my black Enertia Plus. I'll be using the money from a CD as collateral for the loan, not the bike. In turn, my money stays in the bank, I will get a much reduced interest rate and I'll have 24 months to pay off the new Brammo. The title to the Brammo will be in my hands and I'll never have to make a payment. The payments will come out automatically from another account and I'll never write a check or have a bill come in the mail. Seems like a good deal to me.

Can't wait to get the new Brammo, as gasoline is getting more and more expensive everyday. I think it was Thursday that I noticed that the price had gone up 10 cents overnight. That's a real drag. I hate buying gas these days. I can no longer be a part of it. However... I realistically don't expect to see the Brammo until 2012. As soon as it financially fisable, I'll be buying an electric car. The new Tesla S is looking very good and is available with a 300 mile range. How cool is that! The cost worries me but I'm not buying another new gasoline powered vehicle. The closest Tesla dealer to me is in Washington D.C. All I'm doing now is saving money and repairing my older cars and bikes, until I can go all electric. My wife will soon be working in D.C. so a trip down to the Tesla dealer is in the works. It's only a 4 hour trip.  

SamM  

[protomech]

SamM,

Keep in mind the 300 mile Tesla S is only the highest battery configuration and will be very expensive.

I estimate battery pack configurations of 36 kwh, 54 kwh, and 72 kwh. The unoptioned price for the 160 mile / 36 kwh configuration is $50k after federal credit, I would expect each pack expansion to add $10-15k to the base price. 300 mile / 72 kwh configuration to cost $70-80k base.

It's a gorgeous car, and I'd love to see Tesla succeed as a manufacturer. But they still are a long ways away from producing a mainstream EV.

[SamM]

Yes, I know! That's why I stated that the cost worried me! If I hit the lottery all bets are off!

The Tesla Model S is the upper end of exclusivity. If you're going to dream, dream big. Right! Most of the manufacturers have decided that a 100 mile EV range is about all that's necessary or affordable. At least Tesla has some sense. Hopefully, prices will come down as technolgy improves and range increases. I still find it hard to believe that people are buying 40+K pickup trucks and 350K exotic sportscars with gas costing $3.50/gal. I'd pay 50K for a car that I never had to buy fuel for, but not for one I did. Besides my homes are paid for and I don't have any debt whatsoever. Maybe $300 on a credit card. It took a couple of years but it was worth it. More than likely, I'd save for a number of years in order to buy one. At the current rate that I am saving, I could have 80K in 40 months. Or I could buy 16oz of gold and just wait. I have just about all the toys that I want. Sold my rockcrawler and ATV a number of years ago. I do have one kit car that I'm building but that's a long term project and I may power it with propane or enthanol. 

I will NEVER buy another new gasoline powered automobile. I signed an online petition a couple of years ago, vowing to never do so again. It's cheap wrecks for me until I get an EV. The 2012 Ford Focus EV is probably more along the lines of what I will get. I have a Jeep Liberty that now only takes me and the family to church on Sunday and to work when the snow is deep. I ride motorcycles from March until November. When my Brammo arrives next year, it will replace my current commuter bike. I'll keep the Jeep for Winter commuting and my gas powered motorcycle for bike trips and touring.

Someday in the near future, battery technology will improve, prices will come down and people will finally figure out the EVs are cheaper to manufacture and operate than gasoline powered vehicles. Production will ramp up, the markets will flood and EV prices will come down. Oh yeah, and rainbows will come out of our butts!

SamM