Whoa! There are a lot of implications there. I have heard Brammo suggest they have a superior battery tech a few times, maybe more, but I am really excited for them if they are pulling off what this article says they are.
So they started off selling motorcycles and are now supplying companies with drivetrains. Most companies, like MotoCzysz for example, have tried it the other way round. Funny thing is it seems this fell more into their laps than any grand scheme. Makes me feel confident Brammo's not giving up on their racing anytime soon, as it seems the marketing is paying off.
But relating this to the sale. The sale feels like more of a clearance sale to me. Yes they and their dealers need to get rid of inventory, and this helps that. But with Hollywood Electrics coming back on board as dealer and them clearly trying to move a lot of bikes, it seems inevitable that something bike is coming down the line, and it doesn't sound like a factory closing. I had given up on a street version of the RR coming out next year, last year. Just a vibe. Maybe it is coming but if that were the case, and the Empulse was going to stay as is, then wouldn't Brammo have both Shane and Eric racing the RR against gas bikes? Instead Eric is putting an awful lot of time on the Empulse TTX. And my gut says it's R&D time. Lets face it, Shane is the faster of the two on the RR, so he may very well be the man to keep on the big bike both for slaying gas bikes and for forwarding the development of the RR and hence future bikes. But Eric is responsible for most of the input for R&D, and if they were going to go ganbusters on a new Liter-slayer, I suspect he'd be on the RR still. Instead he's been working the TTX over this season.
So here's my prediction, an all new Empulse for 2015 with new batteries, more range, and if Parker has any say more power, a slightly lower price, and no more thermal cutback after a few laps on the track. I don't thik this will be an RR for the road, just an eveolution of the current bike. The price break is so that you're not all pissed off when the new bike comes out because the new bike won't be that much cheaper than the current MSRPs. You will still be content because you got such a deal. I think what we are looking at is a bike that will immediately devalue the current bike, like with the early iPhones when the next gen came out. Now a days the last gen holds some value for a while. Oh, and Brammo still won't have the bike ready to deliver as soon as Zero does. Sorry guys.