Thinking of buying in Texas

[thehappysavage]

Hi all,

I've been thinking of getting a motorcycle to commute, and was initially planning on getting either a ninja 250R or a CBR 250R. I came across the brammo website however, and I'm wondering if an Empulse would be good for 30 miles of highway riding round trip. I know the Empulse isn't out yet, but is there anybody out there who uses an Enertia or Enertia Plus for mostly highway riding? If so, what kind of mileage do you get? I'd prefer to get an Empulse 6.0 if it will be able to make the trek, but I'm not sure it would have enough range to do so reliably, so I might get the 8.0. If an Enertia Plus can get 50 highway miles reliably, I figure I can probably get the 30 I'd need out of the 6.0 since they appear to have the same battery pack. Anybody know the range with just highway driving?

Another question, I have family in Colorado, so I was thinking of getting them to buy the bike and then reimbursing them. Has anybody gotten the tax credit in Colorado? Do they let you transfer ownership, or do you have to own the vehicle for a certain amount of time to qualify for the tax credit?

Thanks for any help you guys can give me. These look like really sweet bikes so I'm hoping one will work for what I need it for.

Tim

[Phantom]

Welcome to the forum. I ride an Enertia 3.1 to work and only hit 50 - 55 mph for about five minutes. How fast does your highway riding speed need to be? On my closest highways, I need 75 mph to be safe. I get the advertised mileage on my current Brammo. My commute is only 8 - 11  miles each way, depending on my choice of routes, so my Enertia has plenty of range for me. I am planning to upgrade to Empulse for greater range to go beyond my commuting distances. My advice is to buy for more range than you think you need.

Whoever purchases the new electric motorcycle, gets the tax credit in the following year.

[thehappysavage]

I need to go 60 for 13 miles of a 15 mile commute each way. So I'd have 26 miles of 60 and 4 miles of 40 in a typical commute. It's only 30 miles and it's not that hilly, so I'm hoping the 6.0 would be enough, but I'd probably go for the 8.0 to be safe. The 10.0 is out of my price range and would be more than I'd really need frankly. I still have a car for long trips, just want something that is fun and easier on the wallet for the morning commute. Assuming  I'm fine with the 8.0 and I can get the tax credit(it doesn't matter if it takes a year, just as long as I can get it) then I'd definitely prefer an Empulse to a 250. It'd be a lot faster if I need it, and frankly I'm probably just slightly big for a 250 anyways (6-2, 190).

Anybody around the Dallas area have an Enertia? I'd love to actually see one before I chunk down the change for a Brammo bike. They look pretty high quality in the photos and video, but close to $10k is a lot of money to put down for something I've never seen in person. I don't think I'd regret the purchase, just haven't ever spent that kind of money on something I've never seen. Thanks for all your help guys. Good to know that Brammo owners are willing to be so helpful.

[Brammofan]

Nobody in Texas on the Brammo Forum Map.
That's not necessarily conclusive, however.  Surely someone in Texas owns a Brammo...

[protomech]

Here are some range energy usage, based on fairly level, constant-speed travel with little headwind:

70 mph 150 wh/mile
60 mph 130 wh/mile
40 mph 100 wh/mile

Watt hours used are at the pack. Watt hours used at the wall outlet will be 15-20% higher due to charging overhead and pack maintenance.

Your commute should use around 3.8 kwh of energy from the pack, as a somewhat realistic but optimal scenario. Keep in mind also that your range will decrease in cold weather (possibly starting as high as 40 degrees F) and as the pack ages, and you probably do not want use 100% of the pack at any particular time.

Determine your level of risk aversion, and consider whether you are likely to take additional detours or run errands while on the bike.