First commute in the rain

[Phantom]

I have been reluctant to ride my Enertia in the rain due to various conditions like slick roads, diminished road visibility, the diminished visibility of other drivers, the puddles, the cold temperature, the wet, and that wet and electric motorcycle does not sound like a good combination.

After reading some posts in this forum, I decided to try it out. It was 40F outside with wind and really strong rain. My helmet has a full face shield and the water droplets covered it quickly which made it difficult to see. I tilted the face shield up so that it stuck out like the rim of a baseball hat. I took it slower than normal and I was careful to avoid hard braking for fear of the rear wheel locking up into a skid.

The Enertia was great in the rain. It felt solid and it kept good traction. I still prefer riding in better weather, but my first rain ride was better than I expected.

[BrammoBrian]

Glad you were able to brave the rain.  Just watch out for any wide white lines (like crosswalks) or manhole covers, as these get really slippery when wet.  I agree that the Enertia behaves very well in the rain and the perfectly smooth and linear power delivery is a big confidence builder when compared to the torque pulses of say a big V-twin.  I'm with you though, I'd prefer riding in the dry any day!  I got enough rain riding experience on the Enertia on the Shocking Barack trip for 2 lifetimes...

[Brammofan]

Damn, but wasn't that a great time?  I remember watching that blinking blue dot on the website, wondering why the heck you guys had stopped at a particular place, going to Google maps Streetview to see what was there, wondering what Schiff was going to do next to try to shame you . . . .

[BrammoBrian]

Ha!  Don't let that video fool you, it was indeed a great time. The infamous "hand warmer" stretch of riding was pretty miserable as it was raining AND very cold (just above freezing), but we hit Pennsylvannia and DC in perfect time for their Indian summer. Schiff was always "on" - there's enough footage left over to make a movie. What ended up getting posted covered maybe 25% of his antics.   

[Brammofan]

there's enough footage left over to make a movie.

And that, of course, begs the question . . . why not?  Just an idea that I know has probably been considered, but why not post the raw video in an online archive that people can download an edit to their heart's desire and make a contest out of it? 

[SamM]

Ha!  Don't let that video fool you, it was indeed a great time. The infamous "hand warmer" stretch of riding was pretty miserable as it was raining AND very cold (just above freezing), but we hit Pennsylvannia and DC in perfect time for their Indian summer. Schiff was always "on" - there's enough footage left over to make a movie. What ended up getting posted covered maybe 25% of his antics.

Well, I guess I'm missing something. How did you go on a multi-state ride from PA to DC on a motorcycle that only has a 50 mile range and takes 4 hours to recharge? Great planning or a support crew are the only things that come to mind. Without that it seems like it would takes weeks.

I'm looking at one of these for daily commuting but it doesn't appear to be a very good trip bike. Could a small Honda generator be strapped on the back of it to increase it's range?

SamM

[Brammofan]

It took awhile.  I think, though, that the time it took allowed the word of the journey to spread.  True, it was done 30-40 miles at a time, which shows one of the limitations of electric vehicles in general, but part of the whole story was about them finding places to charge, talking with people along the way, staying with people who invited them to sleep and recharge, and eventually making it to Washington, D.C.  The whole idea was to follow (roughly) the same route that the Detroit auto executives took when they went to D.C. to ask for the bailout.  At the end of this trip, however, the goal was to give a bike to President Obama.  It didn't quite end that way, but I think the trip served one of its purposes - to let people know about the alternatives they have.

As for strapping a generator to the back of the bike, sure, you'd extend the range, but isn't one part of owning an electric vehicle the environmental advantage of zero emissions from the vehicle?  Another advantage: weaning us off of our dependence on foreign oil. 

I'll admit that electric vehicles have limitations - range is a big one.  It's going to take a slight adjustment to our expectations, to our habits, and to our way of thinking about transportation.  Would you take an Enertia on a weekend ride across the state?  No... that's what the gas bike or car is for.  Most people's daily commutes are, round trip, about 30 miles.  That's about perfect for the Enertia.  Plus, "re-fueling" is free, when you charge at work. 

[Phantom]

I'm looking at one of these for daily commuting but it doesn't appear to be a very good trip bike. Could a small Honda generator be strapped on the back of it to increase it's range?

In my opinion, more batteries would be a better solution for increased range, but more modifications might be necessary.

[SamM]

Posted by: Brammofan
It took awhile.  I think, though, that the time it took allowed the word of the journey to spread.  True, it was done 30-40 miles at a time, which shows one of the limitations of electric vehicles in general, but part of the whole story was about them finding places to charge, talking with people along the way, staying with people who invited them to sleep and recharge, and eventually making it to Washington, D.C.  The whole idea was to follow (roughly) the same route that the Detroit auto executives took when they went to D.C. to ask for the bailout.  At the end of this trip, however, the goal was to give a bike to President Obama.  It didn't quite end that way, but I think the trip served one of its purposes - to let people know about the alternatives they have.

As for strapping a generator to the back of the bike, sure, you'd extend the range, but isn't one part of owning an electric vehicle the environmental advantage of zero emissions from the vehicle?  Another advantage: weaning us off of our dependence on foreign oil. 

I'll admit that electric vehicles have limitations - range is a big one.  It's going to take a slight adjustment to our expectations, to our habits, and to our way of thinking about transportation.  Would you take an Enertia on a weekend ride across the state?  No... that's what the gas bike or car is for.  Most people's daily commutes are, round trip, about 30 miles.  That's about perfect for the Enertia.  Plus, "re-fueling" is free, when you charge at work.

Brammofan,
Building a new home got me started into this energy efficient/alternative energy mindset. I sort of look at myself as an ambassador (to my friends), not so much for the GREEN movement but for the ecologically and responsible stewartship movement. Using less and getting by on less has become more and more important to me. My friends think I'm nuts. Some listen and get it. My quest started with the realization that our homes produce 4 times the amount of carbon than our cars do, why does nobody get that. We hope to have our new passive solar home finished sometime next year. We won't burn fossil fuels to heat it or anything like that. Living in West Virginia, we are bound to the fact that we live in coal country. That will never change and there is little that we can do about it other than use Solar (PV) and Wind Energy for our future electrical needs. That may happen when costs come down. Honestly, electricity is cheap here. I'm not burning the coal in my yard or anything like that. I suppose it is being burnt in my backyard though, so to speak.

In the future, we'll see charging stations that will extend the range of electric vehicles but this is unlikely to happen here in the East for quite awhile. The Brammo Enertia will work for most of my riding. It would allow me to save my gasoline or diesel powered motorcycle for longer trips. As I have said, I'm trying very hard to justify this purchase. I'm looking to spend around $9000 later this year to purchase a longer range more comfortable (than my current dualsport bike) touring bike for trips with my buddies. The Brammo could replace the dualsport for my daily commute and I would convert the dualsport for the longer duration trips. I think that's a better plan as I wouldn't rack up the commuting miles on it and then expect it to go across the country and the get me back home.

On the surface, the Enertia seems like a novelty or a toy to me. No disrespect intended. Without a local charging station I could not ride it into town and then run errands on it. I could run it to Barnes and Noble with my buddies and drink coffee and do a little reading and then have just enough charge to get home but nothing more than that. Anything more would require gasoline. I'm fine with that and it would easily do my commute to work. My boss has already said that I can recharge it at work. I suppose I will call my bank and check on what they think of electric motorcycles. I don't currently have a car, motorcycle or house payment, which is very nice. A small bike payment may be in order for me.

Thanks again for all the great info and for helping me to think this through! I apologize for my endless questions and posts.

SamM