wish of accessories and modification list

[plukcc]

1) a james bond style cool looking pannier case which can attached to the side of the bike for storage of the charger.  (hate to carry it with a back pack, also wish the charger can build in the bike on the coming generation or at least trim down the size)
2) a locking device that can lock the wheel of break, prevent the bike moving while parking on slope
3) new design of side stand which our leg will not be easily hit by the rear set while kicking it down
4) optional colour display, like the ducati 1199s
5) optional larger size of battery (wish we can use the space between the existing battery module)
6) smaller 6th gear ratio (help to extend the milage)
7) modification of the gear box to increase the smoothness of changing gear and reduce the feeling of gear cranking especially during the roll off and roll on of the throttle
more user friendly display of the estimate milage of travel (it seems bounce a lot)
9) last but not least (a fairing sport bike that can ride on street and optional fairing that can use on track

i will buy them all if they all come true ^^

[Jeff]

2) a locking device that can lock the wheel of break, prevent the bike moving while parking on slope

Oooh, I can help with this one.  Go get a KTM brake lever lock. 



Shinysideup discovered it and a lot of us here have bought one.  I keep mine stowed on my passenger peg:



Also, check out the Empulse modifications subforum for a lot of other things people have found!

[plukcc]

LIKE !!!!!!
 

[flar]

A couple of quick notes - the bike prefers higher RPM for both power *and* efficiency, and the transmission works very well with a clutchless shift technique...

6) smaller 6th gear ratio (help to extend the milage)

Just to be sure I am understanding you here, we usually refer to "taller/shorter" gears where taller refers to a gear that can reach a higher top speed (and thus it spins more slowly for a given speed).  That gear would also have a lower N:1 gear ratio number, so I'm assuming that is what you are asking for here?  If so, then that is not the best tactic for this motor - it wants to spin faster for both power and efficiency, so unlike an ICE you want to run it towards the top of its RPM range - around 5K for best power and efficiency on a R motor (which is the same motor as the Spec 32 I think?).

The fact that using higher RPMs means using lower gears which have more torque multiplication makes this sort of a win-win situation.  The motor is better at higher RPMs and the lower gears that keep you at higher RPMs transmit the power better so the bike is both strong *and* efficient.

Don't shift too early or you will rob yourself of torque multiplication and efficiency both.

7) modification of the gear box to increase the smoothness of changing gear and reduce the feeling of gear cranking especially during the roll off and roll on of the throttle

Mine is very smooth, but I don't use the clutch for shifting up, just slight upward pressure on shift lever, ease up on the throttle, and snick - in the next gear without any clutch.  Does that work for you?

A similar technique can be used for shifting down - slight downward pressure on shift lever, ease up on the throttle and "snick" - next lower gear.  But, while it works 100% of the time for me on upshifts, it only works 75% or so of the time on downshifts in which case I just pull in the clutch and do it the normal way.

When the clutchless technique works, it is incredibly smooth and you don't get any motor whine from trying  to match revs with a very low mass motor that loves to spin up faster than you can react.

[plukcc]

Tks for the reply
I understand more
Yes I don't use clutch to up shift
That will be a great news if the next generation got electric shift assist like the BMW hp4

[00049 (AKA SopFu)]

That will be a great news if the next generation got electric shift assist like the BMW hp4

I bet the transmission is gone in the next generation and they go to a single speed like the zeros.

[BrammoBrian]

I bet the transmission is gone in the next generation and they go to a single speed like the zeros.

And I bet not. Single speed is nice if you don't care about performance.  The Empulse product manager cares about performance. 

[Gavin]

I bet the transmission is gone in the next generation and they go to a single speed like the zeros.

And I bet not. Single speed is nice if you don't care about performance.  The Empulse product manager cares about performance. 

I do think that the bike probably could use a 4 speed vs the 6 speed...City--0-45mph, first gear...high speed city or slow highway---45-65mph, 2nd gear....normal highway--65-85mph, 3rd gear....and 4th gear for over 85mph....

truthfully...my bike is in 2nd gear, sport about 90% of the time...all my city driving is in the same gear (and I could do it in 1st gear...but sport in 1st gear gives a bit more regen braking than I like in city driving...I don't use my brakes at all in 1st gear sport...well not till the last 5 mph to zero...i always think the car behind me will not know I'm slowing down...if I brake and regen brake...gah, no car could stop as fast as the Empulse...The regen alone is more than most cars can brake. If I do ride in first gear, I always take Sport mode off...normal mode as much "gentler" regen).

I hardly know I have a shifty bike till I leave the city limits.

but I guess if you have a shifty, might as well go 6 gears...it's what the bikers are use to....but I think the bike would be fine (in some ways better?) with a 4 gear set up....

Then save the 6 speed for the TTX and make the track crowd go that route

G

[Gavin]

I could see it going single speed when the Empulse goes High Voltage like the RR....

But I think that will be a while before costs come down?

I assume the Mission Bike, when it comes out, will be High Voltage as that bike is a single speed...but FAST.

And Beautiful....and crazy expensive

Fast, Beautiful, Cheap...pick any two (a modification of the Fast, Reliable, Affordable saying)

Gavin

[Shinysideup]

There's one big  barrier to a 4 speed tranny: cost. Off-the-shelf will always win that part of your formula.

As to the Product Manager being interested in performance: GO BRIAN!!!

[protomech]

I could see it going single speed when the Empulse goes High Voltage like the RR....

But I think that will be a while before costs come down?

I assume the Mission Bike, when it comes out, will be High Voltage as that bike is a single speed...but FAST.

And Beautiful....and crazy expensive

Fast, Beautiful, Cheap...pick any two (a modification of the Fast, Reliable, Affordable saying)

Mission, Lightning, Brammo Empulse RR are all high voltage .. I think all around 350-370V.

One thing I've always wondered..

Why does the Empulse top out at around 107 mph? It seems like with 54 hp and a multi-speed transmission that it ought to be able to do a little more than that .. my 40 hp semi-faired GS500 could do 110 pretty easily.

It's probably not a gearing limitation (since Shelina was doing 120+ with a race fairing), or motor temperature since the liquid cooling seems to be pretty effective. The power throttling during races seemed to come from motor controller thermals .. so perhaps it's a continuous power limitation by the motor controller? Or maybe the naked Empulse has more drag than I expect?

Has anyone looked at how much power the Empulse uses at Vmax?

The Zero SR is geared so that it's just about traction-limited in acceleration, at least up to 60 mph. Zero claims 0-60 in 3.3 seconds (0.83G linear acceleration), top speed of 102 mph .. pretty damn fast.

Alternatively, you can tradeoff a bit of low-end acceleration with taller gearing. Say 0-60 in 4.0 seconds, 120+ top speed. This would be lighter and at least in the same ballpark acceleration-wise as the Empulse, tested at 4.8 seconds 0-60.

So with "only" 50 kW = 67 hp, you have far more top-end than you can use legally on the street, and still very quick acceleration.

And for race applications, virtually everyone has settled on a big motor and direct drive instead of a medium motor and a transmission. That's a pretty ringing endorsement of direct drive.

[00049 (AKA SopFu)]

And I bet not. Single speed is nice if you don't care about performance.  The Empulse product manager cares about performance. 

No doubt performance is Brammo's spot in the marketplace 

But there is more to performance than just speed, as Promo points out. I wonder how much performance is lost through the extra weight and rotating mass of the transmission? Surly going to a single speed will offer better performance in the near future, but maybe not in the next generation. Otherwise how do you explain the RRs being single speed? 

[mmcguire]

THH I do use the 5th and 6th gears quite a lot but I also only have about 3 points left on my license before I will be required to go back to a refresher drivers course  ...and range has never been an issue for me in HK no matter how I drive but I know that plukcc takes his bike a lot farther than I do mine.

[skuzzle]

It's probably not a gearing limitation (since Shelina was doing 120+ with a race fairing), or motor temperature since the liquid cooling seems to be pretty effective.

I kind of wonder about the water cooling on the Empulse.  The radiator is in the shadow of the front tire, and there is only an inch or two of air space behind it.  It doesn't seem like there would be a lot of air flow.  The RR has a fairly massive radiator that I think is mounted higher.

The Zero SR is geared so that it's just about traction-limited in acceleration, at least up to 60 mph. Zero claims 0-60 in 3.3 seconds (0.83G linear acceleration), top speed of 102 mph .. pretty damn fast.

I think the SR is the first nail in the gearbox coffin.  Much faster with no shifting.  For me the Zero's big weakness is lack of a standard J1772 plug and level 2 charging. 

[Virtually Yours]

Being we making wishes...
I wish to have that 42 tooth sprocket and a the motor controller programmed to give me a lil more juice.
Of course later on when battery tech progresses a higher energy dense pack retrofitted for us early adapters...
Oh yeah maybe an upgraded on board charger that cuts down the recharging time...
Rear sets and those Brammo sliders
I guess this stuff really goes without saying...