Victory Empulse TT???

[roma258]

Guess we'll find out tomorrow, but guess what just popped up on Brammo's twitter feed:
http://www.hotbikeweb.com/2016-empulse-tt-victory-motorcycles

[littlefreak3000]

Just give me that seat and those Battery brackets and I'll be happy.

[roma258]

Ok hot take:
1.) Well, this is kind of lazy...and really expensive!
2.) Is this a real thing? Photos look pretty professional, but the press release is amateur hour.
3.) Specs are basically 2014 Empulse R right?
3a.) Ok the battery and range look to have been upgraded, which is nice.
4.) If real, parts availability for the Brammo Empulses shouldn't be an issue for the foreseeable future, aftermarket maybe?

So overall, I'm pretty stoked, even though it's a mildly warmed over Empulse. Polaris did the same thing with Indian in their first year and then started knocking out of the park. This is awesome news, if real.

[Jeff]

More importantly . . . . ABS?

If there's ABS, I'll will be the first in line.

If there's no ABS, I already have one of the exact same bike.

[littlefreak3000]

3a.) Ok the battery and range look to have been upgraded, which is nice.

Where did you see that? Looks like exact same battery specs. Maybe a better range cuz it looks like it has the super light after market wheels on it.

[Shinysideup]

Clicked on the OP link...


"SORRY. YOU'VE FOUND A PAGE THAT DOESN'T EXIST!"

[littlefreak3000]

Maybe they announced it too soon. Brammo shared it on their Facebook.

[roma258]

And Brammo pulled it from their facebook page. Still up on twitter though. Here's the text:

2016 Empulse TT from Victory Motorcycles
This is a street legal electric race motorcycle. Built on the same platform that set an American lap-speed record at the Isle of Man, it accelerates up to 100MPH+ and the battery fully charges in 3.5 hours. Where it matters most, the Empulse TT is fast. It is 10,400 watt hours of proof that Victory doesn’t just prove performance, we advance technology. The sport-tuned inverted front forks and adjustable suspension are engineered to provide track-level performance. It has the fastest battery charging speed, greatest lean-angle, and advanced regenerative braking system. Wherever the Empulse goes, it electrifies all audiences.

2015 ISLE OF MAN TT
Where there is no room for error, we proved performance. The Isle of Man TT is the fastest, twistiest, and gutsiest race on two wheels, the perfect location to introduce the world to our electric motorcycle. For 37 miles, we pushed a top speed of 144.34 MPH. We averaged 111.62 MPH. We set the record for an American electric bike, and it was our first attempt. We didn’t just prove that we belong; we stepped up on the podium, and proudly waved the flag of modern American muscle.

THE FASTEST CHARGING BATTERY ON THE MARKET
The Empulse’s battery fully recharges in 3.5 hours, and up to 80% in two hours. With a battery capacity of 10,400 watt hours, the Empulse TT can achieve up to 140 miles of range per charge. Advanced regenerative braking returns power to the battery every time you let off the throttle, and all this battery technology comes with a 5-year warranty. No matter how you measure it, this is the best performing electric motorcycle battery on the road.

100+ MPH TOP SPEED.SHORTEST STOPPING DISTANCE. GREATEST LEAN ANGLE. RIDER-SELECTABLE SPORT MODE.
You can take the motorcycle off the racetrack, but you can’t take the race out of this motorcycle. The innovative drive train is designed specifically to maximize power delivery and speed, while the dual Radial Mount Brembo brakes bring all that power to a quick stop. The high performance adjustable rear suspension and sport tuned inverted front forks let the rider attack every corner, so no matter where the road turns, you can drag a knee. 

[frodus]

Excited to know that there's a path forward....decent update on the battery, hope there's abs.

Now if I can only get portland victory to do my recall and upgrade the firmware.

[protomech]

Ok hot take:
1.) Well, this is kind of lazy...and really expensive!
2.) Is this a real thing? Photos look pretty professional, but the press release is amateur hour.
3.) Specs are basically 2014 Empulse R right?
3a.) Ok the battery and range look to have been upgraded, which is nice.
4.) If real, parts availability for the Brammo Empulses shouldn't be an issue for the foreseeable future, aftermarket maybe?

So overall, I'm pretty stoked, even though it's a mildly warmed over Empulse. Polaris did the same thing with Indian in their first year and then started knocking out of the park. This is awesome news, if real.

Here's Google's cache of the original page. Looks real to me.

Specs look similar to the 2014 bike. The frame and components appear largely the same, with the exception of the wheels and battery enclosure. 2013-2014 Empulse is 9.3 kWh nominal, 10.2 kWh max .. 10.4 kWh is then either a miniscule bump or about an 12% bump. I'm leaning towards the larger bump in capacity, with 10.4 kWh nominal. But then again.. the charging time is listed as identical to the old charging time..

City range increases by about 9%. Could just be lighter wheels and improved powertrain efficiencies, or a different test rider or set of test conditions. Or could be a larger battery.

Brammo will need ABS to continue to operate in European markets, I believe. Victory's more expensive bikes all have ABS. Why not the Empulse too?

[kingcharles]

I guess we will learn more tomorrow:

[JeffK]

I'm hoping they will release a faired one too

[protomech]

Tweet now deleted from Brammo's feed.

We'll know more in about 30 minutes.

[roma258]

It's real!!! Does a happy dance 

http://www.victorymotorcycles.com/en-us/electric/empulse-tt-titanium-silver-havasu-red

[Shinysideup]

I wanted to express my (misplaced?) concern about the battery brackets.

From the new images, it appears that communication between the battery cases' fins and the outside air has been blocked.

One of the original design features that I liked was seeing the cases exposed, seeing the fins, seeing the air channels between them, appreciating the increased cooling available and, perhaps, the reduction of sail effect in cross winds which could blow through the mass of the bike.

The new design seems to have cancelled all that, reverting to the "big box" approach used by other manufacturers.  Or is my concern merely hot air?