I recently became an owner of a 2016 Empulse TT as part of a $0 trade.
(After about 4 months in shop, Victory was out of options to fix my 2013 Empulse R. It was having a throttle pulse issue and replacing the VCU was the fix. The VCU was already replaced recently so they agreed to replace it under warranty. In the end there was some kind of a software issue and the dealer/ Polaris could not get it to run. So they offered to replace it with one of their gas bikes. As I am a electric vehicle advocate that wasn't going to work. In the end I got to take home the 2016 Victory Empulse TT that Lynnwood Motoplex had on there showroom floor! 90 miles on the odometer
)
I burned through the transmission break-in to get to sport mode and really begin to compare the bikes.
Coming from a 2013, there are a few differences that one wouldn't notice coming from a 2014 - different handle bars, new instrument gauge/cluster - all improvements.
The new stuff (according to me):
- new seat, reviewed by many as being much more comfortable. I think it is slightly more comfortable.
- different motor specs, about 8% less torque on paper. Tough to tell for sure but I feel like I miss that extra torque slightly. It is still very fast!! and lots of fun!!
- I believe that I read the transmission is the same across all generations of the Empulse but it feels refined. Maybe it is slight manufacturing improvements/adjustments. Maybe the clutch on this bike was set-up better than my previous bike. It definitely seems that there has been an adjustment to the regen which delays slightly after shifting leading to smoother operation.
- Slight battery capacity increase. I used to count on 70 miles from 100% to about 0% SOC. I think that 80 miles is a safe distance to count on for combination highway/city riding at a nice brisk pace, but babying it for that last 10%. Could this bike go farther... probably.... if you ride it like a scooter.
- The suspension felt smoother to me. No idea if it is new or not but it felt like it was to me. The suspension on my 2013 began to feel much smoother 5,000 or so miles in. The TT felt like that at 90 miles. (I was off the R for 4 months.
- 160 rear tire. It was said the change was to make the bike more nimble and it does just that.
- You can switch between Sport and Eco modes while rolling down the road
I have always been a fan of the Empulse. I pre-ordered early, waited forever to finally take delivery and have been through the slow uptake of dealers and then the sale to Polaris. I still love the Empulse! It is a great looking bike, the components are premium, and the TT is an actual Victory bike so I assume repair work will be smooth even for several years into the future.
I believe they still have the $5,000 factory discount available on the TT and it is eligible for the 10% federal tax rebate through the end of the month. With that money off, it is a real competitor against the Zero SR and DSR especially when you consider that the TT comes with a "charge tank". but Zero does have more range, especially when optioned up.
