First Contact

[FreepZ]

I got to touch a Brammo bike for the first time ever yesterday.
The Harley Davidson dealership in Orlando had an Enertia, and when I found out about it, I went to see it as soon as I could.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to test ride it. The reasons I was given seemed somewhat dubious to me:

• First I was told that the bike was a prototype, and didn't have all the papers needed to be ridden in Florida.
• Next I was told that it was a loaner from Brammo, and since they didn't have any bikes to sell, they were not insured to let anyone ride the bike.

When I had asked if anyone had ridden it at all, the salesman told me that some of them (the salesmen) had been riding inside the building only - which seems a lot more risky than taking it outside. There was the usual joke about range being limited to the length of the extension cord, which makes me think that they are worried about running out of power.

I was also told that the plan for the future was to swap out the battery at "filling stations", which I have never heard of for Brammo bikes. Perhaps he was thinking of Zero.

It seemed to me that we spent a lot of time talking about the range (specifically, the lack of it), only a bit about the advantages like the high torque, and even less about green issues like solar recharging.

Perhaps the range was a big issue because the bike had run out of power (a red light was flashing on the dash), which may have also been why they didn't want me to try to ride it. Or it could be that range was what most of the people at the dealership were asking about. (This was a Harley Davidson dealership after all.)

The bike looked pretty well worn too; scuffs on body and seat, and scrapes on the handlebar tips. Next to the rows of gleaming Harley Davidson bikes the poor Brammo looked like the ugly duckling.

I was most surprised to see how far over the bike was leaning on it's kickstand - almost 45 degrees! Is that normal? (The salesman said it was, but he may have only ever seen one Enertia, and so wouldn't know.)

All in all, I don't think that dealership did very well to sell the bike to me. I'm going back for another look, however, because when I first phoned the dealership I was told to ask for a specific salesman (presumably the Brammo expert), but when I got there, that guy was on his day off.

Also, I expect things to get better when they have bikes that they can actually sell!

[Brammofan]

Wow... what a bunch of misinformation.
The red light you saw flashing on the dash, if it's what I think it was, is just a light that flashes about every 10-15 seconds when the bike is off.  I presume it's to let you know that the bike has some juice in it. 

Yeah, the bike leans over pretty far on the kickstand.  It's a little disconcerting at times, but I've never heard of one falling over.  I bring a kickstand pad along with me in case the asphalt is soft or in case I'm parking on dirt or grass.  One advantage - it makes it easy to swivel the bike around in tight spaces (I'm sure this is not a recommended use listed in the Brammo Owners Manual).

Let us know how it goes when you talk to the Brammo specialist.  However, one part of being a Brammo dealer should be to let ALL the salesmen know not to "dis" the bike and not to misinform a potential buyer.  If they think they can upsell someone who came in to look at the Brammo, and get them on a Harley, then the whole sales plan will fall apart.  (IMO)

[Brammofan]

And, just in case you thought Brammo wasn't paying attention to the forum, go to this page on their site:
http://www.brammo.com/store-locator/
This morning, it listed 12 dealers.  Now, 11 are listed and the Orlando Harley dealer is gone.

[Gavin]

Yeah I would agree that was a pretty crappy first experience.

Every dealership should mention the range and such, but they should first talk about the upside of the ride. And they should mention what the bike is ideally suited for (commuting).

It is not a touring bike. It is not a drag race bike. It is a near perfect commuter bike.

I still think New York City is a place a good Brammo Dealership could sell many many thousands of bikes.

"No gas, no oil. Bring your bike into your apartment every night and never worry about it being stolen off the street. Never worry about parking or riding the subway at night...and heck your boss will likely let you park your bike in your cubicle at work. Plus no looking for a gas station, just charge at home or work. And the 40 mile range of the Enertia gets you anywhere in town and back quite easily...the Plus with 80 miles of range will let you ride around town morning, noon and night."

Gavin

[Gavin]

And, just in case you thought Brammo wasn't paying attention to the forum, go to this page on their site:
http://www.brammo.com/store-locator/
This morning, it listed 12 dealers.  Now, 11 are listed and the Orlando Harley dealer is gone.

Ouch.

I'm surprised there is no Seattle dealership...Seattle, though rainy, seems a good fit for Brammo powercycles.

NYC is a must...a MUST.

The southwest seems like a good fit...great year round riding weather...and we love bikes down here... but really we deal with WIDE OPEN roads...so range is an issue (though many cities in the southwest could be well served by Brammo...Keep to the cities and all is fine,...and I do want a dealership in Albuquerque like yesterday )


And Hawaii....get a dealership there STAT...I head out there next winter for a conference and want to ride around the Big Island on a Brammo



Gavin

[Gavin]

Some of the dealer locations seem strange to me....

Two in Maryland is fine...but Frederick, Maryland? I understand one in Baltimore and one down near Washington, D.C., but Frederick is out in nowhere.

And Orlando was an OK area, but really Miami is better...and a dealership down in the Keys would rock. Islands are great for electric bikes...quiet and range isn't an issue riding around down there....

Gavin

[Deadly Silent Ninja]

Unfortunately, this problem in Orlando kind of reinforce the problem we were talking about with Harley dealerships.
It's going to be a pain in the neck for Brammo to keep an eye for all the different situations people will face in those dealerships. I am sure some will be fine, but what happens when someone who is not in this forum or won't contact Brammo to complain about the way the salesperson talked about the bike. Even worse, what happens if the potential buyer believes the salesperson? It's a tarnish on the brand that will spread quickly.
Good thing that Brammo acted quickly.

[FreepZ]

Well dang! I can't believe that my one negative post was all that it took to pull Brammo out of that dealership (at least I hope that it wasn't). My guess is that there wasn't all that much interest (from the customers, or perhaps the dealership itself?)

If it was (in any part) due to my post, then I feel kind of like I shot myself in the foot, since I was hoping to get another chance to have a look at the Enertia with the Brammo specialist. If they have already been pulled off the list, then I don't know where I will be able to see one (short of taking a plane somewhere far, far away). And if I go back to the dealership, are they going to look at me and say "That's the guy that got us pulled! Get him!!"

I didn't want to give the impression that the sales people were dissing the Brammo, I just got the feeling that they thought that my primary concern would be range, and so the focus of the discussion was about that. Perhaps they (the non-specialists) were just a little misinformed about the bike.

In any case, I don't have any intention of buying anything less than the Empulse, and since those don't exist yet, they didn't have any chance of selling me anything. Oh well. I'll see what the situation is when the Empulse is available.

I am sure some will be fine, but what happens when someone who is not in this forum or won't contact Brammo to complain about the way the salesperson talked about the bike.

Perhaps folks from the forum need to drop into those those other dealerships! Has anybody else been to one of those other places on the list? Let us know if things are better over on your side.

[Deadly Silent Ninja]

Well dang! I can't believe that my one negative post was all that it took to pull Brammo out of that dealership (at least I hope that it wasn't). My guess is that there wasn't all that much interest (from the customers, or perhaps the dealership itself?)

I think your description of the bike itself might have gotten a customer to actually call Brammo to complain. Or they might have just temporarily removed the dealership until they have a functional bike and more salespeople who can actually sell the bike.

In any case, I don't have any intention of buying anything less than the Empulse, and since those don't exist yet, they didn't have any chance of selling me anything. Oh well. I'll see what the situation is when the Empulse is available.

Yep... I hear you. It's difficult to buy what doesn't exist... 

Perhaps folks from the forum need to drop into those those other dealerships! Has anybody else been to one of those other places on the list? Let us know if things are better over on your side.

That would actually be perfect. If at least one of us can go to one of the listed dealerships and describe the experience here, I think that would help both us and Brammo to know how the motorcycles are actually being presented to the public.

[protomech]

Well dang! I can't believe that my one negative post was all that it took to pull Brammo out of that dealership (at least I hope that it wasn't). My guess is that there wasn't all that much interest (from the customers, or perhaps the dealership itself?)

If it was (in any part) due to my post, then I feel kind of like I shot myself in the foot, since I was hoping to get another chance to have a look at the Enertia with the Brammo specialist. If they have already been pulled off the list, then I don't know where I will be able to see one (short of taking a plane somewhere far, far away). And if I go back to the dealership, are they going to look at me and say "That's the guy that got us pulled! Get him!!"

I would be quite surprised if one post on this forum was a significant contributor to a dealership getting pulled -- if that's what happened.

[Brammofan]

I'm pretty sure it wasn't your post that caused it, but perhaps it provided some confirmation of an existing issue.

I think the idea of someone from the forum visiting each one of the dealerships would be great.  Anyone want to volunteer?

[Phantom]

...visiting each one of the dealerships would be great.  Anyone want to volunteer?

I'll visit the dealership in my state and report the experience here. I might also be able to visit the dealership in Rhode Island.

[Gavin]

I think the idea of someone from the forum visiting each one of the dealerships would be great.  Anyone want to volunteer?

I'll definitely visit any dealership in New Mexico and report back....IF Brammo gets a dealership here...New Mexico tends to be "neglected"**....

Gavin


**we are a pretty big state, but have a fairly small population....plus half the people in the US think we are out of the country....had a friend flying from NYC to NM and the freaking ticket agent insisted she needed to see her passport...she had to get the manager to tell the agent that, yes NEW Mexico is in the USofA and not in Mexico.

[WanderLust]

I think the idea of someone from the forum visiting each one of the dealerships would be great.  Anyone want to volunteer?

I'll definitely visit any dealership in New Mexico and report back....IF Brammo gets a dealership here...New Mexico tends to be "neglected"**....

Gavin


**we are a pretty big state, but have a fairly small population....plus half the people in the US think we are out of the country....had a friend flying from NYC to NM and the freaking ticket agent insisted she needed to see her passport...she had to get the manager to tell the agent that, yes NEW Mexico is in the USofA and not in Mexico.

a) LMAO - passport really?
b) Ditto for Az, but specifically the Phoenix area, but as I said on the other thread, I'll drop by some of the motorcycle dealerships in my area and see how they feel about selling Brammos...

[Brammowannabe]

I just contacted the dealership in Pa and she told me I could test drive it around their lot even though i have no motorcycle license and have never been on one.  She did however refer me to bramo.com instead of answering my questions.  (brammo, you really need a comparison page to show the difference between the bikes, it took me an hour to figure out that the enertia and enertia plus only differ by range)  she didn’t seem supper knowledgeable but definitely wasn’t trying to up sell me to a Harley.  (Brommo please DON’T close this branch, I want to buy one lol)  All in all I didn’t think she did a bad job on the phone.  Maybe it would help if brammo reps went out to hold a seminar and train staff of the different stores.