Brammo is introducing their new 2011 Enertia Plus. With an average range of 80 miles and a price of $8995, they’re aiming to convince many more potential buyers that electric motorcycles are economical to own and operate, quiet, clean, practical and fun.
I’ve said before, no matter how much you like the idea of electric motorcycles, range is on everyone’s mind, it’s the dreaded “range anxiety.” Brammo has heard your concerns and the new Brammo Power â„¢ Lithium-Ion battery system with 6.0 KwH (kilowatt hours), delivers twice the range of the standard Enertia, now up from 40 miles to 80 miles. You’re still not going to tour cross country, but for most commuters, 80 miles gets you there and back, you won’t be constantly worried about how much charge is left, then, when you get home, you just plug in overnight and you’re ready for tomorrow.
They didn’t just add range, either, there’s a tighter turning radius plus improved geometry with increased fork offset and decreased trail and the handlebar position is 1†further back.
There’s also optional GIVI Hard Side Bags that I think look pretty nice, priced about $350.
It comes in 4 colors:
• Eclipsed Black
• Aluminium Silver – spelled and pronounced in the British way
• True Blood Red
• Peace Keeping Blue
One more thing, in order to manage production they are are taking no money down pre-orders that are cancellable, but there will be a drawing and someone from the first 1,000 pre-orders will get a free Enertia Plus in their choice of color. That’s a pretty good deal.
If you have no interest in electric motorcycles, the Enertia Plus won’t change your mind, but I’m thinking this price and range combination might get a few more folks off the fence.
Press release follows:
Brammo announces the – 2011 Enertia Plus – an electric motorcycle which can travel up to 80 miles (128 kilometers) on a single charge and costs $8995.
Ashland, Oregon – October 19th, 2010. Brammo, Inc. announced today the Enertia Plus, featuring Brammo Power™ the latest in Lithium-Ion battery technology. The Enertia Plus is available for immediate pre-order and deliveries will commence in 2011. www.brammo.com
Craig Bramscher, Founder and CEO of Brammo said ” I am delighted to announce the highly anticipated next member to our Enertia product line, the Enertia Plus. Taking full advantage of the Brammo Powerâ„¢ technology revealed initially in the Empulse, we are now able to offer consumers twice the range in our Enertia platform. At just a $1000 price difference compared to the standard Enertia, we are offering a truly practical EV motorcycle with unprecedented consumer value.”
Brian Wismann, Director of Product Development added “It’s truly been an amazing experience to watch the Enertia’s capabilities as a motorcycle grow in step with the latest developments in EV technology. As with every Brammo product, the Enertia Plus represents the best of what we know. When we started the Enertia development, I never would have believed such a huge leap in range was possible in such a short period of time.”
Enertia Plus Specifications
• Battery 6.0 kWh Lithium Ion
• Avg. Range* 80 miles / 128 km
• Weight 324 lbs / 147 kg
The Enertia Plus will also feature a number of enhancements including simplified charging, improved maneuverability, plus the option to add a center kickstand and rigid Givi side bags. Customers can choose from four new colors; Eclipsed Black, Peacekeeping Blue, True Blood Red and Aluminium Silver.
The expected MSRP for the Enertia Plus when deliveries start next year is $8995. The Enertia Plus will be eligible for all applicable Federal and State EV tax incentives.
One Thousand Pre-order Promotion
Customers can place their pre order for an Enertia Plus by visiting the Brammo website www.Brammo.com . It is expected that all five models of Brammo motorcycle will be available globally through authorized Brammo motorcycle dealerships including participating Best Buy stores during 2011. As with the recently announced Empulse one of the first one thousand customers to pre-order the Enertia Plus will receive their motorcycle compliments of Brammo.
Enertia to Enertia Plus
Enertia customers will be eligible for a Brammo loyalty rebate of $2500 when purchasing the Enertia Plus during 2011.
Enertia Plus at EICMA
The 2011 Enertia Plus will be revealed at the 68th EICMA in Milan, Italy Nov 2nd – 7th. Also on display at EICMA will be the recently announced 2011 Empulse together with the Enertia TTR and Empulse RR race bikes. After EICMA the Brammo bikes will travel to China for the 57th Macau Grand Prix Nov. 18th – 21st.
*Electric vehicle range is affected by a number of factors including; speed, acceleration, number of starts and stops, rider and cargo weight, changes in elevation, headwinds and road surface.
Link: Brammo
FREEMAN says
That is starting to sound more like a decent range. I’m not sure if this bike could handle my commute since it’s pretty much all uphill on the way to work at interstate speeds, but it’s certainly looking better.
leston says
you ever get so low on your gas tank, gas gauge is on and your just riding E to the next station, anticipating the slow sputter and roll to a stop.
That is what i’d consistently be thinking, counting in my head the miles before i roll to a stop
Bart says
I want the one with the Wankel/alternator/supercapacitor/battery/e-race motor setup from previous article!
WRXr says
I like it. I like their Empulse 10.0 model even more.
Will13 says
No matter how you may feel on the subject of electric vehicles, it’s certainly a power-train option that is gaining momentum.
In the terms of the Brammo Enertia, I think they are working on redefining the term “doing a ton”. Now with an 80 mile range, they are even closer to the magical “100” or “ton”…not in speed mind you, but in range.
JP says
How long until the batteries need full replacement?
These pollution displacement devises salve the guilty, but tend to be worse over all about total pollution over their lives.
I bet you would be far cleaner riding a Honda CRF230L and being as gas conscious as possible. 100mpg is easily possible on one stone stock.
B*A*M*F says
This bike is something I could actually ride to work pretty easily. The price is still too steep for me right now, but I’m looking forward to that changing.
Ola says
@JP
Batteries are for the most part recyclable, as opposed to the burnt hydrocarbons from an internal combustion engine.
Kevin says
JP – Agreed
80 miles, whoop de doo.
My average ride is over 200 miles. So this bike is still far, far off from a gas powered vehicle. Plus my average ride consists of riding fast through the hills. I bet the range of this bike will be much less than 80 doing that.
Kevin says
@Ola
Acid and plastic
B50 Jim says
JP, All manufactured products generate some form of pollution, either in the manufacturing process or in operation, be they a Honda CRF230L or an Enertia. With electric vehicles the power source can be centralized so the emissions are more controllable as opposed to millions of vehicles, each with its own emission controls that could be defective. The technology improvements that are making batteries last longer are also being applied to solar photovoltaic cells, so the Enertia could easily be recharged by the sun. No pollution whatsoever after the environmental cost of manufacturing the components is amortized. This is a winning solution, no matter what the naysayers think. Consider; the operating range on this bike has been doubled in a very short time. Current battery research indicates battery life could be doubled yet again. An electric bike with plenty of power and 160-mile range suddenly makes it a serious competitor to fuel-powered machines. As hard as the opposition is pushing back, electrics will be a force to reckon with very soon. The Enertia looks like a very good bike in all other respects as well — not some cheap little tiddler; it’s a serious motorcycle. I’d certainly consider owning one.
FREEMAN says
@ JP: Their website gives figures on their battery cycles and what type of batteries they use. Someone always brings this up whenever an electric vehicle is featured. However, no one ever stops to think how all that exhaust from the millions of cars around the world is recycled. B50 Jim said it, they’re only getting better. It’s just going to take time. The gas engine started somewhere, and it was no where near what it is today. Nobody even thought about exhaust emissions then.
Greenman says
Not sure I agree JP. 100 mpg is impressive, until….. you start thinking about the actual amount of energy consumed. Gasoline is an energy storage device, just like a battery is. If 1 gallon can move 350lbs of bike and rider 100 miles, how come the same amount of energy can move 2500lbs of car and driver (think econobox) 40-50 miles. On that scale the bike looks awful. Battery bikes will be completely viable before e-cars, because they make up for much worse inherent inefficiencies in bikes and benefit from less excess weight (ie the vehicle itself) to move around.
As someone who rides occasionally and for fun, I think my next bike will probably be electric – just waiting a little longer for technologies (and prices!) to move in the right directions.
dan says
80 miles is definitely getting better but im assuming thats a new battery with a full charge. Im also assuming the batterys range will decrease with age but at what pace. If you have to replace the battery in X amount of miles by that time will the battery only have a max of 50 or 60 miles or something. If this was a viable option for me that would be my concern. But then again im assuming most a lot and dont know much about these batteries, (but thats kind of the point)
woolyhead says
Close but………no cigar. (there’s still no free lunch)
woolyhead says
The electric car is also being held back by charging stations….imagine trying to charge a bike .
Seventhson says
This bike may ease some green guilt, but the overall carbon footprint is not going to change….really folks where does the power generation to charge these electrics come from. Another problem is grid overload. If everyone buys and plugs in their electric commuter cars, and bikes, what happens to our already overloaded electrical grid. This is just as ill thought out as E85 fuel. Alcohol production causes a larger footprint than just producing gasoline.
todd says
Seems good to me. We get a large and increasing amount of electricity from renewable resources in California (go bug your senator if your state doesn’t yet). This will be far less polluting than a typical motorcycle. The batteries are Lithium and are recyclable and the acids are harmless when neutralized.
The local utility company will give me discounts for charging the bike (especially at night) and Uncle Sam will give me at least $2500 in (income) tax credits to buy it. There are decreasing economic reasons not to buy this.
I do prefer to shift my transmission and I like to kick start a bike when given the opportunity; call me old fashioned. In my case, I would probably buy one of these for the commute (32 miles of windy mountain roads both way) and keep the old BMW or whatnot for when I need to feel in touch with my mechanical side.
-todd
Doug says
Just like you can program different ring tones in your cell, can you program different engine sounds to work with the throttle?
A throaty V twin maybe?
Otherwise the silence would drive me to distraction.
Yeti B says
But does it perform well enough for me to be a menace to society on it?
B50 Jim says
I’m sure you can put a programmable sound box on it and make it sound any way you like, from a 3-cylinder Kenny Roberts Yamaha to a Chrysler Hemi.
Thinking about cost of operation — my B50 costs about $7 to fill the tank and runs about 100 miles, polluting like an old tractor all the way. The Enertia would cost a few dimes to charge and go the same distance with the only emissions from the power plant, that is most likely nuclear. It gets better.
todd says
Anyone else notice how, in the first picture, after meeting the nice looking girl at the restaurant, the guy is going to have to leave her behind?
-todd
Adrian says
I wish these were sold here in Australia, I ride about 20-30 miles a day and we have 240v outlets here, so range & charging wouldn’t be a problem. With the Aussie dollar now equal to the US one, surely it shouldn’t cost too much to import it.
As for if it’s just moving pollution, I’d be happy if all the pollution from Sydney’s cars and trucks were moved away from the people instead of hanging over us in a brown haze every summer.
Brent says
I like the concept they have with these bikes but let’s face it $8,995.00 who are they kidding. If they want to produce these competitively with traditional motorcycle companies they need to let high production and good sells pay for their R&D not the first hand full of customers. This thing’s way overpriced! You can get a lot of motorcycle for that price.
todd says
Brent, Brammo already has $11 million in to it so far and are looking (successfully) for another $30M for global expansion. I don’t think they’ll get it all back from their first few customers.
-todd
Woodco100 says
if they were not recieving many millions in federal tax dollars, they would be long gone. E bikes and cars will exsist when the freemkt can build one and make a profit.
I wont get to political, going for a nice night ride now, kinda cool for this time of year, Just saying is all.
Woodco100 says
Seriously, MC sales are down %18 over last year, which was El Stinko. Down almost %50 in 3 years. Suzuki just lowered the price of the GZ250 to under $3k. As soon as the free money dries up, these guys are gone.
Reversed says
I’m not a fan of electric vehicles, being so far stuck in time that I’m a fan of carburetors, but this is, in my opinion, how to build an electric bike. You don’t start out trying to compete with 1000’s like Motorscissors, you make a bike that has good parts and is good at performance and good at range and good at being a bike. Once you make a good bike, you can worry about making a great bike. This thing just looks like an honest, unassuming motorcycle. I might lower the front forks a few inches, though.
Mule says
Seventhson,
As for the footprint, you’re assuming all electricity comes from burning gas, diesel or coal to create energy. How about wind, sun and water. Not all the way there yet, but those are advancing, continually evolving technologies. Try powering a gas vehicle with wind, sun or water. Just ain’t gonna happen!
Yeti B says
Actually, power from wind and sun can easily be converted to hydrogen as well as electricity. Many automotive companies are using this angle to provide lower polluting vehicles. As soon as these technologies become more mainstream in cars it’s only a matter of time before they make it to two wheels.
todd says
Woodco100, please do a little research before making claims against a company.
Brammo receives funding from private investors. According to the SEC they are: Best Buy, Chrysalix, Brammo’s CFO Bruce Gilpin, and Dvid Kurtz of Alpine Inc. (oil and gas exploration firm). A few more are on the way.
To me, this says a lot. Besides the personal investment from the CFO, the fact that they are getting private funding really speaks well of their management of the company and the solidity of their product.
-todd
Mule says
I really like the idea of an electric bike with instant torque and we all know the current challenges of speed and range limitations are being nibbled away at. At least I THINK we all know. Anyway, the new issue of Motorcyclist is packed with electric bike news, latest tech, upgrades etc. And Roehr, the guy who built the Supercharged V-Rod motor’d carbon framed sportbike has a totally conventional looking, fully faired electric bike in production. Other than his though, it’s safe to say the others all look “Odd”. Why do they have to all go with the futuristic, ugly lines like the electric cars (Prius?) instead of just throwing an electric power source at a conventional styling package. Seems like like stacking the odds against success, instead reducing them.
I gotta build one of these fricking things!!!
Al says
Long live The ICE…
jp says
I’d really like to commute on one, but is this 80 mile range highway, city, or mixed? My current commute involves about 10 miles of country roads with 45mph limits, and 35 miles of interstate. I’m all for advancing the state of the art and would
love to lower my energy costs for my commute (I’d be able to plug in at work, since I happen to be employed by a partner of one of the above sponsoring companies).
Does the higher initial investment possibly offset by lower energy consumption appear convincing enough to offset my other contender, the faithful Ninja 250? Guess the jury is still out on that point, particularly since there aren’t many of these Enertia’s roaming the northeast.
Seventhson says
To Mule:
You are absolutely right, not all energy comes from fossil fuel. We have forests of wind turbines that have improved our view of our natural surroundings in places like Palm Springs. We’ve built power dams all over Western America, blocking Salmon runs and increasing evaporation from the lakes created by the dams so the outflow of these once mighty rivers are now a shadow of their former selves etc. etc. What about the overloaded grid? What’s your solution? I sure don’t mean to minimize the contributions of this kind of research and development, but we cannot forget the unintended consequences of what we do.
Seventhson says
What about this for an energy alternative:
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2010/02/22/bloom-box-clean-non-grid-electricity-everywhere/
The Bloom Energy Cell powers Ebay and Google! ! Off Grid.
Dr Robert Harms says
The Enerta just looks so “plasticy”. I did, however order their new bike the Empulse. That definitely looks right
here—http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o268/Rharms1/Brammo%20Electric/
Mule says
Seventhson, not sure you could ruin the looks of Palm Springs one way or another. Maybe remove the 200k mobile home parks, but on the other items, the dams are already built and has one been built in the last 50 years? I doubt it. Salmon taste good, so thats a problem yes. Contrary to what you may think, I’m very concerned about the planet and I do believe that there is a Global warming event in process, although I’m not sure about the cause in spite of what that freak Al Gore thinks. Dam lakes causing exceesive evaporation? Not sure about that one as there’s lakes all over the planet with the same potential problem. So the alternative is to process more oil indefinitely? That’s your “Green” plan?
Let’s try that deabte again, shall we? Actually, I will agree on one point. The dams keep the water from being carried to the sea/beaches which is causing massive beach errosion. That’s a for real problem! And I see that where I live. However, if the sand, dirt, soil, grit, earth were allowed to errode from the river banks and there were no dams, what would be happening to the shores of all these Western rivers then? Whole new problem. I don’t think electric bikes will hurt all these systems really.
e-bike builder says
Well this is interesting however the math really is deceiving. I believe (and I could be wrong) that Brammo is using a PERM PMS120 motor which is an 8Kw motor unless they have chosen the 15Kw version which makes the math more problematic. To say that you will get 80 miles of range using a 6Kw battery pack with an 8 Kw motor is I think “VERY” optimistic. When you look at the efficiency curves of the motor and the actual power availability from the lithium pack I do not see how the math works when you have a run time of less than an hour.