Autoblog

Translogic goes two-wheeling with the electric Brammo Empulse R motorcycle

Seyth Miersma — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:31:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Videos, Motorcycle, Electric

The Translogic crew has trekked northward to Ashland, OR, to ride the epically electrified Brammo Empulse R motorcycle. With a six-speed transmission that enables both huge accelerative potential and 100+ mile per hour top speeds, as well as a maximum range of 121 miles, the Empulse R case on paper is pretty solid.

As it turns out, the case the EV bike makes for itself on the street is rock solid, too - at least that's the impression we're given from the huge smiles in the video below. Translogic also chats with Brammo CEO Craig Bramscher, and catches up with the progress of the racing team. Check it out.

Continue reading Translogic goes two-wheeling with the electric Brammo Empulse R motorcycle

Translogic goes two-wheeling with the electric Brammo Empulse R motorcycle originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Electric motorcycles from Brammo and Zero mix it up in the dirt

Zach Bowman — Fri, 13 May 2011 16:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Motorcycle, Electric

Brammo and Zero electric motorcycles at AMA Mini Moto SX - Click above to watch video after the jump

Both Brammo and Zero locked horns in a little friendly competition during last Friday's AMA Mini Moto SX race in Las Vegas. Brammo pulled the sheets off of a new electric mini bike called the Brammo Encite as well as a full-scale Brammo Engage dirt bike. Fortunately enough for those of us who live far, far away from Sin City, Trevor Doniak was kind enough to strap a camera to his noggin when he hopped in the saddle of his Zero MX. How'd it go? Let's just say that the electric bikes had no trouble overtaking the much slower internal combustion racers that started ahead of the battery-operated field.

Doniak suffered his fair share of falls during the quick race, including more than one tie-up with a Brammo rider. There's even some buzz that he was intentionally trying to unseat Kris Keefer from his Brammo steed in order to ensure that a Zero machine held all three spots on the podium.

Is it true? We can't say either way, but you can check out the video after the jump to decide for yourself.

Continue reading Electric motorcycles from Brammo and Zero mix it up in the dirt

Electric motorcycles from Brammo and Zero mix it up in the dirt originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Brammo Enertia and Icon Motorsports visit Rose City Rollers

Zach Bowman — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:26:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Motorcycle, Electric

Icon Motorsports and the Rose City Rollers - Click above to watch video after the jump

The kids at Icon Motorsports are hitting this whole viral marketing thing square on the money these days. The bike apparel company has just turned out a new video to hawk its wares, and the clip features a trifecta of awesome that the world isn't likely to see again anytime soon. The clip enlists the help of the Rose City Rollers - some of the meanest ladies in roller derby - and includes appearances from one of the most iconic vehicles to ever cruise out of Northern Ireland. That's right, the DeLorean DMC-12.

The final piece of this amazing pie comes in the form of two Brammo Enertia tow bikes. We fully support the idea of adding a little speed to the whole roller derby throw-down, and what better way to do it than to use the full might of a couple electric motorcycles? Hit the jump to take a look at the full clip for yourself, just be warned that it may not be entirely safe for work depending on how strict your overlords are.

[Source: YouTube via Hell For Leather]

Continue reading Video: Brammo Enertia and Icon Motorsports visit Rose City Rollers

Video: Brammo Enertia and Icon Motorsports visit Rose City Rollers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Brammo Enertia Plus doubles down on distance with 80-mile range [w/video]

Autoblog Staff — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:27:00 EST

2011 Brammo Enertia Plus - Click above to watch video after the jump

The 2011 Brammo Enertia Plus doesn't just raise the bar - it hoists it high and threatens to go all Jackie Chan on everything within its newfound extended reach. It takes the 40-mile range of the original Enertia and doubles it to 80 (LA92 drive cycle). It's now easier to charge, simpler to start and turns tighter than its predecessor. Amazingly, with its new "Brammo Power" battery, it still weighs the same 324 pounds and, at $8,995, costs only $1,000 more.

Brammo has been pretty good about using social media to keep in touch with their existing and future customers and not only has the company listened to what people told them about the product, it's taken their suggestions to heart and the Enertia Plus is the proof. Of course, increased range was a no-brainer, but boosting the battery up to a 6 kWh pack really makes the machine more desirable and allows it to truly fulfill its urban commuter mission. Minor complaints about the turning radius that could have been easily shrugged off were addressed with an improvement of the front geometry. Not only does the new bike turn tighter but the handle bars are now an inch closer (the fork offset has been increased and the trail decreased). Brammo engineers have also streamlined the charging and starting procedures. Now, you simply plug it in to charge and turn the key to start.

If you've already bought yourself an Enertia but really really want to upgrade, don't despair. The company is offering a very attractive $2,500 "Customer Loyalty Rebate." As with its new Empulse model, Brammo is also giving away a free bike to one of the first 1,000 pre-orders. To read the official press release and watch a slick and quick presentation of this new and improved urban weapon, hit the jump.

[Source: Brammo]

Continue reading 2011 Brammo Enertia Plus doubles down on distance with 80-mile range [w/video]

2011 Brammo Enertia Plus doubles down on distance with 80-mile range [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brammo announces Empulse, a 100+ mph naked electric streetfighter with 100-mile range [w/video]

Autoblog Staff — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Motorcycle, Electric

Brammo Empulse - Click above to watch video after the jump

Watch yourself, a whole lot of people sitting on the electric motorcycle fence are about to get knocked off. Brammo has just revealed the Empulse - a brand new naked street fighting machine with the ability to carry you to speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Not only is it fast, it also goes the distance, coming in a trio of range-differentiated models. The 6.0 is said to be able to cover 60 miles on average, the 8.0 for 80 and the 10.0 for, you guessed it, 100 rapturous miles. To paraphrase a popular meme, electric motorcycles just got real.

After top speed and range, the next question usually asked about electric tech is the price and this is another area where the bike surprises. The Empulse 6.0 starts at $9,995. If that seems a bit high, consider that's $2,000 less than the price we were originally quoted for the Enertia when we first took that Brammo commuter for a spin a couple years back. Add, or rather, subtract from that the different Federal and State incentives that have come into play and you could see the $13,995 cost for the 10.0 model drop to as low as $7,000.

There are still a lot of unreleased details about this road warrior. While we know the motor is liquid-cooled, we can't yet give you numbers for the horsepower, torque or any of the battery pack specifics. We do expect we'll have them for you long before the mid-2011 delivery date and perhaps as soon as July 24th. That's when CEO Craig Bramscher will officially unveil the company's latest creation at the 2010 Red Bull Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca where the North American edition of the FIM e-Power series is taking place.

Of course, it would be somewhat lame to show up at an electric motorcycle race and not compete and Brammo is promising not to disappoint. They have entered the 15-team fray with an Empulse RR race bike in a quest for both gold and glory.

If you're as impatient as us, you don't have to wait until then to see the Empulse in action though. Simply hit the jump for video of the new machine rolling along a sweet piece of highway and while you're there, check out all the details in the official press release. Game on.

Update: Hell For Leather is reporting figures of 55 horsepower and 59 pound feet of torque.

Gallery: Brammo Empulse

[Source: Brammo]

Continue reading Brammo announces Empulse, a 100+ mph naked electric streetfighter with 100-mile range [w/video]

Brammo announces Empulse, a 100+ mph naked electric streetfighter with 100-mile range [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Onstar, Nano and Enertia win 2010 Edison awards [w/video]

Sam Abuelsamid — Wed, 05 May 2010 08:59:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Technology, Hatchback, GM, Motorcycle, Tata, Electric

The 2010 Edison awards were announced last week and General Motors, Tata and Brammo were all winners for transportation related innovations. GM received a silver Edison award for one of the most useful new features added to its Onstar telematics system last year: the stolen vehicle slowdown that allows the Onstar operators to remotely cut the engine power of a vehicle that has been reported stolen avoiding high speed chases.

Brammo also won a silver prize for its Enertia electric motorcycle. The Enertia has a range of 40 miles on a charge and is available through selected Best Buy stores on the West Coast as well as from Brammo.

Tata Motors won a gold prize for the development of the low-cost Nano, which was developed to be sold at prices starting at $2,500 in India. Tata is now working to adapt the Nano for sale in markets around the world. There's are videos about the Enertia and Onstar after the jump, along with a press release from GM.

[Source: General Motors, Edison Awards]

Continue reading Onstar, Nano and Enertia win 2010 Edison awards [w/video]

Onstar, Nano and Enertia win 2010 Edison awards [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 May 2010 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Cars (and bikes) of CES 2010

Tim Stevens — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 09:25:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Beijing Motor Show

The 2010 edition of the Consumer Electronics Show is over, and so we're looking back with some of the vehicular highlights from the floor, and the sidewalk, and the parking lot, too. The rides on hand ran the gamut from a late '40s Chevy Truck that had been gutted and filled with speakers, to the gorgeous matte Lexus above. There were also bikes, like the Brammo, and we even snagged a picture of the Gran Turismo 5 display, just in case you needed proof that the game does indeed exist in some shape or form, even if it's not due in stores until the year 2037. It's all in the gallery below.

Gallery: The Cars of CES 2010

The Cars (and bikes) of CES 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Jan 2010 09:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Brammo rides Detroit to Washington, 40 miles at a time

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorcycle, Electric

Brian Wismann on the Brammo Enertia - Click above for high-res image gallery

Earlier this week, Brammo's director of product development Brian Wismann along with Dave Schiff of Crispin Porter Bugosky, began a ten-day journey meant to take them to Washington, DC. The trip, which is being chronicled on the site shockingbarack.com, is intended to raise awareness of the company's new electric motorcycle, the Enertia, and electric vehicles in general.

The trek began at Zingerman's deli in downtown Ann Arbor, MI, which just happens to be a a few blocks from this blogger's office. Brian and Dave swung by the office for a visit to show off the bike - which they prefer to call a powercycle - and chat about what it can do. Along the route to the capital, they'll be making plenty of similar stops, partly to demonstrate the bike but mostly out of necessity. While the Enertia is undoubtedly a neat ride, it underscores two of the major problems with EVs. They are expensive ($11,995 for the Enertia) and have limited range. This bike only has a 42-mile range and then takes four hours to charge. That means plenty of short hops to cover the 520 miles to DC. On the plus side, it should only take about $4 worth of juice to make the trip.

Hopefully sales will bring volumes that help bring the cost down. In the meantime, check out the video after the jump.

Gallery: Brammo Enertia: Shocking Barack

[Source: Green Fuels Forecast]

Continue reading VIDEO: Brammo rides Detroit to Washington, 40 miles at a time

VIDEO: Brammo rides Detroit to Washington, 40 miles at a time originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy official sponsor for Brammo Enertia TTXGP race team

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:26:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Green, Motorcycle

Brammo Enertia TTR race bike - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Best Buy has hopped on as an official sponsor of the Brammo Enertia race team, which will be campaigning a pair of electric motorcycles at the world's first zero-emissions motorcycle race on June 12th at the Isle of Man. The news of Best Buy's involvement doesn't come as too much of a surprise since the Big Box retailer had earlier invested a large chunk of cash in Brammo and plans to begin selling the road-going Enertia in West Coast stores on a trial basis this summer. Plus, Best Buy already sponsors a race team that competes in NASCAR competition.

Brammo's TTR race bike is based on the chassis used in the standard Enertia, but everything has been appropriately beefed-up to handle the output of the enlarged electric motor and 100-volt, 8kWh lithium polymer battery pack. Top speed is listed at just 100 miles per hour, but Brammo believes its low 360-pound weight and high-spec suspension bits will help the TTR maintain a consistently high average speed over the 37-mile TTXGP time trial. Click here to download a PDF containing a complete list of the TTR's specifications.

Brammo CEO Craig Bramscher tells Wired.com that the his company doesn't have plans to sell the race-ready of the Enertial electric motorcycle at the consumer level, but there's a good chance a sporty, fully-faired version of the bike will be launched within the next six months alongside a less-expensive, detuned version of the standard Enertia. Click past the break for the official press release and be sure to check out our gallery of the Enertia TTR race bike below.

Gallery: Brammo Enertia TTR race bike

[Source: Brammo]

Continue reading Best Buy official sponsor for Brammo Enertia TTXGP race team

Best Buy official sponsor for Brammo Enertia TTXGP race team originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2009 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New company adopts Ariel Atom in the U.S.

Dan Roth — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:59:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Plants/Manufacturing, Supercars

North American Ariel Atom production has left the auspices of Brammo Motorsports and been taken up by Trak Motorsports Incorporated, which has been working feverishly to put together a sales and manufacturing operation while also working with Brammo to maintain momentum on orders and refits to Atoms currently underway or back for upgrades. TMI started with the Atom as Brammo's Canadian distribution partner, and the company also puts on the Ariel Atom Experience events that have given it a huge amount of practical experience with a fleet of race-flogged Atoms.

Brammo and TMI have held close business ties since before Ariel licensed Atom production to Brammo, and the two companies will maintain a relationship going forward. Brammo will be an official dealer of the forthcoming Atom 3, and they might also supply composite body parts to TMI. Brammo's sales territory and supplier relationship have yet to be fully determined, but don't look for Brammo to fold up its tent and leave the scene entirely. TMI's assumption of North American Atom manufacturing and support comes with a focused determination to produce the Atom 3 in a stable and secure manner from a new home base at Virginia International Raceway, as well as significant outreach efforts to fans and owners of the skeletal track weapon with a modest pricet ag offset by a voracious appetite for high dollar supercars. Thanks for the tip, nakul!

[Source: AtomClub.com]

Continue reading New company adopts Ariel Atom in the U.S.

New company adopts Ariel Atom in the U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ariel Atom getting $6,000 price bump

Dan Roth — Wed, 30 May 2007 08:26:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Supercars

It will soon cost you a lot more to distort your face like putty and suck the plugs right out of your scalp while going deaf. What? Er, make that WHAT!? Right. Well, Brammo Motorsports has a hit on their hands with the Ariel Atom, and they've been forced to add more people to keep the skeletal rocket's production humming along. The $6,000 price increase spares us Dads, by appearing June 18th. That still leaves time for your loved ones to get you a 300 horsepower suggestion of a car. Six grand is a steep price bump - for that price you can build a very nice LoCost. There's also competition sneaking up on the Atom, like the KTM X-Bow and other cars that share the same bare-minimum-with-brawny-motor ethos.

Even bumped by six large, the price is still a bargain considering what the car can do. You'll run with some serious company - and there lies another hidden cost of all these cars - where to drive them? Over the road motoring may hold its own visceral charms, giving you a glimpse of how Frogger feels, but really, the only place to use these things is a track, and track time costs money. Maybe they'll knock some dough off the bottom line if you go without the floormats or radio ... err... perhaps you could charge all your buddies $10 bucks for three laps around the company parking lot at lunch?

[Source: Winding Road]

Ariel Atom getting $6,000 price bump originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 May 2007 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ariel Atom Experience: Coming to a city (maybe) near you

Chris Tutor — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 09:32:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, First Drives

Oh, man, wouldn't it be nice to have an Ariel Atom for a day on a wide open track? North America's hook up for the Atom, Brammo, is offering a few lucky folks just that chance. They're loading up a handful of the lightweight two-seaters and touring North America with the Ariel Atom Experience.

At a few select tracks around the country, only 14 drivers a day will get seat time in an Ecotec-powered Ariel Atom 2, along with professional driving instructors personally teaching you how best to handle them. Other amenities include gourmet lunch, in-car video and photographers capturing that aer-to-ear grin on your face for all eternity. All this is included in the low price of, uh, well, we don't know yet. The Ariel Atom Experience Web site omits any mention of cost, though it does make clear a 50% deposit is due at the time of booking, which makes us think that a day in an a tiny Atom will take a lot of little Benjamins.

To see a list of tracks and dates, click through to the jump.

Thanks for the tip, Eric!

Continue reading Ariel Atom Experience: Coming to a city (maybe) near you

Ariel Atom Experience: Coming to a city (maybe) near you originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Feb 2007 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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