Brammo Empulse RR Pack’n Heat At e-Power


Brammo Empulse RR At Laguna Seca. Credit: AsphaltAndRubber.com

I’ll be honest, when I read tweets from Laguna Seca saying Brammo had a shot at beating MotoCzysz or even Lightning I was thinking… “wow, that is a very nice thing to say when the bike Brammo scrambled to prep for the race broke down and you know @brammoCraig is listening… no chance.” Then I saw some tweets that made me think twice.

I hope I’m not the only one who assumed Brammo was going to regear and dress up the 2009 TTR for track duty at the e-Power race at Laguna Seca. After all, the Empulse prototype was visually very close to the TTR. But I think I’m starting to get it now.

First I saw Brammo drop the price of the Enertia 33% just months after it went on sale. I then saw them introduce a 100+ mph electric sportbike with 100 mile range setting a new standard for price, speed and range. Now I see pictures of the Empulse RR up close and it may have finally clicked. Brammo wants to win at everything it does. I thought third place at the 2009 TTXGP was pretty good but to Brammo it is not acceptable.

More after the break…

Asphalt And Rubber covered the changes to Brammo Empulse RR very well in a recent article. I have a few pics and thoughts to add to the conversation.

Empulse 8.0 (above) Empulse RR Laguna (below)

The Empulse RR battery pack appears to be one solid box that replaces the 8 cells in the Empulse 8.0. It may be two boxes mounted with one above and one below but it is hard to tell. Craig Bramscher told me the pack is over 10 kWh. A&R says 12.5 kWh.

The back voltage is also higher than the Empulse 8.0 but Craig did not disclose how much higher. Judging by the stickers on the front, the pack contains Leyden Energy cells. Their website claims their cylindrical and pouch cells can operate safely and stay stable at higher temperatures than other Lithium cells. They also do not produce any gas which prevents bloating and eventual failure.

The picture above also makes it obvious that the top of the rear shock is larger and is mounted further up and closer to the tank. This is most likely a result of the larger swingarm shown in the next picture.

Empulse 8.0 Prototype swingarm (above) vs. Empulse RR Laguna (below)

The Sapa aluminum swingarm on the Empulse RR at Laguna is massive and is no doubt as rigid as it looks. Bramscher says this unit will probably end up on the Empulse production bike. It is easier to see in the picture below but the RR Laguna swingarm pivot is much further forward than the Empulse 8.0 meaning the geometry is totally different.

The rear wheel is also noticeably closer to the motor which could mean one of a few things. The wheel base could be shorter as a result of how they engineered the swingarm. The motor mount is different on the RR and could move the motor further back towards the wheel; possibly to make room for the battery pack and swingarm pivot. With all the hoses on the RR it could be a different motor altogether than the Perm 150 W used on the Brammo TTR.

Regardless of whether the motor is the same or different Brammo put something between the motor and the rear sprocket. Check out the last picture below.

Empulse 8.0 prototype (above) vs. Empulse RR Laguna (below)

The front sprocket sitting behind the rearset/footpeg is not attached directly to the motor. There is some sort of “transmission” (for lack of better word) attached to the motor spindle to transfer rotation to the drive sprocket. My guess is this mechanism is a 1 to 1 gear ratio that allows the front sprocket to be centered on the axis of rotation for the rear axle so the chain tension stays consistent through the travel of the rear swingarm. No gears to change as with most electric motorcycles.

And that’s all I have. Did I miss anything in my over-analaysis of the Brammo Enertia? Brian Wismann, if you read this, please save me the time and document all this stuff huh? Ah, never mind. Your time is better spent kick’n ass with the Brammo team. The rate of change in products and ideas coming out of Brammo HQ is inspirational. (No, I’m not trying to become the next evangelist, my man Harry has it nailed. )

Next time someone asks you why electric motorcycles are cool, point them to this article and ask them the last time their favorite color liter bike ( <- annoying autoplay vid warning) changed this much in one year. The evolution of electric motorcycles is amazing to watch and it has all just begun.

Laydon Energy cells power the Empulse RR

Laydon Energy cells power the Empulse RR

Empulse RR Photos: Asphalt And Rubber