Zoomi Life

Finally, someone in America has gotten together the ability to produce an all-electric commuter motorcycle for production. Brammo Motorsports, in Oregon, designed the new Enertia Motorcycle to fit the needs of the daily commuter in North America as well as to appeal to the aesthetic tastes of those of us who’re tired of the usual crappy looks given to electrics.

It’s got a lot of appeal to those who love motorcycles and those who, well, don’t. It uses no gas or oil, so there’s no stink that’s usually associated with those. It’s quiet, another big bonus to all but the staunchest Harley-lovers, and it has no clutch or gearbox, so no learning how to shift with your toe. In fact, the whole bike is almost totally maintenance-free. But for the motorcycle lover, it’s got a smooth ride, great power, and lots of other bonuses.

To plug the Enertia in, you just plug the power cord into the fuel tank. Yep, right where you’d normally unscrew a cap and pump gas in. The power storage has a bonus: it uses six 12V Lithium Phosphate batteries, which are highly resistant to combustion (something that is a worry on non-enclosed, highway-ready vehicles like this). The best part is the charge time: 2 hours to 80%, 3 hours to full. That’s better than almost anything else out there.

Power? Heck ya! How about 0 to 30 in only 4.3 seconds? This is thanks, in part, to the strong and lightweight carbon-fiber chasis and 17-34 ft. lbs. torque that make this double on the Kawasaki Ninja 250, plus the Enertia is thirty pounds lighter.

Let’s look at the specs on this machine:

• Motor: High-Out Permanent Magnet DC
• Motor Power: 13kW, 18hp (at 3600rpm)
• Motor Torque: 38N-m, 28ft lb
• Battery Pack Capacity: 3.1kWh
• Gearing: Single-speed, direct chain drive (1:5 ratio)
• Top Speed: 50mph (+/-)
• Range: 35-45 miles
• Accel.: 0-30mph/4.28sec, 0-40mph/5.88sec
• Total weight: 275lbs.

Other great attributes to this bike are how thin it is (12.5 inches between the knees) and how exceptionally balanced it is because the batteries (the major weight of the machine’s center mass) are concentrated along the center-line of the motorcycle. This makes it extremely easy to maneuver and keep upright.

The price tag for the Enertia Carbon is around the $15,000 mark, but these are available right now (they began shipping just a month or so ago) and the Standard Model, due for release next year, will be around $12,000 and is available for pre-order.

For around-town commuting, this is a great choice. It’s fun to ride and easy to maneuver, but has drawbacks. First, there’s no storage capacity for your stuff, so you’ll have to wear a backpack and limit what you carry to that. Second, because it’s a motorcycle, you’ll have to park it outside or in a parking garage. Finally, it’s not freeway able, so you can’t use it to commute long distances without some major lifestyle and route changes.

Outside of that, it’s a great ride, a fast get-up-and-goer and it doesn’t make any noise to peeve your neighbors or wake up the neighborhood dogs when you leave for work. For the urban or suburban dweller, it might make a great choice for your commute, but it’s more likely to appeal to those who want style over utility in this case.

Want more information? Check out the Enertia website here.

Wanna see a video of the Enertia in action? Check out this promo video about the Enertia released by Brammo Motorsports: