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MEDINA, MN – It wasn’t a question of if Victory would come out with an electric motorcycle when it acquired the motorcycle assets of Brammo back in January, it was just a question of when. That question got answered today when Victory introduced the Empulse TT as a 2016 model that will be in dealerships late this year.
With an MSRP starting at $19,999, the Empulse TT is a sport bike – Victory’s first in addition to being the company’s first electric model – that has a top speed in excess of 100 miles per hour. Charging time is 3.9 hours using a Stage 2 charger (240V) or 8.9 hours using a standard wall outlet.
Victory reports, “In typical riding, the Empulse TT battery provides a rider with a range of about 65 miles, and a range of 100 miles is possible with throttle management and use of the bike’s regenerative charging. In preliminary testing, the bike demonstrated a Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) city range of 94 miles. The bike delivered an MIC ‘combined 70 mph highway and city range’ of 57 miles.”
In a press release, Victory Electric Product Manager Joshua Katt said, “The Empulse TT was developed primarily as an electric motorcycle delivering a sporty ride, but with dual ride modes – ECO and SPORT – to choose from, and the addition of a gearbox, the Empulse TT is a versatile motorcycle that can be used for impressively sporty riding or as a casual commuter.”
Victory said the Empulse TT “shares some DNA with the original Brammo Empulse R motorcycle.” The company worked with Brammo from 2011 until seven months ago when its parent company, Polaris Industries, acquired Brammo’s assets. Since then, Victory engineers and Brammo’s team have worked to improve “battery capacity, display function and handling.”
Unlike other electric motorcycles, the Empulse TT has a six-speed gearbox. Victory says, “The rider only needs to use the clutch when shifting between gears, not for taking off or coming to a stop. When coming to a stop, a rider can leave the bike in gear, or choose to click the shifter down (without pulling in the clutch) to put the bike in neutral. To take off from a stop, the rider simply needs to twist the throttle to unleash the liquid-cooled electric motor’s impressive torque.
“In the Empulse TT’s proprietary transmission, neutral is found between 2nd and 3rd gears, and the transmission can be left in 3rd gear for most riding speeds and conditions. To begin riding, a rider can simply turn the bike’s power on, select 3rd gear (without the clutch), twist the throttle, and go.
“Not all competitive electric motorcycles have gearboxes, so the Empulse TT gearbox gives the bike a significantly sportier feel, and it enhances a rider’s engagement with the bike.”
More info on the Empulse TT may be found on Victory’s website.
– Bud Wilkinson
I think Zero Motorbikes had it right with not having a gearbox.
The Victory/Brammo gearbox seems wayyyyyy too complicated, with all the instructions to remember. When to use the clutch, when you dont need to, when to shift, when you don’t need to, when to put it in neutral, when not to, and the location of neutral.
I think people get used to certain things, and disrupting the norm is not always successful. Even if it is better.