New York, New York — The Brammo Enertia electric motorcycle recently made its debut in New York City. Much fanfare was given – it was showcased in The New York Times’s Automobiles section on Sunday. There was also a segment on “Good Morning America,” and on Fox Business News.
Daniel McDermon/The New York Times The Brammo Enertia at a media event on Tuesday in Manhattan.
The bike, has carbon fiber extruded aluminum monocoque chassis, and thus feels very light. It weights 280 pounds, and test-riders have commented that it feels more like a midsize dirt bike than a street motorcycle. To compare, Honda’s dual-purpose CRF230L, weighs 267 pounds with a full tank, while the 234-cc Honda Rebel, one of the lightest street-only bikes available, is 331 pounds.
Never fear, the riding position on the Enertia is standard. Controls are arranged in the basic layout, with right-hand throttle and front brake lever. There is no clutch or transmission, so are no controls on the left side.
Test riders reported that the turning radius is wider than expected, “which could make parking and maneuvering in close quarters a bit tricky.”
Test riders also felt that the initial performance was less explosive than some electric-powered vehicles. They felt the bike lacked the “showy, emphatic thrust” of a high-powered street bike. A Brammo spokesman compared the bike’s power output (18 horsepower and 28 pound-feet of torque) to that of a 250-cc gasoline-powered bike.
The retail price of the bike is $11,995.
The top speed is estimated at 55 miles an hour, so the Enertia “straddles the line” between scooter and motorcycle performance.