Posts Tagged Wismann
Differences between the Enertia and the Enertia Plus
This list of differences just dropped in, authored by BrammoBrian of the Brammo Owners Forum, a/k/a Brian Wismann, Brammo’s Director of Product Development.
The main differences between the Enertia “Basic” and the Enertia Plus are:
1. New Brammo Power battery providing roughly twice the range. Yes, new chemistry. There are now 2 large battery modules rather than the six smaller ones in the Enertia Basic. The chemistry in the Enertia Basic is Lithium Iron Phosphate. The chemistry in the Enertia Plus is Lithium NCM (Nickel Cobalt Manganese Oxide), sometimes referred to as Lithium “mixed metal oxide”. Both chemistries are well known for their safety and very good life cycle performance. The Lithium NCM has the benefit of greater energy density, which is how we achieve more capacity for the same weight.
2. New motor controller allows for greater configuration options and more robust communications with our VCU (vehicle control unit). This change is mostly transparent to the customer, but may provide more room for growth into “sport” or “economy” driving maps in the future.
3. New forged triple clamp with much improved steering lock and slightly modified geometry and ergonomics. Reduced trail plus the increased lock makes for a dramatic improvement to low-speed maneuverability without sacrificing stability at speed. Bar position is roughly 1″ higher and 1″ back towards the rider which was judged to be more comfortable for all variety of rider sizes.
4. New cast aluminum headlamp brackets clean up the aesthetic of the front end AND make servicing to any of the parts in that assembly much easier (i.e. more room for tools). They also reposition the dash closer to the triple clamp and change the angle slightly. The new brackets were also planned to accept accessories like the windscreen with a simple bolt-on kit.
5. New colors – Aluminium Silver, True Blood Red, Eclipsed Black, and Peacekeeping Blue. The old colors will not be available on the Plus. Black is greatly preferred based on pre-orders.
6. Upgraded motor – This is still in final validation testing. The power level is the same, but the motor features greater efficiency which reduces the heat generated, allowing more performance to be pulled out of the bike before it reaches thermal cutback temperature where current delivery starts to be reduced.
7. Auto-start module integration – The bike now starts with the key switch and does not require the button press. Button has been replaced with a nice stamped aluminum Brammo bull head badge. The bike also charges when plugged in to AC power. No special key position or steps required. Fork does not need to be locked in order to charge.
8. New mirrors, new grips and bar ends.
Empulse at Scuderia West
Just got this picture of the Brammo Empulse at Scuderia West, the newest Brammo dealer in the San Francisco area.
Can anyone identify the other bikes in this photo?
Did anyone at Scuderia get a test ride?
Brammo RR testing at Thunderhill – Videos
Wismann drags a knee. (Photo by Charles Lee http://www.beautifulvista.com)
Jensen Beeler of Asphalt & Rubber crashed the Brammo party at Thunderhill Raceway yesterday, and got some great shots (which you can see over on A&R) while he was at it. Make sure to drop by and check out the great pics he was able to catch.
He shared two videos from the event… number 1 and 5 from the collection, below. Check ‘em all out:
Givi Bags, Graphics, and Some New Events for Brammo
We’ve seen the Givi Bags that Brammo has in its online store, but Brian Wismann has posted some pictures recently of some graphic wraps that will soon be available for those Brammo Enertia owners who wish to update the look of their side panels.
These are pictures of the Enertia Plus — me want centerstand — which will be rolling into the hands of willing buyers any day now. Actually, I have no idea when that will occur but there are many willing and vocal buyers over on the Brammo Owners Forum who want that day to be sooner, rather than later.
Coming Events
Brammo updated its Events Calendar and for those in the Portland area (or anyone else willing to travel to Portlandia) it will be the last weekend of January. Here are the events on the way:
Jan 27th-30th 2011 Portland International Auto Show (Portland, OR)
Chance of Charge Change?
Over on the Brammo Owners Forum, user BrammoBrian (a/k/a Brian Wismann, director of product development at Brammo) answered some questions that have been vexing us about charging the Enertia Plus and the Empulse.
The Enertia Plus will be fit with an 850W on-board charger that will charge from a typical 120V/15A household outlet. As you’ve mentioned, 12A is the maximum current draw to leave appropriate headroom on the line. During the beginning of the charge cycle with the bike near full discharge, the charger will draw 12A for perhaps the first 5-10 minutes, then it tapers off to a fairly consistent 10A for the bulk of the charge. From about 95% onwards, it enters constant voltage mode and the current will begin to drop off to less than 1A at 99% SOC.
At this point, it looks like the Enertia Plus and the Empulse will have a custom connector accessible that will allow them to be “fast charged” from a Brammo off-board charger. The first fast charge stage will allow you to charge at 17A with the charger plugged into an 120V outlet upgraded to a 20A breaker. The second stage will allow charging at 34A with the charger plugged into a 240V single phase household dryer outlet. This project is still in the works, so I may be revealing too much too soon, but I figure you guys (and gals) are here to get the inside scoop, so now you’ve got it…
Suh-weet. The ability to charge in half the time would make a big difference in my “recreational miles.” Right now, if I take a decent ride on a day I’m playing hooky from work, I plug in as soon as I get home, have a bite to eat and then want to ride some more. But at 10-12 amps of juice pumping into the battery, I need to cool my heels for a couple of hours. Either I need to eat slower, or that bike needs to charge faster. Sounds like I might have some options in the future.
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