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Detroit, 4:07 AM
Thu Dec 3
32 posts in the last 24 hours
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11/11/09
I think i'm still gonna be ahead with my little CL350 project tho... hard to beat unkillable bikes that cost $300
11/11/09
You need to think of those side grooves in terms of the tire being leaned over. #brammoenertia
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For those who do have such a commute, there are often other alternatives that make more financial sense (a $3k scooter and $1k worth of gas for 5 years, or $300 worth of bus fare for example) than this bike. #brammoenertia
11/11/09
I'm at 11 miles. Speed limit ranges from 35-45. A scooter that can manage 50+ mph is usually in the 5k+ range, and you still have to pay for gas. I'd consider this at 7k over one of the 5-6k scooters. #brammoenertia
11/11/09
I don't think one could make a very strong economic case, but there are other factors involved as well. #brammoenertia
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11/12/09
But you're right, it was approaching systems collapse. Insurance payout was probably the best that could have happened to me. #brammoenertia
11/12/09
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11/11/09
My commute every day is 23 miles each way. That lets me roll in to work, park and plug in indoors. We have a few coworkers on the overnight shift who bring their motorcycles through the building to park in the courtyard overnight, so their rides won't be molested by our less-than-honest clientele. I fuss at them because of bringing petrochemicals and oil leaks through the building. This would dodge that.
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That being said, I'm still open to electric anything, although a 42 mile range is limiting to basically in-city commuting. #brammoenertia
11/11/09
The motorists there are required to turn their brain off when in a vehicle, it seems.
/lived there four years, pretty country, pretty idiotic population #brammoenertia
11/12/09
I'm living in Portland for the year and have thought about purchasing one of these. Right now I'm commuting by bus an hour each way. At 7000$, the price seems great but that doesn't include any future ortho/neurosurg/icu/funeral arrangements. The roads here are always wet, it's dark by 5pm and I can't imagine that thing makes much noise. I think it's a great bike and I really do want one, somebody just has to convince me I'd live out the year intact. #brammoenertia
11/12/09
Isn't it interesting how it's not rainy much, yet wet from September-June?
I thought it was odd how D/FW and Portland have nearly identical rainfall amounts, yet Portland is though of a 'rainy'. That's Seattle, however, D/FW gets its rain over 8 days...Portland, 8 months.
Noise, contrary to bonehead biker lore, does little to make your presence "known", all it really does is piss people off. Two wheels is ALL ABOUT realizing you are effectively invisible, regardless of passive safety measures (the main one rendered almost worthless thanks to GM's cheapness and DRL's) and always watching for 'outs' for when some idiot cager tries to violate a law of physics.
Two objects, same space, etc.
I know the bus blows, but my wife and I had all the catastrophic orthopedic surgeons busy for a weekend in '01 in the Portland/Couve area. It's not a good thing.
Do I wish I'd had another 'hobby'? A safe one like skiing or some shit like that? No, not at all. Just wish we'd not gone out that day.
And no, I don't ride anymore. #brammoenertia
11/13/09
I guess I'd feel better about maiming myself skiing (something I love) rather than commuting to work (something I suffer-no matter what the mode). Sadly, I also commute much more than I ski so the odds are favorable that that's where I'd crash.
If I can think of a safe way of enjoying one of these Brammos, I'll buy one. Since I can't, I'll have to wait till they make a car. #brammoenertia
11/13/09
I've accepted life is dangerous, and living it properly can shorten it. However, I'd much rather die doing something I enjoy, even if it's dangerous, than having a tree fall on me while walking outta the house, or some other common crap.
What bugs the living hell out of me is people say, "well, I bet you won't get on a deathmachine, again". Um, these are the same idiots who get behind people who nearly die doing other things which are, for some reason, perceived as less-dangerous. Skiing comes to mind, immediately.
Thanks, Hardly-Ableson riding morans...I really appreciate you repeatedly banging into people's heads "loud pipes save lives (and we're all ultra-dickheads about it)". #brammoenertia
11/11/09
However, with the limited use of motorcycles and their relatively high fuel economy, the energy impact of an electric bike is minimal.
With that, the Brammo still a little goofy looking (and has a stupid name), and the rationale behind this over a gas powered bike is a bit iffy, but judged on utility alone, this could make a decent commuter for me, as my commute is 32 miles round trip. I'm just wary of the diminishing capability of batteries. How long could I ride this before it will no longer make it 32 miles on a "full" charge?
I think I'll hang onto my Honda and my Husqvarna. #brammoenertia
11/11/09
11/11/09
There is still not much chance that I'll be buying one, but it does seem that it would suit my commute fairly well. #brammoenertia
11/11/09
I'd be concerned about the safety of an electric bike. They're hard enough to see, and if there's no sound to warn of their presence I'd expect a higher incidence of accidents. Maybe an external speaker playing an engine soundtrack? You'd have your choice of a two-stroke dirtbike, thumping vee twin, or screaming GP bike engine. Or something totally off the wall like a cow mooing or freight train air horn? The goofy possibilities are endless. #brammoenertia
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Even when I am driving on the freeway in mid-day traffic, I can hear a Harley or other big cruiser coming, and I make the extra effort to look around accordingly.
It's the guys on the little sport bikes that scare me, as they are not only hard to see in some situations, but they are quiet as all hell unless they're riding the throttle. They also tend to lane split at inappropriate speeds as well (as in lane splitting at 65 while traffic is doing 50), which makes it that much harder. #brammoenertia
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Seriously though, ear plugs are great on the highway, but not really necessary around town. Maybe I'm unfairly attributing it to the pipes, but I can ride all day on my Triumph and still feel pretty good. I rode a friend's Nightster w/ Screamin Eagle pipes for about 30 min. and I was worn out...but perhaps there were other factors involved... #brammoenertia
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It's nice that we constantly talk about how great it would be to make them, but the hardware needed to support them has not been put in place, save for a very few places.
Assuming that all this needs is a fairly standard electrical socket, that would be a simple enough thing to install in parking garages and the like, but none have even bothered with the thought of doing so.
Until that happens, my guess is that the Brammo is a great option for people who have a motorcycle license and work less than 20 miles away; which is sadly a very small demographic. #brammoenertia
11/11/09
I've recharged electric cars out of my apartment with an extension cord quite a few times, I can get an electric bike much closer to the plug. Sure, not every parking space has its own dedicated plug, but if you're willing to be a little creative you can find juice. It costs like 10 cents to do a full charge on one of these, I hardly think anyone's going to begrudge you use of an outlet. #brammoenertia
11/11/09
Your point about your apartment is certainly valid, but let me give you an alternative context:
I work in a large corporate plaza with a large parking structure, and employees are assigned parking spots. Fortunately, mine is on the first floor where I can easily walk into the back of the lobby, as opposed to other poor devils who have their parking spots several levels underground.
But our parking structure is 800ft x 800ft, and the nearest electrical outlet is inside the lobby behind the security guard's desk. I can't afford to buy 800ft worth of extension cords, let alone store or carry them with me. On the other hand, I can't exactly take a motorcycle in and park it behind the security guard's desk.
This is the kind of thing that I am talking about when I refer to a lack of infrastructure. When places like the corporate plaza that I work in start making accommodations such as provided a dedicated place for electric vehicles to park and recharge for a small fee, those of us with long commutes are somewhat screwed. #brammoenertia
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09/25/09
09/25/09
That is to say, "who knows". I'd like to think there's a two-stroke motor in that bike with the mufflerless exhaust coming out the passenger side, and the Prius has been converted to pure electric.