In 2010 Brammo announced that they would be producing the direct-drive Empulse. After seeing the prototype and meeting "Brammo Brian" at a Scuderia in San Francisco in February 2011, I pre-ordered one. See attached photo taken during the presentation at Scuderia. Then Brammo announced that they would not be manufacturing the direct-drive version but would be redesigning the Empulse to insert an Italian 6-speed transmission and clutch into the drive train system. This process took another two years and during that period most of those 1000 + pre-orders just kind of faded away, including mine.
Not long after the 6-speed version was announced I met the Brammo founder (Craig) at the Sonoma Racetrack and asked him why he would not be producing both the original direct-drive model first and follow it up with the 6-speed version later. That way they could enter the market quickly, build up a reputation for a performance EV and generate new customers and cash flow. If the 6-speed bike was an improvement they could follow up with that version and up-sell it to their customers later.
What he told me was that he was in the business just for the fun of it and that he was sure that experienced motorcycle riders would want the fun of shifting a transmission and that was what he was going to do. I told him that I was potentially a customer for the direct-drive Empulse and if he was going to add a lot of complexity to a completely new technology then I would have to rethink my EV purchase plans and go check out Zero's product. Craig didn't seem too concerned about loosing a customer. And that was when I started to realize that some EV startup founders were flakes when it came to building up a sustainable business. (Hint, hint, Lightning.
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So, in 2012 I purchased my first direct-drive Zero S with a battery pack of about the same capacity as the original Empulse was claimed to have and was happy with my purchase.
