Update: Second video added after the break!

Thirty-six days from now, Brammo plans to send an electric motorcycle called the Enertia TTR across the Atlantic Ocean to the Isle of Man for the first running of the TTXGP zero-emissions time trial. Brammo's entry will face plenty of stiff competition, so it's not surprising to see the team out and about on the roads of Southern Oregon getting their race bike ready for the event. Fortunately, they brought their video camera with them.

We can clearly see that this isn't a completely stock Enertia. At the very least, there's a full fairing to improve high-speed aerodynamics and a reconfiguration of the rider compartment, putting the pilot in a much more streamlined and race-ready position. We're still unsure what mechanical changes have been made to the Enertia platform, but we're patient. Sort of. Click past the break to watch the video.

[Source: Brammo]

Two more of the expected participants in the upcoming TTXGP zero-emission TT race have released a few interesting details on the electric motorcycles they'll be using at the event, and they are both from familiar names. First up is Electric Motorsport, which will be sending two separate machines to the race. Competing in the Open Class will be a lightly modified version of the production GPR-S, and taking part in the Pro Class will be a prototype called the R144, which is based on the chassis from a Yamaha R1.

Another competitor that we're familiar with is Barefoot Motors, a company backed in part by Jamie Hyneman of Muthbusters fame. Barefoot's competitor will be based on a chassis from Ely Schless, its in-house designer, and will be powered by lithium ion batteries and a proprietary drivetrain.

In a fun little bit of pre-race banter, Mary Jo Gresens, chairman of Barefoot Motors, says, "While we don't plan to manufacture electric motorcycles, we're proud to support Ely and sponsor his participation in this event. In the spirit of good competition, we wish our friends at Brammo Motorsports the best in coming in second." You gonna take that, Brammo?


[Source: TTXGP Blog]

Last September, when Brammo Motorsports got a big chunk of investment money from Best Buy Capital, eyebrows arched with the possibility that the biggest of all Big Box electronics retailers might actually sell the electric motorcycle from their own retail locations. Now that it's been confirmed, the initial disbelief has turned into excited anticipation that the long-awaited fully electric Brammo Enertia will finally be available in May, and at 5 selected West Coast Best Buy locations to boot.

Perhaps most interesting are comments that CEO Craig Bramscher made about the future of the bike. "What we're selling is a lot closer to consumer electronics than to transportation," he said, suggesting that on-board cameras that can link up to the internet would be one likely add-on. Basic repairs and maintenance will be carried out by the Geek Squad crew while more intensive work would be performed at various service centers around the country. If this initial rollout proves successful, Bramscher envisions a time when the Enertia and its future siblings would be available at every Best Buy locations around the world. Thanks for the tip, John!


[Source: Greentech Media via Electric Motorcycle Forum]

We're not going to be posting on every single infusion of cash that a green start-up gets, but this one in particular is awfully interesting. First, the specifics: $10 million in funding has been secured by Brammo Motorsports for the production of its Enertia electric motorcycle, with Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital and Best Buy Capital being the two big contributors. That's right, Best Buy. This investment obviously leads many to believe that these new-fangled electric vehicles could show up in the retailer's showrooms. There are a few techy features that seem right up the Big Box retailer's alley, namely the on-board GPS chip and WiFi port, both of which help calculate your total carbon savings over a gas-powered machine.

This round of funding is said to be sufficient to bring the Brammo Enertia to production. When that date will be, though, is still not officially decided. Documents indicate that another $5 million may be made available to the company to facilitate its production intentions.



[Source: peHUB via The Kneeslider]

Covering a conference like EVS23 can be a bit draining. There is so much to try and capture and post on that by the end of the event, I'm looking forwards to falling asleep in my cramped airplane seat on the way home. The last day of EVS23, though, brought with it a special treat: a chance to test out the Brammo Enertia all-electric motorcycle (see video above). With shadows still long on the parking lot pavement, Brammo's lead engineer, Aaron Bland, guided me through the bike's capabilities and gave me some riding tips. Ever since I crashed a Vespa back in high school, I have trepidations on any two-wheeled device that's not a bicycle, but this thing felt good. Not to spoil the surprise, but I'll admit right at the start that if I were to ever buy a motorcycle, the Enertia would be a serious contender for my wallet's contents.

Anyway, back to the ride. Aaron drove around the parking lot a few times. Of all the people at Brammo (and, indeed, the planet), he said, he's the guy who has put the most miles on the Enertia bikes, which, as you can guess, means he hates his job. Once I filmed a few scenes of the bike in action, it was my own turn at the handlebars.

Aaron warned me that the bike might jump at the start, because its throttle map is one of the key sticking points that needs to be resolved before the production model is unleashed on the world sometime next year. Even with his warning, and me moving my hand ever so slightly, the bike did hop a bit as I started. It wasn't uncomfortable or scary, just a "hup!", and then I was on my way.

More, much more, after the jump.