Victory reveals road-legal electric Empulse TT

Just six months after American firm Victory bought electric motorcycle company Brammo the firm has released the first motorcycle wearing a Victory logo and some hefty work to improve it.

MCN has an exclusive ride on the bike in this week’s paper on sale today.

Outside of the United State of America the name Polaris isn’t an everyday name. Many may have heard it before but some will just shrug their shoulders.

To put it into a context that more people will know it worth noting Polaris owns Victory Motorcycles, Indian Motorcycles, it makes snowmobiles, off-road vehicles, the KLIM clothing brand is part of the company, it makes the radical Slingshot three wheeler and recently bought the motorcycle part of the Brammo electric motorcycle company. The firm is bigger than Honda when it comes to powersports in the USA.

Just six months after that purchase of Brammo by Polaris, MCN was let loose on the first fruit from the new era for American firm Victory at a remote racing circuit in Colorado. It’s unlikely the High Plains Raceway is known by many outside the local club racers and trackday users.

What we were there to test was the new Victory Empulse TT; an electric bike that is based around old Brammo Empulse but has been given a technical and cosmetic overhaul, rebranded as a Victory and also plays a part in the almost total reinvention of the Victory brand that has been freed from constraint since Polaris purchased Indian Motorcycles and brought those back to market.

Victory was always the brand that was chasing after the Harley-Davidson customer and, as a result, had to have bikes that could take on a Harley. Now Indian is doing that and Victory is chasing younger, more sporting riders who are open to something a bit more modern, faster and more extreme. This change to the brand image is why Victory went racing at the Isle of Man TT with Lee Johnston in the TT Zero electric bike race and why it competed at Pikes Peak International Hillclimb on a 1200cc V-twin naked roadster.

 

Victory’s press release explains: “Building on the innovative design and engineering that produced the fastest U.S. electric motorcycle at the 2015 Isle of Man TT Zero race, Victory Motorcycles has introduced the 2016 Empluse TT, the first all-electric addition to the Victory lineup.

The Empulse TT features a sportsbike-style aluminum beam-frame, adjustable suspension and strong brakes. With advanced technology this unique new motorcycle delivers outstanding overall performance, zero-emission output and has a torquey electric motor.

“We have always been known for great handling and power, so the Empulse TT is an ideal fit in the expanding Victory lineup,” said Motorcycle Product Director Gary Gray.

“The Empulse TT was developed primarily as an electric motorcycle delivering a sporty ride,” said Victory Electric Product Manager Joshua Katt. “With dual ride modes – ECO and SPORT – to choose from and the addition of a gearbox, the Empulse TT is a versatile motorcycle that can be used for impressively sporty riding or as a casual commuter.”

The key features that allow Empulse TT to deliver a sporty riding experience include: fully adjustable suspension featuring a single rear shock and inverted front forks; dual-disk front brakes; lightweight cast aluminum wheels; the greatest lean angle in the electric class; and a sportsbike-style riding position.

Steve Menneto, VP Motorcycles, said Victory Motorcycles is committed to expanding brand awareness and sales globally, and the Empulse TT will allow the brand to reach more markets. “This is a company that does not fear technology and progressive products and we want to be strong in the electric motorcycle segment,” he said.

The Victory Empulse TT is capable of top speeds over 100 mph and it has a high-capacity 10.4kWh battery. The bike has a built-in battery charger and an easily accessible SAE J1772 plug atop the bodywork to the front of the seat.

The bike’s Brammo Power Lithium Ion battery fully charges up in just 3.9 hours using a Stage 2 charger (available as an accessory utilising a 240V outlet).

In typical riding, the Empulse TT battery provides riders with a range of about 65 miles and a range of 100 miles is possible with throttle management and use of the bike’s regenerative charging. In preliminary testing, the bike demonstrated a Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) city range of 94 miles. The bike delivered an MIC “combined 70 mph highway and city range” of 57 miles.

Victory is in the process of determining global demand for the bike before announcing its sales plan for the EMEA region.”