Brammo unveils a range of Six Speed Electric Motorcycle: Electric Shift in Tack?

Brammo Engage SMS Electric Motorcycle

Good automatic trannys are great for a lot of things like just focusing on steering and throttle inputs without having to worry about which gear you are in while you’re attacking a set of hairpins. But then again, what happens when you’re in a mood to hold a gear to indulge in a spot of tail out drifting on your favorite set of mountain twisties.

An auto or even a semi automatic box simply wouldn’t hold a single gear at the rev limit, thus ending your slide just about when the tail starts stepping out and the slide is beginning. This exactly, was the phenomenon I encountered during the BMW X1 Crossover a few days ago and then again, there was another fly in the ointment called Dynamic Traction Control which worked very hard to keep me and the BMW X1 from kissing the wall at the tighter of the hairpins but refused to let the tail step out beyond what it thought was acceptable.

Brammo Integrated Electric Engine and Transmission with Hydraulic Clutch

On a motorcycle though, an automatic tranny simply doesn’t let you indulge in similar pleasures like wheelies and this is what Brammo, one of the few of the electric motorcycle makers to gain a spot of respect amongst serious motorcyclists, wants to change. Time then to say howdy to a new range of on and off road electric motorcycles from Brammo that features the electric motor integrated to a six speed manual gearbox developed by Italian firm SMRE Engineering.

Basically, this tranny puts the excitement back into electric motorcycles and simply lets the user control what the electric motorcycle does at all times. So, when you want to sit back and enjoy the flat out acceleration, you can do so by shifting at the peak of the torque band or when you want pure speed, you can slot it in the top cog and keep the throttle pinned. This is the level of rider control that Brammo wants to give it’s motorcycles and has thus introduced the six speed manual transmission with a hydraulic clutch.

Brammo Engage SMS Electric Motorcycle

Meanwhile, the electric bikes will go on sale next summer even as Brammo demonstrates the potential of the electric motor mated to the six speed manual transmission at motocross events through the United States and elsewhere. The motorcycles will weigh as much as conventional dirt bikes and will come with comparable performance with a range of 100-130 kilometers per charge on the street.

Prices begin at $ 11,995 for the street going versions. If all goes well and these electric motorcycles deliver on the twin promise of top speed and acceleration, we could very well have the entire electric motorcycle industry undergoing a paradigm shift in the way the electric motorcycles evolve with more and more serious motorcyclists looking at electric motorcycles as a viable option rather than a mere showcase of what electric bikes could potentially be.