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- May 8, 2008
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Last week my neighbor and friend, Mark, and I headed over to the BMW dealership. I wanted to look at the F800GS adventure bike. This is the bike my brother and his friend have decided to get. He wanted my opinion on the bike.
While I was looking at the F800GS my friend Mark sees this cool looking electric bike, made by Brammo. He asks me what the motor sounds like. I said probably nothing until it starts pushing and then you'll here a whine.
A sales rep comes up and introduces himself. Mark says he wants to hear the electric motor. The sale rep gets the keys and promptly obliges us with turning it on and slowly twisting the throttle. The bike instantly whirs to life pushing it forward a few inches as the sales rep grabs the brake to control it from rolling to far. We talk about the electric bike for a bit. A 70 mile range is in no way a viable concept for me as a bike unless you at least put a small gas generator for charging it.
Even with the key on there is no noise what so ever.
Interestingly, the electric motored bike has it torque available at an instant. I don't think it even has a transmission. That thing just winds out! Because of this, the next thing that happens is sort of scary.
I'm back at the F800GS and I look up to see Mark(standing by the bike) and the sales guy (sitting on the bike) talking, as Mark reaches down and innocently twists the throttle. Remember the bike is totally silent when there is no throttle. The bike launches out of the spot, with the sale guys being thrown backwards and he manages to stay on the bike. As the bike lunges forward, Mark's hand leaves the throttle and now the motor stops. This gives the sale rep time to get forward and grab some brake. His eyes were so big I couldn't help but laugh! Poor Mark's look of surprise was of no help! :rof:
The sales rep had left the key in the on position so the bike was live but totally silent. He did do a good save!
Mark apologized and we left the dealership. On the way out the sales guy points his finger at Mark and says, "Don't do that again!"
On the drive home we couldn't stop laughing at all the adolescent,"what if" scenarios we came up with and the look on that poor sale reps face when he took off.
Thank you Mark for a good laugh. That was dangerous though!
While I was looking at the F800GS my friend Mark sees this cool looking electric bike, made by Brammo. He asks me what the motor sounds like. I said probably nothing until it starts pushing and then you'll here a whine.
A sales rep comes up and introduces himself. Mark says he wants to hear the electric motor. The sale rep gets the keys and promptly obliges us with turning it on and slowly twisting the throttle. The bike instantly whirs to life pushing it forward a few inches as the sales rep grabs the brake to control it from rolling to far. We talk about the electric bike for a bit. A 70 mile range is in no way a viable concept for me as a bike unless you at least put a small gas generator for charging it.
Even with the key on there is no noise what so ever.
Interestingly, the electric motored bike has it torque available at an instant. I don't think it even has a transmission. That thing just winds out! Because of this, the next thing that happens is sort of scary.
I'm back at the F800GS and I look up to see Mark(standing by the bike) and the sales guy (sitting on the bike) talking, as Mark reaches down and innocently twists the throttle. Remember the bike is totally silent when there is no throttle. The bike launches out of the spot, with the sale guys being thrown backwards and he manages to stay on the bike. As the bike lunges forward, Mark's hand leaves the throttle and now the motor stops. This gives the sale rep time to get forward and grab some brake. His eyes were so big I couldn't help but laugh! Poor Mark's look of surprise was of no help! :rof:
The sales rep had left the key in the on position so the bike was live but totally silent. He did do a good save!
Mark apologized and we left the dealership. On the way out the sales guy points his finger at Mark and says, "Don't do that again!"
On the drive home we couldn't stop laughing at all the adolescent,"what if" scenarios we came up with and the look on that poor sale reps face when he took off.
Thank you Mark for a good laugh. That was dangerous though!
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