"We're a little different than your typical Bay Area start-up," says BRD Motorcycles CEO Marc Fenigstein. Right down the street from some of the most innovative companies in America, Marc and the rest of the BRD team are busy changing the face of the motocross industry through their pioneering electric bikes. The Redshift, BRD's flagship motorcycle, is 250 pounds of power and handling all wrapped up in a drop-dead gorgeous custom frame that charges in a wall socket. "Nobody needs electric motorcycles," says Marc, "but we found a way to make everyone want electric: by making them go faster."
On the test track, the RedShift is four seconds faster on a 1:10 lap than the KTM 250, a comparable gas-powered bike. "That's the difference between classes!" says Marc. "Motocross has two full-size classes, 250cc and 450cc. The 250cc is the larger market segment and the more appropriate size/power bike for most mortal humans." Where a gas-powered bike can generate 40 horsepower at its peak, the RedShift "can put down 40 horsepower anywhere."
Moreover, pro riders heavily train their arms in order to endure "forearm pump," the debilitating strain generated from shifting with the clutch with the left hand and cutting the throttle with the right hand. Using an electric motor helps to eliminates this strain, since the rider remains in the same gear the entire ride and only needs to "finely tune" the throttle. For average riders, this is a "huge advantage."
While BRD's motorcycles hold their own on the track, "We own the street," says Marc. Although the gas-powered competition "would never be street legal," the RedShift is built for riders to enjoy both on the dirt track and for trips around the city. Although you may not be able to hear the RedShift "going down the street from inside your house," BRD's motorcycles are "definitely not silent." Marc described the sound as something "like a podracer," with the pitch of the noise "always tied to your speed." In Marc's opinion, this is the "perfect product feedback for the user."
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