When we test drove the Brammo Enertia and the Zero S last year, we learned three valuable lessons about electric motorcycles: 1. They don’t go very fast (50 – 60 mph was top speed) 2. They can’t travel very far on one charge (35 – 50 miles was the distance) and 3. They’re terribly expensive!

They’re still somewhat expensive, but at least they’re getting faster and proving their ethonomical muscle at the same time.

Today, Brammo demonstrated a pre-production prototype of a new electric sportbike, called the “Empulse,” the world’s first electric motorcycle to have a water-cooled motor.

The Empulse release features a trio of bikes that go over 100 mph, including one model that reportedly travels up to 100 miles on a single charge. Empulse 6.0 is capable of 60 miles average range, Empulse 8.0 is capable of 80 miles average range and the Empulse 10.0 is the bike that can travel up to 100 miles on a single charge. All three models travel distance can be extended by riding at lower speeds.

“We thought it would be 2012 before we would see this level of performance and range, especially at this price,” says Craig Bramscher, Founder and CEO of Brammo. “The development work we have been doing for racing has led us down a path that let us evolve our battery technology very quickly. We think that the future of EVs is actually here now (Or at least as soon as this bike ships and customers take delivery!)”

Customers can pre-order an Empulse by visiting the Brammo website www.brammo.com. Deliveries are expected to start mid-2011 and the bikes will then be available globally through select motorcycle dealerships and participating Best Buy stores. The estimated MSRP for the electric bikes are: Empulse 6.0, $9,995, Empulse 8.0, $11,995, and Empluse 10.0, $13,995. All three models will be eligible for federal and state tax incentives, whereas the 10.0 may cost as little as $7,000 in some states.

If you want to see an Empulse up close, Brammo is unveiling the bike at the 2010 Red Bull Grand Prix at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, July 24th. Later this year, the Empulse will be at EICMA Milan, Italy and at the Macau Grand Prix, China.