The future is funky… and expensive!
Is the BMW CE 02’s quirky styling and easy handling enough to inspire urban riders?
BMW’s CE 02 was first seen as a concept in 2021, before being announced as a production model last year. Looking remarkably similar to its original design brief, it’s the firm’s only bike that can be ridden on an A1 licence, or L-plates.
Tested in its highest capacity (14.8bhp) guise, the electric £8450 CE 02 (as standard) is capable of 60mph and 56 miles of range.
With a thin, 750mm bench seat, 14in rims with oversized balloon tyres, a single-sided swingarm, and comfortable flat bars, it’s a styling departure from the BMW norm - a deliberate move in an attempt to snag a new segment of the market, uninterested in combustion. It’s aimed at the next generation, who were working iPads by the time they started nursery.
Pulling power
The CE 02 may produce an A1-capping 14.8bhp, but there’s also 40.6lb.ft of torque on tap – allowing you to blast away from the lights. Being electric, you get a twist-andgo transmission, with dual ‘Flow’ and ‘Surf’ riding modes as standard. Our test bikes had the optional £880 ‘Highline’ package, which gets you an extra ‘Flash’ set-up. Modes are chosen via the right switchgear, with the button annoyingly slightly out of a reach to operate on the go.
Flash is the sportiest, most direct of the three options, with Surf offering full power and zero battery regeneration when off the throttle for maximum coasting. Flow is designed more for the inner city, with a softer throttle response and some battery regen.
Surf is the easiest mode to use around town, with the lack of resistance off the throttle making for a smooth ride. I rarely switched into Flow, with the power delivery in the other two options still soft enough for slower speeds and tight manoeuvres in the urban jungle.
‘The best thing about is how easy it is to ride’
Zero vibes
Producing no vibrations through the bars, pegs, or seat, and with no engine heat or clutch to worry about, the CE 02 requires very little brain power to ride. Handfuls of throttle are met with a charming whine from the motor.
BMW cite a claimed range just shy of 56 miles on the version we rode, plus a 20%-80% charge time of 168 minutes on a 0.9kW charger. Equipped with the Highline’s 1.5kW charger, this time drops to 102 minutes. I began the day with 98% charge, and finished with 29%, having covered around 32.6 miles of Lisbon’s wiggly road network.
Charging is done via a unit that attaches to the side of the bike and provides power via a standard wall socket. With a cable length of around three metres, it’s a choice that just won’t work for many city-dwellers in high-rise flats.
Both the 13kg batteries can be removed, however BMW made it clear on our launch test that it has been designed with on-bike charging in mind. This is because the technology is borrowed from BMW’s car division – a decision they claim was made to limit the cost and environmental impact.
Ease of use
The best thing though, is how easy it is to ride. It may not have the practicality and weather protection of its conventional rivals (there’s no onboard storage on the full power version), but the seat is low and the steering is light and direct working with the Michelin City Grip tyres to flick around craters in the road with the slightest push.
There’s also ample ground clearance for decent levels of lean, and the non-adjustable front and preload-adjustable rear suspension do a wonderful job of absorbing most imperfections in the tarmac.
Unusually, there are two sets of pegs – use the front set and it feels like riding a silent, torquier version of a conventional scooter, with the back two making it feel more like a conventional small-wheel motorcycle. I preferred riding with the rear-mounted option.
‘Enough torque to blast away from the lights’