Unleash Your Inner Child: Riding the BMW CE 02

(This piece also appeared on BMWBLOG on May 6th, 2024. You can check it out here.)

“Hey, man, is that electric? That thing is awesome!”

At the recent BMW Media Launch for both the all-new F 900 GS and CE 02 in Las Vegas, I had the opportunity to put the CE 02, BMW Motorrad’s latest electric scooter, through its paces for a day of grooving and shimmying around various landmarks, avoiding unceasing roadwork and traffic jams and mobile ads for zombie burlesque shows (don’t ask), all while exploring the limits of BMW’s latest 2-wheeled runabout.  I wouldn’t be needing my customary ear plugs for this test.

Testing BMW’s Latest Electric Marvel in Las Vegas

I live in the dense urban core of a large Midwestern city, and of late, my most common street sighting has been that of traffic cones and construction equipment.  Thus, for those of us with, you know, cars, access has been pinched and restricted and limited (the “road diet” of which urban planners are so fond), even making quick errands require advanced planning and blood pressure medicine.  What’s a driver (or motorcyclist) to do?

Enter BMW’s solution to this increasingly common urban challenge, both in the US and abroad:  The CE 02.

The Rise of the CE 02

BMW describes the CE 02 as an “eParkourer” Urban Mobility Vehicle, and while I’m perhaps not hip enough to fully grasp that concept, what I can say is, the CE 02 is a veritable grin factory.  As an alternative to a Vespa Elettrica or Honda Grom, the CE 02 is an adorable and lively little jackrabbit.  BMW’s market brief positions the CE 02 as a competitor to all manner of smaller scooters and bikes, both conventional and electric, and even smaller-displacement motorcycles like the KTM Duke 125.  But its real achievement is just banishing urban commuting malaise.

The Design Language of the CE 02

Design wise, the CE 02 is cute as a box of kittens.  You know those impossible Hot Wheels concepts first-year design students dream up every year at the ArtCenter College of Design?  The CE 02 is like that, only doodled on an iPad by a bored high-school kid serving detention.  The look is accentuated by single-sided swingarm and 14” wheels, which lend decidedly playful elements.

Prior to the CE 02, BMW previously released the CE 04, an altogether more sober and sophisticated electric machine.  More substantial in every dimension, the CE 04 can hit 75-mph and carries 509-lbs of bulk, more closely resembling the hypergliding scooter Jeff Bridges sluiced around in “Tron” than a simple runabout.  Its design is altogether more geometric and imperious.  To mix fantasy movie metaphors, think of the CE 04 as the bike ridden by Storm Troopers chasing those pesky rebels on their CE 02 bikes.

Power and Performance: The Heart of the CE 02

The CE 02’s 48-volt electric motor, with output comparable to a 200-cc dino juice burner, is borrowed from BMW’s automobile side of the house, a nifty bit of repurposing.  It’s more than up to the task.  As Oleg Satanovsky, with BMW’s Motorcycle & Motorsport Communications Group, remarked, “If that motor is strong enough to move a 5000-pound SUV off the line, it’s certainly up to the task of powering a 291-pound bike around.”  And how.

Peak motor output is 11kW/15 hp with an optimal battery range of ~55-miles.  Top speed is 59mph, and I can validate that figure.  The motor delivers 15-hp at 5000-rpm and, significantly, 40.5-lb-ft of torque from 0-1000-rpm.  It’s connected to the rear wheel via a double belt drive with a 1:7.8 fixed ratio.
Charging is designed for standard household outlets, though the lack of support for Type 1 or 2 charging stations, and thus access to the growing urban charging infrastructure, might prove to be a limiting choice for some.  The CE 02 has 2 air-cooled batteries for drive, as well as another 12-volt battery used by the bike’s electrical system, and an LED on the traction batteries themselves always shows the charge level. An external 900-watt charger is standard, with a 1200-watt charger optional.

Technology and Simplicity: User-Friendly Features of the CE 02

The CE 02 has three drives modes: Flow, Surf, and Flash.  Flow and Flash both enable regenerative charging, with the friction resistance in Flash being significantly greater in addition to enhanced throttle response.  Think of Surf as “coast” mode.  As with most EVs, regeneration also occurs under braking, and the modes and activity of the battery and motor are displayed in the bike’s micro-TFT display.  For most of my ride, I left the bike in Flow mode to conserve energy, and while I didn’t find the snappier throttle response in Flash to be as pronounced as I’d hoped, the increased regeneration lets you essentially ride with just the throttle; it was my favorite mode of the three.

As is typical of electric vehicles, the CE 02 moves off the line with torquey verve.  0-30mph arrives in 3 seconds, which for an urban machine is more than quick enough to hit holes in traffic or even settle juvenile scores.  On our way to the National Atomic Testing Museum, a local on a Suzuki GSX-R pulled up to admire our little herd.  “Is that thing fast?” he shouted over the din at a traffic light.  When the light turned, we pinned our throttles and left him in the dust.  Yes sir, that will do. (He passed again soon after, howling with laughter, which was a relief since he was brandishing a visible handgun on his hip.  Ah, Vegas.)

The technology in the CE 02 is purposely opaque (“discreet” in BMW parlance), and the simple controls invite riders to try out the bike immediately.  At the media launch, this point was punctuated by presenting the assembled journalists with a line of shiny new scooters and the instruction of, “There they are folks, and the proximity keys are on the seats.  Have at ‘em.”  The controls are simple in the extreme, and we all figured them out within a few moments. The little bike also has the smartphone connectivity expected in a consumer product like this and works with BMW Motorrad’s Connected app to display info such as charge level, charging duration, and last trip info.

All electric vehicles of any sort carry a weight penalty due to the bulk and density of their batteries, and the CE 02 is no exception.  Tipping the scales at 291-pounds, the CE 02 outweighs a fully fueled Honda Grom by 68-pounds, but in practice, that added weight is a nonissue.  Between the CE 02’s low center of gravity and cartoonish tires, you never feel like the weight is doing anything but keeping you planted to the road.  BMW includes a handy Reverse function to mitigate any concerns about pushing the little bike around, but the added weight actually gives the little scooter vastly more substance and presence.

A Day on the CE 02

The CE 02 has a nominal range of ~55 miles, and our day’s route should have gobbled up all that juice.  But after eight hours of hooning around the urban jungle, I returned my bike with 30% of the charge remaining, all down to the magical properties of regenerative charging. (Lesson: I should have used Flash mode more liberally.) So, your mileage may vary, literally.  My takeaway with pretty much all quoted EV ranges isn’t much different from ICE vehicles.

Range is almost entirely dependent on how you use the thing, and thus I tend to intuitively know after a short time how many miles I can go without refueling in a given situation (driving around town in an SUV nets way fewer miles than driving the same vehicle on a long highway journey; duh).  The CE 02 and its ilk are no different.  In practice, that ~55 miles of range is likely more than ample for the intended usage of the little thing; no one is doing highway commuting on a CE 02 or Vespa (and if you are, thank you, hero).

Unlike it’s big brother CE 04, the 02 has zero storage space or cubbies (though an optional phone mount is included with the “Highline” trim).  There are several voids that seemingly could have been morphed into some useful storage spots, but that would have inevitably compromised the minimalist design, so it was clearly an intentional omission.  BMW Motorrad offers a bevy of fun accessories for the CE 02, including a top case, rear case, and several side case options, so anyone wanting to add a tad more utility can do so.  But out of the box, the CE 02 is very much a “toss on a backpack or messenger bag and scoot” sort of proposition.

Customization and Accessories: Personalizing the CE 02

The machine is primed for individualization.  Our test bikes came in “Cosmic Black 2” finish  and included the “Highline Package” that brings various fun and helpful goodies (including enabling the Flash drive mode), so the bikes were far from strippers. The “Price as Tested” was $9,069 when all the various packages were added up.

Our test bikes had both front and rear foot pegs, the rear ostensibly for passengers, but our group generally favored those rear foot pegs for a “Speed Racer” mode of riding, legs bent backwards with weight over the handlebars.  The negative about this position was that the seat edge tended to cut into your inner thighs a bit, so I hope some enterprising after-market firm will create a “Speed Seat” for the CE 02 that resolves this.  (The positive about this position was that it was flippin’ fun.) In fact, the entire bike seems primed for an R nineT motorcycle type of after-market accessory ecosystem, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see such a seat and many other items appearing soon.

Market Positioning and Potential: Is the CE 02 a Lifestyle Revolution?

This points to a real marketing question for the CE 02: Is BMW prepared to segment the machine into the “lifestyle brand” space, as Ducati did with their Scrambler line?  This little bike cries out for just that sort of special treatment and would help it to avoid the rather “meh” response received by the CE 04 in the US.  (On a recent visit to Paris, I saw more CE 04s in one day that I have in the entirety of the States since their launch.)

The folks who seek out a BMW Motorrad shop for a stately K 1600 GTL or uber-serious GS or go-fast S100RR are not the folks who will accessorize a CE 02 with their latest sneaks.  The CE 02 needs to be seen and played with to be really appreciated, and I hope BMW’s marketing and branding folks are busy exploring various tie-ins with non-traditional outlets.  If Yeti can make ice coolers into an upscale hipster totem, BMW certainly has the making for such a branding hit with the CE 02.

Designed in Germany, built in India, with a motor from France, not to mention a design that looks like the lovechild of a Brooklyn coffee shop and the Venice Beach boardwalk, the CE 02 has genuine global bona fides.  That in itself is cool and plays into the “Global Citizen” vibe of the hipster set.

Is BMW up to the task of positioning this unique machine?  And maybe more importantly, is the US urban market ready to adopt such a premium electric scooter?  Time will tell, but for all fans of pure joy, I sure hope so.  How much did I like the new BMW CE 02?  I haven’t had that much fun since I stopped putting playing cards in my bicycle spokes.

"From Berlin to Die Weite Straße (the Wide-Open Road)"

(This piece originally appeared on BMWBLOG on August 20, 2021. You can check it out here.)

Close your eyes and imagine a classic BMW bike from days gone by, then open your eyes and look at the newly launched R18 B and Transcontinental models. The marque’s family heritage is immediately apparent. Recently, I was in the foothills of the Rockies outside of Denver for the launch of these two new motorcycles, designed to appeal to the enthusiast cruiser crowd but also to showcase BMW Motorrad’s long history of designing and building interesting, characterful machines. The two new bikes do not disappoint.

While both bikes are based on BMW’s “standard” R18, the R18 B (for “Bagger”) and Transcontinental are fraternal twins differentiated by subtle, though meaningful, differences. The Transcontinental is essentially an R18 B outfitted for greater comfort and appointed for traveling with a partner on the back. Specifically, this amounts to the addition of a substantial top-trunk with an integrated passenger backrest, and an extended windscreen on the handlebar-mounted fairing, along with some other subtle additions to aid long-distance cruising with a passenger.

Concept Show Looks

The R18 was released in 2020 to much fanfare, as it was BMW’s first foray back into the true cruiser market since the R1200C exited in 2000. That bike was a retro-futuristic design hamstrung by a relatively tepid engine, while the R18’s styling has a clear lineage dating all the way back to the R5.

BMW R18 Concept

As with BMW’s jackrabbit R nineT, the R18 has spawned several iterations. To date, the R18 models include the R18, Classic, and now B and Transcontinental iterations (both available as First Editions). If the standard R18 is more the natural stablemate to the Harley Fat Boy, Indian Scout, Ducati Diavel 1260, and even Triumph Rocket 3 R, the new R18 variants have different competition in mind.

Baggers (essentially cruisers with hard-shell bags) occupy a unique and versatile place in the motorcycle firmament.  At once useful and stylish, a bagger exudes overt attitude but also unmistakable usefulness.  Intimidating and imposing while rumbling down the street, they’re also practical and comfy when plying greater distances.  The latest R18 models fully exhibit these characteristics. With apologies to Lowell George: Tucson to Tucumcari? No problem. Tehachapi to Tonopah? No sweat. If Easy Rider were remade today, Captain America would likely be riding a bagger.

At once nostalgic yet entirely modern, there’s something wonderfully unexpected about the design of all of versions of R18 bikes.  It’s as if the Motorrad’s skunkworks worked with their Marketing folks to make a nostalgic splash for a BMW show display, then somehow managed to sneak the bike onto the production line.  From the front forks sheathed in cladding to partially hide the slider tubes, to the nickel-plated driveshaft, to vintage pinstriping, the detailing and appointments of the bike just seem entirely improbable to have come from a factory bike.  Smile-inducing to be sure.

German Technology and British Sound

As expected with BMW machines, both bikes come festooned with all manner of technology. Most functions are controlled through a bright, responsive 10.25” TFT color display, which is slung beneath four retro gauges (one of which is a cool “Power Reserve” similar to that found on BMW’s sister company Rolls Royce cars). And how can you not love the “Berlin Built” script on one of the instrument dials and several of the fluid reservoirs?

Dynamic Cruise Control maintains the bike’s speed (even when riding downhill), and the optional Active Cruise Control uses radar sensors to maintain a set distance from vehicles in front (and adjusts speeds during cornering). This system is similar to that on Ducati’s Multistrada V4 S models (called Adaptive Cruise Control by the Italians). The list of electronic aids is comprehensive and easily accessed by logical controls on the left handlebar.

Both bikes have LED lighting throughout (the most powerful headlights on any production motorcycle, incidentally), with the option of BMW’s Adaptive Headlights, a system which turns the headlight into a bend to compensate for both lean angle and pitch. ABS is standard, as are a multitude of additional rider aids (Active Stability Control, three riding modes, engine braking control, and the aforementioned cruise control features). Navigation requires a linked mobile phone connection, but there’s a useful carrying compartment for a phone (with USB-C port) built into the tank.

But baggers are all about cool, so I’ll pose this question: What do the rock-and-roll tunes Runnin’ with the Devil (Van Halen), Back in Black (AC/DC), Foxey Lady (Jimi Hendrix), and Crossroads (Cream) have in common? Answer: They were all played through Marshall amps. The British manufacturer has partnered with BMW to equip these new R18 models with a new integrated sound system, and it certainly gets the Led out (Jimmy Page reference very much intended). It’s two optional configurations produce clear, clean sound even at higher speeds, and the Marshall logo script lettering built into the speaker grills provides a nice retro touch.

“Big Boxer” is Big Fun

BMWBLOG laid out the mechanical particulars of these news bikes in late-July when they were officially announced, but to recap: Both of these bikes are built around BMW’s new “Big Boxer” engine, an air/oil cooled 1802cc 2-cylinder boxer engine which is the largest of the type ever used in motorcycle production. The engine’s output is 91-hp (67kW) at a lazy 4750rpm, with maximum torque of 110 lb-ft (150 Nm) on tap between 2000-4000 rpm. Maximum engine speed is 5750 rpm, and it idles at a lazy 950 rpm.

To make use of that torque, power is transmitted to the 6-speed transmission through a single-plate dry clutch, which for the first time incorporates an anti-hopping mechanism, eliminating always-exciting stamping of the rear wheel during hard downshifting.  There is also an optional reverse gear driven by an electric motor, useful on a bike that can tip the scales at a curb weight of almost 950-lbs (for the Transcontinental).

On startup, the big lump shimmies like a sumo wrestler with a shake-weight, but when it warms a bit, it settles down into a steady burble; a sumo wrestler with a hula-hoop, if you will.  But be wary of the throttle while standing still.  While the engine has an additional main center bearing, designed to help prevent what BMW terms “undesirable longitudinal vibrations” from the crankshaft, there’s no hiding the sheer amount of reciprocating mass oscillating side-to-side.  Revving it above 3000 rpm while parked might result in a low-speed embarrassing whoopsie for the unwary (and no, this did not happen to your humble reviewer).

A Heavyweight Canyon Carver

At the recent launch, BMW Motorrad put together a route designed to show off the laid-back yet nimble personality of their new R18 versions. During the morning rush hour, we headed off from the Cherry Creek area of Denver with bright skies and climbing temps. The timing provided an opportunity to feel how the bikes handled in stop-and-go urban traffic. As expected, the sheer size and weight of the bikes didn’t make for the nimblest of city companions, but once out on the open road, through Golden and up to Boulder, the bikes came into their own. The load-leveling rear suspension always felt planted to the often-questionable pavement.

North of Boulder, we made our way through the glorious canyons leading to Estes Park, and the bikes proved to be lively companions. Steering is direct and precise, and though the heft of the machines generally makes them want to press onward, a bit of braking followed by a judicious use of throttle lightens up the front and helps with turn-in. While the bikes always feel substantial, they also fall into an easy rhythm; weight transfer is predictable and progressive. Lean angles are necessarily compromised by the size of the cylinder heads, but in the canyons, I found myself regularly scraping the plastic guards under the chromed floorboards. Fun stuff.

In 6th gear, the engine loafs along at 75-80mph turning an easy 3000rpm, which is clearly its happy range.  Above 4000rpm, the big Boxer sends significant vibrations through the handlebars and floorboards.  While the sensation is manageable, it also encourages not spending too much time in the upper reaches of the tachometer.

Braking, given the electronic aids in play, is progressive and confident, though a tad peculiar at first. Controlled by BMW Motorrad Full Integral ABS, the front and rear brakes are linked together, so that using either the brake lever or pedal activates both (with the bias adjusted dynamically depending on wheel load distribution).  This sensation took a while to warm to, and given our twisty route there were times I wished for an actual independent rear brake.  The system ultimately fades into the background, though, and I grew accustomed to the behavior and feel by the end of our morning’s ride session.

One personal irritation was the position of the shift lever.  Between the floor boards below and the cylinder heads in front, I was never able to find a truly comfortable position for my boot to access the shifter.  According to BMW this is an adjustable setting, so I imagine a bit of garage tuning would alleviate this annoyance, but I did miss several shifts while my left foot searched for the lever.  Aside from this minor ergonomic annoyance, gear changes were silky and precise, with a nicely weighted and predictable clutch pull and feel.

Of the three riding modes (Rain, Roll, and Rock), I left the bikes in the middle Roll mode generally.  The throttle mapping gap between Roll and Rock mode is surprisingly wide, and while Rock mode was useful and enjoyable while racing around bends in the canyons, it was a tad abrupt for city riding.  Rain mode was as somnambulistic as you’d predict, but since the expected precipitation on the ride didn’t appear, I didn’t have an opportunity to really sample it as designed.

At a stopover at the iconic Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, several admirers approached and responded enthusiastically to the bike’s design.  Of the available paint finishes, a particular favorite of onlookers was the “Option 719 Galaxy Dust Metallic / Titanium Silver”; think iridescent purple and silver, which shimmers from violet to turquoise blue in the sunlight.  It is easily the most striking factory paint finish on any motorcycle I’ve seen, and justifies the $2400 upcharge for owners looking for something unique.

Both bikes feature comfortable, supportive saddles designed for the long haul and my backside never once complained.  All told, I put about 185 miles on the R18 B and Transcontinental (split evenly between the two bikes) and found them to be more than agreeable riding companions.

Modest Compromises for Maximum Gain

A criticism of the earlier R18 bikes was that the seating position was a bit low for shorter riders, and that geometry overall could be uncomfortable for folks shorter than 6’.  The flat foot position on all R18 variations, necessitated by the size of the cylinder heads, also tends to exacerbate the R18’s somewhat compromised rider comfort on the more stretched-out model version.

On these new bikes, BMW has taken heed of that earlier criticism.  The steering head rake has been slightly steepened, and the seat height raised slightly (from 27” on the standard R18 to 28.3”/29.1” on the B and Transcontinental models respectively).  These subtle changes make a great deal of difference.  (I’m 6’ tall with an average inseam and arm length, and I found both bike versions to be an excellent fit.)  That said, the windshield height on the Transcontinental hit me right at eye level, so I felt like I was viewing the world through bifocals for much of the time.  The B’s windshield is a tad lower, yet still managed to keep the wind in check and had less obtrusive sight lines.

One other likely unintended byproduct of the new fairing on the Transcontinental is heat abatement.  Underway, the bigger bike’s extended wind-deflectors block out pretty much all air flow, thus allowing less air to pass over the cylinder head cooling fins; all that extra heat swirls around the rider’s legs rather than getting blown away.  There are two smaller adjustable flaps mounted on the lower-sides of the fairing that help, but on our hot riding day, it got a little soupy.  The B version has enough additional airflow that this phenomena isn’t as pronounced.

Admittedly, these new R18s are heavy bikes; as mentioned, the Transcontinental, fully loaded with liquids, tips the scales at 941-lbs; the B weighs in at 877-lbs.  In comparison to the Harley and Indian competition (both of which are in the 900-lb range), the heft of these bikes is within bounds.  But a Honda Goldwing, a reasonable comparison for the Transcontinental model, tips the scales at 787-lbs, so there’s room for some slimming should BMW decide to do a nipping and tucking.

Could these R18 models use a tad more power?  Of course!  (Rhetorical question alert.)  Twenty percent more grunt would place the R18 right in line with Indian’s bagger models, though in fairness the R18’s horsepower and torque specs are a pretty much a mirror-image to that of a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide.  Considering this new boxer is essentially a new design, I imagine there’s more to be had with some tweaking; Roland Sands has already coaxed a rumored 110-hp out of his R18-based drag bike with only some gentle tuning (though he also added a nitrous system, natch).

But really, more power is almost beside the point.  These particular BMW bikes are about style, solidity, and comfort, traits they deliver in abundance.

Make Mine a Bagger

Both the R18 B and Transcontinental are both well-executed, compelling motorcycles, though time and sales figures will tell whether the R18 B and Transcontinental make a dent with the motorcycle cruising crowd. Given their overall style, competence, quality, and copious features, I won’t be surprised to see these new BMW models turning up at rallies where Harleys typically reign supreme. And if I’m asked to join in a ride, please make mine an R18 B. As one of my fellow launch riders said, “Why would anyone buy a Harley over this?”