2022 BMW CE 04 First Ride Review

[Hugh Janus]

BMW’s new, boldly styled CE 04 looks straight out of a sci-fi movie, but it’s aimed squarely at today’s emissions-conscious city commuters. (BMW Motorrad/)

At the launch of the new CE 04 electric scooter, BMW stated there would be no new gasoline-powered bikes coming out in what it calls the “urban mobility segment”…or city bikes and scooters, to you and me. Head of BMW Motorrad Dr. Markus Schramm then went on to say that over the coming years, we can expect to see a new electric motorcycle from the German manufacturer every 18 to 24 months. And then came a bit of a bombshell: From 2025, the brand will start looking to transfer other segments to electric power. There it is, the big scary news.

But before we get too bogged down in that discussion, let’s focus on the task at hand—BMW’s rad-looking new CE 04. The “04″ in the name, incidentally, refers to the 400cc bikes it is aimed at, with BMW hinting at there being a CE 02 and maybe a CE 06 in the pipeline.

Related: BMW Motorcycles

The CE 04’s length allows the air-cooled battery to be efficiently positioned under the floorboards. (BMW Motorrad/)

It’s clear straight away that the CE 04 is trying to be very much different from the gasoline-powered maxi-scooters it will be fighting for stoplight space with. The styling guys with the fancy shoes and crayons were given the lead on this one, making the most of the opportunities that an electric powertrain allows.

The main battery is derived from the modules used in BMW’s iX electric car, and it sits right in the bottom of the chassis, beneath the footboards. The arrangement offers good airflow over the battery so it can be air-cooled; the motor, on the other hand, is liquid-cooled, with a small radiator heat exchanger up at the front of the bike. There’s a second, 12V battery on board that runs regular systems like the dash and lighting.

Like the battery, the motor is derived from one used in BMW passenger cars, with a bespoke motor housing for the scooter application. Both battery module and motor are manufactured in-house, at the factory in Berlin—a clear sign that BMW wants to be on top of this technology, rather than just buying third-party components and building a chassis around them. The motor is chassis mounted (unlike the swingarm-mounted engine on a conventional scooter) and drives the rear wheel via a set of single-stage primary gears, and then a belt final drive. This setup gives a significant advantage in rear suspension performance versus a typical scooter, as the unsprung mass is greatly reduced.

The liquid-cooled BMW-made motor is chassis-mounted in a purpose-built housing, thus reducing unsprung weight. (BMW Motorrad/)

Now, most of the time, electric bike manufacturers lament the difficulties in packaging enough batteries on a motorcycle, so it was new to hear the BMW designers saying quite the opposite. Perhaps the limited range requirements of a city bike have helped the case here, but compared to packaging an engine, airbox, fuel tank, and exhaust on a gas-powered bike, the CE 04′s compact motor and single battery module take up very little space. This has allowed a lower, flatter seat and distinctly skinny rear end, still with enough storage to fit a touring helmet. As you’re squeezing your touring lid into the side-accessed case, it’s hard not to notice the clear air between the top of the case and the seat—proof the styling team had the upper hand over the practical engineering team on this one. Now I’m not pitching that as a good or a bad thing, but it does indicate that BMW may be looking at this bike as more of a statement piece, rather than a purely practical commuting machine.

Huge TFT screen displays normal bike and navigation options. The windscreen in front of the dash gives you minimal wind protection, but a high screen is an available option. (BMW Motorrad/)

For all the bold styling and new approaches (like the side-accessed helmet storage), there’s a refreshing feel of familiarity when you jump aboard the CE 04, especially if you’ve ridden BMW motorcycles before. The switch gear, handlebar controls, and TFT display feel and work like any other BMW, making it easy to get right on and set rider modes, control your phone for music and nav, and importantly for colder cities, set the grip heaters to a good level. There’s even a regular starter switch on the right-hand bar, but in place of the usual cranking and barking, nothing happens when you push it. No noise, no fanfare, just a message on the dash that reads “ready.”

And with that, we glide away into the Barcelona traffic, silent, smooth, with an eerie sci-fi movie vibe. This is a city of scooters, where every intersection is a step-through drag race and every sidewalk is thick with everything from 20-year-old beaters to shiny new maxi-scooters. And everywhere we roll up, necks are strained and sunglasses lowered for a better look at the silent assassin that has just smoked them away from the previous stoplight.

Which brings me to bonus feature No. 1 of an electric scooter like this: It’s easy to be fast.

There’s no waiting for a clutch (automatic or otherwise) to catch up, no waiting for revs to build or variator transmissions to change ratio; you simply snap the throttle open and hang on. Whether from a standstill or firing into a gap in moving traffic, the CE 04 has the ability to respond with immediacy. The three standard rider modes (Eco, Rain, and Road) let you dial in that response, with various amounts of power on the throttle and regeneration-derived deceleration off the throttle. The optional Dynamic rider mode gives full power, maximum regen deceleration (like really strong engine-braking), and a more aggressive throttle curve to spice things up and make sure the traction control is paying attention.

Switchgear and controls will be familiar to most BMW owners, while throttle response and performance from the CE 04’s motor is impressive. (BMW Motorrad/)

On to electric vehicle bonus feature No. 2—the throttle response.

In an age where some gasoline bikes still can’t get the transition from closed to part throttle right, the CE 04 makes a mockery of them, transitioning from regenerative deceleration to punchy acceleration with an intuitive, smooth feel that took no time at all to get comfortable with. It lets you ride through the city and rarely trouble the brakes, doing all your speed control on the throttle. Rain and Road modes have a smoother deceleration curve, allowing the bike to flow a little more, but for stop/start city riding the strong “engine-braking” effect is perfect. It even shows the brake light when you decelerate hard enough without brakes to reduce the risk of an uninvited guest on the passenger seat. Around town, the performance from the electric motor is great, always having enough punch to squeeze past traffic and be the first away from the lights. While the CE 04 isn’t pitched as a highway bike, we rode a couple of short stints on faster highways and were happily able to cruise at 70 mph (max speed is limited to 75 mph).

On the standard bike upper body wind protection isn’t great, but a high screen option is available, along with a heated comfort seat (one of six different seat options), heated grips, and cornering lights.

The 65.9-inch wheelbase is especially long for a scooter, which makes the CE 04 feel spacious and super stable. That length also means more effort is needed in tighter turns. (BMW Motorrad/)

Visually, one thing that stands out on the CE 04 is its length, no doubt accentuated by the level, flat side profile of the styling. At 65.9 inches, the wheelbase is long, which has a few knock-on effects. On the positive side it feels super spacious, with plenty of options to move about on the long bench seat. It’s also very stable both in corners and when you hit potholes and speed bumps.

Where the length shows is in a long sweeping turn or lapping a roundabout, and pulling in to cut a tighter line takes a bit of effort. When zigzagging through stationary traffic, the length never really posed a problem, as the skinny CE 04 squeezes through where a regular maxi-scooter would be scraping fenders, and the low center of gravity makes slow control a breeze.

And when you do wind yourself into a dead end, hit the reverse button on the left-hand switch gear and you can back out of trouble. The reverse function is very controllable and, unlike some other examples, lets you modulate the throttle and use the brakes without cutting out.

The low center of gravity allows a level of control for low-speed maneuvers; there’s also a reverse function for tight spots. (BMW Motorrad/)

The huge TFT display shows all the normal bike stuff (multiple tripmeters, air temp, speed, etc.) along with estimated range and how much regenerative braking or power you are using. BMW claims an estimated 80-mile range for the CE 04. On our test ride around Barcelona I rode the bike in Dynamic mode for two-thirds of the ride, with heated grips on full, my phone on charge in the fan-cooled stowage compartment, and my throttle hand set to idiot mode. The estimated total range at the end worked out to just over 70 miles, though I’m confident that with one or two more burnouts I could sneak that below the 70-mile mark.

For normal, nonjuvenile riding, the 80-mile claim will be totally achievable. The 8.9kWh battery module can be charged from zero to 80 percent in 1 hour, 5 minutes using the optional Mode 3 fast-charging cable. The standard charger included with the bike can take the battery from zero to 100 percent in 4 hours, 20 minutes, but actual charging time depends on the supply available; a 110V, 15A household supply will take closer to six hours for a full zero-to-100 percent charge.

BMW claims an 80-mile range for the CE 04, with an approximate charge time of six hours with the standard charger in a household 110V outlet. (BWM Motorrad/)

With a starting MSRP of $11,795, the CE 04 is clearly not a budget-conscious commuter bike. It’s not going to give access to the masses, nor get everyone on electric scooters and fix inner-city smog problems overnight. It is a fantastic city bike, hammering home the point that, in this setting at least, electric bikes can go toe to toe with the petrol burners and in many ways come out on top. With a long-standing tradition of building ex-factory bikes for authorities and emergency services, BMW sees the CE 04 as a really good option for this, with integrated functionality that can be tailored to each country’s needs. With or without flashing blue lights and sirens, intercity travel is still going to be a fiddly affair with the required hourlong charging break every 80 miles, but for slaying the traffic in silence, it rips.

According to the brand, the CE 04 can be easily outfitted to meet the needs of local emergency services. (BMW Motorrad/)

The infrastructure for electric vehicles is improving all the time and they are rapidly becoming a more viable option, especially for urban rides. Plenty of questions still remain, not least concerning how sustainable the widespread use of batteries themselves will be, but the engineers at BMW Motorrad are on the case with this. While batteries are the current hot option, they hinted at alternative fuel and energy sources for future bikes, with machines like this CE 04 being another steppingstone on the path to emission-free shredding.

For silent jaunts on city streets, the CE 04 is an excellent weapon, but at $11,795 it’s certainly not a budget option. (BMW Motorrad/)

2022 BMW CE 04 Specifications

MSRP:	$11,795
Motor:	Permanent magnet liquid-cooled synchronous
Rated Capacity:	20 hp
Maximum Power:	42 hp @ 4,900 rpm
Maximum Torque:	45.7 lb.-ft. @1,500 rpm
Maximum Speed:	75 mph
Battery:	Traction, 8.9/6.2kWh, 11kW w/ optional power reduction
Voltage:	148V (nominal)
Charging:	2.3kW w/ integrated charger; 6.9kW w/ optional quick charger
Charge Time:	Standard 4 hr. 20 min. to 100%; 3 hr. 30 min. to 80% (1 hr. 40 min. for 100%; 1 hr. 5 min. for 80% w/ optional quick charger)
Transmission:	1-speed, integrated into motor housing
Secondary Drive:	Toothed belt and gearbox w/ fixed transmission
Frame:	Steel double loop
Front Suspension:	Telescopic fork; 3.9 in. travel
Rear Suspension:	Suspension strut; 3.6 in. travel
Front Brake:	4-piston fixed caliper, dual 265mm discs w/ ABS
Rear Brake:	1-piston floating caliper, 265mm disc
Wheels, Front/Rear:	Cast aluminum; 15 x 3.50 in. / 15 x 4.50 in.
Tires, Front/Rear:	120/70R-15/ 160/60R-15
Steering head angle/Trail:	63.5°/4.7 in.
Wheelbase:	66.0 in.
Ground Clearance:	5.5 in.
Seat Height:	30.7 in.
Curb Weight:	509 lb.
Contact:	bmwmotorrad.com

Side-accessed storage compartment can fit a touring helmet inside, but it’s a tight squeeze. (BMW Motorrad/)
Single-stage primary gears go to a belt driving the rear wheel. Rear suspension offers 3.6 inches of travel. (BMW Motorrad/)

Source

[XTreme]

You seen this @Clive?

Needs an hour charge after 80 miles though?

[Clive]

19 minutes ago, XTreme said:

You seen this @Clive?

Needs an hour charge after 80 miles though?

It's no worse than the Honda Firestorm I had.....80 miles of reasonably quick riding, and the tank was empty.............but quicker to tank up the bike than that scoot. 

A ride to Mablethorpe would be a 2 day affair.! 

[Catteeclan]

These people must have gone a long way to make it that ugly. Def got talent.

[boboneleg]

They’ve copied the Honda Zoomer and stuck a battery in it

[Pedro]

What an ugly thing, but I guess it goes along with the post apocalyptic, blade runner type of thing, it's probably meant to be. The wheels, though:

 

[yen_powell]

A bit of sick came up into my mouth.

[Buckster]

It’s basically ginger.

[Buckster]

12 hours ago, Mawsley said:

It’s not totally unlike every Harley.

You ride a scooter.

[XTreme]

Posts deleted!