What in the blazes is this two-wheeled boat-looking thing?
First time seeing it? It’s the BMW CE 04, the German motorcycle brand’s first foray into the field of electric two-wheelers. If you think it looks quite the thing in the photos, wait ’til you see it up close.
It does have a unique and futuristic design.
Indeed, it does. It takes design cues from BMW’s petrol-powered scooters, the C400 X and GT, but it looks more…electric. It looks very sharp up front, and on the sides it’s accentuated by more lines and angles. It’s also got an interesting-looking bench seat that matches the floorboards, as well as a single-sided swingarm at the rear. It looks really, really good.
It looks big, though. Is it heavy?
You bet it is. Its unladen weight is listed at 231kg. For reference, the R1250 GS weighs about 250kg, while the new F900 GS is only 219kg light. For a scooter—electric or otherwise—that’s quite heavy. And you’ll feel it when you’re pushing the scooter around or straddling it in traffic. It can be quite difficult.
It doesn’t help that there aren’t any bars for you to hold on to when you’re moving it around a parking lot. Or that it has such a wide body, so it isn’t easy to flat-foot. Seat height is only listed at 30.7-inch/780mm so it may seem easy to handle, but it’s actually much harder in reality.
Speaking of the seat…is it comfy?
Hmm. That’s a yes and a no, I think. At first glance, you might think it’s not, but it’s better than it looks. It’s not as hard or stiff as its appearance suggests, so it’s okay for typical short rides around the city. For trips longer than the daily urban commute, it can be painful for your behind. The seat isn’t wide like that of other scooters or motorcycles, so it lacks support for your butt.
The suspension does a decent job, though. You will still feel road imperfections and there’s plenty of vibration even on the handlebars, but the overall experience is okay. It’s not premium comfort, but it’s what you’d expect from a typical city scooter.
Somewhat 50-50 on comfort, then. How does it handle?
Like I said, it can be a chore to use through traffic. But when you’re at speed and weaving through slightly winding roads, it handles excellently despite its weight. That’s also because there’s some heft to the tires that shod those 15-inch wheels.
On long, open stretches, it rolls with ease. Its low-slung, bottom-heavy physique makes it cruise like, well, a cruiser bike.
How’s the power, though?
I thought you’d never ask. The BMW CE 04 gets a liquid-cooled, permanent magnet synchronous motor that’s capable of 42hp and 62Nm of torque. It’s not much on paper, but thanks to the wonders of electric propulsion, the electric scooter does 0-50kph in a whopping 2.6sec—a figure that gasoline-fueled big bikes won’t be able to beat.
It’s a pleasure to ride with this much power in a scooter, and it’s all sorts of fun when you try to push it to its limit. Granted, I didn’t have roads where I could safely ‘rev’ it til it redlined—or the listed 120kph standard speed limit—but I was able to try going up to about 100kph, and it was something the CE 04 could do without breaking a sweat. It’s a stark contrast to what the C400 X can do.
All that power, but how’s the battery performance?
On one full charge, the CE 04 has a range of 130km. That’s plenty enough to go around Metro Manila for more than a day. For the most part, when I rode normally as I would a typical scooter with Road mode on, the range indicator seemed to be accurate. I was able to get more out of it with Eco mode, which amps up regenerative braking and reduces throttle response. Dynamic was fun, but it depleted the battery much quicker, and by my estimate I could’ve used up the full charge in just half the distance.
As far as charging goes, you just plug in the scooter into a wall socket using the dedicated charger. It’s easy to bring this bulky charger around, too, because the sizeable compartment under the seat is just big enough for it.
For the million-peso question…how much is it?
Funny how you said that, because the BMW CE 04 actually stickers close to a million pesos. It costs P895,000, which is right about the price of the brand’s middleweight adventure bikes. Yes, it’s stupidly pricey. So is it worth it?
Objectively speaking (and perhaps price tags aside), the CE 04 is still a darn good two-wheeler. It’s got the looks and performance that you can brag about, and its build quality is as good as BMW’s build quality can get. The best part is it’s ready for the future, with it being electric and all that. To answer your question of whether it’s worth it or not, that depends.
To the average customer, it most definitely is not. Most people will be better off getting something else with nearly a million pesos. But then again, BMW’s bikes were never ‘for the masses.’ The brand’s top-tier bikes are only for those with deep pockets, and that’s exactly the same market the CE 04 is aimed at. It’s just a matter of waiting for those customers to shift to electric—when that time comes, BMW will be ready with the CE 04 (and perhaps other battery-powered models) to take orders.
