Ahead of the IAA Mobility show in Munich, BMW Motorrad wanted to see what would happen if it mixed a Honda Grom with a skateboard and a bicycle. The CE 02 is what the design team came up with. It’s pretty cool. Almost as cool as the CE 04 launched last year, and equally worthy of reaching production. It’s not quite a motorcycle, and it’s not a traditional scooter either. It splits the difference a bit, giving urban dwellers a futuristic design and a useful form factor. I dig it.
The CE 02 isn’t overpowered, it’s not too fast, and it’s lightweight enough to be nimble without being too light to feel unstable. This battery-powered bike weighs just a little more than a Honda Grom, which is impressive for an electric anything. With just shy of 15 horsepower, it’ll be a bit quicker than a Grom, too. With a 90 km per hour top speed, and about 90 km of range, this isn’t going to do much more than run errands and take up the daily commute, but it seems like a good piece for those activities.
Given the boring nature of a daily commute, a little electric runabout with quick acceleration and fun lightweight riding character, this could be the perfect commuter. I already love it, but I do wish it had a right foot rear brake instead of the reversed bicycle handlebar brakes shown in the concept.
“At first glance, there is little about the BMW Motorrad Concept CE 02 that is typically BMW Motorrad – it’s something completely new. We want to strive for something novel and be pioneers – which is what we’ve proven ourselves capable of with various projects in the past. The Concept CE 02 features new proportions and modern forms of single-track mobility in an urban environment. In addition, we wanted to achieve a level of design innovation that we have not had before at this level. Straightforward use was important, but above all the emotional component was crucial, as well as riding fun,” explains Edgar Heinrich, Head of Design BMW Motorrad.
Big chonky boy wheels and a low seat height mean this bike is about as far from intimidating as two-wheelers can get. It’s a happy future robot bike that just wants you to have a good time. “Characteristic proportions not only allow for a very agile riding experience, they are also intended to encourage non-motorcyclists to perhaps get on and have a go.” Yes, I would like to have a go.
There isn’t much here that isn’t production ready, which indicates to me that it’s probably headed that way sooner or later. Expect a slightly different wheel design, more padding to the seat, and room for two riders. The bike includes a neat feature where you can store your own skateboard under the foot pegs and use your board as a footrest. That feature definitely wouldn’t make production, but it’s neat.
This is clearly aimed squarely at young Europeans, as it has the specs to fall under ECE’s A-level licence. 16 year olds could ride this every day without any issue, giving a level of freedom that many Americans can’t even reach. I would have loved one of these as a teen, and I would love one of these today in my 30s. If BMW can drop this thing on the market for around 4 or 5 grand, it’ll be a hit.