BMW CE04: The Motorbike Of The Future Is Here... A Little Too Soon

Jack takes a ride on the CE04, BMW's space age maxi moped and quickly finds it to be one of, if not the best commuter vehicles ever made. But with its daunting price tag, is this bike simply too far ahead of its time to be a success?

00:00 Intro
2:34 Blissful silence
3:44 Surprising handling
4:30 Exterior details
5:50 Hefty weight
6:59 Big storage!
7:38 Cockpit review
10:42 The biggest issue
11:33 Shades of i3
12:30 Game changer?

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#BMW #ce04 #moped #motorbike #electricvehicles #ev #electricmotorbike #battery #tesla

[fullychargedshow]

Hi all, small correction needed: the bike is 231kg not 321kg. Unless you've had a really, really big lunch. Apologies for the booboo - we've sent Jack to bed with no dinner!

[davidford]

I have one. A CE-04 that is.

A white, futuristic ex-demo, 2022 version from a franchised BMW dealer - 380 miles for under £8k.
Oh, and Jack - IT IS DEFINITELY NOT A MOPED! (Maxi or otherwise)
It's a 400cc equivalent motorcycle and scooter - but judged by my experience now, and with well over 1000 miles of my time in the saddle (in just 3 months) is that it rides far more like a big motorcycle. I have a few of those too. I have been riding bikes since I was 8 years old (trials) and then raced bikes (and classic cars) both on circuit, road racing and have continued with trials. Serious competition ended in my late 40's after a big "off" following an engine seizure during practice for the Manx GP, but I still love my bikes.
I'm now 60, but can't see me ever not riding something...

In short, the CE-04 is an immensely practical bike, a hoot to ride. and is the bike I usually "go to" - only because it is such fun and just so easy in everything it does.
Mine has the dynamic pack and the quick charge - so a 70 mile run out and then a return is easily doable with a short coffee/pint/charge break at the end point - or two quick 10-20 minute charge stops during the journey. I carry the type 2 charge cable and the 3-pin UK plug charger with me in the helmet storage locker - and with a lot of fiddling can get my lid, gloves and both cables in there together - but when stopped, I am usually using one of the cables, so it's not an issue.
Charging it somewhere really isn't any hassle, and actually when riding and exploring - it has led to some interesting stops and meeting some really nice people.

Mine came with the full "Tron" sticker pack and orange highlights - so it nearly always draws a crowd of curious folks to it.
It's not a bike for the shy or introverts!
I have even had the odd pint bought for me and once an extension lead and a fantastic pub lunch provided free by an interested publican in the Yorkshire dales..

Speed wise - even in ECO or ROAD mode - it's quick, very quick - up to 60 mph. With no gears, it is electronically limited by the motor RPM to 80 mph, although on a non-windy day on a flat smooth road I have seen 85mph for a bit. That speed (over 70 mph) if sustained, hammers range though - maybe knocking 20 miles off (down to 60 miles) if you blasted everywhere at that speed. It is not a big distance or motorway bike - unless you have time to spare.
It's sweet spot is twisty A roads, and anything that's a B road or C class road. On the latter, it's probably as fast and as fun as anything else on two wheels.

It does need an A1 licence (although I have had my full licence since 1980 - wow, typing that just made me feel so very OLD) - and the acceleration (especially in DYNAMIC mode) is a good reason why it needs a bit of experience...

It's blisteringly fast. Yes, it's possibly faster than many bigger superbikes up to 60mph, and in any case, they have to be trying to keep up.
I can't convey adequately in words just quite how rapid this bike Instant 100% torque and no gears does help that, and all in relative silence.

Fabulous brakes with great feel, full traction control and on-lean ABS keeps everything just about in check and although ground clearance is good - it always feels like you could push it harder, and that it just wants to go. Fast.
I reckon my licence points tally may rise unless I am not very careful. It is all too easy to be going very quickly indeed.

So is an identical new one worth £13, 995? - well on paper, NO.

BUT.... having now lived with one a bit, my heart now says different.
Also, it is INCREDIBLY well made, with everything just working well, and ergonomically, it is really good.
If you are over 6'1" get the "Comfort seat II" - as the shorter (before the lump) comfort seat is more restrictive for the taller rider. The Bluetooth integration, phone charging (with fan!) works well and allows good on-screen navigation and spoken instructions should you want or need that. You can even answer/make phone calls on the move if you need to. Tyre pressure monitoring and a host of other useful features (even down to automatic SOS calling) make this a real "Christmas Tree" of modern/futuristic features on a bike - controlled clearly using a 10.5" TFT screen and the BMW rotary control ring - all a bit alien for someone well used to the basics of a Laverda 750 SFC and an old Ducati 900 MHR.🤣

BMW spared absolutely NO expense in this concept development of an electric two-wheeled rocket ship - just like a Star Wars hover bike or a Tron bike. It shows.
I reckon the margins on these bikes must have been almost marginal if not negative over the production run so far.
I also think it may turn out to be a really important bike in the evolution of electric transport - and I am sure BMW learned a lot doing it.
It's design is a bit "Marmite" and it's not for everyone - but it is different.

I guess a good parallel in the car world is the BMW i3 - a fantastic aluminium "skateboard" base with a Carbon Fibre body and plastic panels, and again as quick as heck but without the weight of all the modern EV's now have... (and yes, I also have an i3S).

If you have never ridden a CE-04 - do find somewhere to go and try it and be prepared to be blown away.
If nothing else it's an experience, to be enjoyed, but be warned - that silent and very rapid acceleration is extremely addictive....

STATEMENT: I have no affiliation with any BMW organisation whatsoever - but am just an old (but quick) bike rider who isn't afraid to break the mold.

[mev]

Did Jack really say that BMW are charging extra for ABS... And the bike starts at £13k. They can jog on for that price.

[maxmayer]

I have one! It is the perfect daily companion. I drive 100km a day without needing to charge. (Lots of 100 km/h stretches) pure Joy to ride!

[GarryCox-txmw]

It looks like one person designed the front while another designed the back and they never spoke to each other.

[Techridr]

I've had mine for just about 1.5 years now and still love it. It is my go-to mode of transportation around Hollywood. I added a Givi mount and topcase. Expensive perhaps, but to me, totally worth it. Also, the options mentioned in the video are standard here in the US

[Desmo]

To be fair, Harley Davidson have had the Livewire available for quite a number of years now. (speaking of legacy manufacturers)

[tomblewomble]

I have had one for a year as my main form of transport. Its a phenominal bike and i have no complaints. I'd love to see more range and ccs fast charging support on the next version and thats about it.
Also - with the long wheel base, its power and size i think its more of a cruiser than anything.

[andreasvogel]

If you want to see one of those out in the wild, come to Paris. They are dethroning the MP3s at the moment.

[markkunes]

I loved my Harley for the way it would frighten old ladies and small dogs, but traded it in for this. When I park in town more, people come to chat than they did with the Harley (unlike all the Beemers I had before - no one noticed them). I find the reverse very useful as I can move down the whole length of my drive without having to 'paddle' it out. My wife hurt her back and we tried loads of scooters but this was the only one she could get on easily. Yes very expensive, but I got my fully-loaded one, used, at a great price with the Harley trade-in. I put a backrest on and it is more comfortable 2 up - otherwise my arms are almost pulled out of their sockets with the amazing low speed acceleration. Free fuel from my panels - I think I can claim its fusion powered.

[garrycroft]

In London it will be “Gone in Six seconds“

[shaun]

All of a sudden I want one, you know to keep my i3 company 😃

[RichardEricCollins]

Please do follow ups with customers of the vehicles you promote. I got a silence S01 connect based on your review. Been having a nightmare getting issues fixed. And the manufacturer has just put the alarm behind a pay wall braking consumer law.

[tonybarton]

It’s been out for a couple of years now, and if I could afford one I’d get it straight away, I’ve been riding motorbikes for 53 years and I think the bike is brilliant. I live on an island our motorway ( ahem 😂😂) is 500 metres long and this bike will do 74 mph and I’ve never been over 60 officer . If you did you’d be in the sea anyway 😂😂 . 80 miles max on a charge, that’s over twice round the island, I don’t go abroad to the mainland anymore 🤪🤪 great bike, reverse gear bring it on 👍👍

[goosegog]

Thank you for reviewing motorcycles. We do want to see these. Like many have said, this is a scooter, not a moped. I wonder when the last moped was sold in the UK.

[britishknightakaminininja]

What on earth was that guff at the beginning about "the only legacy brand doing electric"? I mean, even those absolute gasoline heads in the USA with the most iconic brand in motorcycles anywhere has been aboard for a while - Harley Davidson's Livewire, for example. Sure, a lot of them are more like electric scooters or mopeds right now, including the BMW you're trialing here, and that includes Honda (of course) and even the other major US brand, Indian. However, both Kawasaki and Triumph have some seriously big and powerful looking eBikes to cast an eye over. Or how about the Ducati MotoE, a 170MPH beast of a bike?

Come on, Jack. You can (and should) do much, much better than that. We trust Fully Charged to help us keep up with all the latest, so getting facts like that so utterly wrong isn't just a bit misleading, but reputation damaging. Harley, Ducati, Triumph and Kawasaki are hardly unknowns in the motorcycling world.

[rainerstephan]

Ich habe meinen nun seit 2 Jahren und möchte ihn nicht mehr missen. Voll ausgestattete Version. Ich liebe meinen Scooter. Grüße aus Deutschland

[wayneccj]

Just to be clear for the young people. "Mo-ped" is a contraction of the words motor & pedals. A "mo-ped" is a vehicle that has a motor and pedals for propulsion. Also, the difference between a scooter and a motorcycle is the position of your legs while riding. On a scooter, your legs are in front of you like sitting in a chair. On a motorcycle, you must straddle the bike when riding. It's like straddling a horse when riding.

[markrobinson]

I was a bit disappointed there wasn’t any electric motorbikes/scooters at the show in Harrogate this year.

Silence had their scooter there but no test rides.

I’m hoping next year that we have some bikes there!

Saying that, I did enjoy the show. It was well organised.

[GingerPiston]

Prices for the Yamaha TMAX Tech Max start at £14K, so there’s a precedent for that price point in the maxi scooter market.