Despite what the futurists say, an all-electric motorcycle future is still far off. For motorcyclists to adopt electric mobility en masse, battery-powered bikes must strike the same balance between price, performance, and range that petrol-powered bikes nail so effortlessly—and that’ll take time.
Until then, the uptake from dyed-in-the-wool motorcyclists will remain slow. This is why the electric motorcycle industry’s most promising niche is small, approachable machines designated for urban use and pitched at new riders, rather than the old guard—bikes like the quirky BMW CE 02.
Sitting somewhere between a motorcycle and a scooter, the CE 02 offers 11 kW of power, 55 Nm of torque, a top speed of 95 km/h [59 mph], and a claimed minimum range of 90 km [56 miles] in its top spec. At $7,599 for the base model in the US, it’s by no means cheap. But if you look past the blistering price tag, those are respectable numbers for a compact city bopper.
It’s also a dandy canvas for customization, according to the fellas at Austria’s Vagabund Moto. Paul Brauchart and Philipp Rabl are best known around here for their avant-garde custom bikes, but they’re more likely to call themselves designers than custom bike builders. They’ve dabbled with several product designs, and have an ever-expanding catalog of custom automobiles that includes a Land Rover, a Lada, and multiple Porsches.
To apply their crisp signature style to the BMW CE 02, Vagabund first stripped the bike down and 3D-scanned it. Key components like the drivetrain, suspension, wheels, and control area were left alone, but the rest of the CE 02 was redressed in a mix of aluminum and 3D-printed parts. (Vagabund used polyamide 12 for their 3D printing, to ensure OEM levels of durability.)
The changes start up front, where the guys designed a new headlight nacelle and housing, with two LED projectors lighting the way. If we had to guess, we’d say that modern motocross bikes and Futurama’s Bender were both on Vagabund’s inspiration board when they penned the new headlight design.
The new headlight is flanked by tiny 3D-printed LED turn signals, mounted where the original turn signals were; on each side of the enclosed handlebars. Lower down, a 3D-printed fender and fork guards replace the stock plastics.
Moving to the center of the CE 02, Vagabund blacked out the main drivetrain covers, helping them disappear into the chassis, visually. They also reupholstered the seat and repainted the wheels—eliminating any traces of the original graphics in the process, and bringing the CE 02 in line with the stark monochromatic vibe that the studio is known for.
Next, the guys fabricated a pair of perforated aluminum shells to replace the CE 02’s plastic side panels. There’s more aluminum work lower down, where a hand-shaped baseplate does double duty as a small luggage rack and footboards. It’s trimmed with skateboard grip tape and features a custom strap to lash down small items.
The perforated motif is repeated further back, where a custom-made storage tube cheekily mimics an exhaust muffler. (It currently holds a small umbrella).
On the other side of the bike hangs a retro-futuristic Bluetooth speaker from the Swedish electronics company, Teenage Engineering. It’s attached to a custom mounting rack, and secured by a custom strap. Given how quiet electric bikes are, it’s probably quite effective too.
Moving to the smaller details, the swingarm-mounted license plate holder was stripped of its lighting, and kitted with a slim 3D-printed taillight and turn signal strip. The rear shock cover went into the bin too, leaving the rear suspension area looking a little tidier.
In true Vagabund fashion, the BMW CE 02’s final accessory came in the form of life-sized toy packaging. Designed as a complete display case, the whole thing can be disassembled and transported, and sports built-in LED lighting worthy of an art gallery.
If the stock BMW CE 02 doesn’t appeal to you, then Vagabund’s vision of it is unlikely to float your boat. But if you think the CE 02 is rad, their version has just made it that much more rad.
Vagabund Moto | Instagram | Images by Stefan Leitner
