2024 · Naked Bike · Buyer's Guide
The City Skateboard Goes Electric
The BMW CE 02 doesn't fit a drawer: part scooter, part electric motorcycle, with a skateboard-inspired look on 14-inch wheels. An air-cooled electric motor sends 15 hp and 41 lb-ft through a single-speed drive and a belt, and that torque is on tap from a standstill. The steel tube frame carries an upside-down fork and a preload-adjustable rear shock, and the whole package weighs 291 lb (132 kg) wet with a 29.5 in (749 mm) seat. ABS, traction control and ride modes are standard, along with a TFT display, smartphone connectivity and a keyless system. Small, light, well equipped.
Read the numbers and the job description is clear: this is a city machine. Top speed is 59 mph (95 km/h) and the claimed range is 55 miles (89 km), so highway travel isn't on the list. What the hardware points to is short urban hops, where full torque from zero rpm matters more than peak power and where low weight and a low seat keep things manageable. No clutch, no gears to shift: the controls are as simple as it gets. If you're a style-conscious rider who wants an electric runabout with real BMW equipment, that's your bike. Touring riders should look elsewhere.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 15 hp (11 kW) @ 5,000 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 41 lb-ft (55 Nm) @ 0 rpm |
| Engine | Electric |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 1-speed |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front brake | 239 mm |
| Front tire | 120/80-14 |
| Rear tire | 150/70-14 |
| Wheelbase | 53.3 in (1354 mm) |
| Seat height | 29.5 in (749 mm) |
| Wet weight | 291 lb (132 kg) |
| Top speed | 59 mph (95 km/h) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Connectivity
Lighting
Safety
Everything here comes from riders, not from my own notes. Two decades of paddock conversations, club-night talk, owner chats, and the messages that land in my inbox every week give a fairly consistent read on this one. Owners split their reports cleanly down the middle: the riding earns the praise, the practical side draws the complaints.
The launch dominates every conversation. Riders describe torque arriving the moment they open the throttle, and they bring it up more often than anything else. Handling follows close behind, with owners reporting it threads through traffic without effort and stays settled at city speeds. The styling gets its own share of comment, drawing looks wherever it's parked. A smaller group says the suspension handles rough pavement better than expected.
Storage tops the list. There's no space under the seat, and owners raise it regularly. Price draws steady comment too, riders noting it asks more than comparable machines. Range sits alongside both: the claimed figure holds when ridden gently and falls off when it isn't. A few mention the seat turning hard around the hour mark.
Display firmware glitches
Several owners report recurring software bugs after firmware updates, including the turtle warning appearing at mild temperatures, limited regeneration display, and forgotten settings (e.g. charge percentage reverts to default). The display occasionally goes completely black while the bike remains functional.
Battery drain while parked
One owner observed a 2% per day battery charge loss when the bike is not in use, which is higher than expected for an electric vehicle and can reduce available range after several days of inactivity.
Unbalanced battery charge at startup
On at least two occasions, one owner experienced unbalanced battery states upon starting the bike, where one traction battery was significantly lower than the other. This causes reduced performance until the batteries equalise during riding or after recharging.
Where this BMW CE 02 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the CE 02 is actually built for.
This is the closest match of the three: electric, design-led and built for city streets. Just keep the 59 mph (95 km/h) top speed and claimed 55-mile (89 km) range in mind before a long ridge run.
Made for Bay Area Ridge Roads · San Francisco / Bay Area · Skyline Boulevard / Alice's Restaurant
On paper, 291 lb (132 kg) and a low seat suit tight corners, but 15 hp and a 59 mph (95 km/h) top speed are city numbers. For a day of mountain twisties it's a partial fit at most.
Made for Tail of the Dragon · Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway
A weak match. With a claimed 55-mile (89 km) range and a 59 mph (95 km/h) top speed, the hardware is built for town, not for weekend road trips. Think second bike for city errands.
Made for Austin / Texas Hill Country · Texas Hill Country BDR-X · Twisted Sisters
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this BMW CE 02. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Competitor · 2025
Swap and Go City Electric
Roughly $1,700 cheaper used than this bike at 1 yr
Competitor · 2020
Big Fun In Miniature Form
Roughly $3,100 cheaper used than this bike at 2 yr
Competitor · 2023
City Torque Done Right
Roughly $2,400 pricier used than this bike at 2 yr