Search results

Maintenance Unsurprisingly, the maintenance requirements of the BMW CE 04 are minimal. There is no engine oil that needs changing, and with the regenerative motor braking, the brake pads are, for the most part, relegated to emergency stops. I am not a mechanic, but this is the rough maintenance...

Does it Tour? Hell, yes, it tours. You can treat the BMW CE 04 as an exotic electric sport-touring machine, within reason. Due to the recharge times, the longest you can travel within 24 hours is about 400 mi/650km. My longest single-day ride has been 333 mi/530km, and my longest 3-day trip...

The Electric Experience The best two things about having an electric vehicle are: Near-zero maintenance Never having to visit a gas station The worst parts are: The fear of exceeding your range The fear of arriving at a broken charger It was only on my first multi-day trip with the CE 04...

What's Hot, What's Not? Keeping in mind that I am using the CE 04 as both a utility vehicle and a sport touring vehicle in North Carolina: Hot: Brisk acceleration Agile & easy to ride Inexpensive to fuel ($1.15 where I live) Always waking up to a full tank Lack of engine noise and vibration...

With 4,700 miles (7500km) and 9 months under my belt, it's time for my long-term review of the BMW CE 04. Introduction In 2022, BMW released the CE 04: a futuristic-looking spaceship in a sea of boring two-wheeled EVs. It made quite a splash, with BMW selling nearly 5000 in the first year...

I'm still on-board with the Verge, I'm increasingly convinced that Fuell may be building the better product, even if the Verge wins the looks contest. The more I dig into the data, the more I feel like that Verge Motorcycles is making Tesla-like extraordinary declarations that will disappoint in...

@Mr EZ - Let us know what the final bill comes out to. It took me 4 hours the first time, but I'm a lot more familiar with working on this bike now, so I figure I could knock it out in 90 minutes. Here's what's involved: https://unfinished.bike/bmw-ce-04-indicator-replacement-procedure

Ugh, that does suck. My closest BMW dealership is 60 miles away, so any trip to them is a multi-hour adventure on the CE-04, especially since it requires charging. I'm thankful to have a general "PowerSports" store nearby that will work on any motorcycle, ATV or scooter. They were a little...

@2Wheelz - Just like any motorcycle or scooter shop can change the tire on the CE-04, they'll be able to do it on the Verge. Granted, they may be a little nervous about it, given the funky looks. Verge claims that tire changes on TS Pro are easier than most other bikes, but I would argue that it...

I had been considering the Fuell Fllow as a possible touring-worthy replacement to the BMW CE-04: the Fllow supports DC charging, has more range, and more cargo space. I was even on the VIP pre-order list. In the end, I came to realize that love the CE-04 even more than I previously did and I...

@ghostrider4 - While I have not installed an alarm, I have tapped into the socket to power my auxiliary lights. Getting access is pretty easy: a T25 wrench for the windshield, and a T30 wrench for the panel. If you don't have a T25 handy to remove the windshield, there is an emergency one hidden...

And now there is a review for this bike: https://electrek.co/2023/07/26/csc-rx1e-electric-motorcycle-complete-review-the-first-low-cost-80-mph-e-moto/ Overall it seems it might match the range of a CE-04 at a much lower cost, though the lack of a faster charging option than L1 (~6 hours) is a...

The RX1E looks like a sweet ride, but the cost-cutting comes with some notable restrictions: - The RX1E cannot be charged at public charging stations, only 110V home chargers. - The RX1E takes 6 hours to charge from empty (vs ~1h20m on the CE-04) - The RX1E has a 37% smaller battery than the...

Conclusion: 623 miles, 3 days, 16 charging stops On this trip, I've become very comfortable touring on the BMW CE-04 - even to the point where I've fallen in love with this surprisingly well-thought-out scooter. The only thing I can fault the scooter for is the lack of a comfortable...

Asheboro and home I dropped by downtown Asheboro for a late lunch and a charge. Asheboro seems reinvigorated compared to the last time I was here 20+ years ago. The downtown lot has multiple free charging stations, art studios, and restaurants. It's clean, but you can still find...

Caraway, Keyauwee: same word, different spelling I head East toward Asheboro, hoping to find the site of the famous Keyauwee village. The site location is an unconfirmed well-kept secret among archaeologists, but it's apparently along Caraway Creek and allegedly on private land. I tried to use...

Lexington Feeling dejected and unsuccessful in my day thus far, I continue up the route of the trading path from Salisbury through Spencer to Lexington. The vibe is destitute and derelict. This corridor feels filled with the people that society has left behind. It's not a surprise when I arrive...

Today is homeward bound: a final 204 miles through Central North Carolina. There are a couple of locations of historical interest that I have plans to stop by: The Trading Ford, Sapona, and the Keyauwee village. I'm not keeping my hopes up too high, though, as the exact locations of each are...

After 4400 miles, I replaced the stock Maxxis Supermaxx SC up front today. It had only 1.5mm of tread left (1.6mm is the legal limit here). I put a Michelin City Grip 2 upfront - which comes with ~5mm of tread and a more aggressive tread pattern. Unfortunately, this tire does not appear to be...

Lenoir and Hickory Since I knew I would be in Morganton, I checked in on some old colleagues from Google who lived in Lenoir - the site of Google's North Carolina data center. Lenoir has much more going on than when I first visited some 15 years ago. The fact that tonight was...