Long-term review of the BMW CE 04 (The Suit & Tie Rocket Ship)

[nzbmwc400x]

Hate to say it though, as much as I like the feel of no engine due to the battery on the ce04, you might be happier with the c400gt 2024 though I have never rode one so could be mistaken. You sort of answered your question by saying
“the ce04 is more fun due to the instant acceleration, but the c400 is far more comfortable and has a more standard scooter feel to it when it comes to riding position”.
Trust me, I get the whole ‘more fun due to the instant acceleration’ thing though for me I am just happy that it zips along fine plus if wanted it can zip faster in an instant. That, though that feeling never gets old, is not all of what makes a Ride something you will be happy with long term.
Don’t know the resale value of either model bike though honestly I would not make that the thing that makes me get one over the other. Though I infer the ce04 take more of a beating when you try to sale it down the road (limited number of people looking for one plus with each passing year electric EV tech gets better).
Well above plus two cents still won’t buy you a cup of coffee lol.
Sometimes we buy with our heart, other times with our head. And even then one sometimes wins over the other even if not as comfortable in the long run.
Last thought, I have a bmw expanding trunk on mine and the mounting rack takes up like a 1/3 of the back seat. Not a good thing if you want to carry your 8 year old though wudnerlich (spelled wrong) has a different rack for the bmw truck to be mounted to that does not take up the back part of the seat.

In the end…am I glad I got the ce04…mostly…somewhat. Do I wish I waited and paid less for it be it a new one or used…certainly (forget the figure but like could have saved 2 to 3k US dollars). Is the no engine sound and zippy take off from lights something that gets under your skin…for me yes, yes indeed.
But, if I carried someone as a passenger or it was my only two wheel ride…then no.

Really appreciate your comments and insight, yeah I think the gt may be the more sensible choice for me , and to be honest the 6500km of use by who knows who sways my decision toward the gt. If the ce04 had been new at similar price ( never going to happen!) it would have made it definitely the choice. If I had the choice and money wasn’t an issue I would buy both the ce04 for playing around on and gt for commuting.

 

[ghostrider4]

Hope you enjoy whichever one you end up getting. Was on the ce04 today and it is fun though really wish it had cruise control since the throttle moves it along fast and one must really adjust how one uses the throttle grip to keep in at speed wanted. I did get a throttle grip ring for it though thinking that requires putting a hole in the end of the grip.

For some reason I feel the ‘right then’ power response makes it a tad harder to keep where you want but maybe that is just my thinking. Thus, again, save for the limited rear shock and of course the scooter layout…which has good and bad points I feel…it is a fun ride.

Back in the day had a 650 burgman exec, thinking it had a power windscreen and have to say it was a blast to ride though also, thinking, it had limited rear shock travel. That engine made almost no sound and no heat was ever felt yet lots of power. Possible they stopped sellling it in the USA though.

 

[Stevew]

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 schedule I am going by:

• 750 miles: Initial “break-in” service (final drive fluid change, belt tension check)
• Every 4500 miles: replace the front tire
• Every 6200 miles: replace the rear tire, final drive fluid change, belt tension check
• Every 20000 miles: replace the belt
• Every 50000 miles: replace brake pads
• Every 10000 miles: replace brake rotors
• Every 2 years: replace brake fluid

As with their gas-burning bikes, BMW wants you to stop by a dealer every 6000 miles for maintenance. IMHO, that's excessive for an electric vehicle, especially given that the mechanics in the USA are not trained to work on the CE 04. If you ever find yourself wanting to turn off the giant “MAINTENANCE DUE” pop-up on the console, it's quickly done with an ODB2 dongle and the MotoScan phone app.

One unexpected quirk about the CE 04 is that it burns through front tires more quickly than the rear, opposite of most two-wheeled vehicles and 4-wheeled EVs.

Room for Improvement​

Roughly in priority order:

• A long-range version, like the BMW C-Evolution
• Support for DC charging (NACS) to broaden charger compatibility
• Automatic routing to chargers in navigation mode
• Touring-friendly seats
• Reinforced indicators

Conclusion​

It isn't for everyone, but for me, the BMW CE 04 is a nearly perfect vehicle. It's great for errands, such as pizza pickups and school drop-offs, and fun outings, such as lunch with friends and exploring the countryside.

I'd buy the CE 04 again in a heartbeat. If BMW released a version with 20mi/30km more range, I'd buy it too.

View attachment 4002

Yes, thank you sir.

 

[ghostrider4]

OK, confession time.
Confession#1
I have ridden my CE04 for three days in a row, something I’m thinking I have not done before. The scooter is a blast. It’s so easy to get hooked on the ev and what if offers. Granted it has shortcomings as a scooter, but being an EV makes up for a lot of those.

In the US I have seen new ones as low as the low 8000 figure which to me would kind of be a steal.

Confession #2
The battery was at a very low state when I got to a charging station. I hope it doesn’t mess up the battery computer brain on how it treats long term life of the battery. I normally try to charge. It went down to 20%.

It’s parked at the level two charging station now and I’ll stop at when it gets to 80% but if this happens again, maybe I should instead charge at a lower rate at home with my regular USA wall socket outlet.

 

[subcyclist]

OK, confession time.
Confession#1
I have ridden my CE04 for three days in a row, something I’m thinking I have not done before. The scooter is a blast. It’s so easy to get hooked on the ev and what if offers. Granted it has shortcomings as a scooter, but being an EV makes up for a lot of those.

In the US I have seen new ones as low as the low 8000 figure which to me would kind of be a steal.

Confession #2
The battery was at a very low state when I got to a charging station. I hope it doesn’t mess up the battery computer brain on how it treats long term life of the battery. I normally try to charge. It went down to 20%.

It’s parked at the level two charging station now and I’ll stop at when it gets to 80% but if this happens again, maybe I should instead charge at a lower rate at home with my regular USA wall socket outlet.

The CE04 battery is the same pack which is used in the i4 and iX. While our scooters do not have the liquid cooling/heating for the battery like the i4/iX (only our motor has active thermal management), it still has adequate passive cooling to handle the low rate of charging the CE04 is capable of. At either 3 or 6.6 kw, the battery will not be stressed anywhere near the level which DC fast charging creates. Even DC fast charging, which we cannot utilize, does not always significantly reduce the lifespan of an EV's battery pack. If fast charging is used infrequently, and the pack is not drained lower than 20%, or charged to 100% and left sitting in that state of charge for weeks with temperature fluctuations (stressing the battery because of voltage drift), a battery pack can still last many, many years. The AC charging rate is significantly lower than DC fast charging; 3/6.6 kw (12kw for some vehicles like Zero bikes with the charge tank) versus 50-300+ kw. Your level 1 home charger will be only marginally gentler on the battery as compared to a level 2 charger.

You drained your battery pack to a very low state of charge this time, but you plugged it in for a charge. You did not let it sit at that low level, which is good for the battery; an excellent decision. If you do this infrequently, you will not significantly reduce the lifespan of your battery. The Battery Management System (BMS) will protect the battery when the scooter is in operation, and not let the motor drain the battery as quickly (reducing the discharge rate) when in a low state of charge, compared to a higher state of charge - like 4% versus 40%. It is when the scooter is parked for long periods, that a very low or very high state of charge can more readily damage the battery.

I have read numerous articles, and watched a few videos produced by reputable organizations, regarding battery longevity. This is how I have devised my practice of taking care of my scooter's battery. I recommend that you take my information, and that of others here, as general guidance, but look into other resources to make the best decision for yourself. One excellent resource I can share is a video covering this topic on the Engineering Explained YouTube channel; Jason is an engineer with a strong affinity for marker boards - be prepared for some mathematical mania!

It is fantastic to hear that you are enjoying your CE04 so much. I hope you continue to like it for many years to come. Many of us share the same affinity for these bikes.

 

[ghostrider4]

Thanks for that info, sadly or not it was charged back to 100% by the time I got back to the Level 2 charging station. Will do better to keep her in the 20 to 80 percent range most times. If do a long ride that day then if needed will take her to a 100% charge. Don't recall ever getting the battery that low before and indeed below did occur the last mile driven before arriving at the Level 2 charger thus interesting to both see and now understand why that message popped up. I have like 788 miles on her and she is overdue for a service so have to get her to the dealer right quick and hope my warranty will still be in effect.
"(BMS) will protect the battery when the scooter is in operation, and not let the motor drain the battery as quickly (reducing the discharge rate) when in a low state of charge"

This too was of interest to me " It is when the scooter is parked for long periods, that a very low or very high state of charge can more readily damage the battery."
I will need to be aware attending to this should, as yesterday she be at 100% though figure short period of time won't be an issue (say less then 2 to 3 weeks...guessing). It is interesting, if say at 80% it won't impact battery health if left parked for say a month vs 100%.

Guessing that has something to do with battery chemistry and ability of the BMS best maintain battery health maybe. Which I figure the video link details
Figuring in general a 'ride down to 20 then charge to 80' game plan might be the best for long term battery health. With a now and again charge to 100% if needed for a long trip. A bit sad that 100% charge is not good to do only in that it lessens the range one can drive before recharging. Though it is what it is with todays battery tech so sort of understand the reasoning.

I am a sucker for battery only cruising as I have a 2020 Toyota highlander plus a 2023 ford maverick both hybrid. Though not EVs both are fun when rolling in battery only mode, just get a kick out of it

I did detect a strange sound, or rather was riding slowly at times to conserve battery on trip home yesterday. It was like a wobble sound thus wondering if that could be a sound effect made by the belt and one only hears it when riding slowly vs just turning the throttle to get up to traffic speed. Don't think it is a concern, just was surprised to hear it. Seems to go away else road sounds overtake that 'effect' and /or speed changes what sounds the belt makes. Do have a slight front brake noise at times though touching the front brake lightly makes that stop at times.

Also, if any ukulele players out there...the Bmw accessory right side bag does fit a ukulele if you want to travel with one
I mean after all, it does look cool rolling up to a place on your CE04 with a uku right? Besides, just as itself the styling of the CE04 gets a lot of comments from people I find they really like it so 'home run' on Bmw for the design.
Enjoy your CE04 all, be in maybe we are a small group in the BMW two wheel world I figure.

 

[XMET]

I reluctantly got rid of my 2023 CE04 recently, as it was a “lemon.” I suffered constant “red screens” and breakdowns and it was at the dealership for a few months in total, awaiting diagnosis and new 12 v batteries, various software updates and so forth. Having said that, once I received the cheque from BMW I went ahead and bought a 2025 model! Having recently had surgery, I cannot ride it yet but will not allow my bad experience with the first one put me off.

 

[subcyclist]

I reluctantly got rid of my 2023 CE04 recently, as it was a “lemon.” I suffered constant “red screens” and breakdowns and it was at the dealership for a few months in total, awaiting diagnosis and new 12 v batteries, various software updates and so forth. Having said that, once I received the cheque from BMW I went ahead and bought a 2025 model! Having recently had surgery, I cannot ride it yet but will not allow my bad experience with the first one put me off.

Well met, XMET!

It is definitely unfortunate that your first CE04 had so many problems. Your perseverance is very commendable, though. It is great to hear that BMW properly resolved the issue by taking the scooter back, and also that you bought a new one. I hope you recover quickly from your surgery, so that you can go out to enjoy riding your new bike.

 

[XMET]

Well met, XMET!

It is definitely unfortunate that your first CE04 had so many problems. Your perseverance is very commendable, though. It is great to hear that BMW properly resolved the issue by taking the scooter back, and also that you bought a new one. I hope you recover quickly from your surgery, so that you can go out to enjoy riding your new bike.

Thank you! I hope to be back on two wheels very soon!