Fun , pure unadulterated fun - that was my first impression of BMW ’ s funky electric CE02 eParkourer . To misquote Bowie , ‘ fun to funky ’. You cannot escape the fact that this is an attractive , if odd-looking bike , and yet somehow familiar . Futuristic , yes , but also , nostalgic .
TUGGING AT THE HEARTSTRINGS It took me until day two of riding to properly pick up on the styling cues … it reminds me of a fully grown-up version of the late 60s ‘ banana bike ’ some of us had as kids – long and narrow seat , high riser bars , chunky wheels , lots of decals and open for personalisation ( for those born after 1980 - the old banana bike was a forerunner of BMX bikes ). So , no wonder it tugged odd corners of my heart when I first saw it even though I hadn ’ t figured out why . From the front it looks almost ‘ Transformer ’ - ish . Gold forks drop into black plastic gaiters . A squared headlight sits mid-mounted above a surprisingly motard-like front wheel , with a squarish black headstock above equally cubic LED lights and black cladding over pronounced highrise bars . Chunky black brake levers left and right , no footbrake . Above the tyre is a sliver of mudguard – same at the rear - leaving both wheels almost completely exposed as solid black circles . The rear is a half arch connecting the lights , indicators and rego plate - bobber style .
WHAT THE HELL IS IT ? A low seat height , all electric , quirky , a cool machine . The solid wheels give it a stolid look , belied by the air hole where the seat rises up , in a nod to where a gas tank might once have been . Two position footpegs useable by rider and pillion give multiple ride positions for the pilot , both comfortable and fun . The seat looks like an upholstered plank but is much more comfortable . The bike has a semi-industrial feel - like some hyper-modern European art factory had it built for cool dudes to commute between a lab and a music studio . Admittedly , my cool days are well behind me , but hell it was fun to zip about on . I flashed over the harbour bridge sporting my own 100kg , plus the weighty charger in my backpack on the ride home , and it never looked like slowing or struggling . I immediately changed my mind about where I was going for lunch . The appeal of a waterfront dash on the electric beastie was highly acceptable . But what exactly is it ? It ’ s not a scooter , nor a moped . It ’ s sort of an ultimate urban / city ride , in
70 KIWI RIDER