A buzz about this BMW electric custom

It’s not too often you get to look at a custom electric bike. So when BMW asked German builder Rolf Reick of Krautmotors to produce one, it was inevitable a special machine would be born.

A timely bond between the two with their being such a buzz around electric motorcycles right now, the bike dubbed the ‘E-LisaBad’ was presented at the Pure & Crafted festival last weekend in Berlin.

Named after Reick’s grandmother, the ‘E-LisaBad’ is based around BMW’s electric C Evolution maxi-scooter. To say that this machine has been given a radical aesthetic overhaul is somewhat of an understatement. Just look at the picture above to believe it. 

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The first of its kind

BMW are claiming it to be the first production electric bike to be customised and Reick even took additional training courses to better understand the workings of the bike, which is very different in the way it operates to a normal petrol motorcycle.

“It’s about taking away people’s reservations with electronic vehicles,” Rolf said. “I’m showing them what they already know: an exterior with an old-school look – but built around new technology.” 

Radical design

There’s no hiding from the fact that this is an electric bike. It states its origins proudly with the original casings on the rear of the vehicle removed and attracts attention with a radical angular front fairing.

“You can see right away what it is: an e-bike,” added Rolf. “This is a real Reick scooter – rough, raw and unpolished.”

The bike was lowered and the shock absorbers were removed to make the vehicle rigid so it’ll probably make your backside sore if you wanted to cover any serious miles on it.

Not that this really matters, as the C Evoloution will only get 62 miles between charges. as Web Producer, Liam Marsden found out when he spent some time commuting with one.

Charging at Glemseck 101

The bike will make an appearance at the upcoming Glemseck 101 festival in Germany, where it will be going head-to-head with some of the quickest custom bikes on the planet along a 1/8 mile dragstrip. “Its acceleration through the direct power transmission is what fascinates me about the C Evolution,” Rolf continued.

It’ll be interesting to see how it does too. The bike puts out 72Nm of torque in its stock form – which is instantly useable, unlike that of a petrol engine where the torque builds with the RPM of the engine.

The Glemseck 101 will be taking place in Leonberg, Germany this weekend and has become a proving ground for custom builders all over the world who compete to take the chequered flag over the 1/8 mile drag strip on their custom creations. Last year saw Carl ‘Foggy’ Fogarty take the win aboard a supercharged Triumph Thruxton R and this year’s event looks set to be just as dynamic, with a former World Champion showdown between Kevin Schwantz and Freddie Spencer.

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