BMW has quite some form when it comes to wacky designs, and it appears to have exhumed one of its most famous ones as the base for its latest concept bike.
It’s quarter of a century since the BMW C1 went on sale, a roofed scooter that the manufacturer thought would open up powered two wheelers to a whole new audience. With a seat belt system and a safety cell surrounding the rider, BMW hoped that riders/drivers/operators would be exempt from wearing helmets and that the whole package would be much more appealing to commuters than a traditional scooter.
It was BMW’s first foray into scooters but, sadly for them, legislators in most countries still insisted on a helmet. It all lead to a quirky scooter that was heavier and more expensive than a traditional twist-and-go and, despite getting a bit of a cult following, it was only on sale for a few years.
Now BMW has exhumed the ghost of the C1 to bring us the Vision CE, a funky electric scooter concept based around the same basic ideas, with its tubular roll cage combining with a car style seat and safety belts to once again eliminate the need to wear a crash helmet or the usual motorcycle clothing – in theory at least.
One thing that the Vision CE has that the C1 didn’t is a self-balancing feature, which will stop the scoot toppling over at low speeds and standstill, making it even more appealing to non-motorcyclists. BMW’s promo pics show the Vision CE being ridden on (probably AI generated) beaches, with the rugged roll cage giving the impression of a ‘go anywhere’ adventurer, rather than a pure urban commuter, and we could certainly see the concept going into production in the not too distant future.
BMW’s had electric scooters in its range for over a decade now, with the quirky/futuristic CE 04 already in the line up. No details have been given regarding the Vision CE’s powertrain, but as it appears to be a modified version of the CE 04 it’s not unrealistic to imagine the company may productionise the model to grab some headlines and once again test the water with government law makers, not to mention potential Gen Z buyers.
