BMW Motorrad has officially unveiled the E-Power Roadster, which is a prototype model of their upcoming all-electric motorcycle. BMW is one of the mainstream manufacturers that has shown its active participation in the electrification of transportation. It was a pleasant surprise when the brand unveiled the Vision DC Roadster concept in June this year.
The electric motorcycle prototype is based on the BMW S1000R whereas the swingarm of the bike draws parallels with the BMW R1200RS in addition to a custom frame in the middle. The E-Power Roadster is powered by an electric motor from the BMW 7-series sedan while the motorcycle tips the scale of kerb weight at 296kg.
According to the brand, the E-Power Roadster is good for 1,500Nm of torque at the rear wheel after a gear reduction and power transfer via shaft drive. The electric motorcycle is capable to sprint from 0-100kmph in just 2.9 seconds. The top speed limiter of the current prototype stands at around 160kmph. The e-bike prototype’s 13kWh battery can be charged from a DC fast-charging system which can fully charge the bike within an hour.
It must be noted that there are a few issues that have been reported regarding the prototype like overheating and also the charging of the battery tends to slow down once the battery gets above 40 degrees Celsius for which BMW Motorrad is making efforts to resolve the issues.
BMW’s first electric bike is capable of going up to 177km on a single charge about which the brand notified that they are trying to improve the prototype in order to offer a range of up to 300km. It will be interesting to witness when the German manufacturer’s first electric bike gets released in a production form in the coming years.