DAB 1 vs BMW CE 04: the lightweight luxury commute compared
The DAB 1 vs BMW CE 04 question comes down to one number. The DAB 1 weighs 145 kg. The BMW CE 04 weighs 231 kg. Everything that matters about the urban commute, from how the machine moves between cars to how it parks against a curb, traces back to those 86 kilograms.
Two machines, same A1 license, same 120 km/h ceiling, same 23 kW of peak power in the regulated version. They look like competitors on paper. They are not the same product.
The 86 kg that defines the choice
A 145 kg motorcycle behaves differently than a 231 kg scooter. The DAB 1 carries less than two-thirds the weight of the BMW CE 04. That difference shows up in three places.
First, at low speed. Pushing the machine into a parking spot, lifting it off the side stand, rolling it through a courtyard. The DAB does this without effort. The CE 04 demands intention.
Second, in traffic. Lane filtering between stopped cars, weaving through a Paris carrefour, threading the morning slow-grind in central Milan. Less mass means quicker direction changes and faster recovery from minor inputs.
Third, in confidence. A first-time owner with no motorcycle background can handle 145 kg from day one. The CE 04 asks more from anyone who has never balanced a heavy two-wheeled machine at a standstill.
The CE 04's mass is the cost of its scooter architecture: floorboard, step-through frame, big underseat storage, large windshield, automotive-derived motor mounted to the chassis. BMW built it as urban furniture. DAB built the 1 as a motorcycle.
Where the design language splits
The CE 04 hides its engineering. The DAB 1 exposes it.
BMW's machine is a clean sheet of bodywork. The battery sits in the underbody. The motor lives between the battery and the rear wheel. The structure disappears under panels. The visual language is appliance: closed, contained, finished.
The DAB 1 takes the opposite path. The frame is visible. The suspension is exposed. The carbon belt runs in the open. The wheels, the brakes, the powertrain are all there to be read. The visual language is machine: open, structural, refined.
This is not a stylistic preference. It is two different philosophies about what a premium electric motorcycle is for. The CE 04 is a transport solution wearing premium materials. The DAB 1 is a piece of design carrying powertrain. The Status-Driven Urbanite picks one or the other on first glance, before reading a single spec.
The CE 04 is built at BMW's Berlin motorcycle plant. The DAB 1 is hand-built in Bayonne, France, and industrialized in partnership with Peugeot Motocycles at Beaulieu-Mandeure. Both signal craftsmanship. Both attach a national engineering heritage. The difference is scale. BMW makes motorcycles by the tens of thousands. DAB makes each machine to order.
Power, range, and the spec sheet that matters
For an A1 license, both machines deliver 23 kW of peak power and a 120 km/h top speed. The CE 04 has a 42 hp unrestricted version for those with a full motorcycle license. The DAB 1 stays at 31 hp regardless. That matters if the commute regularly hits a motorway. It does not matter for central Paris, London, or Milan.
Range tells a closer story than headlines suggest:
- DAB 1: 150 km in city use, 120 km WMTC combined
- BMW CE 04 (A1 23 kW version): 100 km WMTC
- BMW CE 04 (42 hp full power): 130 km WMTC
The DAB 1's lower-displacement battery (7.1 kWh max, 6.2 kWh nominal) outperforms the CE 04's larger battery (8.9 kWh gross, 8.5 kWh net) on city range because the machine is 86 kg lighter. Watt-hours per kilometer go further on a lighter motorcycle. This is not marketing. It is physics.
Torque is where the comparison gets misleading on paper. The CE 04 quotes 62 Nm at the motor. The DAB 1 quotes 395 Nm at the wheel. These are different measurements of the same idea. What matters is felt acceleration. Both machines pull cleanly from a standstill. Both reach 50 km/h before traffic catches up. The DAB does so with less mass to move, which means less energy spent on motion and more left for range.
The DAB 1's instant torque delivery is one of the defining traits of electric motorcycle architecture. We covered this in why electric motorcycles deliver instant torque.
Brakes, suspension, and the parts that touch the road
The spec sheet beneath the bodywork separates these two machines more than any other section.
Brakes. The DAB 1 runs Brembo. Front: 4-piston radial caliper with a 320 mm floating disc. Rear: single-piston caliper with a 240 mm disc. Dual ABS as standard. Brembo is the brake supplier used by Ducati, Ferrari, McLaren, and most of MotoGP. The BMW CE 04 uses JJuan, a Spanish supplier. Front: twin 265 mm discs with 4-piston fixed calipers. Rear: single 265 mm disc with single-piston floating caliper. JJuan brakes are competent. Brembo brakes are the benchmark.
Suspension. The DAB 1 runs a KYB inverted front fork and a KYB adjustable preload rear shock. The DAB 1a steps up to Paioli, with a 46 mm fully adjustable inverted fork and the Paioli x DAB rear shock, also fully adjustable. KYB and Paioli are both serious motorcycle suspension brands. The CE 04 uses BMW's proprietary scooter setup. It is tuned for ride comfort, not dynamic handling.
Wheels and tires. Both machines run 17-inch wheels front and rear. The DAB 1 uses FABA 17 x 3.5 and 17 x 4.25 wheels shod with Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV. The Diablo Rosso IV is a serious sport-touring tire used on premium Italian motorcycles. The CE 04 runs more pedestrian rubber.
Transmission. Both machines use belt drive. The DAB 1 uses a Gates carbon belt. The CE 04 uses a toothed belt. Both eliminate the maintenance overhead of a chain.
For the Informed Motorcyclist, these are not minor differences. The brakes and suspension on a DAB are the same names that appear on machines costing three times more. The brakes and suspension on a CE 04 are the names that appear on premium scooters. The category gap is real.
Charging, range, and what the city actually demands
The CE 04 takes 4 hours and 20 minutes to charge fully from a standard 230V outlet. With the optional 6.9 kW Mode 3 quick charger and a wallbox or public station, that drops to 1 hour and 40 minutes for a full charge, or 45 minutes from 20 to 80 percent.
The DAB 1 charges from 20 to 100 percent in approximately 3 hours from a standard household outlet. The onboard 2000W charger is integrated into the machine. Plug into any 220V socket or any Type 2 station. No wallbox required. No special hardware. The cable lives in the 3.4-liter glove box.
For a central-Paris commute of 25 kilometers per day, the DAB 1 needs charging twice a week. From the wall outlet next to the front door. For a longer suburban commute, the CE 04 buys you 30 extra kilometers of range per charge and a faster top-up if you invest in the wallbox. The DAB buys you simpler ownership.
Price and what each price buys
The DAB 1 starts at €9,990. The DAB 1a, the icon version with Paioli suspension, Airbus carbon fiber front fender and engine cover, Alcantara seat, and a numbered golden plate, starts at €14,900. The BMW CE 04 in its A1-compatible configuration sits in the €13,000 to €18,000 range across European markets depending on options.
At the entry tier, the DAB 1 is roughly 3,000 to 8,000 euros cheaper than a comparable CE 04. At the 1a tier, the two machines sit in the same price band, and the DAB delivers materially better suspension, the same Brembo brakes, and the design-led machine architecture instead of the scooter form factor.
For a buyer comparing 10,000 to 18,000 euros of premium electric two-wheel mobility, the DAB lineup offers either a cheaper machine with the same regulatory ceiling, or a same-priced machine with significantly upgraded engineering. The CE 04 offers BMW's brand and dealer network, which matters to a specific kind of buyer.
Which machine is yours
Pick the BMW CE 04 if you want a step-through scooter ergonomic, more underseat storage, a windshield, dealer service across the EU, and the BMW badge.
Pick the DAB 1 if you want a 145 kg machine designed in France around the principles of minimalism and exposed engineering. Brembo brakes. KYB or Paioli suspension. FABA wheels. Pirelli tires. A carbon belt. A standard outlet for charging. A motorcycle silhouette that reads as design rather than appliance.
The decision is rarely a spec sheet decision. It is a question of what you want sitting in your parking spot. A premium scooter with a BMW logo. Or a hand-built electric motorcycle that came out of a Bayonne studio and the heritage of Peugeot Motocycles.
The DAB 1 ships internationally across the EU, the UK, Switzerland, and the UAE. The full lineup, including the DAB 1, DAB 1a, and the DAB x Brabus collaboration, is available to configure at dabmotors.com. Test rides can be arranged through the team at dabmotors.com/about-us.
Book a test ride and decide on the road.