Before DAB Motors: design as a foundation
Before DAB Motors existed, Simon Dabadie was already working in the motorcycle and product design world under Dab Design, collaborating with brands across motorcycling and design culture, including:
Yamaha — https://www.yamaha-motor.eu/
Roland Sands Design — https://rolandsands.com/
Skully Systems — https://www.skully.com/
Deus Ex Machina — https://deuscustoms.com/
These experiences helped shape a clear direction: combine engineering realism with design clarity, and treat motorcycles like products that deserve the same level of intention as architecture or industrial design.
From a garage in Bayonne
In 2016, that ambition became real in a small garage in Bayonne (South West of France). DAB Motors started with one computer, one 3D printer, and one Honda motorcycle.
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The first project was the LM (Light Motorcycle)—a custom motorcycle created to explore new proportions, materials, and a lighter, more minimal approach to motorcycling.
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From day one, the mission was to step away from motorcycling norms and pursue singularity.
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From custom motorcycles to street-legal production
As the brand’s community grew, DAB Motors faced a real-world challenge: custom bikes are expressive, but often difficult to keep street-legal.
That’s what led to the LM-S (Lightweight Motorcycle – Street Legal) project—built to deliver a highly configurable, road-legal motorcycle without losing the identity and uniqueness riders were searching for.
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This phase marked the transition from garage builds to a more structured product vision.
The electric turning point
In 2021, the vision evolved. DAB Motors became convinced that electricity would define the future of transportation and set a new mission: make electric vehicles truly inspiring—at a time when the market already had many “peculiar” e-motorcycles.
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That’s where Concept-E entered the story: the first electric era platform that would eventually lead to the DAB 1.
Electric motorcycles meet culture: the Burberry collaboration
Electric mobility opened unexpected creative territory.
In 2021, Burberry approached DAB Motors to create the first Burberry motorbike, blending both universes. In just five months, DAB prototyped and produced 20 unique DAB x Burberry electric bikes.
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Burberry x DAB Motors — https://us.burberry.com/c/burberry-dab-motors/
The collaboration amplified DAB’s positioning: motorcycles as design objects, not just machines.
A historic partnership with Peugeot Motocycles
In 2023, DAB Motors reached a major milestone: Peugeot Motocycles acquired 80% of the company to industrialize the DAB electric motorcycle.
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Peugeot Motocycles — https://www.peugeot-motocycles.com/
This partnership connected:
DAB Motors’ design-led innovation
Peugeot Motocycles’ industrial expertise and manufacturing heritage
a shared vision for the next generation of French electric two-wheel mobility
The DAB 1: the result of the journey
The DAB 1 is the continuation of everything that started in that Bayonne garage—now expressed as a production-ready electric motorcycle.
The DAB 1 brings together:
lightweight motorcycle architecture
refined electric torque delivery
minimalist design language
premium materials and finishing
a riding experience designed for modern urban mobility
It’s not an adaptation of a combustion platform—it’s a motorcycle built to feel “native” to the electric era.
DAB is now one of the key brands in electric two-wheel mobility
Today, DAB Motors sits among the most visible names shaping electric motorcycles and electric scooters—each with its own philosophy, segment, and approach to performance.
Where DAB fits: while many brands prioritize battery size, maximum range, or outright top speed, DAB Motors focuses on lightweight architecture, design-led engineering, and a refined riding experience—with the DAB 1 as the clearest expression of that philosophy.
Looking forward
From early design collaborations to a garage-built LM, from Concept-E to the Burberry collaboration, and from Peugeot Motocycles’ acquisition to the production-ready DAB 1—DAB Motors has followed a consistent vision:
Build electric motorcycles that blend design, culture, and performance—without following old rules.
The DAB 1 is not the end of the story. It’s the beginning of what comes next.