The electric motorcycle world has never been short on ambitious promises, but a US$50,000 price tag for a bike that tops out at 75 mph (120 km/h) is enough to make even a well-heeled biker do a double take. I’m talking about the Brabus Urban E Fragment Edition, a collaboration between German automotive aftermarket tuning company Brabus, French electric motorcycle maker DAB Motors, and Japanese streetwear designer Hiroshi Fujiwara's Fragment Design.
But its ludicrous potential price tag isn’t the only absurd thing. Only 10 units of the motorcycle will be available worldwide. Meaning while its performance numbers may not draw in huge crowds, its sheer exclusivity might just do the trick.
Now let’s get one thing straight: the pitch here isn't about chasing top speed or squeezing every last mile out of a battery. It’s based on DAB’s Urban E, an electric bike producing 37 hp and a claimed 350 lb.ft (475 Nm) of torque at the wheel. Meanwhile, range is quoted at up to 93 miles (150 km) in city riding conditions.
It takes roughly three hours to charge from 20% to 100% at a household outlet, or three to four hours to fully charge from empty, which is comparable to what other small-battery urban electric bikes usually require.
And that power output is 20% more than the base DAB model, bumped up already on the Urban E previously. And just like the bike it’s based on, the Fragment Edition is built around a steel double cross frame with a steel mesh subframe and a cast aluminum swingarm.
It rides on 17-inch wheels at both ends, above which sit 46-mm USD forks at the front and a shock absorber with spring preload adjustment in back – both with 3.9 in (100 mm) of travel. It gets five modes (Eco, Street, Sport, Nitrous Boost, and Reverse), and tips the scale at 320 lb (145 kg).
But all that’s just ordinary. What really makes this bike 'special' is the black and white color palette, based on the Japanese designer Hiroshi Fujiwara's Fragment Design label.
The bike is mostly black, but the carbon-fiber wheel covers, brake calipers, and even the leather seat are white to create the right contrast. The brand's emblem, which is incorporated into the translucent monoblock LED taillight beneath the seat and is sculpted by the bike's lights themselves, is the most noticeable of all Fragment elements.
A lot of the components, like the front fender, underbody paneling, rear wing, and side panels, are made from carbon fiber. Other sections of the motorcycle, such as the handlebars, headlamp unit, and even the CNC rear suspension system, are custom-made by Brabus.
Each of these 10 units will be hand-built by DAB Motors in France and priced at $50,000. That’s superbike money for an electric motorcycle that won't even crack 80 mph.
For that kind of money, you could buy a seriously capable motorcycle, a rather lovely used car, or possibly both, and still have money left over for a holiday that doesn't involve explaining your purchase to your spouse. But that's missing the point.
The Brabus Urban E Fragment Edition isn't trying to win a rationality contest. It's a rolling fashion statement for people who believe exclusivity is worth its weight in carbon fiber.
Source: Brabus
