We headed to Berlin to celebrate the 100th anniversary of BMW Motorrad, but this year there was more than just a simple trip! In addition to attending the Motorrad Days event, we went a few days earlier to visit the BMW Motorrad factory. We took a motorcycle ride around the outskirts of Berlin, took a guided tour of the city, and also attended the Pure and Crafted Festival. It was 5 days of activities!
With the celebration of the 100 years of existence, BMW organized another special event, both for us and for BMW workers from around the world. For the first time, they invited all the workers (literally everyone) to celebrate this special date. 4,000 BMW Motorrad employees were present during these festive days.
THE FACTORY
For us, the event lasted 5 days, where on the first day, we had the privilege of riding several models while exploring the surroundings of Berlin. We covered approximately 250 kilometers and enjoyed the diverse landscapes and forests that surround the beautiful city. Then, we had a guided tour of Berlin, making several stops to capture the moments with photographs.
One of the highlights was naturally the visit to the BMW Motorrad factory. Over the years, we have visited several factories from various brands, and this factory in Berlin is among the best of the best. For example, their workers are trained with the help of augmented reality glasses; all facilities are ultra-modern with sections of the factory so advanced that they don’t even have humans, instead using unmanned robots responsible for transporting 1 million parts daily within the factory. Another interesting fact is that almost all parts are manufactured from scratch in the factory itself. We are talking about a factory with 4,000 workers that produces 27 out of the 36 models available in the BMW range. It is impressive to know that they produce all the approximately 5,000 components that make up a motorcycle (not all the screws, of course…), but they do produce, for example, the batteries for the CE04!
THE EVENT
When it was time to go to the Pure & Crafted Festival, which is an alternative music festival with custom motorcycles mixed in, something unexpected happened. They launched the latest BMW electric scooter. And they did it in an old-fashioned way: all that was missing was the sheet revealing the novelty… They gathered the journalists, made a stage presentation, and suddenly the brand new CE02 emerged from the smoke. This new model has a very modern design and will surely please many people, especially the younger ones. The price has not yet been confirmed for Portugal, but it will be in the range of €7,000 to €9,000.
The CE02 will be available in two versions, one with 11 kW (15 hp) which is basically equivalent to a 125 cc and another with 4 kW (5 hp) equivalent to a 50 cc. The more powerful version of the CE02 has a top speed of 95 km/h, weighs 132 kg, has a range of 90 km, and charges up to 100% in 1 hour and 40 minutes with a fast charger and in 2 hours and 40 minutes with a regular household socket.
To finish these packed days, we went to the venue where the 100th anniversary of BMW Motorrad was celebrated. Imagine a festival dedicated solely to BMW motorcycles, with literally all products sold by BMW Motorrad, as well as rare and unique custom motorcycles that leave everyone speechless.
In addition to this, there were numerous activities such as the death well, Freestyle Motocross, Stunt Riding, and multiple simultaneous concerts. This is a unique event, dedicated especially to BMW employees. And so we ended 5 days full of activities, where we breathed BMW full-time!
