Action under the sun: surfing, skating, motorcycling (to the Burning Man festival). That is California at its purest. This attitude to life can be carried into the sustainable future – you just must be as visionary as the motorcycle rebuilders from Vagabund Moto.
Austrians Paul Brauchart and Philipp Rabl joined forces in 2015 to form Vagabund Moto and challenge the mainstream of the custom world. As newcomers, they are not taking on niche motorcycles, but rather the most popular conversion model par excellence: old BMW boxers. What else do they want to add?
Their confident answer: they build the most polished custom boxers on the market. So perfect in design and craftsmanship that you don’t know whether the street or a showcase is the appropriate place for them.
With “The Whale” based on a BMW R 100 R, they etched themselves into motorbike history in 2017. Vagabund Moto bring a long-despised topic to the fore: the monocoque, the unit consisting of tank, seat, and rear. Their aluminium monocoque looks like a brushed Henry Moore sculpture in the wind tunnel, a design coup beyond compare.
Their concept for the emission-free BMW scooter CE 04 also places special emphasis on design. The BMW technology cannot be optimised anyway. But the design language can be used to integrate the electric scooter even more precisely into urban everyday life. “Action meets fashion” is the slogan under which Vagabund Moto goes on the charm offensive with colour blocking and smiley faces. The beige doctor’s bag for the luggage rack is a funny detail with added value. The side carriers with the colour-coordinated surfboard are more of an eye-catcher without added value. But they illustrate so beautifully what the CE 04 is all about: Californian action under the sun.
