skip to content
chapters architecture design art technology
featured popular now highlights topics interviews video
  • readers submit now
  • competitions open call
  • events promote
  • courses teach it
  • design-directory get listed
  • shop start selling

keep up with our daily and weekly stories

  • milan.design.week
  • venice.arch.biennale
  • venice.art.biennale

my profile my submissions

get more from designboom

  • bookmark and build your own library
  • full overview of your project submissions
  • first to know about announcements
  • more to come
create a free account

log in

Sign in to your designboom account.

forgot password?

new to designboom? create a free account
BRABUS x DAB motors’ electric motorcycle series goes bold in playful color scheme
technology

BRABUS x DAB motors’ electric motorcycle series goes bold in playful color scheme

BRABUS and DAB motors’ three-bike electric motorcycle series reinterpret the DAB 1α electric platform.

christina vergopoulou April 21, 2026 5 min

BRABUS and DAB Motors introduce a three-bike electric series

 

German mobility brand BRABUS launches its first electric motorcycle in collaboration with French manufacturer DAB Motors. Presented during Milan Design Week 2026, the collection introduces three new BRABUS motorcycle models, DAB 1α BRABUS, BRABUS URBAN E, and BRABUS URBAN E FIRST EDITION, marking a new direction for fully electric urban two-wheelers. The series introduces a more expressive reading of BRABUS design language through color and material contrast. Alongside the deep black carbon finishes, the FIRST EDITION brings four saturated tones, ‘Peetch,’ ‘Desert Sand,’ ‘Superviolet,’ and ‘Fusion Red,’ applied as full-body surfaces rather than accents. Each colour extends into the seating, creating a continuous visual field where bodywork and upholstery read as a single gesture.

 

All three motorcycles are based on DAB Motors’ DAB 1α electric architecture, defined by a 72-volt lithium-ion battery (7.1 kWh) and a carbon belt drive that keeps both the visual and mechanical language minimal. In urban conditions, the system delivers up to 150 km of range, with a top speed electronically limited to 120 km/h. Charging is integrated into the everyday rhythm of use, allowing a refill from 50% to 100% in around 1.5 hours, and a full charge in under four hours via standard home or Type 2 connections.

 

Within this shared technical base, the BRABUS versions explore different readings of the same structure, adjusting surface treatment, detailing, and visual intensity while remaining tied to a single core architecture. Rather than a fixed typology, the platform operates as a design system, open to variation across three distinct expressions. Dual-seater in configuration and intended for urban environments, the motorcycle retains a straightforward functional brief, while positioning everyday movement within a more considered visual and material framework.

BRABUS x DAB motors' electric motorcycle series goes bold in playful color scheme - 1
all images courtesy of BRABUS

 

 

three electric motorcycle models share BRABUS’ design platform

 

The DAB 1α BRABUS opens the series with a focus on surface refinement and material clarity. The motorcycle is finished entirely in deep black, punctuated by exposed carbon-fiber elements that define its structure, including side ducts, engine cover inserts, belly pan, and front fender. The seating is upholstered in Alcantara with subtle motorsport-inspired grey stitching, reinforcing a restrained, technical reading of the form. Beneath the surface, the setup delivers 31 hp (23 kW) and 395 Nm of torque, shaping a compact, controlled riding character built around immediacy rather than excess.

 

The BRABUS URBAN E builds on the same DAB 1α architecture but shifts the visual and technical language towards greater intensity. Performance is increased by up to 20%, reaching 37 hp (27.6 kW) and 475 Nm at the wheel through revised motor mapping and an upgraded inverter. To accommodate this, the design introduces carbon-fiber air cooling ducts, rear winglets, and wheel covers that sharpen the overall silhouette. An illuminated BRABUS logo on the front plate and integrated LED strips within the carbon intake elements define the front view, while a red leather Masterpiece seat with signature ‘Shell’ quilting adds a contrasting tactile layer within the otherwise dark composition.

 

The BRABUS URBAN E FIRST EDITION carries the same technical foundation as the URBAN E, but is defined through colour and limitation. Produced in a series of just 40 units worldwide, it is split across four BRABUS signature tones, ‘Peetch,’ ‘Desert Sand,’ ‘Superviolet,’ and ‘Fusion Red.’ Each colour extends across the bodywork and continues into the Masterpiece seat, creating a continuous visual field rather than separated elements. The result is a more expressive interpretation of the BRABUS platform, where colour becomes the primary differentiator within a shared structural language.

BRABUS x DAB motors' electric motorcycle series goes bold in playful color scheme - 2
BRABUS and DAB Motors present a three-bike electric motorcycle series

popular now tech

jaguar type 01 launches electric era with four-door grand tourer

classic G-SHOCK transforms into perfectly ripe banana in BAIT and casio's collab watch

google japan puts gboard on conveyor belts so the keys come to you

james chinlund fills louis vuitton's louvre runway with hovering concept vehicles

MINI countryman goes 'untamed' with its most rugged setup yet for life off-road

this week this month
readers submit now

subscribe
to our
newsletter

keep up with our daily
& weekly stories

brabus-dab-motors-three-electric-motorcycle-series-playful-color-scheme-designboom-1800-2
the series explores contrast through color and carbon fiber
BRABUS x DAB motors' electric motorcycle series goes bold in playful color scheme - 3
‘Peetch,’ ‘Desert Sand,’ ‘Superviolet,’ and ‘Fusion Red’ shape the palette
BRABUS x DAB motors' electric motorcycle series goes bold in playful color scheme - 4
color extends seamlessly from bodywork into the seat

subscribe
to our
newsletter

keep up with our daily
& weekly stories

brabus-dab-motors-three-electric-motorcycle-series-playful-color-scheme-designboom-1800-3
the motorcycles read as continuous, unified design objects
BRABUS x DAB motors' electric motorcycle series goes bold in playful color scheme - 5
three models reinterpret the DAB 1α electric platform

subscribe
to our
newsletter

keep up with our daily
& weekly stories

brabus-dab-motors-three-electric-motorcycle-series-playful-color-scheme-designboom-1800-4
three versions explore different levels of visual intensity
BRABUS x DAB motors' electric motorcycle series goes bold in playful color scheme - 6
charging integrates into everyday use with fast turnaround times
BRABUS x DAB motors' electric motorcycle series goes bold in playful color scheme - 7
the series functions as a flexible design system
BRABUS x DAB motors' electric motorcycle series goes bold in playful color scheme - 8
all models are built on DAB Motors’ DAB 1α architecture
BRABUS x DAB motors' electric motorcycle series goes bold in playful color scheme - 9
exposed carbon elements define structure and surface

 

1/23

project info:

 

name: DAB 1α BRABUS, BRABUS URBAN E, BRABUS URBAN E FIRST EDITION

company: BRABUS | @brabus

manufacturer: DAB Motors | @dabmotors

subscribe
to our
newsletter

keep up with our daily
& weekly stories

popular now tech

technology

jaguar type 01 launches electric era with four-door grand tourer

thomai tsimpou
technology

classic G-SHOCK transforms into perfectly ripe banana in BAIT and casio's collab watch

kat barandy
technology

google japan puts gboard on conveyor belts so the keys come to you

Iñaki Laguardia
technology

james chinlund fills louis vuitton's louvre runway with hovering concept vehicles

Iñaki Laguardia
technology

MINI countryman goes 'untamed' with its most rugged setup yet for life off-road

kat barandy
this week this month
readers submit now

subscribe
to our
newsletter

keep up with our daily
& weekly stories

shop

your own online design shop — no sales commission collected

start selling

V / envelope and key holder is an elegant bill organizer

ChiHong

taiwan $ 55

Airframe - picture frame brings the window seat indoors

TEEV

south korea $ 99 $ 89

Magnetic Vase - Unique Table Centerpiece | Set of 5

Peleg Design

US $ 49.90

99 CLASSICS (2ND GEN)

Meze Audio

romania $ 349

Custom Wall Mural - Ombre

MARTINA BANOZIC TEXTILES

croatia from $ 89

Gradient Watch – A Timepiece of Shifting Patterns and Minimal Elegance

Lawa Design

denmark $ 239

Knit necklace, 3D printed statement necklace

monocircus

japan $ 162

BesoVida food-grade silicone kitchenware & S+ Cutlery sturdy yet lightweight utensils

Twowgo

taiwan from $ 46 $ 42

18k Gold 'Chubby Babies' Studs

Carla Morrison Fine Jewelry

US $ 1280

Flip lenticular earrings based on a lenticular multi-view display system

A.pair

south korea $ 38

dab motors +8

technology

80s futurism, racing cars and airplanes give shape to DAB motors’ experimental motorcycles

matthew burgos
technology

3D printed electric motorcycle by DAB motors takes after shotaro kaneda’s bike in akira

matthew burgos
technology

DAB motors recreates back to the future’s delorean time machine car as electric motorbike

matthew burgos
technology

DAB 1α electric motorcycle goes atomic purple, reviving nintendo’s retro game boy color

matthew burgos
technology

paris 2024 olympics ‘alter egos’ come out as custom electric motorbikes by DAB motors

matthew burgos
all dab motors

electric motorcycle and scooter design +369

technology

royal enfield revolutionizes the electric motorcycle experience with flying flea c6

lisa kostyra featured
technology

second white’s VtoV 2000 concept gives the electric scooter a more grown-up role

Iñaki Laguardia
technology

augment 360: this folding electric moped can follow its rider into the elevator

daily desk
technology

lightfoot solar cargo scooter stores sunlight for everyday errands

Iñaki Laguardia
technology

14kg electric motorbike disassembles for flights and rebuilds on arrival

Iñaki Laguardia
all electric motorcycle and scooter design

milan design week 2026 +81

architecture

subconscious spaces: tracking the invisible energy that gives architecture its soul

lisa kostyra
architecture

beyond the blueprint: breaking rigid structures to embrace fluid spatial evolution

lisa kostyra
architecture

the architecture of optimism: treating friction as a catalyst for innovation

lisa kostyra
architecture

the luxury of purpose: redefining exclusivity through craft and analog slow-living

lisa kostyra
architecture

realizing the dream: crafting a new design language from a confluence of cultures

tim spears
all milan design week 2026

motorcycle and scooter design +488

technology

aston martin and brough superior turn their track superbike into a road machine

Iñaki Laguardia
technology

lightfoot solar cargo scooter stores sunlight for everyday errands

Iñaki Laguardia
technology

bandit9 combines hand-brushed aluminum and carbon fiber in ducati 821 motorcycle

Daryl readers
technology

hiplok introduces a compact modular locking system for next-generation bike security

Sarah Calam readers
technology

BMW concept cruiser channels retro sci-fi and aircraft design

claire brodka
all motorcycle and scooter design

technology news

technology

james chinlund fills louis vuitton's louvre runway with hovering concept vehicles

Iñaki Laguardia
technology

classic G-SHOCK transforms into perfectly ripe banana in BAIT and casio's collab watch

kat barandy
technology

google japan puts gboard on conveyor belts so the keys come to you

Iñaki Laguardia
technology

jaguar type 01 launches electric era with four-door grand tourer

thomai tsimpou
all technology

keep up with our daily and weekly stories

imprint privacy policy terms of use cookies copyright info
about us advertise contact us careers rss
  • milan.design.week
  • venice.arch.biennale
  • venice.art.biennale

guided by
utopian optimism, we design a future worth believing in.

27 years of designboom
edit your cookie choices

designboom © 1999-2026 - part of DAAily platforms AG

designboom magazine