Special-edition Verge TS Pro brings bold West Coast vibes to the electric superbike
Verge Motorcycles’ new TS Pro California edition honours the American state’s role in motorbike culture
Verge Motorcycles bills itself as an ‘electric superbike’ builder, a company committed to recreating the exhilarating performance and visual drama of the traditional petrol-powered, race-inspired superbikes with a completely zero-emission powertrain.
As we’ve seen with four-wheeled EVs, electrification has instant performance benefits. E-bikes, e-scooters and electric motorbikes are no different, but where Verge diverges from tradition is in its devotion to fusing design, performance and practicality.
Its Verge TS Pro bike is built on a bespoke platform, based around the world’s first hubless electric rim motor: the rear wheel effectively contains the motor assembly, adding stability and enabling a longer range. The 21.8kWh battery offers a 217-mile range, together with a 3.2 second sprint to 60mph and a top speed that can’t be legally achieved.
The pioneering Verge TS Pro is available in a seasonable Olive Green colourway, as well as a Mika Häkkinen signature edition of 100 that pays homage to the Finnish Formula 1 double World Champion. The standard TS Pro starts at $30,900, excluding tax and fees, for the ‘basic’ 102kWh model, with a faster TS Ultra edition adding a 150kWh battery for additional range and speed (and cost).
The company is now launching another special edition of the TS Pro, revealed at the 2023 LA Auto Show. The California Edition is finished in a special colour tone inspired by the California Poppy, paired with black detailing and a perforated leather seat. A new Öhlins suspension system is also fitted and there are custom visuals on the bike’s large touch screen. Ville Piippo, Verge’s co-founder and chief product officer, describes the California Edition as a ‘tribute to enjoying one’s freedom under the Californian sun’.
Verge TS Pro California Edition, VergeMotorcycles.com, @Vergemotorcycles
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Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
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