Davinci DC100

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You too can now be the life of the party with a Davinci motorcycle that pumps out a claimed 627 lb.-ft. of torque. (Davinci/)

There appears to be an unwritten rule that says companies intending to disrupt the electric vehicle landscape must be named after famous inventors. On four wheels there is Tesla, of course, as well as Nikola, EdisonFuture, and Faraday Future, all pushing to overcome the “legacy” brands. Now we have Davinci aiming to do the same in the two-wheel market. Having launched in 2021 in China, the company has now gone global, introducing its DC100 model to America at CES in Las Vegas.

While China’s motorcycle industry has a well-earned reputation for copying designs from established Western or Japanese brands, that’s not something Davinci can be accused of. Nobody is likely to call the DC100 or Davinci’s more expensive, limited-edition DC Classic roadster “beautiful,” but they’re definitely eye-catching and immediately recognizable. The DC100 in particular appears to take its inspiration from stealth aircraft, with combinations of straight lines and flat panels creating a hunchbacked shape that looks strange when there isn’t a rider aboard but makes more sense when there is.

Davinci claims a range of 222 miles, which if accurate is at or near the top for available electric motorcycles. (Davinci/)

A look under the skin starts to explain why the DC100 is that shape: A huge, rectangular box houses the electronics and the 17.7kWh battery, doubling as the bike’s main frame. Motorcycle companies all over the world are wrestling with how to style their future electric machines. Over the last century or so, combustion engines have become part of the design language of motorcycles, and it’s proving tough to make electric bikes look “right” without them. Davinci has gone for a brutalist approach, emphasizing the fact its bikes are different rather than trying to fit in with our expectations.

The very large battery back is rated at 17.7kWh, and defines the bike’s shape. (Davinci/)

The large battery—which is accompanied by DC fast-charging electronics allowing it to be replenished in just 30 minutes if you can find a powerful enough charger—powers a 100kW (135 hp) motor with 627 lb.-ft. of torque. That’s enough to take the 562-pound DC100 from zero to 60 mph in three seconds and then on to a top speed of 124 mph, all in a single gear. A 240/45-17 Pirelli Diablo carried on the end of a bulky-looking single-sided swingarm is tasked with converting that torque into traction, while the front is a more conventional 120/70-17. The suspension is from Bitubo, while Brembo provides the brakes with Stylema M4 calipers at the front on 330mm discs.

From this view you can get a good look at the single-sided swingarm and stout front end, with a Bitubo fork and Brembo brakes. (Davinci/)

One of the notable advantages of electric bikes is the relative ease with which they can be fitted with rider-assist technology, and Davinci has gone to town on that front, calling the DC100 a “two-wheeled robot” as a result. Its kit includes the ability to drive in reverse at low speed (up to 3 mph) to help maneuvering, and you’ll notice there’s just one brake lever and no foot controls. The right-hand lever operates both brakes at once, with cornering ABS. There’s also hill-start assist, hill-descent control, cornering-traction control, and a regenerative charging system to recover power as you slow down.

The DC100 forgoes a dash altogether and utilizes the rider’s smartphone for both the display and key. (Davinci/)

While other companies are busy adding smartphone-style displays to their bikes, Davinci skips that entirely; your phone itself doubles as the instrument panel and the bike’s key, held on an adjustable-size wireless charging bracket between the bars. It’s a nice enough idea, although since there are still plenty of bikes on the road that date back to an era when cellphones were still sci-fi, you have to wonder whether it’s wise to rely on such fast-moving technology for a machine that might still hope to be in use several decades down the road.

Rather like Tesla, Davinci promises that the DC100 will be improved in years to come via over-the-air updates, ambitiously claiming that future versions will have additional features including the ability to balance itself and even to “self-ride,” allowing auto-parking and summoning.

While Davinci was set up in 2013 and launched its first bikes in China a couple of years ago, the brand made its debut on the European market at last November’s EICMA show in Milan, confirming a price of 26,000 euros and promising deliveries from the middle of 2023. US customers can also put down $150 deposits for the bikes now via the firm’s website, with a planned US market price of $27,500, although there’s a note that the price may change.

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