Skip to main content

Verge California Edition electric motorcycle launches with motor in rear wheel

It's not too early to order a stunningly powerful Verge California Edition electric motorcycle

Verge California Edition TS Pro right side view against a stainless steel background.
Courtesy Verge Motorcycles / Verge Motorcycles

Verge Motorcycles, a Finnish electric motorcycle company known for its in-wheel motors, introduced a new model at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The Verge California Edition – Seasonal TS Pro is a limited-edition EV superbike with 1,000 Newton meters (738 foot-pounds) of torque.

Verge California Edition TS Pro right side in-wheel electric motor.
Courtesy Verge Motorcycles / Verge Motorcycles

Verge Motorcycles is coming to the U.S.

Verge doesn’t sell motorcycles in the U.S. now but has plans to start in the second quarter of 2024. The Verge California Edition electric motorcycle will be the first model Verge offers for sale in the U.S. The company has not stated how many bikes it will build in the limited edition. Verge is accepting pre-orders now with a $100 deposit, so perhaps the size of the production run will depend on the number of pre-orders.

Verge California Edition TS Pro close up of left side of rear in-wheel motor.
Courtesy Verge Motorcycles / Verge Motorcycles

Verge California Edition – Seasonal TS Pro price

Verge doesn’t manufacture huge quantities of motorcycles. Still, the $30,900 price tag for a California Edition Seasonal TS Pro doesn’t seem high, especially compared to the $29,799 base price for Harley-Davidson’s original LiveWire electric motorcycle. Harley-Davidson spun off LiveWire as a separate company in 2022. The current starting price of the LiveWire One is $22,799.

Verge California Edition TS Pro right side front wheel.
Courtesy Verge Motorcycles / Verge Motorcycles

Verge California Edition – Seasonal TS Pro features

Verge doesn’t cite horsepower ratings for the TS Pro platform, but with that much torque, who cares? Verge says the California Edition accelerates from 0 to 60 miles per hour and has a top speed of 124 mph. The motor is integrated into the rim of the rear wheel.

Verge equips the California Edition with high-performance suspension and brakes. Front and rear Ohlin’s fork and rear shock each have more than four inches of travel to help smooth the ride.

The Verge’s braking system is a good match for the bike’s prodigious power. There are double Brembo calipers with four pistons each for the two 12.6-inch Galfer disc rotors on the front wheel and a single Verge 4-piston caliper with a 14.96-inch Galfer peripheral brake pad in the rear.

Verge California Edition TS Pro custom human machine interface.
Courtesy Verge Motorcycles / Verge Motorcycles

The Verge California Edition will have a single two-tone colorway, Poppy Orange, with a black top fairing. The EV’s seat is covered with black perforated leather with an orange underlayment.

The California Edition features a custom Human-Machine Interface (HMI) on the tank-mounted touchscreen display. Visuals unique to this model appear on the display each time the bike is started.

There are three descriptively named riding modes: Range, Zen, and Beast. An additional custom mode allows riders who want to tailor the bike’s performance to their preferences to adjust the throttle response, torque, maximum speed, and regeneration level.

Verge California Edition TS Pro left side view against a stainless steel background.
Courtesy Verge Motorcycles / Verge Motorcycles

The Verge California Edition Seasonal TS Pro has a 20.2 kWh lithium-ion battery. According to Verge, the maximum range is 217 miles, but don’t expect more than a fraction of that range if you ride in Beast mode. The company states that the battery fully charges in just 35 minutes, using a Level II charging cable plugged into the electric motorcycle’s CCS Combo plug in front of the seat behind the display.

Verge California Edition TS Pro left side with a stylized building in the background.
Courtesy Verge Motorcycles / Verge Motorcycles

Think twice about ordering a Verge California Edition Seasonal TS Pro electric motorcycle if you’re shy and like to stay under the radar. The hubless rear wheel alone will draw lots of attention. When people figure out the electric motor is built into the rim of the rear wheel, you’ll never lack people to talk with.

Bruce Brown
Digital Trends Contributing Editor Bruce Brown is a member of the Smart Homes and Cars teams. He also writes technology news…
Aston Martin launches F1 racecar-inspired DBX707 AM24 super SUV
If you're looking for an SUV to drive on F1 tracks, here's your ride.
Aston Martin DBX707 AMR24 Edition left rear three-quarter view.

Aston Martin celebrates its success during the 2024 F1 racing schedule with a special edition of the DBX707 ultra-luxury SUV. The DBX707 AMR24 has the same designation as Aston Martin's F1 AMR24 race car and the Official Medical Car of Formula 1..
Why the Aston Martin DBX707 AMR24 matters

In the rare air of ultra-luxury performance cars, a link with F1 racing is one of the few associations that's even cooler. In the second half of the 2023 F1 season and so far in the current season, the two-driver F1 teams from Aston Martin and McLaren Racing have both enjoyed success pushing against Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes, the giants of Formula 1. Aston Martin is comfortably in the top five of the ten Formula 1 teams this season, and in several very real senses, that's money in the bank.

Read more
2025 Audi Q6 e-tron and SQ6 e-tron debut PPE platform benefits
The Q6 and SQ6 e-trons will have the longest range and fastest charging Audi EVs. in
2025 Audi SQ6 e-tron European model parked on a stone street near a seaport.

Audi of America announced the 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron and higher-performance SQ6 e-tron all-electric mid-size luxury SUVs. The Q6 e-trons will join the Q4 e-tron compact SUV and the Q8 e-tron full-size SUV in the Audi lineup when the Q6 and SQ6 e-trons in fall 2024.

Why the 2025 Audi Q6 e-tron matters

Read more
Volkswagen launches two high-performance Golf R models and a special edition
The original hot hatch is hotter than ever.
2025 vw Golf R Black Edition.

Volkswagen launched the 2025 VW Golf R with two models sure to please hot hatch enthusiasts worldwide. The most powerful Golf versions ever, the Golf R and Golf R Variant, produce 328 horsepower, 14 hp more than the 2024 model. VW also introduced a new R-Performance option for both Golf R versions plus a special Golf R Black Edition.
Why Golf R models are important

Volkswagen invented the hot hatchback category with the 1976 VW Golf GTI. It's hard to believe it's been nearly 50 years. During those decades, Volkswagen introduced additional performance-focused hatchbacks, such as the GTI Autobahn and the Golf R.

Read more