January 2026 – a bombshell shatters the motorcycle scene. Verge Motorcycles and the alchemists at Donut Lab have apparently managed not only to take battery technology to the next level, but to revolutionize it. Welcome, solid state! Welcome, range! Welcome, charging speed!
Before you read, please note: this post was translated with the help of Deepl.
If you find any errors – please have fun first and then give me a hint.
Do you remember? The older ones among us certainly do: the motorcycle, a noisy, smelly thing. Choose your sound version: a bumpy, dull rumble, a crazy screech, or a hot roar. If you like earaches, choose the boxer. Add to that the bloodcurdling noise of the gear box when you start your day – the musical key of almost all motorcycles.
The olfactory variations range from the pungent smell of cold-start gasoline fumes to cow dung frying on exhaust pipes. And a motorcycle needs attention: the engine and various containers need to be checked, the tank needs to be refilled constantly. The drive chain requires constant cleaning and lubrication. There is always something to do – a time-consuming pleasure with budgetary requirements, because decent tools and garage equipment are not usually included when you buy a motorcycle.
For so-called “real” motorcyclists, tinkering with their bikes is an essential part of their culture. Bad tongues call it a time-consuming necessity, and I admit: for some time now, I’ve hated getting my fingers dirty with greasy chains, slobbery oil bolts, and caked-on grime. Thanks to my Zero SR/F. It only requires time at the power cord and checking the tire pressure and belt tension. That’s convenient, which is why I’ve become a lazy maintenance pig. Without thinking too much, without flipping dozens of levers, without working through checklists, I just get on and ride.
I won’t deny that riding my Zero usually ends at a charging station, where I waste my time. Nor will I deny that this can be a bit annoying. There were good reasons why I invested big money in the optional Rapid Charger.
Revolution
among electricians
Why am I telling you all this? Well, the days of that noisy, smelly thing that needs constant attention are long gone. Because something big has happened in the world of electric motorcycles. No minor optimizations, no: nothing less than a revolution is taking place. Suddenly, it’s possible to drive over 300 kilometers at a stretch, and that with extraterrestrial power thanks to up to 1200 Nm* of torque (*Verge TS Ultra) on the rear wheel. But that’s not all: there’s a battery that can be fully charged in minutes (!). And that’s a hundred thousand times, without bursting, without catching fire, without losing capacity. At least, that’s the promise.
The revolutionary leader is the 2026 Verge TS Pro. It turns everything that has been criticized so far upside down. With its 33.3 kWh battery, it can cross the Alps without stopping to recharge. Simple math: a Zero SR/F consumes an average of 110 Wh per kilometer during spirited rides. That won’t be much different with the Verge TS, so: 300 kilometers of range.
Even if the rolling resistance of the rear tire, which may be slightly too wide, only allows for 250 kilometers, this is absolutely irrelevant with a charging speed of 200 kW. The milk for your cappuccino won’t even have time to foam up before the battery is recharged.
Just to put it into perspective: 200 kW charging power is a whopping 16 times faster than my Zero, which I pimped with charging equipment costing over €3,000. Okay, you have to pay Verge exactly the same amount extra for the 200 kW. But: 16 times (!) faster!
“But the range!” “The charging time!” “And disposal?” I know all the triggers of avid combustion engine enthusiasts and so called real motorcyclists. And they don’t bother me. I bought my Zero deliberately. Before buying it, I asked questions like how long I would have to watch a power outlet or how far I could go on a single charge – and I’m still happy with it.
With the 2026 Verge TS and its solid-state battery from Donut Lab, these questions are now irrelevant. Even the issue of emotions can be ticked off the list – anyone who winds the throttle on this machine will scream with joy.
The thoroughly antisocial networks are now buzzing, because the TS Pro is making the most significant disadvantages of electric motorcycles go up in smoke and taking away critics’ toys. Suddenly, the talk is no longer about cobalt children in the Congo, but about rear wheels that “no one can change or balance.” Guys who attach metal boxes weighing tons to their adventure bikes complain about “high unsprung masses” and worry about dirt in the engine’s cooling fins.
It’s shocking how many wannabe vehicle designers think they know better.
Motorcycle,
reimagined
The design of a Verge TS is modular and completely reimagined. A glance from the side explains it all: front wheel, central battery, rear wheel – done. The design is certainly not to everyone’s taste, but Marc Travels experienced what this axe-shaped construction can mean in Scotland: engine replacement within a few hours, easily done in the service van.
That’s unimaginable with a “real” motorcycle.
Too good
to be true?
Modular also means that TS units that have already been built can be equipped with the new battery technology. The Verge representative in the promotional video confidently states, “Just send us an email and we’ll take care of it.” It comes as no surprise that the electrician of the future will be online 24/7, receive functional updates via the Internet, and that errors will be diagnosed and corrected over the air.
Will all this be confirmed at the end of the first last quarter of 2026, when the first solid-state TS batteries are scheduled to be delivered? Not only the small bubble of plug-in bike enthusiasts, but the entire mobility industry will want to know exactly what’s going on. Journalists, influencers, testers, competitors … they’ll be fighting to get their hands on one of the Donut Lab batteries.
I’m quite confident about that – things could definitely start looking up.
Technics
- Power: 102 kW (TS Ultra: 150 kW)
- Torque: 1000 Nm (TS Ultra: 1200 Nm)
- Battery size: up to 33.3 kWh
- Range: up to 600 km (on paper)
- Vmax: 200 km/h
- Weight: 235 kg
- Price: unfortunately beyond good and evil
Verge TS Pro.
Just my thing
The Verge TS Pro belongs in my garage. Striking design, top-quality components, high-end electric mobility without compromise – a definite must-buy.
However, it is not without its drawbacks. As impressive as the range and charging speeds sound – and are – and as much as you might want to go on tour for that very reason, space for luggage is limited around the rear, which is only hinted at. You can put on your swimming trunks and tie your sandals to the handlebars, but there’s no room for your camera equipment and a little black dress for the evening. Fans of tank bags will be amazed – the area in front of the belly belongs to displays that you don’t want to cover up.
TS buyers will find solutions for this. Because anyone who transfers at least €36,500 will find ways, not difficulties. Unfortunately, I have to admit that the price of this thing will be a deal breaker for me for the time being.
By the way: to further provoke those who associate electric motorcycle riders with the homoerotic scene, Verge also offers the TS Pro in pink. I will be damned: as soon as my credit officer approves the financing, I will order a Verge TS Pro in precisely THAT color.
And you? What about you?
Links
for reference
- Moppetfoto
The one with the awesome photos – THANKS for the cover photo! - Verge Motorcycles
The builders of madness - Donut Lab
The guys behind the revolutionary battery - Südtiroler Volksbank
They have to finance my fun.
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Energica Ego – New Motorcycling
Zero SR/F: The Electric Way of Drive
4 weeks Zero SR/F – Nix? Nada? Niente?
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