Verge Motorcycles first came to my attention when the exotic Estonian-made electric motorcycle debuted at EICMA 2019. Various press releases and photos followed, and I was contacted about a possible test bike as early as 2020. Not unexpectedly, with a small startup company, not much came of it, though I did keep an eye on Verge’s progress. After all, the motorcycles are undeniably striking. So, when an email dropped in my box offering a ride on the 2024 Verge TS Pro through the Santa Monica Mountains above Malibu, I wasn’t going to say no.
Now, this isn’t a routine test. I only rode the 2024 Verge TS Pro for about 90 minutes. The bike was booked up for test rides by other outlets, and the staging area had no NACS (North American Charging Standard) charging station. While the range is a claimed 217 miles in the city, the Santa Monica Mountains feature battery-draining hills that can easily cut that number in half. So, it was 90 minutes or nothing—I went with 90 minutes of electrifying excitement.
Snooping around the 2024 Verge TS Pro spec sheet reveals all sorts of wild numbers. The most mind-bending of the specifications is the claimed 738 ft-lbs of torque—the 2025 Triumph Rocket 3 puts out about a quarter of that. Other eye-catching specs include a 540-pound weight, 60.6-inch wheelbase, a 240 rear tire, 20.5 degrees of rake, and a 380mm rear disc brake.
All those specs aside, the most intriguing part of the 2024 Verge TS Pro is the drive train. Verge put the electric motor inside the hubless rear rim. By doing this, the lithium-ion battery back sits lower in the chassis to help mitigate the 540 pounds the motorcycle wears. Plus, that means fewer moving parts—no drive chain, belt, or shaft. On the downside, the motor is unsprung weight mounted inside the massive rear wheel shod with a 240mm Pirelli Diablo Rosso III tire.
The 2024 Verge TS Pro is an adaptable bike. With the brakes on the handlebar, there are no foot controls. Taking advantage of that, there are two sets of footpegs—a forward pair and a mid-position pair. When you’re riding alone, you can use either. If a passenger hops on, the rider uses the forward pegs, and the passenger uses the mid pegs. It sounds strange, but it actually works.
With those two ergonomic options, the 2024 Verge TS Pro has a dual personality—something like a Ducati Diavel V4 or Triumph Rocket 3 R. You can ride it like a sport bike, or a cruiser.
There are four power modes—Range, Zen, Beast, and Custom—though I didn’t have time to experiment with them in 90 minutes. The modes are awkwardly adjusted via a “tank” mounted TFT display that is easily overwhelmed by direct sunlight. Suffice it to say, I stuck with Beast and Zen on my brief ride.
Hopping on the 2024 Verge TS Pro, it feels like a traditional motorcycle, and it has a comfortable seat. Given the handlebar placement and bend, the mid-mount pegs are the natural choice. I have to mention that the three power leads running from the battery back to the motor are both exhilarating to look at and anxiety-producing. I don’t even want to think about a short or a cut in those cables while I’m on it, though I acknowledge that may be an irrational fear. Verge assures us that the cables are double-shielded, fused and safe.
Without a doubt, the 2024 Verge TS Pro has seriously insane acceleration when you cut loose in Beast mode. That 240mm Pirelli puts the power to the ground with the help of traction control, so it’s just a matter of twisting the throttle and letting the software use as much of the 738 ft-lbs of torque as it dares. Fortunately, the 540-pound bike wants to move forward rather than wheelie, not that I tried to loft the front end. The acceleration produced more than enough adrenalin, and there wasn’t a lot of weirdness introduced by the rim-drive motor.
After some shakedown riding on Mulholland Highway, I headed up on the familiar Stunt Road, which connects Mulholland Highway with the ridgeline of the Santa Monica Mountains. It’s four miles of twisties with a few high-speed straights and an elevation gain of 1500 feet.
Let’s just say that riding the 2024 Verge TS Pro at speed in the twisties is different. With a 540-pound missile beneath you and a sticky 240mm tire putting massive portions of torque into the pavement, there’s a lot about the chassis that wants to go straight. The chassis numbers are odd—the roomy 60.6-inch wheelbase is mismatched with an impossibly steep 20.5-degree rake.
Setting up for a corner requires both brakes, as the 120mm front Pirelli Diablo Rosso III shouldn’t be expected to handle the entire burden of decelerating 540 pounds plus rider. Fortunately, that 380mm rim-mounted disc on the rear is happy to help slow things down via the 240 rear tire.
As you push hard, the chassis is presented with all it can handle—and more. It’s imperative that you put some weight on the front tire, as it feels overwhelmed if you don’t. It takes some time to get the process down, though I got a pretty good handle on it in a few miles, though I was hardly trying to ride at superbike speeds. I was just looking for fast times on Stunt Road.
Coming out of the corners requires patience on the 2024 Verge TS Pro in the Beast mode. Getting too aggressive on the throttle unsettles the front end, and you are reminded of the 20.5 degrees of rake—that is steep.
Really, you have to be aware of conditions wherever you get on the throttle. While the Öhlins suspension is quite good most of the time, if you hit a bump under hard acceleration, the rear end feels like a hardtail. Hit that same bump at neutral throttle or less, and it disappears—ably absorbed by the Öhlins TTX shock. One would guess the torque introduced into the rear wheel via the rim drive has something to do with the locked suspension with the throttle wicked open. Perhaps some experimentation with the high-speed compression damping would help—something we couldn’t do in 90 minutes.
I spend some time in the Zen mode and my feet on the forward pegs. Impressively, the 2024 Verge TS Pro works nicely as a power cruiser. The handling quirkiness is reduced, and the Öhlins units do their jobs. Initially, the ergonomics felt a bit off with my feet forward. However, once I settled in, I liked it as a roomy change of pace. Cornering clearance is adequate with your boots on either set of pegs.
With all that in mind, after 90 minutes of riding, I have to determine who the 2024 Verge TS Pro is for. I can’t imagine it would be anyone’s sole motorcycle, unless it’s a car guy who wants to dabble in two wheels on an undeniably different machine—nothing will beat the attention driven by the rim drive, and the seamless acceleration is great fun.
Now, if you’re a guy with a garage properly stocked with a variety of motorcycles and you want something to wow your friends and strangers, the 2024 Verge TS Pro gets that done. With a list price shy of $30k, it’s only an impulse buy for the well-heeled, and plenty of motorcycle riders meet that criteria. If you buy it, you will have a motorcycle that is different from anything else on the road, and it is fun to ride. If your bank account is flush, why not? You’ll likely feel like you got your money’s worth.
Photography by Nic de Sena
RIDING STYLE
2024 Verge TS Pro Specs
MOTOR
- Type: Rim mounted
- Maximum power: 161 horsepower
- Maximum torque: 738 ft-lbs
- Top speed: 124 mph
- 0-62 mph: 3.5 seconds
- Transmission: Clutchless single-speed
- Final drive: Direct rim drive
BATTERY
- Type: Lithium-ion
- Maximum capacity: 24 kWh
- DC fast charging: 35 minutes (0 to 80%)
- Charging port: NACS
- City estimated range: 217 miles w/ 165-pound rider in stop-and-go conditions
- Highway estimated range: 124 miles @ 56 mph w/ 165-pound rider
- EU Regulation 134/2014, Annex VII range rating: 119 miles
CHASSIS
- Front suspension travel: Fully adjustable inverted Öhlins fork; 4.7 inches
- Rear suspension travel: Fully adjustable Öhlins TTX piggyback-reservoir shock; 4.2 inches
- Tires: Pirelli Diablo Rosso III
- Front tire: 120/70 x 17
- Rear tire: 240/45 x 17
- Front brake: 320mm Galfer discs w/ radially mounted Brembo M4.32 4-piston calipers
- Rear brake: Rim-mounted 380mm Galfer disc w/ Verge 4-piston caliper
- ABS: Standard
DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES
- Wheelbase: 60.6 inches
- Rake: 20.5 degrees
- Seat height: 30.7 inches
- Weight: 540 pounds
- Colors: White; black; red; yellow; green; blue
2024 Verge TS Pro Price: $29,990 MSRP
