Vmoto Stash (2024 – ) Electric review

The Stash sits at the top of the VMoto range and cuts a stylish dash thanks to the input of ex-MV Agusta designer Adrian Morton. To that end there are hints of sports bike in the stance and some funky details hinting to its electric propulsion like the copper coloured trim detail on the fairing. It looks like it should be the motor but this is tucked below the swingarm, driving the rear wheel via a traditional chain to complete the ‘proper motorbike’ vibes. It’s certainly a contrast to the classic roadster styling of its TC Max range mate or the retro-modern Maeving, the vaguely sci-fi style suiting its urban runabout brief. Dig a little deeper and it looks and feels a little cheap for a bike costing over six grand but, on the whole, it will turn heads for the right reasons.

It might look sporty but the Stash feels rather more upright once you sling a leg over it. Which is fine for its intended purpose of nipping about the city, given the riding position is both comfortable and good for visibility. While a small bike it didn’t feel too cramped for your six-foot tester, the only real oddity being the unnaturally low and wide pegs. Good for comfort, less so for cornering ground clearance. The odd scratch of hero blob on tarmac is fair enough but they’re so low even slow corners can catch you out, one grounding enough to lift the back wheel off the ground and demand a panicked leg-out stabilisation to avoid laying the bike down.

The humped ‘tank’ isn’t just a neat styling feature but also offers a useful storage compartment big enough to carry locks, a change of clothes or even a small bag for the commute. And when you park up it’ll even take your helmet. Small size and relative lack of weight also count in the Stash’s favour when it comes to parking and manoeuvring and there’s even a reverse gear for backing out of spaces! There’s not a whole lot of protection from the screen or bodywork, though, and the exposed rear wheel chucked up a lot of spray from the road on one wet commute. Range is an important practical consideration with any electric bike as well, VMoto claiming over 100 miles at town speeds and 90 miles all-round. We put that to the test with a mixed 70-mile round-trip commute and it just about scraped it, though was in limp mode for the last few miles and barely able to make it up steeper hills by the end so think carefully if your regular riding often takes you beyond city limits and onto battery-sapping faster roads. When it comes to charging bear in mind that, unlike the Maeving, you can’t take the battery out for remote charging. So you’ll need easy access to a standard three-pin domestic plug socket wherever you keep your Stash, on the basis you won’t be able to plug it into the Type 2 connectors on public electric car chargers.

With nearly double the power of the TC Max the Stash’s continuous output of 12 horsepower is still shy of the A1 licence limit, a Boost setting and peak output of 22 horsepower apparently good enough for a 75mph top speed. In reality it’s running out of puff much beyond 60mph so we’d caution against fast A-roads or dual carriageways for anything but short bursts. At town speeds it gets off the line smartly, though, and the instant torque is a real bonus. A three-way switch on the bar meanwhile gives you a choice of power levels according to the type of roads you’re on. In terms of braking it makes sense to score energy back off the throttle where possible, the regenerative effect sufficient in stop-start traffic you barely need to touch the brakes. When you do need them these are bicycle style, with the left lever doing the rear (there’s no clutch, obviously) and the system linked and fitted with ABS. The dinky front disc is grabbed by a natty looking four-pot caliper, which felt sufficient for the weight and performance.

With no clutch or gears to worry about the Stash is twist-and-go easy to ride, the overall weight of 155kg about comparable with an equivalent combustion-engined 125cc bike. The bulk of that is centred and low in the frame as well, which contributes to a nice balance of stability and chuckability riders of any experience level can enjoy. Upside-down forks and a prominent monoshock at the back look the part but, on closer scrutiny, look like pretty budget components. A suspicion confirmed out on the road. They’re up to the job but the (much more expensive) Zero FXE we rode previously felt much more composed over bumpy city streets.

As with all electric vehicles, the upfront cost looks burly when compared with combustion-engined equivalents. A fact underlined by the fact a relatively fancy 125cc bike like a Honda CB125R costs nearly two grand less to buy. That’s only half the story, though, and when it comes to running costs a full charge will cost just pence. Beyond that it’s regular bike running costs, the tyres, brakes, chain and other components the same as you’d find on an equivalent combustion-engined 125.

Early days yet, but the Chinese automotive industry has formidable expertise in all things electrified, bikes included. And the mechanical simplicity of batteries and electric motors compared with combustion engines is a bonus when it comes to reliability. Here’s hoping…

The Stash carries an industry standard two-year/12,500-mile warranty. The battery, meanwhile, gets its own cover for three years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. After the initial 600-mile check service intervals come round annually or every 6,000km – just shy of 4,000 miles in old money. This sounds short but shouldn’t be too much of an issue given the type of mileages most owners will be doing.

VMoto presents as much as a tech company as it does a motorcycle manufacturer, the Stash including a large TFT screen as standard with a choice of two display configurations and app connectivity. Even if we struggled to get the latter to work. Kit-wise you get some unexpected goodies like cruise control, keyless go, a standard alarm/tracker, ABS for the linked disc brakes, three power levels from a thumb switch by the throttle and that nifty storage compartment in the ‘tank’ for your kit.

The VMoto Stash is unlikely to win anyone over from combustion-engined 125s for its price, performance, build quality or as a first rung on the ladder to bigger bikes. But that’s not its target audience. For young urbanites looking for independence from public transport and a cool, affordable and sustainable way to zip about it’s a much snazzier alternative to a scooter, howsoever powered. And we’ll forgive quite a bit for the free-spirited sense of fun and futuristic style it offers.