THE MOTORCYCLE equivalent of a Polar Bear Swim is the Ice Sickle, a ritual ride on the coldest day of the year. You don’t ask why here.

This year fortune smiled. I walked out in single-digit temperatures dressed like Michelin Bibendum to throw a leg over the BMW C Evolution electric scooter. As far as I can tell it’s the same bike as the fantastic C 650 GT, made more so with the substitution of a torque-hurling e-motor and low-slung battery pack. These widgets transform an already powerful and stylish commuter scooter into...