The Swedish electric motorcycle builders at CAKE have hit one of the first major production milestones this week as the first shipments of the Kalk& motorcycle have started in North America and Europe.
The street legal CAKE Kalk& electric motorcycle. Image courtesy: CAKE
The Kalk& (and) is the first street legal electric motorcycle from CAKE and opens up the bikes to a completely new segment of consumers looking to use the lightweight bikes to commute. At just 150 pounds, the Kalk& makes for a nice spritely riding platform that will fit right into dense urban traffic. With its roots firmly planted in off-road motorsports, it is no slouch when it comes to acceleration, giving riders enough power to safely navigate through traffic.
“This is a giant step for us in line with the CAKE mission; inspiring towards zero emission, combining excitement with responsibility. With the need for new means of transportation, vehicles, propellants and infrastructure at large, together with a growing population of people to support the collective obligation towards the planet by committing to respect, responsibility and sustainability, this is CAKE’s and CAKE customers first contribution to urban cleaning,” says Stefan Ytterborn, founder and CEO of CAKE.
Pass on gas. Image courtesy: CAKE
The CAKE Kalk& eliminates the need to choose an electric bike that works for commuting and weekend off-roading, instead rolling both toolsets into a single, beautiful package. The prospect of blasting along trails in the outback on a nearly silent electric motorcycle hints at a completely transformed experience. No longer are riders jostled and shaken to death by a rustling 2-stroke or 4-stroke engine. Instead, they will be silently propelled through the forest, as if by magic. Give me some already!
Riders can select from one of three riding modes depending on what the situation calls for:
- Explore: The ultimate mode for exploring. Top speed limited to 45 km/h resulting in 3-4h or more of riding time per charge.
- Excite: Enduro or active trail riding. 1-2 hours of riding time per charge.
- Excel: Track and race mode for maximum torque and speed. Riding time up to 1 hour per charge.
When it comes time to slow down (boo!), the Kalk& has a few options for riders there as well:
- Free wheel
- 2-stroke like
- 4-stroke like, maximum regeneration of electricity to battery
We have liftoff! Image courtesy: CAKE
The team at CAKE designed the bike from a clean sheet of paper, starting with the idea of creating a bike that would transform the riding experience while eliminating the noise and pollution that were synonymous with motorcycles. Making it street legal was just the icing on the…CAKE.
The Kalk& comes with a 10kW motor that sucks down juice from a 50 Ah, 2.6kWh lithium-ion battery built with industry standard 18650 cells. That’s all fine and good, but the torque is the really exciting bit here, with the CAKE Kalk& packing 252 newton-meters of torque at the wheel.
The no-nonsense lightweight aluminum frame features a minimalist design with muted colors that try to play down the fact that this powerhouse only weighs 150 pounds. Said another way, all that power won’t be wasted moving around an overweight bike. This thing is light and built to fly.
Specs for the CAKE Kalk&. Image courtesy: CAKE
When it comes time to recharge, the Kalk& can go from 0 to 100% in around 2.5 hours from a standard wall outlet, making recharging a minor issue.
At US$14,000, the Kalk& is not cheap, but even as a great high end option for a lightweight electric motorcycle, it comes in competitively priced compared to its peers. Head over to ridecake.com for the full specs and ordering details for what looks to be an extremely competent electric motorcycle.
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