The brand CAKE made waves a couple of years ago with an electric motorcycle meant for dirt trails. Today, the brand launches a street-legal version of the Kalk, dubbed the Kalk&.
Dirt bikes are tons of fun on trails but lack the headlights, taillights, and other features required for on-road use. In the gas motorcycle world, there are many models that bridge the gap between trail and road.
With long-travel suspensions, tall standover heights, and large wheels, they add a few features that make them suitable for road and trail. These dual-sport bikes make for fun rides to buzz around town, hit trails, and commute.
And now CAKE offers one that drives more or less silently.
CAKE Kalk& Dual-Sport Motorcycle
Hitting the market today at a hefty $14,000, the Kalk& delivers many of the promises of the CAKE brand but with the addition of requirements for street-legal riding.
The ultralight motorcycle weighs just 136 pounds (without the 37-pound battery) and has a range of 53 miles. With a top speed of 56 mph, its performance should peg it squarely as a light city commuter bike that can transition to the trail for weekends of ripping fun.
“This is a giant step for us in line with the CAKE mission; inspiring towards zero-emission, combining excitement with responsibility,” said Stefan Ytterborn, founder and CEO of CAKE.
Check out the video below and tell me you don’t want to grip that throttle and lean into some turns!
Kalk& Enters Dual-Sport Market
CAKE’s initial motorcycle offering, the Kalk, made waves when it launched at the Outdoor Retailer show in January 2018. We liked it so much we awarded it Best in Show for its unique design and zero-emissions goal.
But while promising indeed, CAKE does face significant competition from its gas-powered brethren. The first chink in its armor is obviously price: While the Kalk& costs $14,000, consumers can buy a brand new Yamaha WR250 for $6,700. And given that a small bike like that Yamaha gets in the neighborhood of 60-plus mpg, the arguments for sustainability become less clear.
The Kalk& uses a 2.6kWh lithium-ion battery to achieve its 53-mile range. It takes 2.5 hours to charge via a standard wall outlet. So the gas bike still has some obvious advantages here.
However, the completely silent operation could prove to be a win for those who don’t love the “braapbraap” of a gas bike. The idea of silently accelerating up a moto trail sounds pretty pleasant, although cruising silently at 50 mph also sounds potentially dangerous if winding trails and blind corners are involved.
But regardless, this is a cool evolution to a nifty bike. I’ve not yet had my hands on a demo bike, but they look like a blast. And, as CAKE promises, “the Kalk& is just the beginning of CAKE’s line of motorbikes to come.” I look forward to seeing what comes next.
