I surprised myself there with the title. A 'LOL' moment happened in my brain, all thanks to this new Swedish firm entering the two-wheeled world with their first product.

The brainchild of a Swedish Stefan Ytterborn, Cake intends “to speed up the journey towards a zero-emission society, while enhancing excitement and fun.” And their very first step is this Kalk electric off-roader that blurs the line between mountain bikes and motorcycles.

First, the name. ‘Kalk’ is obviously a weird name. But it means something in Swedish though – ‘lime’. It looks like a concept model since it is technically not legal to go on the roads. It gets no headlights, indicators nor any side mirrors or a number plate bracket. These machines are strictly made to tread 50 miles of the off-beaten tracks in a full charge of the batteries under its belly.

Maxing at 50 mph, the 2.6 kWh lithium-ion battery pack pumps out a maximum of 20 bhp and 30 lb-ft of max torque at zero rpm. Which is not a lot considering other electric enduro motorcycles coming into the scene but get this, the Kalk weighs in just at 154 lbs. That is lighter than any enduro motorcycle currently on the market.

The minimalistic body and frame are designed in-house from scratch and helps the weight loss program with aerospace grade aluminum and carbon fiber materials at the helm. The narrow seats are custom designed by ‘Reconsider’ with the carbon fiber fender keeping things clean at the rear. The aluminum frame is CNC jointed and welded and has numerous patents pending.

An industrial standard 15kW IPM motor (interior permanent magnet) was customized in Europe specifically to run on the Kalk and is powered by a 51.8 Volt, 50Ah battery with an in-house designed engine mapping for a dynamic performance. The single-pivot direct drive system reduces the number of heavy and moving parts making it simple to operate and maintain.

The bike is so light, it is a breeze to tame it in the outbacks and the trails, and providing a smooth riding experience are the Ohlins setup. Adjustable USD at the front and TTX shocks at the rear with full adjustability. 24”aluminum hubs get laced with steel spokes with the rim wrapped with specially developed tires for durability and minimum trail wear.

You get three riding modes (Discover, Explore and Excite) which are tuneable for motor braking and regeneration of power back to the battery by converting the heat energy during braking to electric. Talking of which, the four pistons calipers clutched onto 220mm stainless steel rotors does the job of getting this lightweight bike to a halt efficiently.

Cake will be making a limited run of just 50 units of the Kalk and are available for pre-order on making a deposit of €1,000 ($1,250), and the bike will cost an eye-watering €14,000 ($17,500). That is a steep price tag for a bike that has so less to give, especially compared to the competition that has been spewing in the industry off-late. Available later this year (post mid-June), the KALK model is the first among a number of models to come.

Reference

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