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Outstanding workmanship
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So much strength
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Light
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Environmentally friendly
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Expensive
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No app
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Limited tire selection
If Ikea and Tesla had a baby, it would be the Cake Kalk OR. Simple, but equipped with the latest technology and flush with design elements.
Aside from the analogies, I had the opportunity to rip the Cake Kalk OR through an humid Oregon landscape for an afternoon, and found that this little electric dirt bike had its own personality.
Cake may not be a name you've heard of. Cake comes from Sweden and entered the motorcycle scene with a completely different ethos. It wants to accelerate the path to an emission-free society with excitement and responsibility.
Excitement is a must for everything related to motorsport, but responsibility? In addition to Cakes, four bikes with Kalk OR, Kalk & and the upcoming Osa + and Osa Lite offer Cake Solar panels by working with Solar power. Offering solar panels is certainly responsible, but most of all it's different. Building a new category of super-light electric motorcycles is one thing, but the logistics of offering a fuel source is a completely different can that is reminiscent of another fully electric brand, Tesla.
design
The off-road bike that Cake launched onto the market, the Kalk OR, is a cross between a downhill mountain bike and a motocross dirt bike. It defines a new motorcycle segment, the Cake Light Electric Offroad or L.E.O.s.
It attracts a lot of attention. Within minutes of putting my butt on the bike, passers-by stopped to chat about specs and take a closer look at a bike that is so obviously different.
Cake has thought about every element of the Calk OR. It would have been easier to get a tire that's already in production, but Cake wanted the only part of that bike that touches the earth to be one of the most thoughtful. Cake has designed the Trail Saver tires so that they offer grip in the dirt and the trail remains intact.
My first impression was that these eco tires wouldn't cut it in the muddy winter in Oregon that I wanted to put them on. After massaging the air pressure lightly and getting used to the enormous torque, I found that the tires were suitable in very slippery conditions.
The tires are supported by the minimal weight of the Kalk OR. With aluminum wheels, swingarm and frame, and carbon fiber body parts, the Kalk OR has a hair of over 152 pounds. To put this into context, a 250cc dirt bike usually weighs between 240 and 270 pounds, while most downhill mountain bikes weigh 30 to 40 pounds.
performance
The Kalk OR feels like a dirt bike that should be thrown around like a rag doll. Even when I pounded this Swedish fish through mud, the stakes never felt too high. Even if you swing the rear end around and try to achieve your longest drift so far, thanks to the low weight and lack of swing of the bike, you can build muscle through a typical high-side misstep.
That said, finding problems and the fun associated with them is still easy when you have so much strength. The Kalk OR contains an 11 kW electric motor. This corresponds to approximately 14 hp, which is not much compared to 250 cc motocross machines with around 45 to 50 hp.
However, electric motors are not about performance. It's about torque. The Kalk OR engine has a dazzling torque of 280 Nm, which is 206 lb-ft. A typical 250cc bike offers 30-35 lb-ft. The Kalk OR makes optimum use of its 14 hp and brings you to a maximum speed of 50 miles per hour with torque.
With all the mud and slipping on my trip, I would have been overwhelmed if the different power and braking modes of the Kalk OR had not existed. The control panel in front of the driver is more accessible and easier to understand.
The Kalk OR has three performance modes:
- Explore mode, which limits the top speed to 45 km / h, dampens throttle response and limits overall performance.
- Excite mode that removes the speed limiter while increasing throttle response and performance.
- Excel mode, which offers you everything that the lime surgery can distribute.
These modes give you very different experiences, almost like getting three bikes in one. However, if you increase the performance, the range of your battery will inevitably decrease from 3-4 hours in Explore to 1 hour in Excel.
Fortunately, these numbers seem to be conservative estimates. I saw over 3 hours when I switched between Excite and Excel modes. However, keep in mind that the range will vary based on driver weight, driving style and terrain.
The bike's three braking modes may not be as intuitive for an inexperienced rider. This is because they have nothing to do with the physical brakes that work great and deserve an honorable mention, but rather how much the engine slows you down when you depress the throttle.
Level three offers the highest level of motor-assisted braking, while level one completely eliminates it, making the Kalk OR feel more like a mountain bike. Motor brake modes 2 and 3 also help extend battery life. It's like a two-on-one deal for helpful engine management.
When you stop charging the Kalk OR, charging from a standard outlet is surprisingly quick. 0-80% take 1.5 hours and 0-100% take 2.5 hours. That means a good trail run in the morning, a relaxed lunch, and another 4-6 hours of riding in a day, which should be enough to keep even the most hearty enthusiasts thin.
When I saw that the lime surgery was only delivered with a complete Öhlins setup, my jaw dropped. Öhlins, known for its first-class components, is usually reserved for the highest quality fairings of the highest quality motorcycles.
As expected, the suspension is smooth and fully adjustable, so you can choose any ride you want to throw on it. This is an aspect of lime OR OR I am absolutely confident that if you are not a professional driver you will never miss it.
It's great, but it's expensive
The Kalk OR is a movement in a very friendly direction for the two-wheeled world. The ability to slow down performance makes the Kalk OR viable for riders with different abilities, and while the lack of weight makes it easier for experienced riders to throw around, it's much less intimidating for newbies.
So is the Kalk OR dirt bike perfect? Not quite, although my problems are minor.
Cake built a 24-inch wheel for the Calk OR, an unusual size in the motorcycle world. This means that you won't get ahead with Cake's proprietary Trail Saver tire, whether you like it or not. At $ 90 a piece, they're not the cheapest options and are only available from the manufacturer.
The custom components are not cheap either. At $ 13,000, the cost of the ride is quite high due to the cute Swedish technology and premium parts. On the other hand, you can think of Kalk OR as three motorcycles in one – and maybe that's enough to make the difference for you.
My final problem is the lack of an app. I want telemetry and statistics and I want it now. The Cake people have assured me that this is planned, but at the moment your battery life is limited to four small LED indicators, and firmware upgrades must be done via a wired connection.
Warranty information
The Cake Kalk OR is covered by two years parts and labor, except normal wear and tear.
Our opinion
The Kalk OR is a super light bike with melting amounts of fully electric torque and the highest quality parts. All from a company that underpins its claims to be environmentally conscious with actionable steps you can take to make a difference. Is this the most guilt-free off-road fun you can have? Possibly.
Is there a better alternative?
The first alternative is lime &. The & is the OP's street sibling, which has a slightly smaller sprocket, a standard 19-inch wheel, lights, and a dashboard.
Another option is the newly announced Ubco FRX1which will be available later this year. The FRX1 costs $ 3,000 less than the OR and might be as fast, but doesn't have the incredible suspension of the Cake Kalk OR. I will know more about the FRX1 when I get the chance to drive one later this year.
Because I know that if I don't mention Zero Motorcycles, someone will be angry, None of the Zero models apply to this category of super-light electric trail bikes. Cake's lineup, compared to Zero's, is made up of apples and oranges. End of the story.
How long it will take?
The quality of this bike is top notch. Even the ridiculously white seat got cleaned with minimal effort after being whipped with mud all day. I assume that you can work with such a well-designed and simple machine without any problems in the coming years. The solid build is then secured by the ability of the Kalk OR to update the firmware and replace the batteries.
Should you buy it
Yes. For my money, however, I would spend the additional $ 1,000 and upgrade to Lime & Street. The Cake Kalk OR is a fun bike on and off the trail.
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