Discovery – Relive in pictures the 2011 Paris Motorcycle Show –

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Cake Kalk OR in the test

Electric motorcycle from Sweden

Not so secretly anymore, but quietly and quietly there seems to be a lot of electrification in the off-road area. Well known to insiders: the Swedish e-start-up Cake. Excited to see what the e-bike can do?

E.in motorcycle called cake & Lime? First of all, hard not to joke this combination. And yet the concept of the multiple award-winning Swedish start-up Cake is to be taken seriously: an electric sports motorcycle, increasing media celebrities, a global sales concept. Kalk OR is the name of the first series model, only Kalk is the street legal Stromer. Both are characterized by a minimalist, gray and white design dress, the status of super light weight, a noble Ohlins chassis and – no clutch.

Motor brake force selectable

Looks chic or let’s say: It looks like the clothing style of a very hip, sporty design student who invites you to drink a cold brewed espresso with him. But next to comparable brands that still can’t get rid of neon accents and flashy details, it looks amazingly mature and a good step ahead. Step, there was something: You have to climb an adequate 910 mm seat height, which puts the limestone in the range of the entry-level enduro KTM Freeride or Beta X-Trainer. Then, before you even set off, you have to make an important decision: 45 km / h Explore mode, one to two hours of trials touring in Excite mode or full throttle in switch position three: Excel.

Beyl

The bench is unusually wide for standing up and unusually white for playing in the dirt…

You can also choose the power of the engine brake: none, two-stroke or four-stroke-like. A first lap over meadows and gravel dirt roads quickly shows that everything comes out of the quark unusually lame for normal motorcyclists under full throttle. Since there is no clutch to help with metering, tight bends in beginner mapping are a real risk of falling over. At its peak around 20 HP are waiting in Excel mode, why not use it? Contrary to expectations, it remains gentle and easy to control here too, but then comes out of nowhere like a silent rocket at around 75 km / h on the fast straight. Believe me, over a bumpy meadow with very thin, hard 24-inch wheels it seems a lot faster than it sounds. And we remember – no clutch. In this case, this means that the rear brake is operated at the front left. The right foot runs into space, the left index finger triggers unplanned drift shows. The saying "… is like cycling, you don’t forget" takes on a whole new meaning.

Center of gravity noticeably low

Let’s try our hand at slower terrain: Without an exhaust and tank, but with a 16 kg battery, the center of gravity remains noticeably low, providing stability and balance. The low overall weight and the steep steering head angle are particularly noticeable in narrow passages: Standing, the Kalk can be maneuvered between roots and stones almost like a trial motorcycle. The only thing that gets in the way is the unusually wide bench, which literally holds onto the trousers when you get up. The white topper was apparently built on to sit on, which makes the Cake Kalk an environmentally friendly and extravagant commuter vehicle, especially in the new street version. This should come slightly modified to up to 90 km / h, but remains largely true to the basic model and costs 1,000 euros more. Young drivers quickly get half-chewed cake crumbs stuck in their throats. So how about a cheaper entry-level version, maybe without Ohlins, without super light, but with real road tires? Cake is still at the beginning and is now well aware of this idea at the latest.

Conclusion

Which cake does Cake Kalk want to be part of? From the enduro tart, the trial tartlet, the commuter cherry or simply all sorts of innovations? She obviously feels at home on easy forest stretches, we need a clutch for trials and a bit more comfort for commuting. What Stefan Ytterborn, former founder of the POC brand, well-known from the cycling sector, came up with creates a good mood, an adult impression and, above all, one thing not: the much-discussed "noise". Delicious!

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