When I think of Swedish design, it's clean, simple lines much like the products Ikea manufactures. My first impressions of the Kalk models from Cake support my thoughts. Minimalist look with maximum function.

I arrived at Lee Bikes in Guildford the day before my Birthday; after riding two Kalk Models around the Surrey Hills, I certainly had my Cake and ate it. The electric motorcycles are great fun to ride on the road and definitely off-road. The machines are versatile, allowing owners to commute to work and then, in their leisure time, take the bike and use it as an Enduro.

The two models I rode were the Kalk& and Kalk Ink& which sound strange, but hey, the company is called Cake and sells electric motorcycles, not Eclairs. They are similar apart from the Kalk& has superior öhlins suspension for those wanting to tackle more undulating off-road conditions. It will, however, cost you £3000 more than the base Ink& so you would have to be pretty serious about off-roading to pay the extra. I only noticed a slight difference in the ride when on the Kalk& being smoother on the same roads I tested the Ink&.

The Ink& is around £9000 based on the euro exchange rate when you purchase. You may consider this expensive, but you would soon see the savings if you used the motorcycle for commuting. The machines offer a maximum 50-mile range if temperatures are suitable. If I commute to work in Portsmouth from my location, it would be a 28 mile round trip, door to door. I stress door to door because this benefits anyone going to work and either walk, cycle or use public transport. I would have to walk or cycle to a Ferry, pay the ever-increasing ticket price, then walk or cycle or further public transport to continue working. The cost involved is considerable over a year, and the time amounts to hours on top of your day spent in work. If you usually drive to work, then financial and time savings increase even more. We all know about traffic congestion which riding a motorcycle avoids. It also puts a smile on your face.

Spending leisure time just riding is hugely beneficial, as I found out when Lee took me Greenlaning. This is riding designated trails that allow motor vehicles to use. Still, they can be any surface, sand, clay, but usually mud.

We tackled a few with more success than others; the models we rode had the basic dual-use tyres. They coped with some steep soggy, muddy tracks only defeated by deep mud on a large incline. You can swap the tyres over to full enduro knobblies easily; these would get you up anything as the bike's torque is instant and superb.

The bikes are light, and with their power, they deliver plenty of fun. The electric motor can be set to three riding modes controlling the power to the rear wheel. R1 has a limited top speed of 32 mph; this gives you a maximum riding time of up to four hours. R2 is called Excite and best for off-road riding with up to two hours of riding. Excel is R3, the performance mode that allows up to 56 mph and maximal torque but riding time goes down to about one hour. Plenty to cover the average commute by car, which is 30 miles. These bikes also gain range through regenerative braking. When you release the throttle engine braking puts power into the battery boosting range. Three modes are available, B1 being Freewheel, so no regeneration through to B3 is maximum. This mode significantly slows the bike down through engine braking. The modes are selected from the digital display on the handlebars.

Charging the bike is simple, plug one end of the charging unit into the bike, the other is a three-pin domestic plug, so it fits in any socket.

Times for charging are 0-80%: 2 hours, 0-100%: 3 hours. The battery can be removed relatively quickly, so you could take it into your workplace and charge it. This means you can use R3 mode on the way home to end the day well.

I had an exciting, fun time riding the two Cake bikes, and I am sure you would too. They are great for commuting locally, nipping to the shops, dentist etc. When using purely for leisure off-roading, they come into their own. Give Lee a call and book a demo; if he takes you where he took me, you will get your credit card out.

Thanks to Lee Robinson.

Importer of Cake bikes.

Specifications:

top speed: +90 km/h / +56 mph drivers license: A1 (EU) / M1 (USA)**

weight: 62 kg + 17 kg battery 

power: 10kW 

range: 83km mixed city riding (WMTC-II)* 

platform: Freeride, Explore & Commute

https://www.leebikes.com

Words and Images Copyright Jeremy Webb 2021

www.roadtestsandreviews.co.uk