This past year confirmed that the future of off-road adventure is electric. We saw startup auto maker Rivian introduce two badass electric 4x4s, and Sweden’s CAKE—a new venture by the founder of design-driven athletic protection and apparel brand POC—came on the scene with Kalk OR, a silent dirt bike capable of pretty much anything off-road. This past week at Outdoor Retailer, CAKE announced a street legal upgrade to Kalk OR, somewhat annoyingly named Kalk& (and).
Now, we think motorcycles are great. But not everyone agrees—they’re literally dirty, often loud, and generally designed for an aging, out of touch audience. But KALK and KALK& address pretty much every level of this situation with fresh designs, zero emissions, and serious performance—arguably tackling even the more touchy subjects, making a motorbike that appeals to even the most design-minded, peace-loving tree huggers (looks in mirror).
To reiterate, Kalk OR (currently available for preorder) features an all-electric, high-performance motor and battery setup that can deliver speeds of up to 50 mph with the type of torque only a battery-powered machine can offer. Sure, it can only travel 50 miles on a charge, but remember, it’s an off-road motorcycle, not a touring bike. Your arse and arms will be plenty sore by mile 40, anyway.
Kalk& on the other hand, has been updated to cut weight even further, and increase max capable speed to over 65mph, making it street legal and capable of highway travel. And like its off-road specific predecessor, the new concept offers a fresh take on just what a motorcycle should look like. Both designs heavily reference downhill and enduro mountain bikes, resulting in a truly unique form with clean lines, bright white paneling, no gears or clutch, and weighing just 150 pounds (100+ lighter than a typical gas fueled dirt bike). These silent motorcycles are truly something to behold.
CAKE might just be the future of off, and on-road adventure.
