Motorcycles

Cake rides through cities and trails with Kalk Ink SL e-motorcycle

Cake rides through cities and trails with Kalk Ink SL e-motorcycle
The Kalk Ink SL has enough range for short hops around the city, but not enough for long trips
The Kalk Ink SL has enough range for short hops around the city, but not enough for long trips
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The Kalk Ink SL has been treated to removable head, tail and turn lights, an LED display, a foot brake and more
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The Kalk Ink SL has been treated to removable head, tail and turn lights, an LED display, a foot brake and more
The Kalk Ink SL has enough range for short hops around the city, but not enough for long trips
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The Kalk Ink SL has enough range for short hops around the city, but not enough for long trips
Like the off-road Ink before it, enduro or trail riders can get around 3 hours of riding before needing to top up the battery
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Like the off-road Ink before it, enduro or trail riders can get around 3 hours of riding before needing to top up the battery
The Kalk Ink SL can manage minimum highway speeds, but not for long
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The Kalk Ink SL can manage minimum highway speeds, but not for long
The Kalk Ink SL is street legal in the US and EU
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The Kalk Ink SL is street legal in the US and EU
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Swedish electric moto and ebike maker Cake has announced a street legal edition of the Kalk Ink released last month. The Ink SL's head, tail and turn lights can be removed for off-road adventures, and the e-moto can now get up to minimum highway speeds.

"We are stoked to be able to expand the urban Cake presence with the new Kalk Ink SL, which combines excellent off-road performance with efficient commuter qualities," said the company's Stefan Ytterborn.

Street legal in the US and EU, the Ink SL has gained LED turn indicators, headlight and taillight, and handlebar mirror (which can all be removed for off-road riding if required). Also new is an LED display, foot brake, and license plate holder. Cake says that the 10-kW motor can make 42 Nm on the shaft or 252 Nm at the wheel, but more importantly can now get the electric ride to over 90 km/h (56 mph).

The 2.6 kWh Li-ion battery won't compete with the range of street motos from the likes of Zero, for example, but could be sufficient for short rides to and from work. The Ink SL has been given a WMTC-II official range of 86 km (52 mi) per charge, so you may have to plug it in when you get to work or risk not making it home again, particularly as Cake points out that riding at 70 km/h (44 mph) will shorten your per charge journey to about 35 km (22 mi). Trail or enduro riders could manage a 3 hours jaunt on the e-moto.

The Kalk Ink SL has been treated to removable head, tail and turn lights, an LED display, a foot brake and more
The Kalk Ink SL has been treated to removable head, tail and turn lights, an LED display, a foot brake and more

The same three ride modes as the off-road only Ink are offered – Explore limits the top speed to 45 km/h (28 mph) for 3-4 hours between battery charges; and Excite mode offers up to 2 hours of enduro or trail riding; and Excel opens up maximum torque and speed for up to an hour on the track. And there are three braking modes too. Free wheel makes use of just the disc brakes via the front hand lever and/or the rear foot brake, there's 2-stroke-like motor braking that gives some energy back to the battery, but for maximum regen you'll need to employ the 4-stroke-like motor braking.

The Ink SL tips the scales at 82 kg (169 lb), including the battery, and its 6061 aluminum frame comes with polycarbonate bodywork and fenders. A simple yet sturdy suspension comprises upside down MX spring forks with 200 mm of travel and a direct-mounted rear shock with 205 mm of travel, and it rides on 19-inch aluminum rims with dual sport motorcycle tires.

The Kalk Ink SL will go on sale from July for US$10,500, though pre-orders are being accepted now.

Product page: Cake Kalk Ink SL

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5 comments
5 comments
guzmanchinky
Those are very cool! But it looks like Segway is offering a good looking dirt bike for less than half that amount. Maybe that will be made street legal as well? I'm sure something from Sweden is much better built than something from China, but $10k+ is a lot of money for a bike that doesn't work as well as a 250...
Christopher McCann
This could be fitted with a small internal combustion engine rather than electric power.
Tommo
The segway is way better looking, and much cheaper but NOT road legal so in a different ball park.

Shame this one is so fugly though - yet another e-bike that looks bad..
guzmanchinky
Tommo, I wonder how hard it would be for Segway to make a street legal version? Maybe 1 thousand dollars more but still way cheaper (and yes, better looking)...
Alex O'Dor
The Segway dirt bike == Sur-Ron Light Bee == Luna Sur-Ron These are all the same bike with very small cosmetic differences( sure and a drive head change out, which is now stock on Sur Ron's ask Joang) and the prices range from 3K to 5K. That's more expensive than any cosmetics that Ulta-Beauty carries. Save the $2K, and import yourself.