How CAKE Is Changing The Way We Think About The Electric Motorcycle
People generally think about electric motorcycles (and electric cars) as zippier than their gasoline-fed counterparts, and that's true. For instance, the Lightning LS-218 EV motorbike could reach a 218 mph top speed, while the Tesla Model S Plaid breaches supercar territory with its zero-to-sixty time of 1.99 seconds and 200 mph top speed. Then again, other EV manufacturers like CAKE are taking the opposite route.
The Swedish startup unveiled its first electric motorcycle, the Kalk, in 2018. It's typically an electric dirt bike with the barest minimum, and it could only reach a 56 mph top speed. But with a single electric motor churning out 207 pound-feet of torque and lightweight construction, "the riding possibilities are endless," said CAKE, and has since upgraded the Kalk with street, off-road, and racing variants with bespoke colors and trim pieces.
However, CAKE unveiled the Ösa at CES 2020, an electric motorcycle SlashGear executive editor Chris Davies called "an e-bike like no other."
CAKE Ösa: Utilitarian to the core
Unlike performance electric bikes for exhilarating track days, the CAKE Ösa has a quirky aluminum unibar frame spanning its 53-inch wheelbase. It is the anchor point for the Ösa's (pronounced "eyah-sah") optional clamp-on accessories like a passenger seat, top boxes, surf racks, a windshield, baskets, carriers, etc. The configurable and versatile nature of Ösa makes it an out-of-the-box solution for last-mile travel requirements, small businesses, or savvy motorists looking for a no-frills, zero-emission two-wheeler with enough power and speed for a single day's worth of travel.
CAKE
CAKE has two Ösa variants: Flex and Plus. The Ösa Flex is a moped version with a 2.5 kWh battery pack, a 28 mph top speed, and about 57 miles of range. Meanwhile, the Ösa+ has a 3.5 kWh battery that delivers 68 miles of range and a 56+ mph top speed. Both have selectable and custom driving modes, braking regeneration, lightweight wheels, dual-sport tires, and a proprietary suspension system. Moreover, it has four-piston brakes, stainless steel brake lines, and a 110V charger to recharge the battery pack in 3 to 5 hours.
The removable battery pack rests neatly in a tubular subframe below the unibar. In addition, the battery has two USB outlets and an optional AC converter to recharge smartphones or power your favorite tools or appliances up to 1,500 watts. CAKE founder and CEO Stefan Ytterborn was the former Initiator and Director of IKEA product design, and the Ösa genuinely reflects the startup's mantra for minimalist engineering.
CAKE
All this goodness comes at a price, though, and the CAKE Ösa's sub-$9,000 MSRP may not be for everyone. But if versatility, simplistic design, and utility are what you want in an electric moped, you know where to look.