CAKE
Sweden's CAKE has been ploughing its own furrow in the electric bike market for the last few years with a range of on and mostly off-road utility models that aim to stand out from the competition with unique design and market positioning. The new Bukk model is the company's most powerful offering yet and proved an instant success with the initial run of 50 limited-edition versions selling out in a week.
"The Bukk represents the boundary-pushing performance ambition of CAKE products. This is a true next-level, off-road electric platform," said founder and CEO Stefan Ytterborn.
Although the Bukk is a pure off-road model, and the closest thing yet to a full-on motocrosser from CAKE, there's clearly an eye to a street legal derivative in future, as the firm makes a point that it has performance equivalent to the 'A2' licence class. While the 16 kW (21 hp) electric motor is well below the 35 kW limit of the A2 category, A2 bikes are not allowed more than 0.2 kW-per-kg, and the Bukk weighs a remarkably slight 85 kg. That gives a power-to-weight ratio close to the A2 limit. With a 72V battery and 420 Nm of torque, the Bukk promises impressive performance and a top speed of more than 100 km/h. With high-end components including WP and Öhlins suspension parts, and electronics that include three riding modes, it's not cheap; each of the 50 machines cost € 14,970 direct from the factory, but sold out fast. Look out for a more mass-made version in the near future, including a street version to take advantage of that A2 classification.
