Cake Kalk AP: motorcycle manufacturer and power supplier unite to combat poaching
2.2.2021
Translation: Megan Cornish
This quiet, eco-friendy bike aims to put to a stop to poachers. Motorcycle manufacturer CAKE and solar power provider Goal Zero present the Kalk AP: a bike that'll be used to take on poaching.
Some like the CAKE electric bike's Scandinavian design, others appreciate its compact frame. Anti-poaching activists at the Southern African Wildlife College like the bikes because they expect them to be a big advantage in the fight against poaching.
In marketing speak, the CAKE Kalk AP is taking the fight against poaching the way of sustainable high-tech. In one move, partners of the Southern African Wildlife College, bike manufacturer CAKE and solar battery provider Goal Zero are simultaneously solving multiple problems that Africa's anti-poaching campaigns have been struggling with.
Engines against poaching
According to CAKE, motorbikes are the most efficient means of transport in the African bush. But hunting down poachers is tough on petrol bikes, as they're often so loud that they can be heard from 45 minutes away.
The CAKE Kalk AP – AP for anti-poaching – is quiet because it's powered by electricity. This means that poacher-hunters can creep up on the perpetrators without being heard.
The AP is constructed so it can be kept running with minimal mechanical knowledge.
Source: ridecake.com
Its shock absorbers soften impact with springs rather than air, simplifying the mechanical side of things. Both the shock absorbers and the motor have been revisited and are specially protected against the elements. Both rims are identical with 8.9 cm tyres. Every bit of plastic on the bike is reinforced with Trifilon biocomposites. The front lights can be easily removed and replaced.
Software-wise, Kalk has optimised the AP so that it delivers more torque than maximum speed. Something the manufacturers gave more importance to than pace in view of the rough terrain of the bush. What's more, this feature aims to protect the electric motor against overheating. If, however, speed is needed, the AP can be switched to race mode at the touch of a button.
The petrol problem
It's not just the noise and the mechanics of motorbikes that make life difficult for anti-poaching activists. Petrol is a constant obstacle. Wherever the anti-poaching activists' bikes are being used, fuel has to be delivered to them via lorry or helicopter.
The CAKE Kalk AP's solution is solar energy. Activists are provided with a Goal Zero solar panel for every AP. So it's theoretically possible for an anti-poacher to run their AP in the bush for an unlimited time.
Source: electricbushbikes.com
Goal Zero has made a name for itself on the van life scene with its big power banks and compact solar panels.
Working with CAKE and the Southern African Wildlife College, it's equipped the Kalk AP with a solar kit – a Nomad 200 according to the CAKE website. There's also a battery pack: a portable Goal Zero Yeti 6000X power station.
What the CAKE/Goal Zero package doesn't deliver on is range. A standard CAKE Kalk – not the AP version – has a range of up to 100 kilometres on one charge. That's more than enough for your average commuter, but it could cause some frustration out in the bush now and then. For comparison, BMW's record holder – an admittedly much bigger bike than CAKE's – manages around 630 kilometres on a 30-litre tank.
The AP in Switzerland, the EU and everywhere else
The Kalk AP isn't just a bike developed for the bush that can't be ridden anywhere else. CAKE, Goal Zero and the Southern African Wildlife College have come up with a plan to get as many bikes as possible up and running in the African bush.
Source: ridecake.com
For every Kalk AP bought anywhere in the world, the Swedish bike company and the North American solar panel maker will donate a bike and charging station for the bush. The current plan is an initial batch of 50 bikes.
The first finished prototypes are being delivered to the college in spring 2021, with a series-ready version scheduled for the following autumn. The brand's Swiss importer is Airtool, based in Erlenbach in the canton of Zurich.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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