How I Plan to Use My Kalk&
I specifically purchased the & version of the Kalk as a dual sport bike. I am fortunate to have access to simple off road areas near my home where I can ride since the bike is silent. I am currently investigating where/how I can carry a charger to hook up when needed for longer rides. Due to COVID19 there are very few places where I can stop, have a meal or beverage and wait 1.5 hours to get an 80% charge.
City riding, trail riding and general fun riding is the primary purpose of my bike. I have raced ICE bikes both off road and closed course all of my life. I’ve never owned a bike that not only weighs the same as my weight but is also silent. So this is a new era for me, one that is just emerging and very exciting all at once.
Hooligan night riding is a blast! At 10pm there was not a soul out so I took the opportunity to ride up and down stairs along with other places where you’re not suppose to be. No arrests, no citations, no property or body damage so it was a very fun first night ride! LOL
Obviously I also plan to and have ridden my bike off road. Keep in mind that I have never planned to race motocross, desert or things of that nature. Nope fire roads, trails and lots near my home is the plan. Street riding too and it’s been amazing how my street senses came back after not riding on the street for damn near 20 years. After racetrack riding the streets just seemed too dangerous and that was before cell phones!
The bike handles surprisingly well on the pavement. Sure it’s not a sport bike, but that’s not its purpose. The tires hold fine and the geometry of the bike is relaxed so it turns in well. Not twitchy off road and reacts quick enough in tight trails for me riding.
Of course as time goes on and I become more familiar with the nuances of the bike I’ll have more to report. But up to this point it’s been fun, well balanced and powerful. Range off road is not something I have been able to fully explore. But I can say that my street riding at speeds which average 42 MPH with a top speed of 58 MPH for about two miles taxes the battery. On a single trip without being range conscious I got 28 miles with one bar remaining on the display. Which indicates 20% remaining.
I was in level 3 for both power and regen throughout that ride. I believe that off road trail riding will yield even better range since it’s not high speed and constant throttle. Once I’m able to do riding like that I’ll report back here. A visitor to my Sur Ron site mentioned that he had searched for 15 hours to determine any down sides of the Cake. He felt that the range would be his deal breaker. He also asked my view of “hard trail riding range.” That’s so tough to say because everyone’s view of ‘hard riding’ differs greatly.
My view of hard riding is a 28 minute road race course where I’m ‘on’ the entire time. Or the Barstow to Vegas run or a motocross race. Racing for me is ‘hard riding.’ But I will say that once I am able to do consistent hard trail riding my way I’ll post what I’ve found here. So stay tuned. I’ve only owned the bike for 31 days for crying out loud! LOL
