Author
Michael Charboneau
Photographer
Courtesy Cake
Bukk comes from the ancient language of Gotland, an island off the coast of Sweden, and translates to “thunder cloud,” but don’t expect the new electric motorcycle from Cake to make much noise. Like the rest of the renowned Swedish brand’s lineup, the new off-roader—it debuted today at the EICMA motorcycle show—features a nearly silent electric drivetrain. The Cake Bukk joins the Kalk, Ösa, and Makka in the company’s model lineup, and although it bears a strong resemblance to the Kalk, it’s a totally new design from the wheels up.
The Bukk is a heavier, more powerful model that falls within the European A2 category (motorcycles with up to 47 horsepower). According to the rider testimonials Cake released, the Bukk is more like a traditional motocross bike than its Kalk sibling, and it’s built for romping around backwoods trails and soaring over jumps. It also packs plenty of power—more than any other Cake model.
The Bukk features a 72-volt battery and a motor that can produce 16kW of peak power and 420 Nm of torque. It weighs 187 pounds and has a top speed of 62 mph. (For comparison, the Kalk OR has a 51.8-volt battery, creates 280 Nm of torque, and weighs in at 152 pounds.) The Bukk also comes with upgraded Öhlins and WP suspension components that offer increased travel and ground clearance, and it wears burly off-road tires designed for maximum grip in the dirt. While not available in a street-legal version like the Kalk, the Bukk definitely has the edge in terms of pure performance.
Like all of Cake’s bikes, the Bukk’s electric drivetrain operates without a clutch or gears: All you need to get moving is a twist of the throttle. According to Cake’s founder and CEO, Stefan Yettborn, the result is a “a rollercoaster-like experience rather than the bumper car-like experience with a clutch.”
Added bonus: The quiet electric drivetrain allows you to hear the landscape around you. And, as Cake frequently points out when marketing its bikes, the Bukk lets you explore the backcountry without blanketing it in tailpipe emissions (or engine noise). It's next-level LNT, if you will.
Want to put a Bukk in your garage? Cake is starting with a limited run of 50, and they’re available to order now.
Price: €14,970 / ~$15,000
Published 11-08-2022
