Sinje Gottwald, has been riding around the world solo on a classic 1994 BMW R100GS since 2017. Her travels have so far taken her from Europe to Asia to Australia to South America. She is now taking on her next challenge - breaking the world record for the longest solo journey on an electric motorcycle.
Sinje will be riding her Cake Kalk AP electric adventure motorcycle from Barcelona to South Africa, a distance of over 11,000 kilometres through some of the most challenging terrain. Along with her Cake Kalk motorcycle, she will be wearing a Forcite MK1S helmet on her record-breaking journey across the continent of Africa. We're excited to see how she gets on, and learn more about the performance of her electric motorcycle and Forcite MK1S in the harshest conditions. We'll post updates about Sinje's journey, but you can follow her excellent Instagram feed here.
Sinje believes EV technology has reached the point where this journey is possible.
“I’ve dreamt of long distance overlanding on an electric motorcycle for many years. I was even contemplating taking one for my trip around the world in 2017. It was a bit too early then, but now I feel it is the right time.”, she says.
The Cake Kalk is an impressive piece of machinery. Developed in close collaboration with the Southern African Wildlife College, The Kalk AP is engineered for wildlife conservation areas, so it is perfectly designed for Sinje’s journey across Africa. The motorcycle comes with 18” off-road tires, a rear carrier to attach all her equipment, and a suspension modified for low maintenance. The electric anti-poaching bike is built for efficient travel and easy maintenance, ensuring long-lasting use.
Once EVs were known to lack power, but thanks to the constant development of EV technology, the Kalk AP puts out 280Nm of real-wheel torque
The company behind the motorcycle, CAKE, was founded in 2016 by Stefan Ytterborn. From the very start, their goal was to create electric motorcycles that would combine excitement with responsibility while inspiring the shift to a zero-emission society. The mantra instilled in the design team was “light, quiet and clean”, and the result would two years later manifest itself in the first model, the Kalk, that first saw the light of day in January 2018. Now, in 2022, Cake is a leader in the motorcycle EV industry, producing multiple styles of electric motorcycles, including Sinje’s Kalk.
Under good conditions, Sinje can travel 200km a day carrying two batteries. She explains
“My current rhythm is to go for roughly 50km, then change the batteries, go another 50km and then find a place to charge both at the same time. It takes three hours to charge them 100%, and two hours for 80%. Then I go another 2x50km, so roughly 200 per day under good conditions. The batteries each weigh 17kg - I guess I’ll be very strong at the end of the trip! So far, not a single person asked me to pay for electricity, even though I offered.”
At the time of writing, Sinje is currently crossing the Morrocan desert, sharing photos and video captured by the Forcite MK1S of stunning oases, ancient villages nestled in the dunes and the amazing people she is meeting on her journey. We can’t wait to see what more her journey will bring.
To learn more about the Forcite MK1S that Sinje wears click here.