CAKE B2B Account Manager Sinje Gottwald has achieved a remarkable milestone in riding the longest distance ever on an electric motorcycle, after completing her 124-day journey along the West Coast of Africa on the CAKE Kalk AP. Starting from Spain and ending in South Africa, Sinje rode the entire journey completely unaided by technical or medical support.
Faced with daily challenges ranging from the continent’s inclement weather and terrain, to her ability to charge the bike and the risks posed by dehydration, Sinje’s triumph on the Kalk AP is a significant breakthrough for many technological and social aspects.
As part of her preparation, she readied herself with two batteries, two chargers, spare parts including a controller, display, throttle, chain, and fuses, tools, a laptop in case her bike requires a software update or remote support, a camera, and personal belongings. Starting on October 14, 2022, in Spain and ferrying across to Morocco, Sinje’s African exploits began, with the deep Moroccan sand causing the first technical difficulty with a fuse burn out. Before long, she entered the hallowed terrain of Mauritania and Senegal, famous for their role in the iconic Paris-Dakar Rally.
From Gambia she entered Guinea Bissau, where the entry into Guinea presented the challenging but supremely rewarding combination of muddy and waterlogged jungle tracks where no car could venture. Sinje continued down the Ivory Coast, onwards through Ghana, which included a 24-hour wait at the border, Cameroon and Angola amid the endless African majesty on the way. She finally arrived in South Africa to complete her unforgettable 13,000 km journey that saw her meet countless people and experience nature in ways only possible on two wheels.
Originally designed for short bursts of fun riding, the Kalk AP exceeded expectations by completing a 13,000 km-long journey in just 124 days, without experiencing a single flat tire, and requiring less than 140 charges.
Well, obviously this required more planning than riding a petrol guzzler, especially across Africa. One would expect, at least from an engine/gearbox perspective, that electric could otherwise be very reliable (and cheaper). But nevertheless, this is extremely rough and unforgiving terrain, and it does appear that the motorcycle is otherwise pretty sound. I would love to have seen this journey on a YouTube series. It does look like Itchy Boots has some modern, and more environmentally friendly, competition here
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First solo unassisted Africa continent crossing on an electric motorcycle | CAKE#
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