CAKE has announced a partnership with Southern African Wildlife College to form the Electric Bush Bike Anti-Poaching Act. A specially designed CAKE electric motorcycle, called the Kalk AP (for "Anti-Poaching"), will be used to help protect endangered species from poachers. Best of all, you'll be able to buy one for yourself while supporting the cause.
Poaching is a big problem in South Africa, mainly for food rather than for hides and trophies like the big game hunters of the past. It occurs in some of the most remote parts of the country, which are difficult to get to and impossible to patrol by car. Recent enforcement efforts have used motorcycles to some success, but their loud gas engines alert poachers to their approach and enable them to flee. CAKE's electric bikes are nearly silent, which gives law enforcement the element of surprise.
Of course, in such remote areas, there is also a distinct lack of electrical infrastructure to recharge an electric bike. That's where Goal Zero comes in, providing solar recharging capabilities for each motorcycle that will not be dependent on the local electrical grid.
Let Them Eat CAKE:
The bike itself, as we suspected, appears similar in specification to the Kalk OR, though it has the more aggressive knobby tires of the Kalk OR Race. It also uses a pair of identical 18-inch rims instead of the usual 19-inch front for ease of maintenance. The fenders and other plastic are made of biodegradable polymer from Trifilon. The software has been adjusted to enable the bike to deal with higher temperatures. High speeds may not be as necessary as low-speed torque for fast acceleration to chase down fleeing poachers. While the standard Kalk OR doesn't have lighting, the AP version will have a clip-on light for nighttime operations.
The Kalk AP isn't just for South African law enforcement, though. They will be available to the public, with the initial 50 bikes available in a specially priced charity combo for $25,000 (the regular price will be $32,000). While that seems like a lot of money, the purchase buys not one, but two Kalk AP bikes—one specially numbered bike for you, and one for the Southern African Wildlife College. They'll also get a Goal Zero charging station and solar panels for refueling each bike in the field.
Source: CAKE