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In October 2022, Sinje Gottwald set out from Spain to make an 8,000-mile journey throughout Africa (north to south). Unaided by technical or medical assist, Gottwald ended her journey in Cape Town, South Africa, on Feb. 15, 2023. Gottwald’s end marks the primary particular person to journey an electrical motorbike throughout the continent. She accomplished the 124-day quest utilizing a Kalk AP, made by Swedish bike maker CAKE, which additionally sponsored the journey. Our first query: How the heck did she cost it alongside the way in which?
One a part of the reply: She’s a professional. Gottwald has already made a reputation for herself by circumnavigating the world on a motorcycle. But she expressed satisfaction in making maybe the longest journey but on an electrical motorbike.
“After all the challenges and obstacles along the way, I feel so relieved and happy to be here, proud to have made it and a bit melancholic this adventure is now ending,” she wrote on Instagram. “Not many people thought that this mission would be possible and I am extremely grateful to the few that believed in me from the very beginning.”
Gottwald grabbed consideration amongst motorcyclists when she achieved a solo circumnavigation of the world in 2017. She’s additionally traveled overland from Europe to Asia to Australia. And she’s pushed lengthy stretches from South to North America and from Morocco to Mali.
As CAKE’s B2B account supervisor, Gottwald had pitched the concept to firm’s CEO and founder Stefan Ytterborn. In a information launch following Gottwald’s profitable completion of the journey, Ytterborn expressed congratulations — and aid.
“Besides being amazed by her courage and spirit, I was thrilled about the ability for us to [sponsor] her, while truly getting a chance for extreme field testing,” he stated. “We agreed that Sinje would change positions for a few months from being a B2B sales manager to becoming our most precious field tester. Now [that] she is through, it’s extremely rewarding that she and the bike arrived in perfect shape.”
Electric-Powered Journey Across Africa: The Logistics
For her newest journey, she got here ready. Gottwald introduced two batteries, two chargers, and spare components together with a controller, show, throttle, chain, and fuses. She added instruments, a digital camera, and private belongings — together with a laptop computer in case her bike required a software program replace.
She nonetheless skilled many difficulties alongside the way in which. That began when the deep Moroccan sand prompted a fuse to burn out. As she continued down the western a part of the continent to Guinea, Gottwald confronted the problem of muddy, waterlogged jungle tracks almost unimaginable to barter in a automobile, not to mention a motorbike.
And within the true spirit of driving unsupported, it was additionally Gottwald’s accountability to deal with the logistical hurdles of making use of for visas and crossing borders with the fitting paperwork.
“My dream was to see the world with my own eyes. No matter how much I learn about places, seeing and experiencing them myself will always give me a better understanding,” Gottwald stated. “This I feel is particularly the case for Africa. With this adventure I not only wanted to open up my own and people’s views and ideas about this continent, but also give an example of what is possible. We are capable of a lot more than we think.”
8,000 Miles on the CAKE Kalk AP
Gottwald’s newest journey utilizing the Kalk AP represents a major breakthrough proving that an electrical bike can go the gap, CAKE wrote.
It goes with out saying that electrical autos have earned extensive acceptance as efficient means of private transportation. But for adventures like this, there’s little precedent. Even CAKE acknowledged that Gottwald’s journey took the bike “far beyond” its supposed use.
But maybe it’s not too shocking the bike carried out so properly, on condition that CAKE designed it in a collaboration with the Southern African Wildlife College. The bike’s title (“AP) actually stands for “Anti-Poaching,” because it was constructed to assist African rangers traversing the bush to defend wildlife. The 176-pound bike has a 51.8V battery, a prime velocity of 56 mph, and a spread of as much as 3 hours, in accordance with CAKE.
Somehow, in all these miles, Gottwald’s Kalk AP by no means obtained a flat tire. It required rather less than 140 expenses over the course, nevertheless, and discovering locations to cost was the toughest half, Gottwald stated. It required thorough planning to keep away from getting stranded. But she additionally stated the bike exceeded her expectations.
“Maintenance was almost zero, adjusting and lubing the chain was basically it,” she stated. “It drew so much attention, wherever I stopped people would come and ask about it, many said it was the first time for them to see an electric motorcycle. They couldn’t believe I came from so far away.”