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Amanda Quick·
Electric Motorcycles
··2 min read

CAKE Kalk Catches Fire, Leads to Recall of Over 260 Bikes

“Battery Cell Failure Increases the Risk of a Fire”

A side view of an electric motorcycle.
CAKE's Kalk. Media provided by CAKE.

  • Certain CAKE Kalk variants could be carrying faulty batteries, which increase risk of a fire

  • ~264 units have been cited to potentially carry this bad battery pack (~50%), with affected models including 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Kalks.

  • Affected variants include Kalk&, Kalk Ink&, and Kalk :work

If you’ve ever seen an EV battery fire, you might want to pay attention to this recent recall from CAKE.

Apparently, a Korean dealership was charging a CAKE Kalk motorcycle back in mid-October when the thing caught fire. The component at fault was CAKE’s lithium-ion battery pack, now believed to carry an unbalanced chemical equation for certain units.

Here’s the official run-down from the NHTSA’s Safety Recall Report:

[On] October 15th 2023, [an] independent dealer in Seoul, South Korea contact[ed] CAKE to report an incident involving a KALK vehicle that caught fire while charging in their facilities… ”

“[On] November 16th-30th, 2023, CAKE conducted [an] analysis identifying all batteries with the same cells… CAKE’s remedy program will replace the current lithium-ion battery with one that contains cells with a different chemical composition.”

– NHTSA 573 Safety Recall Report (23V-904)
Motorcyclists riding outside.
CAKE’s Kalk. Media provided by CAKE.

Which of CAKE’s Kalks have been affected by this faulty battery?

We’re told that about 264 models carry the potential for a faulty battery, spread out amongst the following Kalk variants:

  • Kalk&

  • Kalk Ink&

  • Kalk :work

Potentially affected models include any of the above Kalk variants produced between January 1, 2018, and November 1, 2023, with VIN numbers starting at YW2C1M108KT000001 and ending with YW2C1M104PT002060.

If you’re worried your machine has been affected by this faulty battery situation, look for “abnormal battery behavior, including failed charging, significantly reduced range, and power cut-off while driving.”

A motorcyclist riding outside.
CAKE’s Kalk. Media provided by CAKE.

When can I expect to be notified about this recall?

According to the NHTSA’s Safety Recall Report, dealers and owners can expect to be notified by January 12, possibly even before then.

See also

The update will include instructions from CAKE on how to treat your bike until the replacement battery units become available in Q2 of 2024.

A motorcyclist popping a wheelie.
CAKE’s Kalk. Media provided by CAKE.

What can I do about this recall?

If you find yourself affected by this recall and want further information from a connected party, feel free to contact either CAKE Service Support or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline at the following contact points:

CAKE Service Support

Email: service@ridecake.com

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline

Telephone: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153)

Website: www.nhtsa.gov

NHTSA’s Campaign #: 23V904000

NHTSA’s Recall Report #: 23V-904

If you know of anybody in possession of a 2018-2023 CAKE Kalk, please share this safety recall and spread the word!

*All media provided by CAKE*