Introducing: STARK VARG
To challenge and inspire the motorcycle industry to sustainability by building the fastest and most thrilling motocross bike in the world. To provide the ultimate emotion on two wheels. To prove electric technology is superior to gas.
We push the boundaries of technology to reshape the future of motorcycling. Through building electric motorcycles that outperform traditional technology we will inspire the world to sustainability.
Our bike is easier to ride, requires less maintenance, can be ridden anywhere without disturbing neighbors and has higher performance than traditional gasoline-powered bikes.
THE NEW NORM
What will you ride today? A 125cc two-stroke? 250cc or 450cc four-stroke? The VARG is the most versatile and advanced motocross bike on the planet. It can be easily customized to your skill level and riding style at any circuit. Through the Stark VARG App you can create up to 100 ride modes, adjusting the power curve, engine braking, traction control and virtual flywheel weight according to your liking, and have five modes actively installed on the bike.
But, will you have enough power? The VARG boasts peak performance of 80hp, 30% more than a typical 450cc four-stroke. We also give you 938 Nm of torque on the rear wheel, more than double of any of the 450s.
Control the VARG’s power. You can adjust from 1 to 80hp in just a few seconds through the Stark VARG App, an intuitive and comprehensive tool available in your display, or through your Apple or Android phone.
GREAT RANGE
The VARG has the most energy dense production battery system in the world. 6kWh of battery capacity at less than 32kg, including the complete case, battery management system and all other internal components. This has been made possible mainly through several groundbreaking innovations, which are currently patent pending: the magnesium honeycomb casing, slippery-fingers cell holders, pressure relief system and a one sided power board configuring the battery cells.
The range is similar to a 450cc motocross bike with a full tank. The VARG will comfortably complete a full ‘moto’ at MXGP intensity or up to 6 hours of easy trail riding and will fully recharge in 1-2 hours depending on the charger and power outlet.
Cutting-edge battery design: Using a patent-pending lightweight honeycomb magnesium battery case structure, the VARG ‘flying V’ scheme connects every cell directly to the casing. This creates high conductivity to the air-cooled case. The result is a very even and regular battery temperature and it removes unnecessary weight for water or vapor cooling.
Small, light and strong: The honeycomb shell architecture ensures an extremely strong, lightweight and compact structure, contributing to the slick handling of the VARG.
Safety: The VARG’s battery is completely waterproof, exceeding the requirements of IP69K. The strong honeycomb structure will also ensure high resistance against impacts, providing you with a durable, safe and lightweight battery.
Tested: Stark Varg electric off-road motorcycle – we rode it
Enduro21 tests the most talked about new bike of the year, the Stark Varg, “the first electric off-road motorcycle comparable in performance with a gas-powered dirt bike”. We jumped on plane to Spain to get some answers about this hot topic and ask: is it any good for enduro?
Getting the invite from Stark Futures for the launch of the Varg felt like a bit of a golden ticket. It’s a bike a lot of people are talking about and, since they launched it to a huge range of international media all at the same time, there’s a definite buzz about it. We’ve also been answering questions about it wherever we go recently – including from ‘other’ manufacturers.
Enduro21 had a bag full of questions about the VARG, many of them from you guys n’ girls who posted on our page. So, we have answered them all here, one talking point after another to put all the cards on the table and we went to Spain very much with the mindset of finding out if this thing works as a dirt bike.
The first thing to lay down, as we explain in our YouTube video from the test, is this launch was basically a handful of short sessions on a motocross track. The undulating track – Golf MX circuit – sits in the hills north west of Barcelona and was a pretty cool location – literally an old gold course. We got the chance to ride between the trees for a session but the time was limited, always to around 20 minutes.
That means some of the biggest questions about how this bike could or would work for enduro remain unanswered. But as a thing that now exists in the world, as far as forming an opinion on how it works, feels, and rides, well, we got a pretty good impression…
First impressions
As a rule of thumb, your first laps straight out the paddock are a good guide. If you feel happy on a bike and quickly start to enjoy it then, normally, you’re gonna get on well with the wheels under you.
With a precise throttle response, no vibrations and a sharp chassis the first impressions of the Varg are it’s an easy to ride bike. KYB suspension and Brembo brakes mean controls are precise and when standing on the pegs the bike felt accurate as we get to know the track.
Two-stroke feel
Weight-wise it quickly feels like a middleweight bike, a 300 or 350. There’s a two-stroke feel from the motor with very little engine braking (that’s just one of the settings you can adjust though) but coming on the gas it felt like a fiery 450 in terms of power.
The throttle feel is progressive and builds in a linear way, so the more you open the throttle (which has a ‘normal’ resistance btw) the more you get. So fairly standard from that point of view. The test bikes were 60hp and were putting out more than enough power at full throttle.
The sound the bike gives off is obviously different but corresponds to the speed you’re moving at, so actually kinda works the same in your brain. Not having gear changes to worry about simply means you can just ride the track. It’s less noisy by a long way, one of the loudest things you can hear is the chain running on the guide and slapping about.
Designed for a purpose
Now let’s be clear, although in my head I still feel like a 19 year old who could jump a dirt bike meters into the air, or even handle flogging an 80Hp dirt bike senseless and flat out over a bumpy off-road circuit, I am in reality, no longer that young man on the outside. Let’s just say the memories and injuries from a 12 hour enduro race I once did linger; this bike would be wasted on me.
But I still fantasise about owning one.
You can read and configure all the specifications here, but in summary the Varg is a quite astonishing 110kg, 80Hp (59kW) and 938Nm of rear wheel torque electric motocross bike.
As an (inappropriate but relevant to me) comparison, my much beloved Harley Livewire is 250kg, 100hp (78kW) and 1125Nm of rear wheel torque and a more suitable comparison the 2021 KTM 450 is 111kg and 63Hp.
This is where the Varg is precision focused as a dirt bike with an outstanding power to weight ratio of 0.536 kW/kg (0.326 HP/lb). On paper this means the Varg has a power to weight ratio of 1.88 – meaning it has 1kW of power for every 1.88kg of weight versus for example the 2021 KTM 450 at 2.33:1. For its intended design brief (super snappy, hard hitting launches off big jumps) it’s extremely impressive.
Battery and motor specifications
The all-important battery is a 6kWh pack housed in an extremely cool, form functional magnesium case rated at IP69, so rounding up your cattle through raging torrents should not be a problem. It has a really intelligent looking design that embeds the cylindrical cells into each side of the cases for mechanical robustness and good heat dissipation – critical on the passively cooled pack.
It also has a unique V shaped housing which allows for a really low weight distribution but also uses as much chassis space as possible to jam our all-important little lithium buddies into.
Stark Future built the lightest motocross frame in the world
Varg claims this provides enough range for riders to “complete a full MXGP heat or up to 6 hours of trail riding.” Now ,of course, range claims are all-important in the word of electric vehicles but in fairness the Varg’s mileage doesn’t matter as much – I think their claims fit the design brief just fine.
With a 6kWh battery in a 110kg bike you could probably expect around 50-75kms at speed, but of course you are sitting very high up on energy sapping knobby tyres so it’s not really the point.
This bike is about big air, point and squirt, wheelie inducing good times that will exhaust the fittest of humans in no time, not Hyper-miling efficiency tests.
Varg also claims to have developed an all-new high power and super compact inverter/controller, “the world’s smallest inverter for 50-100kW power range;” which in their images at least looks incredibly small.
They talk a lot about their original dream of overcoming all the inherent limitations of existing EV equipment – and this is a big one which I hope flows into the rest of the electric motorcycling world soon.
The inverter controller is integrated into the motor drive housing and shares the same cooling system. This also enabled them to work on the critical challenge of reducing component count for simplicity and is further enhanced by the motor, controller and gear reduction system forming an integral part of the chassis, further reducing weight.
The motor features a carbon wrap for higher performance via increased rpm capability, less inertial weight and better thermal performance and weighs a mere 9kg.
This is clearly a trend that we will see more and more of in electric motorcycles and follows the outstanding work by Energica, MotoE and a handful of other high performance manufacturers that we are seeing.
The spelet förändras Varg
“Game changing” is the only way to describe the promise of the Varg, quite simply because it is the very latest, highest specification all electric dirt bike the world has seen yet.
However, I am equally impressed by the stunning attention to innovating the way the bikes are designed, with efficiency, performance and optimisation in liberal doses, as the company’s very detailed video library will show you.
Anyone who knows motorcycles and has played with dirt bikes, particularly, will appreciate their attention to detail on solving small but important issues, which is insanely good. Here are just a few examples:
Chain “click adjuster” – Anyone who has grappled with motorcycle wheel alignment will love this feature and it completely removes the need for time consuming and fiddly manual alignment. They also reinvented the axle nut so it is protected from damage.
The lightest, strongest foot pegs on the planet – In the performance world grams count so hell yes I need these made of an exotic stainless blend. Even better, they can be quickly replaced without tools.
Shock absorbing bash plate – How about we completely eliminate your lower sub frame and protect your valuable battery with an intelligent shock absorbing, floating foam/plastic bash plate? Bring me that log jump!
Dash-be-gone – In yet another elegant step, Stark eliminated the dashboard and replaced it with a shock and waterproof housing for a digital phone, accompanied by an extremely detailed looking app allowing up to 100 ride modes (!) and providing OTA connectivity all in one. Oh, and it’s removable with a single button push.
Carbon fibre cooling tunnel – The bike features a carbon fibre front support which doubles as the air duct to direct cooling air to the under seat mounted radiator and battery housing. Let’s face it, who doesn’t want carbon fibre bling and to be able to say they have a “cooling tunnel”.
Super light everything – Everything from the wheel hubs to the chassis uses the best light weight but super strong materials in a combination of chrome moly steel and forged aluminium helping them deliver the lightest motocross chassis in the world at just 6kg. When you drop it on yourself being a motocross action Hero, your buddies can lift it off you using the forged and machined integrated grab handles.
30 second tear down – The bodywork features a 15% weight reduction through internal hexagonal patterning and can be removed with 5 screws in 30 seconds. Handy.
Designed for a purpose
Now let’s be clear, although in my head I still feel like a 19 year old who could jump a dirt bike meters into the air, or even handle flogging an 80Hp dirt bike senseless and flat out over a bumpy off-road circuit, I am in reality, no longer that young man on the outside. Let’s just say the memories and injuries from a 12 hour enduro race I once did linger; this bike would be wasted on me.
But I still fantasise about owning one.
You can read and configure all the specifications here, but in summary the Varg is a quite astonishing 110kg, 80Hp (59kW) and 938Nm of rear wheel torque electric motocross bike.
As an (inappropriate but relevant to me) comparison, my much beloved Harley Livewire is 250kg, 100hp (78kW) and 1125Nm of rear wheel torque and a more suitable comparison the 2021 KTM 450 is 111kg and 63Hp.
This is where the Varg is precision focused as a dirt bike with an outstanding power to weight ratio of 0.536 kW/kg (0.326 HP/lb). On paper this means the Varg has a power to weight ratio of 1.88 – meaning it has 1kW of power for every 1.88kg of weight versus for example the 2021 KTM 450 at 2.33:1. For its intended design brief (super snappy, hard hitting launches off big jumps) it’s extremely impressive.
Battery and motor specifications
The all-important battery is a 6kWh pack housed in an extremely cool, form functional magnesium case rated at IP69, so rounding up your cattle through raging torrents should not be a problem. It has a really intelligent looking design that embeds the cylindrical cells into each side of the cases for mechanical robustness and good heat dissipation – critical on the passively cooled pack.
It also has a unique V shaped housing which allows for a really low weight distribution but also uses as much chassis space as possible to jam our all-important little lithium buddies into.
Varg claims this provides enough range for riders to “complete a full MXGP heat or up to 6 hours of trail riding.” Now ,of course, range claims are all-important in the word of electric vehicles but in fairness the Varg’s mileage doesn’t matter as much – I think their claims fit the design brief just fine.
With a 6kWh battery in a 110kg bike you could probably expect around 50-75kms at speed, but of course you are sitting very high up on energy sapping knobby tyres so it’s not really the point.
This bike is about big air, point and squirt, wheelie inducing good times that will exhaust the fittest of humans in no time, not Hyper-miling efficiency tests.
Varg also claims to have developed an all-new high power and super compact inverter/controller, “the world’s smallest inverter for 50-100kW power range;” which in their images at least looks incredibly small.
They talk a lot about their original dream of overcoming all the inherent limitations of existing EV equipment – and this is a big one which I hope flows into the rest of the electric motorcycling world soon.
The inverter controller is integrated into the motor drive housing and shares the same cooling system. This also enabled them to work on the critical challenge of reducing component count for simplicity and is further enhanced by the motor, controller and gear reduction system forming an integral part of the chassis, further reducing weight.
The motor features a carbon wrap for higher performance via increased rpm capability, less inertial weight and better thermal performance and weighs a mere 9kg.
This is clearly a trend that we will see more and more of in electric motorcycles and follows the outstanding work by Energica, MotoE and a handful of other high performance manufacturers that we are seeing.
The spelet förändras Varg
“Game changing” is the only way to describe the promise of the Varg, quite simply because it is the very latest, highest specification all electric dirt bike the world has seen yet.
However, I am equally impressed by the stunning attention to innovating the way the bikes are designed, with efficiency, performance and optimisation in liberal doses, as the company’s very detailed video library will show you.
Anyone who knows motorcycles and has played with dirt bikes, particularly, will appreciate their attention to detail on solving small but important issues, which is insanely good. Here are just a few examples:
The World’s Fastest Motocross Bike is now Electric. Stark VARG
Chain “click adjuster” – Anyone who has grappled with motorcycle wheel alignment will love this feature and it completely removes the need for time consuming and fiddly manual alignment. They also reinvented the axle nut so it is protected from damage.
The lightest, strongest foot pegs on the planet – In the performance world grams count so hell yes I need these made of an exotic stainless blend. Even better, they can be quickly replaced without tools.
Shock absorbing bash plate – How about we completely eliminate your lower sub frame and protect your valuable battery with an intelligent shock absorbing, floating foam/plastic bash plate? Bring me that log jump!
Dash-be-gone – In yet another elegant step, Stark eliminated the dashboard and replaced it with a shock and waterproof housing for a digital phone, accompanied by an extremely detailed looking app allowing up to 100 ride modes (!) and providing OTA connectivity all in one. Oh, and it’s removable with a single button push.
Carbon fibre cooling tunnel – The bike features a carbon fibre front support which doubles as the air duct to direct cooling air to the under seat mounted radiator and battery housing. Let’s face it, who doesn’t want carbon fibre bling and to be able to say they have a “cooling tunnel”.
Super light everything – Everything from the wheel hubs to the chassis uses the best light weight but super strong materials in a combination of chrome moly steel and forged aluminium helping them deliver the lightest motocross chassis in the world at just 6kg. When you drop it on yourself being a motocross action Hero, your buddies can lift it off you using the forged and machined integrated grab handles.
30 second tear down – The bodywork features a 15% weight reduction through internal hexagonal patterning and can be removed with 5 screws in 30 seconds. Handy.
Pre-orders
Stark have already received tens of thousands of pre-orders and although you can place an order now, at this stage it appears that you’ll be waiting until late 2023 to see your bike. The web page currently lists them starting at A18,200 and I got to around A19,500 with all the add-on’s.
I note that Stark lists no less than 12 dealers in Australia already, testament to the interest. Orders and configuration can all be done online, with a decent selection of customisation available (eg wheel size, shock spring weight, 60Hp or 80Hp motor, hand or foot brake, colours etc).
Time will tell whether Stark can overcome the global supply chain challenges that most manufacturers are currently suffering and, whether the bike can reliably deliver on its promises when wannabebutnot19yearoldplumpoldguys put the Varg through the ultimate test. But if their attention to detail is anything to go by we could be in for some very exciting and very dirty times ahead.
Now, where’s my Golden Breed Mr Motocross T shirt ….
Check out our Models pages for news and analysis, reviews and road trips on this and all EV models currently or soon to be available in Australia.