Stark Varg review: will it suit enduro riders? ︱Cross Training Enduro

#crosstrainingenduro #endurotrail #starkvarg

[crosstrainingenduro]

INDEX & FURTHER NOTES!
1:16 The motor
1:49 Traction control
2:25 Handling
2:38 Is it too heavy?
3:08 Enduro setup?
4:00 Battery life
4:50 80HP a gimmick?
5:22 Clutch needed?
6:00 What we dislike
7:02 Potential issues
8:16 Will it suit you?

CORRECTION! We've been advised there are no adjustments for traction control or the virtual flywheel, despite early Stark promotions saying this would be available. The owner in this video asked his dealer who said it may become available in the Stark app later.

CRITICISMS FROM STARK OWNERS
As always we actively look for problems or issues raised by owners. One viewer has down three rides and loves the bike. But he gave us this list of issues:
Didn't like have to make full payment then wait four months to get it.
The power cable form the stand to the bike is way too short [owner in this vid agrees]
Phone pops out of the holder if you crash.
The front plastic inner tube popped second ride [our guy agrees they are too flimsy].
The suspension is so stiff they have clearly got the math wrong [dealer told our guy take 10kg off your weight when ordering!]
Max temperature for bike storage (according to the manual) would require air conditioning in the sub-tropics.

@Erwin-P really loves his Stark Varg but has these criticisms.
A experienced MX rider will not get 1hr at the track. He only gets about 40 minutes and is far from a pro. He says riders at the National level get about 20-25 minutes.
The sidestand just sucks. No way around it. Allready lost 2 sidestand brackets.
The tubes are too thin and burst doing jumps.
Broke the switch. Sand gets in between the button and the casing. so could not ''downshift'' and ended up in 80 hp in the CrossCountry race.
Where is a reverse? A E bike does not have 1 single good excuse not to have it.
The dashboard keeps disconnecting and not storing rides! Even worse not showing battery levels on a riding day.

DOES IT NEED A CLUTCH?
Some riders are concerned about whiskey throttle as they can't pull in the clutch. But if you opt for the left hand rear brake that should still work.
In the vid we mentioned a local gold class hard enduro rider who says he hasn't really needed the clutch to ride hard enduro. But in further comments he said he's had to do more throttle control instead of clutch feathering so his right hand gets fatigued faster.

BATTERY LIFE
Battery Test 100% to 0% in technical terrain: by Mayhemjach: 3.5 Hrs of ride time, 20 MPH average speed, 74.5 Miles of Range

INTERESTING COMMENTS FROM ELECTRICAL ENGINEER!
Owen Lock is a talented hard enduro rider who is also an engineer specialising in electrical grid technology. He knows his stuff!
"... we are at least one generation of battery technology away from electric dirtbikes being practical in the bush. The Varg is a very, VERY good example of what can be achieved with current battery technology, however ultimately the energy density (by weight) of current lithium ion batteries is about half that of fuel. That means a battery will have about half the range of the equivalent weight of fuel. Stark have done a stellar job of squeezing every kilo out of the rest of the bike so they can maximise battery capacity, but this comes at a hefty cost for people who like technical terrain, such as the exclusion of a clutch, the inability to hot-swap the battery, and what I consider to be inadequate protection for the battery. And still the bike is quite heavy.

So when are electrics bikes going to take over the off-road world? Toyota, Nissan and several other car manufacturers are working on “solid state” lithium ion batteries. These will have double the energy density of current batteries and 4 times faster charging. The development time-line is prototypes in 2025 and production ready in 2028. Once this tech hits, electric bikes will be equivalent to ICE bikes in terms of power, weight and range. Until then electric bikes will be either heavy or lack range.

Will electric bikes be better than ICE bikes one day? Hell yes, they will be lighter, faster, easier to ride, more configurable, cheaper to own and superior in every measurable way. In short they will be more fun with less hassle. But the decade will start with a 3 at least..."

COULD STARK GO BROKE?
Always an issue with a new brand but it's very unlikely. Royal Enfield has invested 50 million euros into Stark.

[abaddonski]

Finally! A review from someone whose opinion I trust!

[davetidman]

Hi! I have followed you guys for years, I am an old fart Canadian. I have a Stark Varg, a beta x trainer (with suspension mods) a kdx 220, and a ktm 525 exc. I have owned honda, KTM, husky, Yamaha, Suzuki, can am, and bmw through the years. I have no brand loyalty. The Stark, regardless of power train, is a beautifully balanced and well built bike. There are advantages and disadvantages to the powertrain. The ability to decide the bike you want to ride is a huge advantage. Changing the power and personality of the bike is super neat. The fact that I bought a gas generator to take with me should tell you all you need to know about the environmental argument for or against it. It is simply a different tool for what you want to do. I find myself riding differently, and doing things I would not try on a gas bike. Yet there are some things a gas bike does better. (range and ease of fueling are obvious). Yet people don’t give weight to where electric has clear advantages. For example, when I do a dumb hill climb and fail, I can sit and rest knowing that the bike is not spinning the rear wheel, not spilling fuel all over, and will not be a pain in the ass to restart when I pick it up. So I chill. I rest, and let my old man lungs relax. I use my Varg to grab the mail at the end of my 1 km driveway. I have never taken any other bike in the entire time I have lived here. The lack of warm up or starting makes me use the bike for a pile of little stuff I would not even have thought to use any other bike . This makes you bond with it. Yet…. it reminds me of a jet ski, in that the skill needed to ride it is no longer a barrier…it is easy to ride a jet ski, but very hard to ride one well. As an old guy, I kind of like the fear and limits that a clutch and untamed power presented to me. The respect for a machine that wanted to hurt you, and the satisfaction that came from learning to ride a bike at young age made me feel cool. The ease of initial riding of an electric bike could lull one into a situation that could be nasty and painful. That can be said for modern cars too…. All that being said, it is one cool bike..but, again there are some things to consider. If rides over 2 hours with no home base are what you like, look elsewhere. Range and the ability to charge anywhere are not there yet. I still love my beta and will keep it for when it is the better bike…but to tell you you honestly, if I had to pick, after 20 hours of riding on the stark it would be a tough call. It really depends on how and where you ride. For me the stark checks more boxes than it crosses off. Is it perfect? Not even close, but it is way better than I thought it would be, fun and different., and with the ease of use, and simple maintenance, it is worth the worth the money. In 20 hours I have not spent any money on oil, filters, or gas. I have done no oil changes. When I get home I don’t have to check the garage for gas cans (to find my kid has used it in his bike)! I just go. It has its own flaws and issues, and like all things nothing is black and white. It is super fun and makes me smile. It is different. So if you have not ridden it please try not to judge it. It still might not be for you. But you may be surprised. It is a well built and well executed bike that maximizes its electric drivetrain better than any thing has before it. It will only get better. It is nothing more than another option to have fun. We live in a great time with multiple choices, and new ideas. There is room for all. By the way….Sometimes I start the beta just to make the garage smell better.

[johnhardiman]

Only issue I have had ...bad on/off switch. Stark Tech support has been incredibly good. Stark shipped a new switch to me in 5 days ...Barcelona Spain to Florida. Zero buyers remorse! Finding about 40HP/ 80% Regen to be the sweet spot in getting the most out of the Battery...charges at 1% per minute on 240V.

[michaeldavison]

Excellent, straightforward review thank you! There are only a few content providers left that seem trustworthy in these "interesting times". Please never stop.

[noControl]

2 hours is manageable. These days I more often just do a solid 1.5-2 hour ride with very few breaks then pack it up and go home. I don't do all day rides with lunch breaks etc. that often.

[clearcutpro]

Just bought it. Used with 20 miles on it. In California. Last weekend was the sprint enduro race. Started with 92%, finished with 25%. Average speed was 14mph. So far so good. Will see how it performs this weekend at a longer dual euro race

[easternyellowjacket]

Nice, concise and honest review. Refreshing. And thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[mitikumitiku]

I agree with you completely. I got mine since Nov. 2023.

[Thektmsx]

One of our local riders has had the battery fail and Stark had to ship them a new one. Their Kickstand also broke. Shane Pinney is his name, he's been vlogging a lot of his experiences on Youtube. Granted, they ride a lot more than the average rider.

[devilsofthedirt]

Definitely sticking to my 2 smoker. but the traction advancements are much needed for an enduro.

[JustTex]

Will be cool when someone makes a kit for rego, then look out state forests/national parks

[rcryan]

The answer is yes. I hop logs, stumps, and rocks all the time on the stock valving. I get about 26 miles with 10% battery remaining. ICE is great but I like to listen to the birds chirping while I ride. I am still getting use to hearing the sounds the tires make. The best part is the feel you get with no vibration through the bars like you get with ICE.

[hkk]

The main appeal of this bike for me is the reduced anger from people if you're ever caught riding in "semi legal" areas

[guillytravels]

Always good to watch your reviews and videos! Thanks!

[timleed]

I've got one and love it. Everyone who has had a ride of mine likes it alot - and a bunch of them only rode it on 35hp and were too scared to turn it up. Yesterday during some hard enduro single track nonsense i gave a guy a go and his immediate feedback was that it felt so quick and nimble (after he stopped for me cause i couldn't keep up). Rec rego wasn't too hard to arrange. Being able to hear what the tyres are doing is going to help me be a better rider, plus its quite the challenge to ride efficiently to maximize the range. The fact that its going to get better with age via software updates is awesome. I can't wait for the auto-wheelie function. Yes, it's not going to work for some of the rides we do, so i'll have to keep at least 1 other bike. Left hand rear brake for the win. Yes, i could have waited for triple the battery range and half the weight, which would have been ideal, but i don't regret getting it now for 1 second.

[je]

you notice the weight a lot less because of the torque I feel. nice to see someone who I trust review this bike

[laurentzirotti]

Great video review as always. You so objective, it is reassuring that none of your comments are “paid for” like most of the YouTube reviews. Thank you.
I notice that your partner is riding a EM pure. What are your or his thoughts on this electric bike. I have an escape model and as i grow older I tend to go slower 😂 60 years old I love it but I wish the suspension would be better and the seat could handle with big a..
thanks again.

[LammensB]

I never riden a Stark, but plan to do a testride one a road legal version comes out. I'm riding a KTM freeride E-XC for about 7 years now (problem-free), and i'm ready to upgrade to Stark.

[chriswesterhoff]

My thoughts after a good amount of time owing an EM is the lack of a gear box is equally important to the clutch for technical riding. A general lack of flywheel inertia coupled with the fact that you are stuck in the equivalent of say 5th gear all the time just kills the ability to have a quick clutch acceleration based on stored energy rather than outright motor torque. This kills the ability to get the bike to lift and ride up a big obstacle. This might sound like a lot of over technical BS but look at some videos. You don’t typically see single speed electric bikes going up a bigger obstacle and being able to hold the front wheel high. They kind of bash into things and hopefully bounce up it. 5th gear on a petro bike in a rock garden wouldn’t be very good either for some of these very same reasons.
For moto and general single track riding though I would agree, this probably is a great bike for the right users! Thanks for the review!