The Stark Varg takes gas-powered bikes head on.

It’s been a few years since the buzz of an electric dirt bike has made any real waves in motocross. Alta certainly shook things up and gave us a glimpse of possibility into the electric world, and events like Red Bull Straight Rhythm really put the bike and that technology on the map. A few of them still float around local tracks but after the brand ran out of juice, nothing all that new has come down the pipeline. Yes, Zero, LiveWire, Energica and a few other niche brands continue to excel in the street scene but nothing in the off-road space. That is until December 2021 when a new brand, Stark Future, revealed its race-specific electric motocross bike, the Varg. a few months after the press release, we attended their global launch just outside of Barcelona, Spain, to ride this new machine.

We arrived at Golf MX Park—an MX-track just outside of Barcelona, that, like the name says, used to be a golf course before the owner turned it into a picturesque motocross track after, ironically, it was shut down due to noise—and were greeted to primo conditions along with our first look at the Stark Varg, which means “strong wolf” in Swedish.

With the creation of an all-new bike it begs the question, how would you design a modern motorcycle? A blank canvas, a clear drawing board and no real parameters other than building the best bike you can. It’s a tall order when you really think about it. The Stark immediately looks the part of a real motocross bike but has obvious futuristic touches. Odes to traditional bikes are clear as the Varg still has fenders, number plates, shrouds, and all the usual stuff. Steel braided brake lines, Split triple clamps, KYB suspension, D.I.D wheels, Pirelli tires and Brembo brakes show these guys really did their homework when it comes to quality components.

But when you get closer to the bike you start to see the real details. For starters, the battery acts as a functional part of the frame to save on overall weight. The battery pack with 400 individual cells sits where a regular engine would be and the electric motor is mounted just ahead of the swingarm. Since there’s no need for a fuel tank, the flat seat runs almost all the way up to the bars and makes for a huge rider cockpit. Up front there’s an Android phone in place of the bar pad which serves as the bike’s main control unit. This allows users to tune the bike’s “mapping” or see outputs like battery life, speed, directions, etc. Another cool trick is the “clicker” chain adjusters that work like suspension clickers rather than the pain-in-the-butt double-nut system. Stark’s engineers also manufactured their own footpegs, brake pedal and bodywork that mounts up entirely with only seven bolts. And since the bike has no clutch, users can opt for a dual hand-brake setup. The proprietary stand also holds the charging system underneath the bike. There’s a lot to take in but it’s clear the team left no stone unturned when it came to developing this bike.

The bike we rode was a blend of pre- and production pieces. The Android phone I touched on earlier did not show the final display, and we’ll have more on that later, too. Weight was another topic as our ride sat a few pounds heavier than what the actual production bikes will be. Finally, the power. At the announcement, Stark claimed 80 horsepower for their Varg, but these test units only had 60. I say “only,” because the new 450s all range in the mid-to-high 50s. I figured 60 electric horses would be more than plenty, but Stark still plans on final production units packing 80.

First ride on the Stark was an experience in itself. I was super excited to ride this bike, and its newness made me feel like a little kid riding for the first time. The cockpit is uber-thin and feels racey. The rider triangle of the bars, seat and footpegs felt right on par with any other current moto bike, and it should. The team analyzed the geometry of every modern motocrosser before making their own. But what struck me the most was the sound. Or lack thereof, really. The “zip” of the electric motor is quiet and suddenly heightens all your other senses. You hear the suspension engage, the chain slap, even the tires breaking through the crust of a freshly prepped track. It felt all new.

At first I struggled. I felt at home being on two wheels and cornering was no problem. But the lack of sound messed with my judgment when it came to the jumps. I didn’t realize how much I relied on the sound of an engine to clear something new. Normally I watch someone hit a jump and can gauge it off the sound of the rpm on their bike, or say, “Okay out of the corner in second, click third, wind it out and you’ll be good.” On the Stark that doesn’t exist. Good or bad, it just takes some getting used to. I still wasn’t all there and after four quick laps to learn the track they unveiled their next surprise.

All the modern gas-powered bikes sat outside the Stark tent. The team announced that they were ours to enjoy for one single moto to abide with the sound ordinances at the track. This was a bold strategy in my book. What if I don’t want to get off the gas bike? I jumped on the Kawasaki KX450 and immediately cleared everything that had been messing with my head. I shifted, clutched, and revved my way through the moto, feeling confident on the track by the time I turned the bike back in.

Then I jumped right back on the Stark and laughed inside my helmet at some of the major differences that were noticeable after one section. First of all, you’re always in the right gear on the Varg. There’s literally no shifting, no clutching, nothing. Just twist and go. You never bog the engine down or stall it in a corner because you entered the turn in too high of a gear. That alone was one less thing to think about and made riding the track much easier.

Turning was next. Think about it for a second. How many moving parts are inside a four-stroke engine. Piston, valves, gears, clutch, cam, crank, etc. I can’t even name them all. All those parts are then moving up and down in their own designed path inside the engine. Now bolt all those moving parts up inside a frame and go ride it. It’s amazing how well current engineers are able to make that work. But again, the Stark doesn’t have any of that. This means when you enter a turn, the bike leans over and feels feather light. This wasn’t something I expected but it makes perfect sense when you think about it. You’re not fighting all those moving parts and the bike doesn’t want to stand up mid-corner. I was really impressed with this aspect and felt like I could hit any inside line on the track.

Once I figured out timing on the gas bikes it was simple to jump on the e-bike. You definitely have to “feel” the track more and accurately gauge your speed, but the bike jumps just like you’d expect. The suspension is a bit on the soft side, but overall works well. It handled airtime and ruts with ease and felt planted through the bumps later in the day. Another unexpected note was how forgivingly it cased things. This sounds insignificant but as I learned the jumps and kept coming up short, the bike didn’t bind up and feel like it was going to send me over the bars. Instead, it felt light and pushed through whatever mistake I threw at it.

Now I keep mentioning how light it feels but let’s not get too far ahead. At a claimed 242-pound production weight, our bike was a few pounds more, the Varg does feel heavy when lifting it on and off the stand. The center of gravity is well-contained in the “engine bay” but even when using the bike’s designated grab holes, I noticed the weight of the battery and drive components. On paper, it’s not far from a 450, but maybe the gas bikes spread their weight out more evenly. Just a bit of devil’s advocate here, it does feel amazingly light on track, but back at the truck, not so much.

Power is another big talking point with the Varg. I expected it to have loads of torque down low that would lift the front wheel on command. It’s not exactly the case. The bike gets up to speed quickly with near instant delivery but what surprised me most was the mid- to top-end power. It just keeps on coming. The pull from mid-to-top is strong and with nothing audible to accompany the power, you look down and realize you’re up to speed in a hurry. Our track for the day was relatively tight, but I never found a place where the power signed off. Conditions were loamy in the morning but turned a bit hard packed as the day wore on, something I felt comfortable on for our first ride. In fact, I ended up de-tuning the 60-horse powerplant to 90 percent capacity to improve overall rideability. The engineers said this was their sweet spot, and I found both comfort and confidence at this power level. I’d love to get this bike on a more wide-open circuit and really open it up down a fast straight.

Let’s talk about battery life: Big claims from the brand saying their bike will last 35 minutes at full speed with former MX World Champion Sebastian Tortelli, the head test rider, at the controls. Remember the phone mentioned earlier? On consumer units, that will read out battery levels; but since our phones didn’t have proper displays, it was hard for me to decipher the code and get an accurate reading. Each time we’d finish a moto, the bike was placed back on the stand and plugged into the charger to ensure a full battery for the next ride. The longest moto I did for the day was in the six- to eight-lap range, approximately 15 minutes, and I never felt a decline in the bike’s power. This was good for a few quick sessions, but overall, it’s hard to tell how the bike will hold up in real-world racing conditions.

While we didn’t get a chance to really test the battery life, it begs questions like if it will reduce itself on power late in the race or will it still give you 100 percent juice until it dies. Stark’s engineers say the bike’s internal computer is constantly programming the power levels as they drop to give the rider a consistent feel that also preserves the battery. The deceleration and engine braking also work on track to recharge the battery while you ride it. I’m not usually doing 35-minute motos on a weekend ride day, but a one- to two-hour charge time might be a bit much if you are fully draining the battery and need to get right back out for another one.

To describe the bike in one word, I’d say impressive. I had my doubts going into the event, but the bike and the company certainly impressed me. Anton Wass, Stark’s CEO, is one of the founders of 24MX, the European equivalent of Rocky Mountain ATV/MC or Motosport Outlet here in the U.S. He and the team of engineers are passionate about riding and all ride themselves. They dress the part and could easily fool you for a salesman at a high-end car dealership, dress shirts and sport coats at the track isn’t something we see every day. But that plays into the brand’s image and goals. They are out to change the game and plan to do so by bringing a quality product to the market.

With a blank slate and a big budget, they’re designing a bike the way they want to, and that’s respectable. In fact, the specs on the Stark, (trail, rake, linkage ratios, etc.) all stem as a blend of every modern motocrosser, taking the best characteristics of each and blending it into one. Regardless how you feel about electric technology, these guys are doing it and doing it right.

I think Stark is on the right track, but I don’t think it’s a direct replacement for a gas engine. At least not yet. Yes, the ease of use and barriers to entry are much lower, but there are still things that need to be worked out, and that’s to be expected with a new brand. Battery range and charge times are the first things that come to mind. However, using this bike as a track-specific weapon is the niche where it currently works best. Weekend warriors who do their morning motos and head home will have no issues with the early production models. And personally, I think electric will start doing what the four-stroke did to the two-stroke.

The Stark Varg isn’t a personal attack on combustion dirt bikes, it’s an alternative option that will continue to perpetuate our passions. CN

Copyright 2022 CycleNews. All rights reserved.