The Future Of Electric Motocross Bikes – Barcelona-based startup Stark Future launched this absolute weapon of an electric dirt bike, “to demonstrate that electric technology is superior to gasoline, surpassing all traditional motocross models available.” That right there, folks, is the promise of world domination – but looking at the spec sheet, we sure wouldn’t want to line up next to the Stark Varg on the 450.
The Varg weighs 110 kg (242 lb), making it 11 kg (24.2 lb) heavier than the FIM minimum weight for an MXGP racer without fuel. So it’s a little on the porky side compared to international-class racers, but that gap closes once the fuel kicks in, and the Varg more than makes up for it when you open up the throttle.
The Future Of Electric Motocross Bikes
Peak power is an epic 80 horses. To put that in context, the scariest dirt bike I’ve ever ridden is a KX500, a 500cc Kawasaki 2-stroke that delivers somewhere around 66 horses in a way that I found to be rough, awkward, and probably not going to see me through to adulthood. age in the company of all my original limbs.
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Peak torque is an equally reckless 275 Nm (203 lb-ft) at the engine, and with the magic of the gearbox, it becomes a frankly ridiculous 938 Nm (692 lb-ft) at the rear wheel. Suffice it to say, the Varg will probably flow if you ask it nicely. It can even tow a caravan.
Stark isn’t just here to breed widows and orphans. The bike will have five modes installed at any time, but you can customize up to 100 modes on the phone app and switch them in and out as you please. These modes let you adjust “the exact settings of the power curve, engine braking, traction control and patent-pending virtual flywheel” to make the bike feel and respond like anything from a 125cc twin-smoker to roar. 450 four-stroke, to something wilder than anything else on the market. Stark calls the approach a “gentle beast,” which can make the bike as friendly to newborns as it is god-fearing.
The dash on the bike is a detachable waterproof smartphone that you can put a SIM card in if you want full connectivity. This also acts somewhat like a key; the bike will not unlock without clicking the phone in the dash. Either way, you’ll want to keep a good eye on it, as you would any half-decent dirt bike.
The in-house designed 360-V carbon fiber motor weighs just 9 kg (20 lb), is water-cooled for consistent performance, and is designed as a structural part of the frame. Stark says his patent-pending inverter is “the world’s smallest inverter for the 50-100 kW power range,” and that the Varg will crush anything else on the market power-to-weight, gasoline or otherwise.
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The waterproof, air-cooled battery is a 6kWh pack that offers “enough capacity to match a full tank of gas at 450cc,” according to Stark. It can provide “up to 6 hours of easy trail riding” or “full MXGP intensity moto” on a 1-2 hour charge. It’s certainly an impressive package considering the bike’s light weight; The celebrated Redshift MX from the now-defunct Alta Motors, by comparison, carried 5.8 kWh, weighed 7.5 kg (16.5 lb) more and peaked at just 50 horsepower.
Stark partners with KYB for the suspension, offering 310mm (12.2 inches) of travel at both ends. When you buy the bike, you can choose between seven different rider weight ranges, and the company will ship the bike to match your weight from the factory, provided you’re somewhere between 65 and 100 kg (143-220 lb). What a lovely touch! You can also specify whether you want the rear wheel to be controlled by a lever or a foot, and whether you want 18-inch enduro rims or 19-inch MX rims, at no extra cost.
The bike is naturally very quiet. Indeed, with the rear wheel constantly losing and regaining traction, it sounds a bit like an elongated horse whooshing into motion. Drivers, Stark says, can hear and feel when a wheel is losing traction. Good luck hearing what your tire is doing if you ride anywhere near your friend with the 450 and FMF Powercore exhaust – although quiet motocrossers like the Varg may end up being able to ride in places where noisy gas bikes are banned.
Sure, we’d love to see the Varg get out and race the gas burners. And it certainly will, in events that allow electrics to compete, though it’s hard to see how all his vaunted ponies would equate to wins at the highest level, where 450s and 250s tend to be. move at about the same pace, and power is much less important than control.
Stark Varg: The Future Of Electric Dirtbikes
And even if that were the case, the world of motocross and enduro is certainly not ready to accommodate 40 or 50 bikes all looking for chargers at once; the Varg’s green credentials would take a pretty nasty hit if there were 40 or 50 fossil generators working in the paddock between races. So that will have to be addressed if there is a revolution to turn.
Stark is taking orders now, with deliveries currently estimated for sometime around October of next year. In terms of price, the 80-horsepower Alpha Varg costs $12,900. You can lower that price if you’re happy with 60 horsepower, but I wouldn’t.
It’s an expensive dirt thrower, sure, but then you can kiss fuel, oil, Rekluse clutches and maintenance goodbye. You can give yourself daily religious experiences if you have a little land, without annoying the neighbors. You can drive it underwater, and before that you’ll need a snorkel. And don’t forget, the Varg is designed to make every petrol bike on the planet follow it on a leash. That kind of thing costs money.
The big remaining question mark here is this: If the Varg really is “the fastest and most exciting motocross bike in the world,” well, how fast does it go? Stark doesn’t seem to be telling at this point, which is annoying, since previous Electric Dirts have been strong on acceleration but weak on top speed. The current champion, if you believe the figures that are commonly thrown around, is the KTM 450 SX-F, which is said to be capable of 198 km/h (123 mph). That’s a pretty big question.
Stark Future Introduces Stark Varg Electric Motorcycle
However, do yourself a favor and check out Stark’s awesome video below, as well as more of the gorgeous photos we’ve put together in the gallery. Absolutely outstanding. We can’t wait to see what waves this thing will make if it lives up to its promises and starts beating the best in the petrol world in various events. A bright future? It certainly doesn’t look like it to me.
Loz leads the New Atlas team as Editorial Director, after nearly two decades as one of our most versatile writers. He has also proven himself as a photographer, videographer, presenter, producer and podcast engineer. A psychology graduate, former business analyst and touring musician, he covers almost everything for New Atlas, concentrating lately on clean energy, artificial intelligence, humanoid robotics, next-generation aircraft and weird music, motorcycles and cars. are about to get a lot more advanced: the Stark VARG, a new all-electric motocross bike. VARG is customizable for every rider: from the power curve, engine braking, traction control and even flywheel weight – it’s all tuned for you. All the power, however you want it.
Before you buy the bike, you can customize it according to your own look and riding style. Three unique color choices: Crimson, Snow White and Storm Gray – seriously, when was the last time one of the Big Four let you choose anything other than red, blue, yellow or green? If you need a stand, don’t worry; it doesn’t come “stock” but can easily be added for only $100. What about the brakes? Whether you’re a handbrake or footbrake driver, you can choose! For rear rim size, they offer 18″ Enduro or 19″ MX, whichever suits your ride best.
Probably the coolest adjustment is the suspension. One of the most popular stock suspension setups is the YZ KYB SSS, and the VARG suspension is very similar. What sets it apart from the stock YZ setup is that you can preset it to your weight range or riding style, ensuring it arrives ready to ride – no need to change spring rates as is standard procedure on buying most new MX bikes. Made in partnership with Kayaba and Technical Touch, you get 310mm of travel for both the front forks and rear suspension. Both the front and rear are also specially coated for minimized friction and high durability. While the options are tailored to your weight, you can make them firmer for motocross riding styles or softer for enduro or trail. Stark recommends going up one weight setting for a faster MX setup and down one setting for an Enduro setup. All this is attached to the lightest MX frame ever built. Now, on