I spent 100 HOURS on a Stark VARG! Here’s what I learned…

[@NickTomasunas]

Should I go back to gas or keep riding electric? 🤔

[@mavtaco9394]

Whatever you want bbgirl

[@Ozfreerider_adventures]

Electric!!

[@kev928]

Both there both fun

[@Saltyacres]

Electric 🔥

[@Dirtbikes4life884]

The stark is marketplace

[@wambam828]

love the review, just wanted to comment as the heart rate calmness feeling on the stark. On that note, I wanted to share that since I started wearing ear plugs while racing I'll never go back. Not only feel more calm with less noise but I can also then hear my breathing that brings awareness to breathing smoother etc. I can imagine how peaceful the stark must be

[@bikesbeersbeats]

I found with ear plugs, I get on the pipe faster and harder. Made a significant difference to my lap times.

[@mattia132_]

As a Stark owner from day 1 I really appreciated this video! All the things you said are true. I just want to add 1 more problem: charging in public tracks is quite a problem, at least here in Italy. Not all the tracks have electricity and using a generator, in my opinion, sucks. I'm using an external battery to charge my Stark, but still it's a cost of 4-5k more. The thing you said "no noise fun, but more fun riding the bike" is what I always tell to other people. If you don't try the bike, you can't understand it. ***My cheat mode on Stark? Install Spotify on Stark phone, ride with one in-ear headphones. It's so damn cool.

[@TroyPokoj]

Great review! I'm a 61year old vet A rider, The Stark will be my next bike!!

[@greenfamilyracing]

I feel exactly the same way about everything. My Father and I are currently working on building a propietery charging system to eliminate the need for a generator. I also have a 2023 YZ250 and the only thing i like more about it is the sound, theyre equally nimble and thiness is almost identical. I also doing 2 stroke only races, but i do not miss doing maintenance or spending money on it, and i absolutely LOVE that i can ride anywhere i want and no one even knows im doing so. The power is unmatched, theres absolutely no comparison, and i do agree with you that it is in fact more fun. The only other issue I have experienced with it is many people in the moto community have not been as kind to me since owning one, people either hate you for it or are enamoured with curiousity, there is no in between. On that note though, it no longer bothers me, it just shows me who is open minded and who is not, easily shows me who to stay away from. Many of them quickly change their tune as well if you flip the script on them and give them the opportunity to try it out. They ALWAYS come back impressed and with a smile and gratitude. Funny time to own one.

[@LiveFAST17]

Would agree with the heart rate and the calmness the no noise brings. Crazy to see you have 100 hours with almost no maintenance!

[@40rpt]

Your comment at 12:40 really got my attention. I've been riding since the mid 70s and I also think that the modern YZ125 is the greatest dirt bike ever. I bought my first one a little over 10 years ago and these days they are the only dirt bike I own. But I may have to add a Stark to the stable soon!

[@daddudesdostuff]

Anyone who rides my stark always gets off with a huge smile and the they are very impressed. I will not go back to a gas bike

[@NickTomasunas]

Always! 😁

[@MatthewTreon]

I let someone ride mine and they dropped it and broke the brake leaver 🥲

[@russel419]

Anyone who hates on electric bikes has never ridden a Stark.

[@bazartejamilito3488]

W

[@bazartejamilito3488]

Then people wonder why you never let anyone borrow it anymore@MatthewTreon

[@swank171]

I feel you on the brake. I tapped into the rear brake master and added a hand brake so I have both. Sometimes I drag the brake out of habit when I would feather the clutch in a rut….actually works out for me. I have all the parts I used listed. It bolts right up. It’s in a forum on alta/stark owners group.

[@RickyHardman313]

Replace the clutch lever spot with a horn lever. Would probably work great tbh 😂

[@gabekrana]

plan on ordering one super soon!

[@NickTomasunas]

Love to hear it!

[@borshardsd]

Great to hear! Ty for the video. My current varg understanding, regarding your negatives, from your 2023/24 mx to the 2025 ex the battery has slightly more capacity and weight down by 10lbs

[@I.Dereta]

Love my stark , so fun riding and not pissing off my neighbors

[@NickTomasunas]

Agreed!

[@James_DMC]

Really good review, this brings me to believe that electric is the future. When I first heard about the stark varg I was not impressed but after seeing this it’s proved me wrong

[@NickTomasunas]

Thank you!

[@janxirimtb]

I own a stark and I love it!! Also I can do 4 or 5 20 mins motos with one charge! Tracks in costa rica are small lol

[@jahpirone3710]

I’m saving up for one right now I can’t wait to have my own😩

[@alexkevan3887]

Nice, to put it into perspective, I bought as 2023 KTM 300xc new and I have it armored up pretty well for Hard Enduro or just trail riding. After 120hrs I never oiled chain, I changed brake pads a few times, and a number of tires. I ride single track, mountain, desert, dunes, mud, swamp, deep snow, rain, and the only thing I "had" to do was at 120hrs I had to change the rear brake fluid.

[@cristianrivera3646]

Ktm 540 2 stroke, instant power, I still want one of these for quiet trespassing

[@tajjson]

I love my Stark. I haven’t even ridden my ICE bikes since I got the Varg

[@daddudesdostuff]

Keep riding both.. 👍

[@mxoudi]

These issues you described can all be easily solved with some more years of r&d. 1. Solid State Batteries are pretty close to making their way in the market for cars and bikes will follow. They can hold a charge much longer, charge faster, have a longer life cycle, and can operate at much higher and lower temperatures (good for summer & winter) and with a better/more efficient battery you can make a smaller/lighter one with the same performance, meaning a lighter bike. That right there alone will most of the problems. 2. With a lighter bike I'm sure these companies will find a way to wire & hook up a loud ass speaker system on these bikes somewhere that emulates engine noise of your choice. Sync it with the throttle and boom you are loud just like the gas bikes and you get to keep the cool sound everyone is on about. Now obviously this will take years but when it happens it's game. I'll definitely switch when that day comes.

[@Marleysdad808]

Sup Nick, IDK if you know but you CAN run both foot brake & left hand rear brake. I run both on mine & it's fantastic. Hand brake for just about everything & foot for brake taps in the air....also when I get arm pump haha! Clake is the company that makes the rear master cylinder adapter & LHRB hose.

[@NickTomasunas]

Interesting! Didn’t know that. Would be cool to ride with that set up and see how it feels.

[@Foerarn1234]

I kept wiping my screen countless times before realizing the smudge was on the wall behind you and not on my screen 😂

[@TravisKing-k1z]

Finally a reputable review! Have you noticed the slim profile and stiff shock causes it to buck ? I’ve had 2 crashes where it has launched me straight up as opposed to over bars like gas bikes.

[@NickTomasunas]

I haven’t noticed that too much, but it’s definitely a possibility.

[@EnduroTainment]

Been sooo on the fence about getting a stark for enduro/trials-ish play riding. Eddie Karlsson is actually using the hand brake as sort of a clutch and can do some gnarly trials/enduro lines. It would be a tough buy for me if all I could do was moto on it. It’s seeming like almost a do-all bike… I may have to buy one. Thanks for the video. Good to know they’re holding up!

[@BlueEyeVisuals]

I just saw your Stark on marketplace. I wish I had the money to buy it

[@xKINGxRCCx]

Whys he selling it?

[@johnny598a]

Have you Replaced the battery yet and how much to replace

[@mxriderdakar]

I am using a garmin watch, and i can confirm that the heart rate is lower on the stark than my yz450f. I think they are working on something for audio noise, probably an option that you could enable on the app. Some cars have that.

[@DanHovarter]

AJ and him are two of the best guys in the industry right now. Of course we love the pro racing scene. But for all of us pro enthusiast… These guys are giving the most back to the community. I live between Tahoe and Sacramento on a 15 acre ranch with a track in the yard You are welcome anytime, my friend

[@xKINGxRCCx]

Dude. Im in the east bay area. If you ever want a riding partner id love to rip it up at your spot lol. Cheers 💪🏼

[@DanHovarter]

@ everything just got blown out for the winter. Dirt was prime for 3 weeks E-Street?

[@KlineBuilt]

Very simple answer to your problem. Put a loud enough horn on your bike and when you’re close to someone on the track tap that a time or two so they know you’re there. In time riders will get used to listening for the horn. Most riders would take right to it simply by telling them, “Hey listen for the horn.”

[@christophervillarreal8565]

I’m ordering mine because of this video I see it as rhetorical ultimate training/drill bike slam hours on them with relatively low maintenance and eliminates the major problems that tracks get shut down for which means your back yard track is safe from your pesky neighbors and being able to drill 20-45 min a day for hundreds of hours without having to rebuild a motor is sick af!

[@benochoa3576]

how often should I rebuild my suspension

[@brandonhill9450]

I love 250 2 stroke and 450s. I think the stark would be cool to try. Itd be cool to see them be hot swappable and be able to shift them like a gas bike

[@Average.lifter]

Hi Nick! Will you get theyr new model?? Opinions?

[@MVPever]

I'd like to see the video about the heart rate. I did measure my heart rate riding a supermoto in a track day years ago and I noticed how it was 140 BPM after I pressed the e-starter button and heard the engine noise, just standing next to the bike. Then I reached 176 BPM while riding. I wasn't nervous or anything, it was just a trackday like many I had already had. Now I ride a Varg for motocross only but that heart rate monitor doesn't work anymore and right now I don't feel enough need to buy another. I'd just like to know whether the heart rate is lower like you suspect.

[@ChrisHarmon1]

I always think to myself, a true enthusiast of performance isn't going to choose something based on sound. I grew up on 2 strokes, but when you ride as much as I did, the noise wasn't much fun if nobody else was around to hear it. My point is, Harley riders care about looks and sounds profile over performance. I prefer functionality.

[@jameshatton4211]

100% bro. I feel I'm off the same wavelength as yourself? There something defining about the 2 stroke motocross bike? The sound is intimidating. The power and light weight makes them a rocket ship and not for the feint hearted. They aren't for pussys especially not one that's modified so much that any higher compression requires avgas to run 😁 ported and polished head and barrel, titanium mechanical reed valve, competition twin ringed piston making it almost 14:1 compression (roll starting was common for the wise lol) Oh and something crazy happens when you run and oversized flywheel (rather than a small lighter one) torque goes through the roof! That's flapping like a flag from the handle bars kinda material. I migrated from 2 strokes to turbocharged rotaries 😁 Go sit any 2 stroke motocross rider in the seat of a turbo rotary and watch a smile of excitement combined with familiarity transcend upon their face 😈 Then there's that hint of combusted 2 stroke oil for that lil olfactory spice just add some familiarity to the experience for good measure (and if you want to be really convincing a couple of caps of caster oil in the tank 👌) Yeah you know it alright. But there's still this side of me that knows that there is this whole knew sound scape to absorb, harness and exploit perhaps? You know when your in that phat part of powerband with the pipe blaring and every conceivable part of your body is vibing to the frequency of what ever the rpms are! The sound is so loud that you cannot hear traction loss.... You just assume that it's lost and keep upshifting until it gets traction lol. But that sound of traction and very very granular throttle control on a bike with just as much power and more torque(peak torque maybe not)..... Something about this realm that I have yet to experience but have such a desire to! I know I am going to like it 😁 gimme! When you've ridden not just a 2 stroke but one that has been so modified that the choose to roll start because you like to walk when you aren't riding? Like when your head and barrel have been ported so large that there is no more to port; when you run a titanium mechanical reed valve and competition twin ringed piston that WILL make you cringe at the kick start FML why did I do this? Oh yeah flames, pops and crackles that makes every c*nt in the pits stop what they are doing to gawk at you "look at this kid thinks he's going to ride this and can't even reach the foot pegs" When a bike makes sounds like mine did it gets attention lol. These common 450 riders got no idea what it feels like to be completely intimated by your bike and sh!tting your race pants everytime you ride it? 2 strokes and turbo rotaries sound so alike that if you put a 3 cylinder jetski motor into a golf buggy chassis and made a scaled Mazda Cosmo fibreglass shell to put over the top people would swear it's a 20B rotary 👌😎 Maybe I'm getting old or maybe because I've ridden horses that there is a whole new realm to experience exploring the world quietly? Those that complain about electric will never understand this notion? Rotary owners were the first outcasts of vehicular society for being too weird? We aren't shamed by being outcast and Tesla owners and now electric motocross riders are starting to feel what that is like? It's humbling to deal with ignorant people every day relentlessly. But that's not too say that I am pro EVs either? I'm neither dismissive either? I think that people are uneducated on things that are important and we can't stop morons from buying things either? Each to their own for their own reasons I say. I'll leave this monologue in to the aether of apathy with a movie quote from an iconic Australian movie "smell that son? 2 stroke!" - The Castle The end

[@drewz4236]

Thinking of getting one in future no experience on moto , just a mtn biker and ride e bike specialized levo . Trying to see how a beginner would do

[@NickTomasunas]

I think the VARG is the perfect way to transition. It feels a lot like a MTB

[@drewz4236]

@@NickTomasunas ok thanks for the feedback

[@barcuda1250]

The shut off thing good Did my 2023 tc 250 piston and i just randomly in-between 2 jumps just cut fuel Electric property has lower probability than combustion

[@DamonCass]

i’m so close to buying one, i’m a fairly new rider ~2years and have been making really good progress. but i feel like the stark would help so much with jumping and overall technique, is it worth for someone who’s not amazing at riding

[@NickTomasunas]

I honestly think the VARG might be the best bike for someone new to the sport. Less to worry about & easier to focus on the basics

[@harleymichael281]

@@NickTomasunas not only less to worry about, the power can be dialed back for a much more manageable/comfortable experience while learning and improving ones skill set! Another really cool thing about the Stark Varg if you think about you have a 150CC, 250cc, 450cc and up all in one bike! Weight until battery weight decreases.range goes way up and charge times go way down! I live off grid completely on solar and follow the battery & solar market. Some breakthroughs are all ready here and about to go into production.

[@MichaelForrestChnl]

the recharge time is a deal-killer to me

[@kylelangworthy9641]

What's cool about electric is you have 100% torque from the first crack of the throttle to wide open

[@MisterRoads]

How would the varg do on new England trails?

[@Crypto_Brandon]

How is the battery runtime casual riding versus hard track riding?

[@NickTomasunas]

It would all depend on the HP settings you choose along with the track conditions. Hard to say without knowing that info beforehand

[@geauxracerx]

Yeah the only way someone can hate electric is if they haven’t actually rode/drove one. Once you feel the power it’s obvious.

[@jrolko12]

I say just put an alarm noise on it so you can hear that ringing noise when a stark is near them. Easy. Annoying noise but easy fix. Or fake engine noise like cars play into the speakers when they are electric.

[@NickTomasunas]

I agree! They’ll figure it out I’m positive

[@arctic_void]

Do you think they'll ever make a road legal version? Also wondering about long term reliability, if it'd do 60-90k street miles on the stock battery and motor I'd definitely daily that.

[@xKINGxRCCx]

Road legal version just came out few days ago. Varg EX 🙏🏼

[@REV797-global]

The fastest E-dirt bike in the world! Would you be interested in me designing a custom wrap for Stark VARG or dirt bike?

[@paul9156c]

Please lower the volume at the end of the video. It's overwhelmingly loud.

[@Closecall94]

How’s the foot healing up?

[@NickTomasunas]

Almost there! 85-90% healed

[@TysonBirt]

Haven’t watched vid yet but before I do. I will lay down everything and say yes. Electric is 100% better . IMO ⚡️💪🏻

[@enduro_j]

The next version of the stark will be the one to turn all people onto it.

[@TheHUNTERTIGER]

It’s the first of your videos I’ve seen so I don’t know if the sound is the usual quality but for feedback purposes it is poor. It sounds like you’re recording inside a box/empty room and makes it a bit of an annoyance to stick with abd try to listen to for 16 minutes. Maybe something for you to consider in the future. On the plus side the video subject is of interest if I can get through to the end. Hopefully you can see this as positive feedback 👍

[@epigeneticnerd4244]

From what I read it’s only 10 lbs heavier. 450 at like 249lbs and stark at 259lbs

[@NickTomasunas]

Yeah I could be wrong! I was originally told around 270 but 259 sounds more reasonable. Thanks for the comment 🙌

[@greenfamilyracing]

This is accurate Information. You are correct. I just got my Gen2 a month ago and it's amazing. I also have a YZ250 2 stroke, I love both

[@MX-CO]

I would have one if I could afford one

[@darthelmo1]

District 16 in Wisconsin completely banned them again for 2025. I guess one of the cons of e-bikes is tracks are going to get even less money.

[@epigeneticnerd4244]

Why would they get less money?

[@Marleysdad808]

@@epigeneticnerd4244 Stark owners are banned from racing. Why would they spend money going to that track on practice days when they cannot race?

[@epigeneticnerd4244]

@ I’d still pay to ride at a track for fun

[@bikesbeersbeats]

My district is creating an exhibition class for them next year. For sprint enduros they can compete with any age class. The main concern they had was the club promoters need to be aware of additional fire safety gear is needed. We are even discussing altering courses so they can be part of XC events which would be so cool.

[@stephennash2679]

i dont get arm pump anymore

[@davehanlon2920]

The roost hurts.

[@giusepperomania4247]

I have 2 of them and i love them … i do have even few 4t and 2t but i can’t see my self going back to the 4t if not occasionally and the 2 t should be banned. It’s so nice that are not that loud .

[@yuckfou81]

the con of no noise got jeff walker hurt

[@NickTomasunas]

Yeah that’s the unfortunate part of it.

[@christophervillarreal8565]

That’s not true several factors contributed to that crash and sound wasn’t one of them.

[@yodavizion]

🍿😎👍

[@BikesandBlickeys]

I think they need their own class. The retarded level of torque and instant power as well as no changing gears is a huuuuge advantage. A 60hp stark will out drag a 60hp 450 no problem. At world vets this year starks we’re consistently getting hole shots all day in every class. Not a hater, I think they are good to have. Will hopefully open new riding places. But in the top level they need their own class. Never rode one before but it seems the only major disadvantage they have is in the whoops, without the inertia of the motor it’s a lot harder to stay on top of the whoops maybe. Battery life is the key limiting factor.

[@NickTomasunas]

Yeah, there are definitely advantages and disadvantages of each. Interesting you mentioned the whoops, as I’ve heard most riders have to approach them differently on the VARG…not sure if that’s from how fast the wheel spins in between surfaces, or inertia as you mentioned.

[@joelballard4955]

im lucky to get 100 hours in 3 years of riding.

[@oosteveo315]

WELL SAID NICK!!@!! SAY IT LOUDER!!! My friends hate me because I love my eride pro. Electric is the way. Everyone hates on it... stupid af.

[@dolphinb6s420]

You posted this the same time as Jeff Walker posted unfortunately about getting hurt on one cause he got cross jumped.

[@NickTomasunas]

Yeah, I spoke with Jeff about his incident & also touched on the topic regarding to why he got hurt. I still feel it’s one of the few issues left that needs a resolution

[@AnangryLibertarian]

11 thousand dollars for a 20 minute ride? No way in hell.

[@riotftw]

I dont ride at your level but my 06 honda crf450x thinks those 100 hours are cute lol

[@jasiekjozwiak7906]

My question is about battery life in 5 year or something, beacause The battery reaplace cost nearly like new bike cost

[@greenfamilyracing]

It's cost $3,500 which is generally how much a full rebuild on a 4 stroke costs. Not nearly as much as a new bike costs and you have to do it WAY less often than you would have to do an engine rebuild on a 4 stroke. The savings are SIGNIFICANT

[@PhilKawasaki]

Put a loud speaker on the starks of a screaming 2 stroke 😂

[@PedroGomes91694]

you feel the loss in power after 40% battery and if you ride sandy track with you pace the bike doenst last 15 minutes.

[@NickTomasunas]

Just depends on the HP you are running. I haven’t noticed any power drop off until around 20% - but it may be different for certain conditions.

[@tonygSDWR]

There should be a horn to warn gas bikes you're coming? Probably too annoying and cause hard feelings?

[@NickTomasunas]

Yeah, might be some fights in the pits afterwards. Haha

[@The_Real_Fearless]

lot more negatives then positives

[@kentdowns3570]

Stark Future says that the battery can be swapped in something like 15 minutes which really isn't too bad. Seriously, that's not bad. The cost for an additional battery pack? $3000. Oof!

[@Calthecool]

The battery isn’t set up to be easily swappable, they could probably get that time down to two minutes if they really wanted to.

[@cocopirata763]

electric supercross series a good idia jajajja mabe empty stadiums

[@mikelgaming23]

1

[@NickTomasunas]

W

[@izmesamsung2581]

Change that oil!!!!!!!!!! It's NOT "perfect", it shears thinner - and that's the reason why the manufacturer tells you to change it!

[@neil9184]

put a horn on it

[@tedturner9054]

Ride whatever you want. I am sure they are fun. Just not worth my time to watch.

[@dn059]

Mate your sponsored by stark varg arnt you? anything you say about is irrelevant

[@NickTomasunas]

Good question & wish I would have clarified this in the video. For 2024 they sent me this bike for the season asking nothing in return. No contracts were signed, no verbal or handshake agreements-nothing. Just ride the bike & have fun. I never intended to put this many hours on it or ride it basically full time like I did. This video is my 100% honest feedback.

[@DeanoLupi]

Nope nope nope nope.

[@leetaylor9753]

Electric sucks. More time charging then riding. Stupid. I’ll fill up with gas and ride all day

[@unstoppableplayz6948]

I think they're badazz and have their place. Id love to have one AND my gas bike. Impressive machine, cannot be denied. Stark crushed it on this bike i think, either way. Its dope.

[@christophervillarreal8565]

It’s is always the responsibility of the rider in the back to make defensive riding their priority the rider in front should always keep their line but obviously that’s not the reality from fast riders or slow riders they just don’t so even more emphasis on the rider behind to be more intelligent and anticipate the worst and make safer passes and decisions on the bike. 9/10 times in any vehicle when someone rear ends it’s the person behinds fault for not having the appropriate distance management to avoid the collision. Also unless it’s a race you shouldn’t riding like a moron on a practice track with other riders or different skill level it’s even more of a necessity to ride intelligently and respectfully to avoid collisions.

[@kyleedodge6713]

Hi I’m the 1 guy who keeps texting you on Instagram

[@K4rN1v00L]

leave the dude alone man

[@Ozfreerider_adventures]

Weird

[@kyleedodge6713]

My older brother took my phone he does that all the time

[@XDreamKidz]

Can’t wait until someone comes out with a 65 size ebike. My boy races a 50 and plays on an e5, but he’s maxing out the e5’s capability’s.

[@Sailorjeffy101]

​@XDreamKidz Rawr Mantis Mini maybe?