What Was STARK VARG Thinking Here? - Electric Dirt Bike Fails and Wins

[@Mxer125kx]

Check your strain relief ball on the charge wire. Mine did that too, the ball was twisted in the case and not letting that full cord out. Works totally fine now.

[@maucina12]

Nobody understands the biggest advantage. No sound means you can ride almost everywhere. Just imagine potential secret tracks that could be literaly in a small forest behind residential building

[@seashackf1]

That, to me, is it’s biggest and only real advantage. If that’s not an issue, it’s 2t all the way. Being able to ride almost anywhere without people complaining, or even knowing you’re there would be insane. Even if people do see you they don’t freak out like a gas bike. It would open up so many more places.

[@vhjvbhjb5280]

Just learn how to sweet talk the angry people. I wonder how the electric bike would do in a situation where you slip the clutch. Like in hills while your if the bike etc.

[@seashackf1]

@@vhjvbhjb5280 can’t sweet talk them when you don’t know who it is. They hear you and call the police or smile as you pass and then call. Not everyone comes confronts you. No need to slip the clutch on a hill you can’t ride.

[@vhjvbhjb5280]

@@seashackf1 Go and ask before you ride then. That's what i do. And have only had a few issues when riding paths between trails.

[@vhjvbhjb5280]

@@seashackf1 Or just run from the cops, and no problem.

[@katrinasman4ever]

Man, he makes some good points, but I feel like he clearly already decided he wasn’t going to like it before he ever got it.

[@mechanicalman4531]

yeah, he did alot of hit pieces on the bike before he even got it. now he has to hate it otherwise it makes all his other videos where he hated on it look bad.

[@jameshasenjaeger5181]

That may be true, but I have an electric ktm, and all his criticisms are about the same as any e moto, so they seem pretty accurate to what I’d expect from this offering

[@mr.sophistication6619]

hes legit just making an honest review??

[@TheDirtyBirchTrails]

King Eddie Karlsson rode the Stark to victory in the Battle of Veklings Extreme Enduro riding for more than 2 hours. Started with 90 percent on the battery and at the finish he was at 30% !!

[@Enduro-Life]

how many battery changes ? that battery will NEVER LAST PAST 50MIN, I saw that video . I reckon it has been edited

[@ralfkoenig5789]

Did he realy start with 80%? I just herad he ends up with 30%

[@b45her]

just for some context, the "battle of the veklings" is essentially the hobby class event. stark paid a top level professional rider to race it so their fanboi's could claim the e scooter can be competitive. "vekiling" translates to. a person or thing that is helpless, inefficient or disabled.

[@b45her]

@@ralfkoenig5789 he was racing hobby/fun class riders, its just some smoke and mirrors from starks PR guys.

[@b45her]

@@Enduro-Life keep in mind its a hard enduro event the entire 2 hours likely equated to arount 15-20 miles, maybe less.

[@rvh77]

The Stark Varg is a novelty item for those who can afford it, and /or those who don't need much range. A tool in the shed, not a replacement for a gas bike.

[@mxgryan]

Ever heard of motocross?

[@markmtbrider]

Yeah. The range sucks there too. 😂😂😂

[@AdventureDaily]

I agree! It would be a blast but $15k for a 30 minute ride is wild.

[@rickywoods3101]

@@AdventureDaily They are working on a battery quick change system. It would basically be like filling back up with gas on a ice bike. My modified 450, if I ride it hard will burn almost a full tank within 60 mins. I think something may be going on with this particular bike because I have talked to other guys and they say they get about 3 hours on trails and 1 hour of hard riding on the mx track. Who knows , I'm going to have to buy one and find out .

[@bradsanders6954]

@@mxgryan As noted, the bike wont finish a full length moto as delivered. If you bought one, my condolences, its only money.

[@markfrase6]

Finally a real review. Thank you

[@lifewithbreak4450]

Raced my Stark this weekend gone, so one practice & 3 x 12 minute races + a lap. You have to take a generator, ideally 5500w. Took about 60% off the battery each race, & topped it up to 100% way before next race was due out. What you're saying is like going to the race on a regular bike and expecting not to refuel all day, you would top up inbetween each session right? Agree on the footpegs, weight issues etc, but just invest in a generator and stick it in the van?

[@EssPhour]

How much is decent 5500watt gennie? I know the Honda 2200 are a little over $1k, but I also know they are probably one of the most expensive.

[@TSM_BreaK]

​@@EssPhour Mines a Honda EG5500W. It was a little over £2000.

[@LaunchGod]

How much gas does it take to fill up the power supply generator 😂

[@lifewithbreak4450]

I stuck £20 & filled it last weekend. Used quarter of a tank, so about £5. For sure not claiming it's the cure for global warming or anything, it's just as polluting as a gas bike honestly. Just a different kind of power, & cool if you have a spot of land near residential areas. 👊 ​@@LaunchGod

[@LaunchGod]

@@lifewithbreak4450 ok ok 👍

[@thomasrenfrow609]

If I had one of these, all the local golf courses would get blasted! 😂

[@TheTomkat13]

I’ve done it on the 4 stroke before. Just gotta go at night and not stay too long

[@philipmarr7325]

Thanks for screwing over everyone who rides

[@beckyb943]

won't have enughf battery to get away

[@mxracingunlimitedltd7784]

@@TheTomkat13 Ohhhh.. youre one of those lol..

[@respawnmodtrolling]

@@TheTomkat13 yupp.. night is thre bestt

[@flingndirt_UT]

I do appreciate that you and others like you have been willing to go out and buy these things and review them for the rest of us. I think I will save my money until they fix some of the issues you've pointed out.

[@mxracingunlimitedltd7784]

There's really no issues. It would be fine for trail riding. I wish he would have went into that more since that is his style of riding. Maybe just some more things of how he liked it in the single track and stuff, completely disregarding MX for a second.. There will be both kind of riders looking at these, so it would have made more sense to do a whole section of the review about offroad trail riding, enduro, single track, HS's, etc.. Not everyone rides MX. There's barely any tracks on the East coast peroid anymore. Especially NE USA. But the real problem is EV battery range, and it affects the EV car's as well. The battery technology just isnt there yet to do full pro level Moto's and except the Battery to last at this bike/rider weight, the type of riding, and the power these bikes can make..

[@gary6449]

The side stand ("kick stand") auto-retract thingy is a Euro-legal requirement. Easily deleted as per KTM-similar side stands..

[@rhinogames9856]

A buddy just got one I only rode it around the yard quick. I will definitely say wow on the linear power. Cool to see the tech moving forward. Definitely has a ways to go but it has to start somewhere. Fun bike to ride for sure.

[@Slozukiryder227]

I'm sure Stark did their due diligence on the R&D of those tubes. By swapping out to the heavier "conventional" tube, you increased the rotating mass. Which is part why you're battery died so fast.

[@christophervillarreal8565]

😂

[@OGLD]

Soon all carbureted 2 strokes are going to be worth their weight in gold. Hang on to them if you got em

[@user-se7vt5ow4e]

Rieju 300, carburetor, kickstart, KYB suspension, premix and FMF pipe.

[@rx2ride259]

I sell more BETA's than any brand at our shop. #1 reason... CARB

[@carlatamanczyk3891]

I have carbed Husky TE300 and a Beta 300 Race Ed. I will never sell either one. Screw FI 2 strokes.

[@sspmoto]

I love my '05 KTM 300mxc with a Lectron Billitron. Amazing fun, kick start only a no factor because it always starts.

[@moto_guy34]

They got the kickstand angle from beta I assume lol

[@justinfee819]

Kyle thanks for the Stark video because reading the comments is pure entertainment 😂

[@idunno1684]

For the range - they work great at a club level where the race's are a bit shorter. Usually only 15 mins, then a break before the next race to charge it

[@gagesprayberry]

I really want one of these but when I go to the track I typically do 4 30 minute motos from 10-4 I ride for mostly fitness

[@factoryx2558]

literally the most honest review for this bike I've seen. thank you.

[@invisiblespeedrc]

Biased, not honest

[@lancelee1598]

I have always burned more gas on the track than the trail so not surprised the battery depleted faster there.

[@toddensworth7042]

Those tubes actually aren't a fail. They're TPU and used by a lot of hardcore mountain bike guys who like them over Tubliss. You can run the TPU tubes down to around 3-5 psi if you use 2 rim locks without any concerns with pinch flats even in super gnarly stuff. They're a lot more durable than rubber in extreme situations and more expensive. I've ran them for really rocky courses over a mousse or Tubliss in the past because they don't feel dead like a mousse and they're more reliable than Tubliss in the rocky stuff as long as you add a second rim lock. They feel and look super cheap but they definitely are not. They're just new to the dirt bike world. You're going to actually lose around 5% in range due to the added weight of the Tubliss setup vs the TPU tubes on the Varg. Unsprung weight has a really dramatic impact on range with electric dirt bikes.

[@keshmo12]

I tried them on my gravel bike. They were definitely faster because they weigh nothing. But they just don't hold up and are easy to get punctures. Super easy to patch though. I get way less punctures with a standard rubber tube. They would probably last a long time on a nice smooth motocross track at the right psi.

[@mxgryan]

Those tubes are trash. Mine had flats 2nd ride.

[@keshmo12]

@@mxgryan mx track or off road? I haven't heard much about people getting flats on the track.

[@codytrimm585]

They look like trash especially for a heavy bike

[@mxgryan]

@@keshmo12 track

[@PiPPiiRuLL]

is there any kill switch on this thing. imagine the gas get stuck and you have no clutch :S

[@GalacticCODE]

Yeah how does it die if the tube gets jammed.

[@charliegossett1214]

Did you do the battery range software update?

[@howiefine3074]

My racing buddy has one with 56hp here in Florida trail riders racing a hare scramble did three laps with 18% left over, about thirty miles. We think that is good enough for amateurs.

[@jimbo4203]

One thing I ve learned from riding e bikes for a few years is that... The manufacturers all lie about how far you can go 😊

[@jacoblambert1336]

I wouldn't mind winning this one from your channel, but I'd never buy one. I'm glad Stark is a company that is trying this out, and it will fit a niche market, but it definitely won't replace gas powered in my lifetime. This was a great and honest quick review that people like me are looking for. Keep up the good work.

[@mxgryan]

Unless you're 70, yes it will.

[@ItschaboiJeffaLeeon]

When they catch fire, how hot do they burn?

[@steveconnor8669]

same temperature all your cordless drills burn when they all catch fire

[@knobbytrails577]

I'm with you on this one, I wasn't when you belittled the Electric Motion Escape R as an enduro bike, as it isn't one, it's a Trials bike and for what it is intended to do it's damn good.

[@steveshot81]

I have watched pleanty of reviews on this bike.Yes its amazing and yes it has its flaws,so do gas bikes.My biggest concern would be range.I can always carry an extra gas can with me.I cannot carry a battery on my back pack.What if you want to go for a longer ride?What if you push the bike hard and the battery doesn't last long and you're stuck in the woods.Its that or you're going to have to turn back because of the fear of a depleted battery.Pushing a heavy bike bike from a ride sucks.Very tough when you're in the woods.I love electric motorcycles but for the cost I don't think we are there yet.Once they have smaller and more powerful batteries then things will change.The problem i see is that technology changes fast while gas bikes just stay as they are.Other than some upgrades or design changes,an engine is an engine.

[@KingofKhakis]

I disagree with the clutch complaints. I think it just takes practice and learning that your right hand is directly connected to the rear tire now, granted you have to be more precise. You can do pivot turns. And the reason it climbs so well is because you can get down to like 5% throttle for traction and never stall. You get 0-100% throttle application without any repercussions of stalling.

[@toddpillow3074]

You obviously don’t do trials type maneuvers which require INSTANT on and off acceleration.

[@KingofKhakis]

@@toddpillow3074 have you ridden one? 80 electric HP is pretty on off to me lol. But I understand your counter. You can’t really “load” the bike up.

[@ReVolt_e-Vlogs]

It's not that hard to get used to

[@ivanxplora]

Loves this guy reviews. Clear as it can be💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@AnsisCers]

By the feedback the battery is right on the 30min edge and is quite temperature sensitive so if it's left in sun before the moto, the run might be toast on the other hand if it's in shade and idk cooled with ice packs or left in ACd trailer or smth it could actually do the distance - if theres a way then someone will go for it and when it's show that it's possible, others will follow.

[@ashflame6888]

THIS IS THE WAY BRO....... Informative talking videos. Like you used to do. These types of videos are much more entertaining to watch then a giveaway promo. Talk to the camera again, Talk when your riding. Give it 6 months and bring the giveaway bikes back but only do like 2 a year. Once in the summer and once in the winter or something. Sell t-shirts and nothing else. Simplify the whole channel and bring back the information and the passion, Focus on riding more. You will be much happier.

[@NirHason]

+1

[@MulTfrancis]

Thissss - literally stopped watching Kyle’s new videos because they were all giveaways I wasn’t going to win and no interesting thing I needed or wanted to know. And to keep it 💯 I did watch the iron horse bike build and that is more recent I think

[@mxracingunlimitedltd7784]

I agree as well!

[@dbc105]

Sounds to me given it is Starks 1st bike it is on a good start. As with everything EV it gets better as it goes. Someone like me, older single track and only need 20m at most it's perfect. Thanks.

[@midlan6]

Thank you for your honest review. But with the range, something seems off here. Most of the reviews I saw they are saying they do about 2 hours of riding. If you are getting 30 minutes something is wrong. Maybe it is caused by the tubliss?

[@MotoFamMayhem]

If he's running low enough pressure that will cause a ton of drag bringing the battery down quickly

[@gagesprayberry]

It has to depend on track conditions really deep loamy tracks are gonna pull the battery down faster I really want one of these but damn I ride 4 30 mins motos

[@racefeen22p]

I don't know anything about this bike but I do think it's a pretty cool idea. What about starting an e-bike racing series and either do short mottos or make the battery easily removable and do a mid-race battery swap.

[@thebrianfletcher]

They already have an e-bike race series… it’s called the Pride Parade.

[@stevesmith756]

Soooo you use up all the charge for practice before the race?

[@Parker-xs9xw]

I have one, ridden it about 8 hours in the desert so far - track tomorrow. I can go an hour in the desert with a charge - recharge in an hour with my generator. I totally agree with the cord and the kickstand total fails - no idea why they didn't make the cord and the kickstand longer. overall though this is the most fun bike i've ridden in the 50+ years i've been riding all kinds of motorcycles

[@EssPhour]

What watt is your generator?

[@Parker-xs9xw]

@@EssPhour Westinghouse 6,600/5,300-Watt Gas Powered Portable Generator with Electric Start, 30A 120/240V Outlet. has the correct Nema 14-30 outlet

[@Parker-xs9xw]

Update after a day at Jordan River track and then OCA - I easily rode 40 miles at average speeds around 25mph, 45 HP was all that was needed to feel like my yz450f with a 30 minute charge in between. I was consuming just over 1% of batter a minute riding. I'm an intermediate rider so I allowed a expert to take it out - he was blown away with how fast and fun it was, even as we kept the HP setting at 45HP. BTW there have been updates to the bike that has definitely increased battery range since i received my bike in February. So I agree that this bike isn't for a rider like Kyle who likes long trail adventures, but it can easily handle any motocross race. Cool would be the day that Stark allows quick battery swaps.

[@roostafish961]

Excellent no nonsense feedback.

[@mxgryan]

Tons of it.

[@garymertens4796]

Thats the thing with buying the first production bike they have to work out all the kinks and problems. Hopefully the next Generation one will have a better kickstand and way better inner tubes longer charging cable and better pegs and whatever else they realize needs to be changed. I still want to test ride an 80hp one.

[@mxracingunlimitedltd7784]

Its not just an MX bike though. A LOT of people want one of these for trail riding, especially single track... AND to be able to do it silently. I want to know whats the real world range on some trail riding on a normal weekend? I know EV cant replace gas yet, but for some things it would have its place. However at this price, very hard to justify lol... Ill stick to my KTM 200XCW and my modded Surron for the forseeable future i guess lol..

[@AdventureDaily]

$15k for a 30 minute ride is wild..

[@easternyellowjacket276]

Or 3 plus hours on technical enduro trails.

[@tcaudill01]

Sounds like my ex-wife..........

[@Marleysdad808]

so why did you order one?

[@jcasey2309]

Damn… I didn’t realize they were a one time use bike… now I’m bummed knowing I’ll have to trash it once the battery hits E.

[@Danielson4000]

So true

[@MichaelGreenLagos]

If you ride tracks with jump and you're fast and smove, you use less energy and basically fly around the mx track

[@BRAAAPOLOGY]

I’d say this has some validity. It’s like highway driving? But this is truly sad what he’s claiming for range. But even other reviews have kept me away. Once I can ride all day on a charge I’m in 100% take my money.

[@DougTunnler]

i haven't seen many critical reviews on the stark.

[@WvMnts]

Thanks for sharing. I almost ordered one and here lately had been kicking myself for buying a wr250f instead. Then your video comes across my feed tonight. So glad now i didn’t get one.

[@Ariozo111]

Spot on for Range, it´s little "low" but the most strange thing is that it drain less above the 60 than on lower hp. :)

[@Runk3lsmcdougal]

That logically makes zero sense

[@BarrettMeeker867]

Weird for me I can get like an hour of riding at the track, sometimes 1 and a half. I'll do two short races + practice and have more than 60% still. I am a slow racer though ;) Also the kickstand should totally be longer but I still find it pretty useful and not too bad. Works fine in the grass for me a lot of the time.

[@patrickfarrell7598]

PEOPLE this is an introduction bike to test the waters its the 1st Gen!! Gen 2 will be better give it a chance people ya gotta start somewhere and for stark to put forth such an effort and not to mention the amount of money it cost to develope and manufacture a motorcycle come on now!!!!!!

[@petebusch9069]

Where have I heard that before? Still waiting for EV's to be worth a dam and what Gen are they on. Using customers for beta testers like this is just wrong.

[@patrickfarrell7598]

@petebusch9069 it's not using if you intentionally purchase the bike stark has made no promises they didn't live up to!!! Why does everyone expect this bike to be the perfect bike! I remember when KTM had no business on a motocross track let alone a supercross track now they win championships in both! If its not the bike for you don't buy it plain and simple

[@gpaull2]

@@patrickfarrell7598- You obviously didn’t read the specs very carefully. Their range claims were physically impossible with current battery tech and energy densities. They didn’t even come close to their promises. Major over promise and under delivery.

[@patrickfarrell7598]

@gpaull2 since I obviously didn't read the range right can you enlightening me as to what they claimed it would be as to what it actually is??

[@NirHason]

@@patrickfarrell7598Full MXGP heat on a single charge (30 minutes + 2 laps).

[@nealmathews2185]

Great partial review. Though I have yet to see one of these in person, I completely sympathize with your descriptions of the kickstand, the charging cord and the Chintzy foot pegs! Seriously, after so much research and development for the rest of the bike, how do you screw up that simple shit so bad?

[@devinwagers3134]

I want one, I don't want the entire world to change over to them, but having the option for one I don't mind. But I definitely want one.

[@ITSaPendragon]

i have 30 hectares that backs onto a national park i took it overnight camping into the park and got about 75miles at 35-40hp (roughly 5hours+) on a trail anything more then 60hp setting is moronic, the people that i know that brought the 80hp ver of the bike said they never set it to it and it was a waste of $1000 which could be spent on aftermarket parts for the bike

[@Filip-bk9it]

i think that this is like the tesla, a powerful clean start to electric powered dirtbikes. it doesn´t have to be the best thing ever but it´s enough to start the conversation about what electric power could be

[@distilledfreedom1840]

That't too bad about the range. It would be nice to have less noise and always be in the right gear.

[@mrskywalker115]

Im surprised on you range on track, most everyone I have seen that rides at intermediate levels gets 45min to an hr so I wonder if actually being a slower rider hurts more due more acceleration and slowing down eating up more energy than a faster rider who carries more speed. It was already established by a few pros they wont quite make the full length moto on deep loam or sand track(about 25min with A riders). The tubes are TPU and have been used in mtb for years and they can work better than traditional tubes as long as they are made right but from all reviews ive seen they are poor implementation.

[@kurtheidelbach]

Yeah, not sure what his overall settings were but something isn't adding up.

[@amandavanstralen4720]

Agree that it won’t last a competition with a fast rider. In Netherlands we have amateur races with max 15-20min ride time and that’s ok for us amateur vet riders It also depends if track is hard or soft. But we like the Stark 😇

[@batipapo]

Not completely sold on the Varg either but your review was too negative for too long. Love your channel tho.

[@mckyvr]

Just some food for thought - they are still making minor modifications to the design as they put them out. Mine was supposed to come in January but I got it last month because they held off producing it until after Xmas to include some updates. I would say my foot pegs seem fine, and I can't tell if they are different to yours or not. I agree totally regarding the weight, they are heavy and there's no hiding that. I left the red inner tubes in the bike and have done 4 hours riding on it and they are still going fine, but I know people in Stark groups have said they had issues so they're probably a bit hit and miss. Regarding who are they for? Vet riders - I don't ride huge rides at a time, need to come back to the pit and have a rest so that works in perfectly with charging the battery. The other thing is I live in a suburban area and can ride the bike around my lawn without irritating any of my neighbors. So for me this bike is all round win. For me the missing piece these bikes have right now is they are very tall. I am 5f9 and I can barely touch the ground which is fine for motocross but I would like a lowering link for trail riding.

[@richarddaddio360]

I would ride the bike for a while instead of using a link. I have a KTM 300 and a wr450 along with the Stark and they are all around the same height. Modern bikes are tall but with practice and time riding the Stark is very easy to handle and rides like a smaller lighter bike. I am shorter than you and the Stark works better for me than my gas bikes. Lowering links will affect the geometry and the suspension and have not worked for me at least.

[@anthonycurtiskeller]

Have you talked to aj cantenzero about how the range is for him since he seems to ride his a lot on mainly track but also other stuff too

[@kyushalimit5931]

I typically love you videos but wish you would have done more research or watched some other reviews before making this video, even just watch the interviews with Starks CEO, im not a Varg owner and probably wont be due to range for some time but the footpegs, kickstand , tubes, etc were all adressed in multiple places. The kickstand is getting replaced free to every owner as it was a problem, and the footpegs had a bad quality batch from a supplier that is also getting replaced for free and they no longer use that supplier. And the tubes are stronger than butyl tubes in puncture resistance, except on the rimlock/pinch area which they admitted was an oversight on their end and has been corrected in the next iteration. Not that I still wouldnt run tubliss or use them but they are fixing these things. Lots of this stuff is teething issues for first gen bikes.

[@kurtheidelbach]

Yep! Varg is very quick to try to resolve their shortcomings.

[@thedirtbikingyeti1353]

I bet when the battery starts to get low it feels heavy. I heard that they power down?

[@BERZERKERSV4]

Absolutely... As a racer , you spend a dangerous amount of time staring at the battery charge level...at the expense of changing lines, track survey or your fellow racers .. and praying to God that when the bike hits it's gradual limp mode your not on the face of a triple or blitzing through a whoop section..

[@leonrawls892]

Good review. But 250 lbs is not that bad. Guess you never rode a XR600 that bike won many Baja 1000 and GNCC championship with Scott Summers on it.

[@brentroy03]

But the stark wouldn’t last through a Baja 1000 and weighs more so

[@martinfoster5163]

I own a Surron Ultra Bee (85kg / 187lb) and a Surron Storm Bee (130kg / 286lb). I'm really happy with them but use them for different riding types. The Ultra Bee is better for technical trail riding. The Storm Bee is better on sweeping, fast dirt. Both added together are considerably cheaper (I believe) than one Stark Varg. I don't yearn for anything better.

[@farbrornilsson9709]

I believe that you should contact stark cause your battery must be faulty. Im a decent track rider, Have videos on my channel, i rode the bike to the track (10 min trip) and rode 5 10min laps and rode the bike home 10 min and had 15% battery when i got home.

[@stephenadams5223]

These are going to take over sooner than later. Its the 4 stroke vs 2 stroke arguement all over again. The power that these things produce is insane and the feasibility of custom mapping is going to close the gap between factory and privateer competitors.

[@EssPhour]

Honda and Yamaha could absolutely destroy this bike right now, but until they feel like they are forced to they won't release them for public consumption, they both already have the all the technology, they are just waiting until 'they have to' Yamaha has ran a team trial bike for years now. They actually have clutches, I don't remember if they had gears... The biggest expense is the batteries, with Honda's access to those they could put a significantly cheaper priced bike out if they wanted to.

[@Railkers101]

@@EssPhour Exactly, also with electric bikes they are already at their max power that a dirtbike design can handle. The stark can barely handle 80Hp so nothing over. Eventually gas will be on the same exact level. People have literally made a CR1000 two stroke and a 700 two stroke. These both produce more than 80Hp and don't instantly fling you off. People don't realize that gas will keep catching up eventually.

[@SuperReviews4you]

The weight is always going to be the issue until battery technology gets better. Until batteries can store 50% more capacity per pound good luck.

[@constantink3721]

It's been raced at pro level successfully and in fact won British Arenacross in Europe - and it IS a European manufacturer - but the races are shorter - so you can definitely race it, obviously not every discipline though. You saying it cant be raced comes off a little arrogant - but perhaps it cant do what you want it to do. I have owned a KTM freeride which is essentially a 8-6 years old technology at this point but I don't think much has changed. The controllers are for sure more efficient, and this bike has been built from the ground up around a battery so its more efficient, but to have good battery capacity the bikes just have to be heavy. The battery size on the stark is impressive and to be honest even the relatively small battery on the freeride was sufficient for many trail rides. I am not a Stark Varg fanboy - I wish they would make it with a clutch, I could try one then. Maybe the new honda MX bike but I think the version for sale to the public wont have a clutch - the one they race does though.

[@mxracingunlimitedltd7784]

How did you like the KTM freeride and how long were you able to trail ride with it? Did it feel heavy? I have a KTM gas bike, but i also have a talaria mx4 (similiar to a surron) and its a super fun Electric MTB style bike. Ive always wanted to try out the freeride though.. I still love my 250 2stroke and my 350f, but i have to admit the slightly smaller and super light ebikes are super fun, even on pretty technical tingle track.. Especially with the dirt bike sized wheels added, then its a blast! We get about 2-3hrs of hard trail riding with them or rides down to the beach at high speeds (45mph), its still about the same range its pretty impresive. Plus its 1/4 the cost of a Stark Varg lol. And you are definitely right that the stock technology really hasnt changed since the Freeride, besides maybe the Stark Varg and the Surron Storm bee or Ultra bee. Still not much though. If you want the extra range & power you have to go with an upgraded aftermarket battery and the aftermarket speed controller to take advantage of the new batteries power.

[@constantink3721]

@@mxracingunlimitedltd7784 range on freeride is similar to sur-ron /talaria. its a better bike imo but I would look into an ultrabee, the ktm is just dirtbike with an electric motor, its a little smaller but not very different from a full sized dirtbike. look into an ultrabee?

[@BERZERKERSV4]

😮Kyle, you failed to mention how dangerous the Stark can be.. as a racer, you spend a frightening amount of time staring at the battery charge level instead of concentrating on your lines, changing track conditions and fellow racers.. This distraction can lead to disaster. The greatest and most deadly aspect of Stark is the fact that the bike can begin powering down as you hit the face of a triple , double or blitzing through a whoop section.. talk about a "oh sh*t" moment... And as the Stark approaches "limp mode" you become a hazard to your fellow racers...you end up changing lines due to the power drop, your "race pace" is a forgone conclusion and you pray you don't get rammed by a competing racer because you're in their way...your safest bet is to pull off and curse the day you sent full payment to Stark.. The Stark is a gamble on race day... As a play bike for the trails in a non racing environment my Stark is pretty cool .. $15k cool?... not a chance.

[@RickyHardman313]

That’s got to be worst argument against these things that I’ve heard 😂

[@MotoFamMayhem]

Ouch that's a great point 🫨

[@adaycj]

How well does a gas bike accelerate into that triple when it is running out of fuel? Top the thing off and learn the range. No different than a 2 or 4 stroke. I've got no interest in buying or racing a Varg, but some of the arguments against it are absolutely imaginary.

[@xxbosshog80xx70]

Do you own one this is very dramatic

[@Muffley23]

Way to go Kyle, I love your videos!

[@happygnome4620]

10:10 You CAN 100% pivot turn an electric dirtbike, trust me, i have a ktm freeride EXC and its so easy to pivot turn. You CAN do everything a gas bike can do, although there def is certain things just not as good, no matter how hard you try. But pivot turns? Bro, cmon.

[@easternyellowjacket276]

With the amount of torque instantly available? Yeah, pivot ain't an issue.

[@djnord5570]

I'm with Kyle on this one. No clutch, no deal for me (I ride trials and trails). I'm glad YOU can do everything without one. It must be nice being so awesome!

[@kurtheidelbach]

@@djnord5570 Well it's not a trials bike LOL and people are riding hard enduro on it. It's perfectly fine for your trails buddy. Obviously haven't ridden one.

[@djnord5570]

@kurtheidelbach You're right. I haven't. Apparently EM makes an electric trials bike with a clutch. It's on my interest list, as is the Freeride, which you own. I don't see why expecting a clutch (or being disappointed there isn't one) is a bad thing when considering 1st world hobbies. I'll patiently wait while the electric bikes improve, and I'm sure Kyle will continue to share his opinion about them. After all, that's why we watch. Happy trails!

[@happygnome4620]

@@djnord5570 Watch your tone. Hard Enduro is enjoyed by many, on many different bikes. FYI, I also own a beta 300RR which I built and love, and yeah it’s easier with a clutch, but don’t discredit my hard work and progression on the Freeride just because YOU need a clutch. Smh.

[@jgdjgfdhgf]

Pro/factory varg racers will likely have their voltage limits shifted to allow for full length moto range. It will shorten the life span of the battery but will add range. For a factory team that is acceptable. For public not so much.

[@markwilde2206]

I have a ktm 250 1995 sx and I'm keeping the 2 stroke vintage mx

[@markoravsky]

Everyone wants another 6 inches dude

[@DIGITALSANDBOX]

Off road races are 2.5 hours long with 1 gas stop. These bikes have a long way to go.

[@paulmryglod4802]

There's no getting around the energy density of lithium batteries. Same range is 10x the weight of gas.

[@tacticooldennis]

I don't think it's made to compete with gas bikes but rather be it's own competition class.

[@albertoboraso8000]

Let them cook it’s their first bike 😂. These guys made an excellent products

[@shandhardy3525]

Don’t need a clutch to do pivot turns. Use the rear brake, pump the forks and blip the throttle…

[@frasermacmannis614]

Can you share your clutch tips?

[@j4k3br4k3]

This bike uses molicel P45B battery cells, there is a new cell coming P50B that im sure will end up in an upgrade and give +10% more range soon. Thats the pace of real hardware development, deal with it.

[@PBmxer]

i guess progress is now windmills sundials and dc current.

[@easternyellowjacket276]

This is great feedback. It's amazing the stupid stuff they should have gotten correct. I would say that on the double blip comment. You just need to double blip your throttle. Seriously. No need for a clutch. Grab a handful of throttle, it will launch. It is heavy, because of the battery. But it feels light on the trail because virtually no reciprocating mass from the engine. Quite simply, the only thing holding these electric bikes back is battery technology. They are superior to ICE in every other way.

[@BMXaster]

A sensible comment, how refreshing. Very much agree and yeah a clutch would be nice. But you know what else is nice? Having a left hand rear break. Seriously, it's amazing!

[@bradsanders6954]

You are kidding yourself. They are not superior to ICE in every way and this very short review tells you that. An MX bike that wont finish a real moto. Yeah its all dialed in. Get em while they're hot. 265 lbs is way, too, much. Yeah its heavy because of the battery, it needs a way bigger battery to really go anywhere. Meaning a near 300lb mx bike.

[@easternyellowjacket276]

@@bradsanders6954 This review tells you very little other than pointing out the simple stupid things Varg didn't do correct, like the cheap footpegs, tubes and charging cable. As Kyle said straight up, it isn't an in depth review. There is a thing called technology, brad. Batteries will get better. Everything else on the bike is superior. It's just a fact whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

[@MichaelGreenLagos]

Hi, yes, and once a solid state battery comes on the market, it will double the range and 10 minutes to recharge. It's not too far away, and the bikes can be upgraded in the future

[@Manlixer777]

After all negative things you sayd-I still want it badly!!!For trail riding,not for competition!!!

[@BRAAAPOLOGY]

I guess this would be ok for a small trail loop. Even other reviews I’ve seen still is like 30-40 miles on trails riding an intermediate speed….i like limitless riding and our trails are so dynamic where I’m at I would probably get like 20 miles then what? Stuck in the woods. We do 80-100mph on trails at least in a day. No one is gonna be down to ride with me if I had one. I’m happy with the Surron I have to fulfill a quick fix of trail riding in stealth areas before I do the long ones on the weekend.

[@Manlixer777]

Which Surron do you have?

[@BRAAAPOLOGY]

@@Manlixer777Light Bee X Black Edition. Great bike needing minimal upgrade for playing.

[@xKyriakoZ]

they really need to come out with a better battery. by the time our batteries need replacement they need to make better ones

[@ToolManThibert]

Amazing bike, love mine, far superior to the other ebike offerings. Blast in single track, sold my xcw for one and wouldnt go back. People just love to hate ebikes kyle included. Its amazing how people overlook the fact that a new manufacturer makes such a nice bike on its first attempt when all the other brands have been building bikes for decades and leaving us with all sorts of lemons

[@al44tec]

Unfortunately this is the issue with pretty much all e motos today. If they could get the range figured out it could be something to compete with current gas power plants but at the moment, it’s not worth the time.

[@mikesmith1690]

Most people bring a 220 generator or charge from their electric truck at track. It's not made to moto without zero charging.

[@joelboutier1736]

From what I’ve seen from other reviews, they CAN finish a race but I don’t think E bikes are going to be good for racing. Being able to hear your traction over the motor is great for trail/enduro, but it’s going to make MX more dangerous. I can only imagine what it’s going to be like when u have 20 or 30 E bikes on a course and no one can hear each other coming. I think it’ll probably cause a lot of crashes. I think it’s great to have E bikes but not necessarily for competition. We ride with all of our senses (except taste… unless we’re eating dirt😅). If we can’t hear another rider coming up on our right or left, that basically leaves us down one of our senses.

[@kallumegan6850]

He complains about not making enough money to keep doing dirtbike giveaways, but he makes objectively bad videos. Back in the day, I used to love the channel, but the last two videos I’ve seen are just whinging. He obviously hated the bike before he reviewed it, he’s not gonna make a non biased video, and now he’s put out another whiny video where he just sounds suuuuper uninformed

[@StandlyRichards25]

They need to make the batteries easy to swap so you can have multiple batteries

[@jamesvengren5316]

I’m a two stroke guy so I’m bias but does this bike scare ya it’s nice and 30 minute moto is what it needs to last and it does I’ve seen guys win on it so just saying what I like is one bike from 12 to elderly program your power and go most 80 percent of riders don’t do 30 mini nuts motors we do 15 maybe 20 but most do 15 it’s a nice bike

[@doug_EX]

So all of those positive aspects are basically useless if the bike can't do a normal trail ride without having to recharge it. I am far from anti electric, but the range is not there yet.

[@bybeneficiarydaniel-jonath7848]

The tubes look like pool floats

[@douglasgrosch228]

hook up generator when you take a break at the track

[@markmtbrider]

😂😂😂 why not , that's how they are emergency charging stranded Teslas and what not ....

[@bradsanders6954]

Takes hours to charge gotta buy a spare battery, or two. If you ride hard, like racing, it wont finish a full moto.

[@benjaminhawkins3767]

It will finish any standard amateur moto (15 min). I use 30% charge per 15-20 minute track session. Then throw the bike on the generator during break. The power delivery is game changing. Varg makes for a great second bike.

[@NickBlazer-cf1vs]

Seriously? Or just ride a GAS bike.

[@benjaminhawkins3767]

I have a gas bike in my trailer and have the option of riding it every time I ride. The gas bike is fun, but the Stark is pure pleasure. The Stark makes you think, "Why was I hitting this corner so slow???"

[@jakegarner7]

I'd be afraid with that much hp to not have a clutch. I need an oh crap lever!

[@ExpatriotSilencers]

Or ....... you could just turn the throttle back and the thing will stop?

[@easternyellowjacket276]

@@ExpatriotSilencers They seem incapable of understanding this. It will take time for them to understand.

[@Ozfreerider_adventures]

Hand rear brake 👍

[@Marleysdad808]

Sounds like you should stop riding immediately

[@ExpatriotSilencers]

@@Ozfreerider_adventures My favourite upgrade.

[@Crypto_Brandon]

Cole seely professional got 30 minutes on a Supercross track

[@ogasi1798]

Jake Nicholls killed the battery in about 22minutes on a normal UK MX track - he ran it in 40hp mode iirc and it was a huge amount slower per lap than his race 250 which he said was a hp match, disgusting if you ask me

[@ShelbyPaget]

It requires charging between motos

[@AUBREYTHOMAS1979]

Honest review of a hard to quantify bike. So here's the thing for me personally. These bikes are like going back to the 1920's in terms of the growth of the technology, so basically we're in the time period where no-one has quite perfected anything yet. Give it time. It's exciting to play with new stuff. Lately I have spent a considerable amount of time rebuilding pre-1934 bikes and learning to go backwards... there was no real standards yet and the expectation of what is a good bike was undefined. Just go back 25 years in the RC racing history and see how the change to battery power from nitro as the power king evolved. Same thing is happening here but.... here's the but.... RC industry did not the time constraints placed on it by idiot politics so it could evolve at an achievable pace. Quirks aside, I think the Varg is good for a "has been racer that never was" to go spin some short laps at the track and feel good for the 15 minute motos our "has been" arms can hang on for 😂

[@danielseibert4082]

Weird how some manufactures (not just Stark) just fuck up on such simple thinks like a kickstand or charging cable. IDK how 😅

[@OGLD]

“Just give me an extra 6 inches” lmao

[@Chafa85]

😂

[@mrt3206]

On the topic of EV range, I think this bike is just like any EV on the road. It’s meant for people who drive from their house, to their job and then back home. Or the rich people who buy them as toys to trailer to their destination and ride them for the 30 min and call it a day😅

[@toddpillow3074]

Electric motorcycles have a future but it won’t really arrive until batteries get MUCH BETTER. Seriously, batteries might have twice the power density (kWh/kg) in five (5) years and then bikes would have a workable range and decent weight. Today the only backyard friendly option is stuff like a Suron which are much smaller and more bicycle like.

[@AMS.15253]

Dude, you’re quite dramatic on the negative delivery. I disagree on the battery timeline. I am riding 30min moto for practice. 50hp, loamy dirt, A level rider.

[@mxgryan]

Dude half these people are full of crap.

[@BRAAAPOLOGY]

@@mxgryanwhich people? AMS or Dirtbike channel? I feel this is the most honest review I’ve seen. Dirtbike channel I feel is 100% no bs.

[@mxgryan]

@@BRAAAPOLOGY I'm talking about the commenters. And i think you are weirdly correlating negativity with honesty.

[@BRAAAPOLOGY]

@@mxgryanI guess I have to accept that this bike is a like a first gen iPod…they’ll continue to get better as the years pass.

[@mxgryan]

@BRAAAPOLOGY its like if the first gen iPod was as good as the Apple iPhone 5...but I agree, we will eventually get to IPhone 15