The longer I spend on the Stark VARG, the clearer it becomes what it is and what it isn’ t. It’ s not a novelty bike. It’ s not a‘ wow, the future is here’ gimmick. What it is, is a practical tool that can be brilliant in the right window, but limiting outside of it. And the way I’ ve been using it lately really sums that up. I’ m riding it in conjunction with a petrol bike, swapping between the two depending on track conditions, time available, and what I’ m trying to achieve on the day. We’ re now 43 hours in, and the biggest shift is not that it’ s become more and more awesome, it is that I’ ve found mine and the Varg’ s rhythm. I know where it shines, where it frustrates me, and what it needs setup-wise to feel properly settled.
REAR SUSPENSION Making it track straight, not just feel plush... the biggest improvement I’ ve made since the first long-term report has been getting the suspension balance closer to where I want it, especially in rough corner entries. I’ ve gone harder overall on the rear shock tune, but worked to keep a bit more feel at the top of the stroke. The result is the bike is way more settled when the track gets choppy, particularly coming into corners with braking bumps. Before, the sensation was that the bike could‘ fall into’ holes and react out of them with little kicks. Now that it rides higher in the stroke, it is holding itself up better, and it goes over the top of the bumps rather than dropping into them. This translates directly into straighter tracking into corners, less bar movement, and more confidence when on the brakes. What tells me I’ m now in a good window is how the bike responds to clicker adjustment. It’ s now sensitive to adjustments in a useful way. If I go about five clicks softer, there’ s a very noticeable difference in how straight the bike will track into rougher corner entries. It’ s not a magic setting, but a baseline that works with room either side.
KIWI RIDER 51