It’ s winter here in New Zealand, which means one thing for a dirt bike rider … mud. And plenty of it. But, unlike other bikes I’ ve owned, the Stark VARG has made riding in the wet less of a punishment- not so much out riding on the track, but definitely back at the van, ute or trailer when it’ s time to get cleaned up. One of the biggest surprises riding the VARG in winter slop, is just how much easier the postride clean-up has become. Because the VARG doesn’ t generate the same kind of heat as a traditional petrol bike, mud doesn’ t get baked onto the engine, headers, or radiators. You know, that caked-on, baked-in mess which you normally spend ages scrubbing off? The majority of that is gone. Everything rinses off way quicker, even after a couple of muddy motos.
MAINTENANCE PRO’ S There’ s no air filter to pull out, no filter cage to degrease, and no engine breather to worry about either. That opens up a sneaky bonus too, riding through big puddles isn’ t the risk it is on a petrol bike. If I see a clean rain-filled puddle on the way back to the van, I’ ll happily roll through it to rinse the worst of the clay or sand off the swingarm, wheels, and linkage. It’ s not just laziness either, less mud on the bike means less mess in the van, less to hose off the driveway, and fewer grumpy looks from the other half when you get home.
WORKING ON THE CHAIN GANG That said, winter has revealed a few quirks too, especially around the chain and rear end hardware. The VARG ships with a premium RK
24 KIWI RIDER