SAM’ S SETUP TIPS
• Bar Mounts: Solid mounts reduce twist and give better front-end feel
• Ergos: Tall seat foam and rear-set pegs open the bike up for taller riders
• Regen Braking: 40 % is the sweet spot, enough to help slow the bike without stopping roll speed
• Suspension: Great baseline, but room for improvement.
• Charging Strategy: Quiet inverter generator required for all-day sessions. Factor it into your budget.
stretched out to around 25-30 minutes. Out in the woods, riding more moderately, I could get an hour or more. For full-day rides or multiple motos, you’ ll need a decent inverter generator in the van. It’ s not a huge hassle once you’ ve got a system down, but it does require some planning, and it’ s absolutely something to weigh up if you’ re used to banging out back-to-back motos with a jerry can.
MAINTENANCE / RELIABILITY One of the big perks of the VARG is how little you need to do between rides. No filters, no oil changes, no clutch wear. Just check your chain and tyres, plug it in, and go again. For someone who doesn’ t have hours to spend in the shed anymore, that’ s a massive plus. I did have one small issue early on with the on / off switch— moisture got in and it stopped working. But Stark’ s support was bang-on. I logged a ticket online and had a video call with a tech within 24 hours. That kind of responsiveness is rare, especially for a relatively new brand.
THE SKINNY So, here’ s my honest take. The Stark VARG is the best electric dirt bike I’ ve ridden by a long way. It’ s not a replacement for petrol, not yet, but it’ s a hell of a lot better than most people might expect. For the kind of riding I’ m doing right now( practice days, trail rides, back yard moto tracks), it’ s ideal. I would race it, and I probably will( when it’ s approved), but if I was still racing seriously every weekend, I’ d want a backup petrol bike in the shed too. Not because the VARG isn’ t up to it, but because petrol still has that edge in outright pace, tuneability, and trackside practicality. In my view, the VARG isn’ t about to replace petrol. It’ s about adding a new option, and for plenty of riders, it might just be the one that makes the most sense.
70 KIWI RIDER