If you ordered a Stark Varg following the launch in December of 2021, your wait is finally over: The first of the factory Varg dirtbikes have left the manufacturer’s factory in Barcelona, and are headed to customer’s doorsteps as we speak. If you’re among those select few, however, that delivery comes with an interesting plot twist: The bike you’ll be getting isn’t exactly the bike you ordered.
That’s because according to an announcement last week from Stark Future CEO Anton Wass, the production Varg will vary from the prototype in one important way: The battery capacity has been increased, and all deliveries will feature bikes with upgraded 6.5 kWh power packs rather than the 6kWh battery originally listed.
So why the bait and switch? Well, for starters, not all surprises are bad news. Stark says the increase in capacity has increased production costs for the Varg, but they’ve decided to keep MSRP for the Varg the same rather than pass any costs down to their customers.
According to the announcement, Stark made the decision to upgrade the Stark’s capacity to better fit customer’s expectations for performance. The upgraded battery is claimed to improve overall performance as well as consistency throughout the state of charge. Stark says the new tweaks to the battery also improve its efficiency and longevity, so on its face, this seems like a win-win for customers.
¨During our testing we decided to update several aspects, to improve the VARG even further. We’ve done hundreds of improvements, since the first bike we presented, but a big decision was made to increase our battery capacity to better fulfil your expectations. The goal has always been to Inspire to sustainability by manufacturing the best motocross bike on the planet and revolutionizing the off-road motorcycle industry as we know it today.¨
-Anton Wass, CEO and Founder of Stark Future
So more battery for the same price? What’s the catch?
To put it simply: Weight.
Stark says the extra .5kWh of capacity comes with a “slight increase in its initial indicated weight.” The total shipped weight of the Stark Varg is now specced at 260 lbs, which is roughly 17 lbs heavier than the original pre-production model we tested back in June. Power remains unchanged at a claimed 80 horsepower for the Varg Alpha version, but we’ll wager the extra juice will be a welcome compromise for most prospective owners.
For comparison, the Stark Varg still more than cuts the mustard in terms of power-to-weight ratio. 80 horsepower pushing 260 pounds is still better than the 2022 AMA Pro 450 Motocross championship-winning Yamaha YZ450F by a healthy margin, and the same goes for the KTM KTM 450 SX-F.
Start says the Varg is still more than capable of running a full MXGP heat on a full charge, or a solid 6 hours of trail riding if you prefer a more leisurely pace. Recharge time is still impressive at a just 1 hour (up to 2 hours on lower powered outlets and slower chargers), so anyway you look at it, weight is the only performance casualty of the new update.
Stark Varg deliveries are beginning this month for the first preorders. We’re waiting on a Varg ourselves over here at ECR, and should have the first extended testing content coming your way in a few short months. Stay tuned!
