Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1470676
All the modern gas-powered bikes sat outside the Stark tent. The team announced that they were ours to enjoy for one single moto to abide with the sound ordinances at the track. This was a bold strategy in my book. What if I don't want to get off the gas bike? I jumped on the Kawasaki KX450 and immedi- ately cleared everything that had been messing with my head. I shifted, clutched, and revved my way through the moto, feeling confident on the track by the time I turned the bike back in. Then I jumped right back on the Stark and laughed inside my helmet at some of the major differences that were notice- able after one section. First of all, you're always in the right gear on the Varg. There's liter- ally no shifting, no clutching, nothing. Just twist and go. You never bog the engine down or stall it in a corner because you entered the turn in too high of a gear. That alone was one less thing to think about and made riding the track much easier. Turning was next. Think about it for a second. How many mov- ing parts are inside a four-stroke engine. Piston, valves, gears, clutch, cam, crank, etc. I can't even name them all. All those parts are then moving up and down in their own designed path inside the engine. Now bolt all those moving parts up inside a frame and go ride it. It's amaz- ing how well current engineers are able to make that work. But again, the Stark doesn't have any of that. This means when you enter a turn, the bike leans over and feels feather light. This wasn't something I expected but it makes perfect sense when you think about it. You're not fighting all those moving parts Learning to jump is a new experience with no noise. and the bike doesn't want to stand up mid-corner. I was really impressed with this aspect and felt like I could hit any inside line on the track. Once I figured out timing on the gas bikes it was simple to jump on the e-bike. You defi- nitely have to "feel" the track more and accurately gauge your speed, but the bike jumps just like you'd expect. The suspension is a bit on the soft side, but overall works well. It handled airtime and ruts with ease and felt planted through the bumps later in the day. Another unexpected note was No fuel, no exhaust. The stand also doubles as a charging station. QUICKSPIN I Stark Varg P98