QUICKSPIN I Stark Varg
P102
You can still kick up roost with the 60hp power plant.
Battery life. Big claims from
the brand saying their bike will
last 35 minutes at full speed
with former MX World Champion
Sebastian Tortelli, the head test
rider, at the controls. Remem-
ber the pre-production phone
unit? On consumer units that
will read out battery levels but
since our phones didn't have
proper displays it was hard for
me to decipher the code and
get an accurate reading. Each
time we'd finish a moto the bike
was placed back on the stand
and plugged into the charger
to ensure a full battery for the
next ride. The longest moto I
did for the day was in the six- to
eight-lap range, approximately
15 minutes, and I never felt a
decline in the bike's power. This
was good for a few quick ses-
sions, but overall, it's hard to tell
how the bike will hold up in real-
world racing conditions. While
we didn't get a chance to really
test the battery life it begs ques-
tions like if it will reduce itself on
power late in the race or will it
still give you 100 percent juice
until it dies. Stark's engineers
say the bike's internal computer
is constantly programming the
power levels as they drop to give
the rider a consistent feel that
also preserves the battery. The
deceleration and engine braking
also work on track to recharge
the battery while you ride it. I'm
not usually doing 35-minute
motos on a weekend ride day,
but a one- to two-hour charge
time might be a bit much if you
are fully draining the battery and
need to get right back out for
another one.
To describe the bike in one
word, I'd say impressive. I had
my doubts going into the event,
but the bike and the company
