[leeexc]

"it also lapped the track 6 seconds faster than a 450 husqvarna which is crazy"
"The Stark boss said in one of the videos I saw that MX is rewriting the regs as we speak to allow the Stark Varg to compete.. "

If the above is true (I am sceptical of both but that is just me) the FIM, ACU, AMCA, AMA, are going to be burning some major bridges with ktvanagas, yamaha, honda, etc.
Also I STILL see nothing to say this thing is safe, every other electric bike has a strong frame around the battery but this has the battery hanging down in the center with a bit of plastic for protection, if the battery gets smashed could it electrocute the rider and anyone else who goes near it? Clearly the interviewer is not allowed to ask these kind of questions.
Imagine if it did it would be banned from all racing and practice tracks so be a very expensive ornament.

I am edging towards waiting for Honda or Yamaha to come up with one.

 

[Pindie]

If you look at the electric car world, they seem to have created batteries that “appear” to be safe enough for traffic collision incidents. Hopefully all this tech will have some safety back up.

I watched one of the first MotoE races. When one crashed nobody knew what would happen so they laid a big blanket type thing over the downed bike as a just in case thing and scooped it up to remove it. Really weird. I’ve not heard that anything else negative (no pun intended) actually happened.

It is like witchcraft all this sparky bike thing. I’m sure it’ll get sorted.

 

[sand300]

sure I understand the skepticism. some parts I agree with.
the type of battery means it won't (or shouldn't) explode like some are saying but I'm concerned about the crank cases.... sorry battery case! what happens if I puncture the case????

but then after 1000's of riding hours over 30 years I've only once smashed an engine case and that was due to a gear lever puncturing it which can't happen on the stark as we have no gears.

a few questions will be answered in the next few months. tortelli is racing at hawkstone Park in September.

it's already been cleared to race French and Italian gp. it's also been allowed to race the Italian domestic series.

dodgy position for the riders. win for glory and find the bikes banned for being too fast, or hold back and have egg on your face for boasting the fastest motocross bike is electric

 

[Pindie]

Or win on electric and suddenly make every petrol bike look like noisy old tat.

How is MX going to embrace the lack of noise? Noise is part of the attraction for some. Will a new breed of silent MX rider emerge?

 

[sand300]

certainly possible. even if they stuck the electric bikes in their own class, if they start lapping a lot quicker than the 450 class won't that make the electric class the main event?

from what the reviews said its a easier bike to ride which levels the playing field somewhat.
something that always bothers me about watching motocross racing in general. for tight battles you have the watch further down the field.

the lack of noise bothers me. no one will want to hear my profanities whilst I wobble round!

 

[It's not Ginger]

They claim six hours range with enduro use. That’s not bad even if in reality it turns into 4. I don’t know of a normal dirt bike fuel tank that lasts longer? I suppose it depends on where and how your riding though. Lots of open fast climbs will be less range. All zig zag tight woods and it’ll last ages. You also won’t need 80bhp in tight woods. Half power would be fine so it should be tunable for range easy enough. So many of my ride sessions are less than 2.5 hours so on paper I’m not worried as it is now.

My thinking is as soon as this bikes a reality, the bike will trigger a market reaction. Emotion will make one I reckon. KTM must have something up their sleeve. Yamaha have the trials bike already.We are close!

The difference is i can get 7-8 hours out of my FE350 trail riding, easily a day out...
...if I do run low I can fill up anywhere in the country in about 2 minutes and do another 7-8 hours....

...and at 5 years old the range is the same as the day the bike was new....

...that 6 hour claimed enduro use is likely way less in real world for most, and will likely be half that after 5 years with several hours instead of several minute "refuel".

No thanks!

 

[Pindie]

Agreed but it won’t stay like that. It won’t be long before you can’t even buy a petrol bike. That’s going to mean much less petrol stations across the country. Further to go to get fuel etc. It might be worth carrying a fuel can and a pair of trainers just in case. Trail riding will 100% be banned by then as well. 7-8 hours on one standard tank on a 4t sounds a terrible day out to me to be honest. I think chariot racing around big roundabouts would be more interesting.

Electric batteries will get smaller, quicker to charge, easier to swap etc. Last longer and so on. It’s the future and it’s not going to go away. I think at best I’ll have another, maybe two petrol bikes before electric takes the win. Fuel burning is in its final years.

 

[leeexc]

sure I understand the skepticism. some parts I agree with.
the type of battery means it won't (or shouldn't) explode like some are saying but I'm concerned about the crank cases.... sorry battery case! what happens if I puncture the case????

but then after 1000's of riding hours over 30 years I've only once smashed an engine case and that was due to a gear lever puncturing it which can't happen on the stark as we have no gears.

a few questions will be answered in the next few months. tortelli is racing at hawkstone Park in September.

it's already been cleared to race French and Italian gp. it's also been allowed to race the Italian domestic series.

dodgy position for the riders. win for glory and find the bikes banned for being too fast, or hold back and have egg on your face for boasting the fastest motocross bike is electric

Every other off road bike I have ever seen has frame rails with a few cross members that takes 99.9% of the hits, road bikes often tend not to but you are not likely to get rocks thrown at it or "case" it on a bad landing or slam it in to a tree trunk going over a felled tree or with these modern jump infested can not see landing area untill you are in the air mx tracks, land on another rider.

Surely the french and Italian GP's are run under the same rules/regs as the rest of them? FIM is it?

Could be like the supersport 600 class in BSB they allow moto 2 bikes in it but with seperate results.


Other things to consider, we are all assuming this thing will charge as it should and ride as it should without issues, many of the existing electric bikes do not. The alta had plenty of problems one of them being the joints on the battery connections (deep inside the battery) and not something easily fixed in fact I read not worth the cost.
We had problems with charging the Surron when we first had it but seems mostly ok now, the ktm freeride has plenty of problems and fault codes coming up I try to keep ours away from water and damp and for now it has been ok but I know one of these days this thing will not want to play ball and it is easy to spend a fortune getting it fixed .Manufactures love hard to find problems because it means you have to buy parts and fit them to find out if that is the problem.

 

[Ship]

The e freeride is not waterproof.

 

[Al_Orange]

Rumour has it that KTM have been spending a lot of money developing one... I'm not convinced they'll beat the Stark though.


WRT to safety - lithium batteries are dangerous. Simple. If damaged, there is a good chance of it igniting. However, unlike petrol, it is self fuelling and you basically cannot put it out. You just need to control the burn if you can.

Petrol is also very dangerous but we've been managing that for years. Although it's not self igniting and fuelling, and can be extinguished.

Can't wait until we have driverless HGV hydrogen bombs chugging around all over the place... 🤣😂🤣

 

[Pindie]

KTM have bought a leading battery manufacturer out some time ago. They will be serious.

Car manufacturers are using the technology well. 2+ ton cars where the whole floor is a battery are getting mullered in safety testing. They pass with flying colours.

 

[sand300]

there's plenty of questions but based on what I've seen so far it's going to be a kick ass motocross bike.
many of these problems with the e ride and alta were put down to poor design and workmanship.
the battery case with bolt on skid plate does look vulnerable to damage if used for enduro but time will tell. besides I've got a real bike for shit like that!

regarding the racing it was in a interview with the CEO

 

[Pindie]

Stark do appear to be doing things right so far. Everything starts somewhere.

I don’t recall that early petrol engines/vehicles were that safe? Most seemed to kill the occupants. We now will go through the process with electricity.

 

[leeexc]

Stark do appear to be doing things right so far. Everything starts somewhere.

I don’t recall that early petrol engines/vehicles were that safe? Most seemed to kill the occupants. We now will go through the process with electricity.

So I have put a £100 deposit on an 11 grand electric chair

 

[sand300]

if it goes up in a ball of flames you'll look like ghost rider. how cool is that

 

[leeexc]

if it goes up in a ball of flames you'll look like ghost rider. how cool is that

You should know by now I don't do cool just practical, that does not sound very practical

You see in F1 and formula e when there is a problem with the car and it could be live the guy comes on the radio telling the driver to jump off the car not step down so as not be touching the car and the ground at the same time and get electrocuted.
For the past almost 50 years I have been in training for this moment, to the untrained eye it might look like a crash, I prefer to call it an electrical issue rapid dismount.

 

[Pindie]

🤣rapid dismount. I like it.

 

[leeexc]

NEW ELECTRIC OFF-ROAD BIKE: FLUX PRIMO - Dirt Bike Magazine

The Flux Primo is the latest electric off-road bike to be revealed. It is manufactured in Slovenia, and iwill be available in three configurations: MX,

dirtbikemagazine.com

No doubt some B S In there but some honesty as well....no daft range claims for one.

FLUX Motorcycles - Electric Motorcycles - A new era for off-road riders

We strives to create true riders electric motorcycles. Respecting traditional motorcycles and combining it with the most advanced technology.

fluxmoto.co

 

[leeexc]

I have signed up, more info Flux Performance - eMX startup from Europe

 

[It's not Ginger]

The upcoming recession may slow down the number of WOKE muppets buying electric cars as they have to tighten their belts a bit.

The smug pricks crawling about town in their leccy cars do my head in, "Look at me saving the planet", No, look at your car that has ten times the carbon footprint to produce as my Astra, and unless you clock up about 3 million miles in the fucking thing you would have benefited the planet a lot more had you bought a V12 Ferrari you prick! And that assumes:

1. All your Electric is green
2. Wind Turbines grow out of the ground naturally and have a zero carbon footprint to produce
3, When you have clocked up your 3 million miles there is no carbon footprint associated with getting rid of these batteries.

I bet a lot of these twats used to have the "Nuclear Power, No Thanks" stickers, perhaps concerned about what we will do with all the nuclear waste. "Hello!"

With some luck there will still be a lot of petrol vehicles until at least 2050, so I can retire and have a few years riding about....

...Unless of course by then electric bikes have a 250+ mile range, 125+ BHP, weigh under 200kg and you can charge them up anywhere in a matter of minutes.