Owner's Review I Finally got my Stark…Pros and Cons

AL_V · Jan 3, 2025

synics said:
This is my biggest complaint about the Stark. Im 175 pounds without gear, medium suspension, and It's VERY HARD to loft the front end. I love wheeling through whoop sections, or lofting through puddles and obstacels etc... but I have to yank really hard to get it up at all. My Alta on the other hand would loft VERY EASY even in Map 1. It's like a night and day difference. Compared to the Alta on stock suspension this thing not as flickable or responsive. I remember having this same thought one time when I rode my friends Yamaha 450 with the KYB suspension as compared to my 450sxf which also lofts extremely easily. That yamaha felt like it was glued to the ground. My buddy got off my KTM and was like, holy crap your front end feels so light! I'm at the point where I'd rather ride my 450 for the fun/violence factor.

Anyway, I have the 14t front sprocket on the Stark, will switching to a 13t help? Is there enough chain adjustment to keep the same chain? Will I lose range? And yeah, it's January 2025 and still no throttle sensitivity adjustments...

What's your max HP setting?
It's a lot easier to wheelie with a higher hp setting.
Until we get the throttle curve adjustment, you need at least one map set to a high hp to use for easier wheelies.

synics · Jan 3, 2025

Well that's just dumb, because the Alta can do it in any map. I don't want to always have to ride it around in 60hp mode wasting battery if I don't have to.

AL_V · Jan 3, 2025

synics said:
Well that's just dumb, because the Alta can do it in any map. I don't want to always have to ride it around in 60hp mode wasting battery if I don't have to.

Like I said, until we get the promised power curve, you can set another map for wheelieing.
A larger rear sprocket might help, my bike came with 13-47 (18" rear wheel).
But I don't think riding with the max up high uses more battery unless you are cranking the throttle up near your limit.
I have my max set at 52hp and I ride that way almost all the time (slow technical single track).
I am usually barely opening the throttle, but when I need/want to lift the front wheel, it's doable, still not quite like having a clutch (which I don't think is necessary).
After all this, I am going to email support and ask about the throttle curve, since they are still advertising it for all their bikes.
I suggest everyone emails support, so they know there's a lot of interest in it.

Chadx · Jan 3, 2025

I typically ride single track in about 35hp. 50" trails and up in 45hp. 45hp lifts the front no problem at all. 35hp isn't too bad. Just need to roll throttle way further, but on the single track, I don't want it to lift too easy.

If I need it for a section, a quick change to a different setting then back afterwards. Not really different than shifting for a section.

But everyone's style, body english, terrain, and preferences are different. I don't like a light front end. I like it planted and to only lift when I want it to, but I ride the mountains and so a lot of steeps where a light front is detrimental. Some like super light, playful front ends, though.

synics · Jan 3, 2025

Yeah, thing is I'm a heavy throttle user, riding at practically race pace in the sand all the time, so riding it in 60hp mode for me will definitely kill the battery faster than in 40hp mode. I generally start at close to 100% and am down to 20% in 30 minutes.

synics · Feb 1, 2025

AL_V said:
What's your max HP setting?
It's a lot easier to wheelie with a higher hp setting.
Until we get the throttle curve adjustment, you need at least one map set to a high hp to use for easier wheelies.

So I took this thing for another rip today, and let a few other pretty fast guys ride it as well, and we all came to the same conclusion... While the bike is fast and planted, It's just TOO planted. The front end feels like an anvil, it's heavy and it just does not consistently lift up. You have to really yank on it to get it up even when you're in 60 to 80 horsepower mode. Like yeah you can get it up the first time over a whoop, but it doesn't stay up, and your front wheel ends up smashing into the next whoop, every time. It just won't wheelie consistently through whoops. Extremely frustrating. It feels way heavier than my 450 or than my Alta did. Even my one AA rider buddy who rode my Alta a bunch of times said the Alta was way easier to wheelie and skim whoops with. I wonder if it's the KYB suspension or just the way they designed the frame and where the weight sits....

mike61 · Feb 2, 2025

That's why I sold mine!
Changed to Beta XTrainer 300 - the opposite;-))

Theo · Feb 2, 2025

synics said:
So I took this thing for another rip today, and let a few other pretty fast guys ride it as well, and we all came to the same conclusion... While the bike is fast and planted, It's just TOO planted. The front end feels like an anvil, it's heavy and it just does not consistently lift up. You have to really yank on it to get it up even when you're in 60 to 80 horsepower mode. Like yeah you can get it up the first time over a whoop, but it doesn't stay up, and your front wheel ends up smashing into the next whoop, every time. It just won't wheelie consistently through whoops. Extremely frustrating. It feels way heavier than my 450 or than my Alta did. Even my one AA rider buddy who rode my Alta a bunch of times said the Alta was way easier to wheelie and skim whoops with. I wonder if it's the KYB suspension or just the way they designed the frame and where the weight sits....

Actually in theory the way it works should be the opposite:
post in a different thread
So maybe the reason for which the front wheel slams into the next whoop is that the rear slams too hard and so you end up like on a teeter totter.
Personally I can't skim whoops while wheeling with a gas bike either, so I can't contribute with personal experience.

synics · Feb 2, 2025

Theo said:
Actually in theory the way it works should be the opposite:
post in a different thread
So maybe the reason for which the front wheel slams into the next whoop is that the rear slams too hard and so you end up like on a teeter totter.
Personally I can't skim whoops while wheeling with a gas bike either, so I can't contribute with personal experience.

I'm not really taking so much about skimming, but just lifting it up in general. Even jumping logs is harder. My other bikes just pop right over logs and land flat, but the Stark always lands front wheel first, which causes you to get kick from the rear.

FYR · Feb 2, 2025

I share the same opinion, that the front end of the Varg in stock form feels heavy and doesn't loft easily with just throttle inputs. I ride a lot of tight, technical trails with elevated logs, large rocks, stumps and such. Obstacles that you would normally lift and place the front wheel on to cleanly get over. With my other bikes (that have clutch levers) I can do this with precision. On my Varg I feel sloppy and imprecise, but getting better as my technique adapts.

I've also been playing with footpeg location. The photo attached is of prototypes that are 40mm further back than the stock pegs. It doesn't solve the heavy feeling entirely, but it definitely helps. And the overall feeling of the bike on the technical stuff is much more confidence inspiring. Obviously this is only suitable for hand-brake bikes.

synics · Feb 2, 2025

FYR said:
I share the same opinion, that the front end of the Varg in stock form feels heavy and doesn't loft easily with just throttle inputs. I ride a lot of tight, technical trails with elevated logs, large rocks, stumps and such. Obstacles that you would normally lift and place the front wheel on to cleanly get over. With my other bikes (that have clutch levers) I can do this with precision. On my Varg I feel sloppy and imprecise, but getting better as my technique adapts.

I've also been playing with footpeg location. The photo attached is of prototypes that are 40mm further back than the stock pegs. It doesn't solve the heavy feeling entirely, but it definitely helps. And the overall feeling of the bike on the technical stuff is much more confidence inspiring. Obviously this is only suitable for hand-brake bikes.

View attachment 13043

Interesting hack. So does it make a big difference?

Chaconne · 2025-02-22T07:31:47-0800

synics said:
So I took this thing for another rip today, and let a few other pretty fast guys ride it as well, and we all came to the same conclusion... While the bike is fast and planted, It's just TOO planted. The front end feels like an anvil, it's heavy and it just does not consistently lift up. You have to really yank on it to get it up even when you're in 60 to 80 horsepower mode. Like yeah you can get it up the first time over a whoop, but it doesn't stay up, and your front wheel ends up smashing into the next whoop, every time. It just won't wheelie consistently through whoops. Extremely frustrating. It feels way heavier than my 450 or than my Alta did. Even my one AA rider buddy who rode my Alta a bunch of times said the Alta was way easier to wheelie and skim whoops with. I wonder if it's the KYB suspension or just the way they designed the frame and where the weight sits....

Did you try changing your gearing? A smaller countershaft sprocket (1 tooth less) might be the easiest to try.

synics · 2025-02-22T07:58:28-0800

Chaconne said:
Did you try changing your gearing? A smaller countershaft sprocket (1 tooth less) might be the easiest to try.

So I took it out for a couple more rides and I think I was a little premature with my thinking... No, it's still not as light in the front as the Alta, but it's definitely getting better. I think the suspension had to break in a little bit.... Either that or I'm just getting used to the difference, lol

Chaconne · 2025-02-23T07:53:14-0800

synics said:
So I took it out for a couple more rides and I think I was a little premature with my thinking... No, it's still not as light in the front as the Alta, but it's definitely getting better. I think the suspension had to break in a little bit.... Either that or I'm just getting used to the difference, lol

Cool.

Sometimes folks who are heavy clutch users on ICE bikes can also take some time to adjust to the Stark too. Coming off an Alta you have something to compare, my guess is the Stark will get even better to you in time. It is a bit heavier but it is really stable and responsive.

BTW I was out on the West Coast last week riding an older WR450f and the Stark feels light as feather now and about 100x more rideable in the gnarl...

Thread starter	Title	Forum	Replies	Date
	Finally, an electric bike video worth watching!	Humor	1	Oct 15, 2024
	Honda Finally Enters e-Motorcycle Race, Intends to Dominate	Humor	0	Jun 4, 2024
D	Alta EXR is finally due for a new chain and sprocket set	Wheels, Tires, Sprockets, Chains	6	May 15, 2024

Owner's Review I Finally got my Stark…Pros and Cons

AL_V

Well-known member

synics

Well-known member

AL_V

Well-known member

Chadx

Well-known member

synics

Well-known member

synics

Well-known member

mike61

Well-known member

Theo

Well-known member

synics

Well-known member

FYR

Well-known member

synics

Well-known member

Chaconne

Well-known member

synics

Well-known member

Chaconne

Well-known member

Similar threads