Kehoe Racing is racing two Stark Vargs in the US!

[Philip]

I am at Glen Helen this weekend. Just met some great guys at Kehoe Racing who will be racing Stark Vargs here on Sunday. I had no idea this was happening. I am so excited!

The owner is Blake Kehoe (not related to Erik). The riders are Dakota Garner #261 and Damian Collier #207.

I will try to take and post some pics tomorrow.

 

[Philip]

Kehoe Racing is a Stark Future supported team. Here is their Instagram page:

https://www.instagram.com/kehoe.racing/

Today will be their first official race - SoCal Vet MX at Glen Helen. They will be racing on the National track.

Just one bike will be racing today -- Dakota Garner #261

 

[Philip]

Good morning from Glen Helen!

 

[Beagle]

So this series has nothing to do with the AMA ?
It would be interesting to see the length of races and if you can understand more or less how much battery they have left in the end.

 

[Philip]

Blake Kehoe wants to run Mammoth. But that is AMA. The race in in June, but I hope we will know about this sooner rather than later.

 

[BADNESS]

Here in Australia the Varg has been passed to race national MX and the Enduro series .Our seasons start in a couple of months. I've got my deposit on an EX .
Cheers guys.

 

[Philip]

I thought I was not recording, pressed the button again, and accidentally skipped the first few feet of the holeshot. A rookie mistake.

Dakota had a 7-second lead after just one lap.

 

[Philip]

Me and Blake Kehoe.


The mascot / the gray varg:

 

[BADNESS]

THX Philip good stuff.
Rookie mistakes we all make them .
Cheers man.

 

[RCard42]

Here in Australia the Varg has been passed to race national MX and the Enduro series .Our seasons start in a couple of months. I've got my deposit on an EX .
Cheers guys.

I wish USA org's were as progressive. Everybody's heard about AMA SMX denials but a couple of weeks ago the AMA National Enduro series officially said no to Varg in 2025. I think you would need charging support at section resets to be able to finish which would be a pain, but while not let people try?

 

[mike61]

The AMA is responsible for your safety! Good job!

In Europe we have to accept the danger during the visit of Indoor MX or indoor Superenduro.
They're playing with the health of riders and visitors.

Fortunately no Varg was burning or blasting last weeks.

 

[BADNESS]

I wish USA org's were as progressive. Everybody's heard about AMA SMX denials but a couple of weeks ago the AMA National Enduro series officially said no to Varg in 2025. I think you would need charging support at section resets to be able to finish which would be a pain, but while not let people try?

I think bigger formal bodies move slower ! The US AMA has such a big perview it may take up EV MX and GNCC etc etc slower. The AMA and US uptake of RE is pathetically slow and may never catch up to the new World order sadly .There will be EV MX/SX/hare scrambles World Championships within a couple of years but the US won't be there .
Australia's governing racing organization the MA body is a smaller and easier to adapt to the changing MX/SX/off road landscape so has moved forwards to EV's in competition earlier than most .
It's obvious the Starc blows the doors off any ICE bike out there so new regs or separate classes will come in time. The ICE bikes have to step up to an Open 4 stroke class I think because the 450's can't run with a Starc in open tracks with good traction.Nothing can full stop.
You're gonna hate me I bought a KTM 690 Enduro R I couldn't wait any longer for a new bike so the Starc EX is my next years bike .
Cheers mate .

 

[RCard42]

The AMA is responsible for your safety! Good job!

In Europe we have to accept the danger during the visit of Indoor MX or indoor Superenduro.
They're playing with the health of riders and visitors.

Fortunately no Varg was burning or blasting last weeks.

I can kinda see the safety issue being a thing in MX with the lack of sound making passing dangerous. I don’t see that same issue affecting enduros, GNCC maybe a bit. putting a horn on would address it.

How many Vargs have caught on fire? Is this really an issue? We had an ICE bike burn to the ground last week at a hare scramble. Happens to any vehicle to some small degree. I think EV fires are over reported because they are still novel. Being harder to put it out does make it a bigger issue, but how often are we seeing battery fires on these things?

 

[Beagle]

GNCC have allowed electrics to race since last year. US Sprint Enduro series as well, both sanctioned by the AMA. Now they have their own class in AMA Arenacross, plus "clash for cash" race mixing ICE and electrics.

 

[RCard42]

GNCC have allowed electrics to race since last year. US Sprint Enduro series as well, both sanctioned by the AMA. Now they have their own class in AMA Arenacross, plus "clash for cash" race mixing ICE and electrics.

Sprint enduro would be the perfect series for this bike. I haven’t run one in years, have to look into again when the EX gets here in March (fingers crossed).

 

[Theo]

The AMA is responsible for your safety! Good job!

In Europe we have to accept the danger during the visit of Indoor MX or indoor Superenduro.
They're playing with the health of riders and visitors.

Fortunately no Varg was burning or blasting last weeks.

During an indoor motorcycle race:
maybe an ICE bike will catch fire, maybe an electric one will, probably none;
surely no specator will feel annoyed by the fumes and noise by electric bikes, probably someone will be annoyed by gas bikes, surely the fumes and noise will harm the spectotors' health to some extent.

 

[Patrick Verner]

I can kinda see the safety issue being a thing in MX with the lack of sound making passing dangerous.

All deaf people should be banned from motocross then. Ashley Fiolek killed at least 100 riders a year.

 

[Theo]

All deaf people should be banned from motocross then. Ashley Fiolek killed at least 100 riders a year.

People try so hard to see the glass half empty for electric dirtbikes. What about a slow rider like me? I'm glad that I can hear incoming people better! Besides, if I'll ever become fast, I can always add an horn like this, 140 dB should be enough:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LDF9KMQ/?tag=sce0f-20
BTW if I remember right, that girl was interviewed and explained that she utilizes engine vibrations to understand when to uphsift. If she rides an electric bike she won't need to upshift at all.
Also people say that the engine noise and the gear you are in help them evaluating the speed to jump. What about the non negligible wheel spin of a dirtbike?
So yes, @RCard42, if the overtaking person is on an E bike there is that disadvantage but it's not the whole story.

 

[RCard42]

People try so hard to see the glass half empty for electric dirtbikes. What about a slow rider like me? I'm glad that I can hear incoming people better! Besides, if I'll ever become fast, I can always add an horn like this, 140 dB should be enough:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LDF9KMQ/?tag=sce0f-20
BTW if I remember right, that girl was interviewed and explained that she utilizes engine vibrations to understand when to uphsift. If she rides an electric bike she won't need to upshift at all.
Also people say that the engine noise and the gear you are in help them evaluating the speed to jump. What about the non negligible wheel spin of a dirtbike?
So yes, @RCard42, if the overtaking person is on an E bike there is that disadvantage but it's not the whole story.

I doesn’t effect me one iota, I’m just here waiting on my EX to arrive; woods rider only. The comment I made was in reference to what the orgs are saying and using as an excuse to not allow the Varg, I really don’t care other than the fact that it would cool to watch the Stark compete at the highest level. Riders themselves complain about it when some they are trying to overtake cross-jumps in front of them because they have no idea they are there. I can holler pretty well in the woods so I’m not concerned about anything like that.