Stark actually profitable... kinda

The Stark VARG Skugga is a specialized electric motorcycle built for military, law enforcement, and security applications, based on the consumer VARG EX dirt bike. "Skugga" is Swedish for "shadow," which reflects the bike's tactical design for stealthy and adaptable operations.
Key features and tactical advantages of the Skugga include:
  • Stealth capabilities: The electric motor's near-silent operation and non-existent heat signature make it ideal for surveillance, reconnaissance, and covert insertions. Its low thermal profile is undetectable by infrared sensors and thermal scopes.
  • Performance and adaptability: Based on the high-performance VARG platform, the bike offers a variety of customizable power settings to adapt to different scenarios. Its design focuses on speed, maneuverability, and durability over rough terrain.
  • Ease of use: The automatic, clutchless electric powertrain means that little training is needed to operate the bike, freeing up resources for defense units that require quick deployment.
  • Waterproof construction: The fully waterproof design allows the bike to be submerged and ridden through rivers and other bodies of water without damage.
  • Utility as a power source: The bike's high-capacity battery can function as a portable power source to charge radios, sensors, and other field electronics, increasing the utility of the vehicle in the field.
  • Showcased at defense exhibitions: Stark Future has presented the VARG Skugga at defense and enforcement-focused expos like IDEX and Enforce Tac, where it received significant interest from potential defense customers.
The Skugga was not initially developed as a military vehicle. However, the unique capabilities of the company's electric motocross bikes naturally attracted interest from defense forces worldwide.

Testing of our Stark VARG SKUGGA ...
 
Yes I've posted this in a different thread but I don't think it's such a big market.
Militaries have been testing various electric motorcycles for years, they might buy a few for special forces and such, not thousands. Definitely peanuts compared to street bikes (which I believe this latest round will fund).
 
Also ease of maintenance. Any idiot can do the parts swapping stuff. Wich is much harder on the Zero's (seriously just send the guys engineering those to some gulag somewhere) and on the KTM EXC350F the military is using here.

Edit: The military's are small customers. However they are paying well and do long term service contracts and let young adrenaline pumped idiots play with their toys without consequenses and just pay any bill. Such customers have a value of their own.
 
Also ease of maintenance. Any idiot can do the parts swapping stuff. Wich is much harder on the Zero's (seriously just send the guys engineering those to some gulag somewhere) and on the KTM EXC350F the military is using here.

Edit: The military's are small customers. However they are paying well and do long term service contracts and let young adrenaline pumped idiots play with their toys without consequenses and just pay any bill. Such customers have a value of their own.
Give the Russian experience with motorcycles and OTVs in Ukraine, I think drone investment is safer and more efficient in more ways than one.
 
115 M€ revenue for Stark in 2025, that's about 10k bikes sold (MX, EX, SM). I think they've made around 8k Varg EX so far.

EX is selling like hotcakes, they claim 50% market share (presumably enduro) in Germany and "other countries". Not hard to believe that a silent, road-legal motorcycle accessible with driver license of 125 cc rider license is turning heads.

They claim 3% global enduro market share, not bad for a start.

Now it just needs the portable charger to be available.

IPO planned in the next 3 years. There's a lot a lot at stake on the incoming street motorcycles.

 
With the new street bikes announced, they leave territory where the energy density of Li-ion in MX and Enduro is just a nuisance.

There's considerable risk involved since Energica didn't make it and Zero is clearly struggling.

At the same time, Stark announced a new cell format suited to their motorcycle-roadmap and they are clearly progressive in communication on their products.
 
Energica was doing it though. It was greedy investors not following their promises that drove that to the ground.
Don't forget Stark has many times more volume than Energica ever had.

And one thing Stark does really well and Zero and Energica didn't. Marketing.
Stark is in everyones face with weekly updates, cool shots of their bikes doing insane stuff etc etc. To the right crowd this is a ''cool'' bike. Zero's have never been cool, those are accountants bikes that don't make any hearts beat any faster.
 
For sure they wouldn't be there without their video production team and social media team pumping out great content on YouTube, Instagram...

And racing is a big part of their worlwide marketing effort:
Arenacross UK, AMA Arenacross (last year), France SX tour and MX Elite, WSX, Romaniacs, Erzbergrodeo...

Edit: forgot FIM Superenduro, it's really something that after a lot of efforts they've been accepted in 2 FIM world championships.

Now imagine when they'll line up for their first AMA SX race in 2028 🔥
 
If you look at the target audience for Stark: MX/Enduro/SM riders. I'd be surprised if not at least 90% knows the bikes.

Target audience for Zero/Energica: Streetriders, who mostly ask the question: What the hell is a Zero/Energica?
 
I don't know if the Teddy thing worked out though.

Pastrana owning one and loving it also seems to be a big deal.
The Taddy thing did not work out but the PR was still good. I think a lot of the issues with regard to Taddy were more about the restrictions placed on the bike as much as anything else.

Pastrana is a plus especially in the US by far. Almost nobody knows the names of Roczen, Tomac, Villlopoto, or Dungey. But Pastrana is a legend and most folks think what he does is motocross. 😁
 
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