Stark Varg rear brake

[E Jet3]

I ordered my Varg with the left hand rear brake option. Today it's my understanding (but am not totally sure i understood their response) that you get only one or the other ( foot or hand). Do any of you who have one ordered know if you can have both hand a and foot brake? If you only get one option on ordering I think it might be better to leave the foot and add the left Brembo lever later. probably an easier upgrade than adding a foot brake later. Thanks

 

[SHSMITH76]

You can only order with one or the other, not both.

 

[E Jet3]

You can only order with one or the other, not both.

thanks for clarifying. Would you agree that it would be better order with foot brake and add hand later because of ease of install and parts availability with Brembo (stock KTM), Core moto cables and a longer banjo bolt?
Thank you

 

[rayivers]

it would be better order with foot brake and add hand later

That's what I'm doing, mainly because I believe the 10mm LHRB master cylinder Stark supplies won't be the 1-finger brake I want.

 

[E Jet3]

That's what I'm doing, mainly because I believe the 10mm LHRB master cylinder Stark supplies won't be the 1-finger brake I want.

Great thank you for the feedback, I am going in to change my order. Looking forward to when it finally shows up.

 

[Philip]

Stark is selling the LHRB master cylinder and a line kit (with a brake line and a slave cylinder), hopefully already bled???

Brake assembly

The absence of a clutch and gears means the Stark VARG can be pre-ordered with a hand brake; making life very easy for beginners and allow experts to really focus on their riding technique. The current hand brake components are made by J.Juan (part of the Brembo group), the master cylinder has...

starkfuture.com

And just a master cylinder. Not sure if the brake line is included/??

Master cylinder

spare_parts_product_29_master_cylinder_description

starkfuture.com

 

[Mark911]

I never touched my rear brake pedal after I got familiar with the LHRB EXCEPT in a rare panic situation when my years of gas bike instincts kicked in. Then I was glad to have both.

 

[Philip]

...EXCEPT in a rare panic situation when my years of gas bike instincts kicked in

In those cases I use both the LHRB and the rear brake, LOL! ...EXCEPT in rare panic situations when I am up in the air, doing an inadvertent "boner air". I haven't learned to use the LHRB in the air yet, neither have I learned to use the rear brake, but during the boner air my right foot slams on the rear brake somehow automatically, LOL! The heft hand keeps a death grip of the handlebar though.

 

[AL_V]

And just a master cylinder. Not sure if the brake line is included/??

Thank you for contacting Stark.
The rear hand brake master cylinder assembly does not include the brake lever.

Since the brake lever is not included, 100% sure the brake line is not.
However, the stock line would be too long if you want both hand and foot.

 

[AL_V]

I am ordering with foot brake, and plan on adding the LHRB with the adapter in the master cylinder to have both.
The adapters are available from both Clake ($40+$40 shipping) and Rekluse ($129 free shipping).
A custom hydraulic brake line will be required, and hopefully an early Stark customer will publish the ideal length.
I have a 300xcw with rekluse, and a diy ox-brake cable style LHRB, also have a Sur-ron, (no foot brake).
Although rare, there are times on the sur-ron when I might be carrying something in my left and would like a foot brake.
Also there are rare times on the 300, where I might be stopped on a slope with hands full (buckling helmet, or ?), and a foot brake is just convenient.

 

[Fod]

I guess if your going to retrain your brain to the brakes, maybe some of us MTB riders may prefer left hand front and right hand rear?!?!?! Any issues other then hose routing that may cause?

 

[Philip]

Since the brake lever is not included, 100% sure the brake line is not.
However, the stock line would be too long if you want both hand and foot.

I ordered the whole thing for $301. From the description it appears that it should come with the slave cylinder and hopefully already filled and bled. We will see...

Their whole brake accessories section is a mess. You click on "front master cylinder" and it is uncertain if you will receive the cylinder without the lever or the lever without the cylinder.

They have a "brake line" for $8, but reading the description it appears that it is just a banjo bolt with washers. SMH

 

[AL_V]

I ordered the whole thing for $301. From the description it appears that it should come with the slave cylinder and hopefully already filled and bled. We will see...

Yes, I think that is correct, but why do you want a second caliper, and you can't have both foot and hand unless you get the master cylinder adapter, and a shorter hose for the LHRB.

Their whole brake accessories section is a mess. You click on "front master cylinder" and it is uncertain if you will receive the cylinder without the lever or the lever without the cylinder.

I asked stark support about the master cylinder. It does not include the brake lever, so it certainly wont include the brake line.

I suggest emailing support with questions, it only takes 1-2 days for a reply.

 

[Redbull]

I guess if your going to retrain your brain to the brakes, maybe some of us MTB riders may prefer left hand front and right hand rear?!?!?! Any issues other then hose routing that may cause?

As a MTBer, I would highly suggest switching your MTB brakes and retraining instead of your moto brakes, unless you never intend to wheelie or do steep long hillclimbs. In most scenarios (corner entry setup aside) rear is for speed control and managing a lofty front wheel while the front brake is for stopping so it is generally assumed if you were stopping you wouldn't be on the throttle.

Unless you are running both the hand and foot into the same rear caliper line, a wheelie with the rear brake on your throttle hand will certainly test your ability to manage the throttle and the rear brake with the same hand. Yes you can have loads of regen helping that wheelie but I don't want heavy regen on all the time just to keep a wheelie in check.

I don't see a reason Stark isn't offering the hand brake INLINE with the foot from the start. Other than some additional costs and some extra bleeding work, from a performance standpoint there seems to be no real disadvantage to the combo from the start.

As an aside, I would prefer leaving the left hand brake space open for a future programmable "clutch" lever that can for instance double the regen, momentarily add/temper the traction control mapping aspect, or cut the power delivery 50%. I can think of a zillion enduro scenarios where you are in 60-80hp mode and won't have time to stop, pull up the phone and change the mapping but I can't think of a better way to manage this than a programmable lever that can communicate with the VCU.

 

[Philip]

As a MTBer, I would highly suggest switching your MTB brakes and retraining instead of your moto brakes, unless you never intend to wheelie or do steep long hillclimbs. In most scenarios (corner setup aside) rear is for speed control and managing a lofty front wheel while the front brake is for stopping so it is generally assumed if you were stopping you wouldn't be on the throttle.

Great points. I have been swapping my MTB brake levers since I bought my first mountain bike. Bike shops don't get surprised when I ask them to swap the levers around on a new bike, apparently this is a common request. Glad to hear one more confirmation that I am not alone in this.

 

[Fod]

Good points. All I ride now is mtb since I moved out of California... so if I like trying out others bikes is best to just stay normal on the brakes. But yes there are quite a few guys with their brakes reversed and they all have something in common, moto.

 

[lightisright]

Has anyone figured out what lever works as a replacement for the left hand rear brake lever? The front lever is a brembo so that's easy. The rear hand lever is a formula, I'd like to get a spare to keep in my truck. ChargedCycleWorks says they found an Arc lever that works (upside down). I have arc composite textured levers (bend wont' break) on my husky that I like.

 

[Chaconne]

I have been really happy with the Stark footbrake. I think an advantage for some riders is less activity on the bars (no clutch or extra hand brake) with controls especially in the gnarl.

I am comfortable with handbrakes on my MTBs they are light and self powered, but I like all hands (and fingers) aboard with a 250lb 80hp e-beast underneath me.

 

[rayivers]

Has anyone figured out what lever works as a replacement for the left hand rear brake lever?

When I finally get my Stark, I'm planning on buying a KTM p/n79202030044 9mm-piston clutch lever, from a place that accepts returns. . I finally found the following on TT: "the 79202030044 lever replacement piston kit is listed as REP. KIT PISTON 9MM, probably a 9 mm)", which is as close to a confirmation as I've been able to find.

 

[Philip]

When I finally get my Stark, I'm planning on buying a KTM p/n79202030044 9mm-piston clutch lever, from a place that accepts returns.

I like the Formula lever. It has a bigger fluid reservoir, something that is a good thing to have for a brake master cylinder.