stark won’t go into gear after being washed

[grayhixon]

i need help i pressure washed it and now when i turn on the stark the led will do the normal blink green but then shortly after it will go static red and the bike doesn’t go into gear

 

[Aleksandar13]

Did you try to press both up and down button at the same time for 5 sec or more until it blinks white?! That reboots the bike I think that's what my dealer told me. Give it a go

 

[MadpdXabbott]

Stark VARG Owners Manual
Cleaning and maintenance PAGE 99
To clean the Stark VARG:
1 Make sure the motorcycle is
standing upright and stable,
preferably on the side stand.
2 Make sure the Stark
VARG is turned off.
3 Take the Stark Future phone
out of the docking station.
4 Spray the Stark VARG with cold
tap water to remove coarse dirt.

NOTICE
Do not use a high pressure cleaner.
Water coming from a high-pressure hose
can cause damage to the bearings of
your motorcycle. Water can also get into
the electrical wiring, which can lead to
short-circuits in the electrical system.

5 Apply a wet sponge with neutral
non-aggressive cleansing agent to
the bodywork, when necessary.
6 Use a clean cloth with degreaser
to clean the chain. Use the cloth
to clean between chainrings, cogs
and other hard-to-reach parts.
If necessary, use a brush to get
into the hard-to-reach parts.
7 Wash off each wheel with a
brush moistened in water and
neutral non-aggressive cleansing
agent, when necessary.
8 Clean the area around the valve, scrub
all the way around the wheel and
clean the spokes and the wheel hub
9 Rinse the Stark VARG thoroughly
with a gentle stream of tap water.
10 Let the Stark VARG air-dry in the sun
or gently wipe it dry with a clean cloth.
11 Make sure the drive chain is
completely dry and lubricate it,
see §Lubricating the chain.​

 

[Chaconne]

Stark VARG Owners Manual
Cleaning and maintenance PAGE 99
To clean the Stark VARG:
1 Make sure the motorcycle is
standing upright and stable,
preferably on the side stand.
2 Make sure the Stark
VARG is turned off.
3 Take the Stark Future phone
out of the docking station.
4 Spray the Stark VARG with cold
tap water to remove coarse dirt.

NOTICE
Do not use a high pressure cleaner.
Water coming from a high-pressure hose
can cause damage to the bearings of
your motorcycle. Water can also get into
the electrical wiring, which can lead to
short-circuits in the electrical system.

5 Apply a wet sponge with neutral
non-aggressive cleansing agent to
the bodywork, when necessary.
6 Use a clean cloth with degreaser
to clean the chain. Use the cloth
to clean between chainrings, cogs
and other hard-to-reach parts.
If necessary, use a brush to get
into the hard-to-reach parts.
7 Wash off each wheel with a
brush moistened in water and
neutral non-aggressive cleansing
agent, when necessary.
8 Clean the area around the valve, scrub
all the way around the wheel and
clean the spokes and the wheel hub
9 Rinse the Stark VARG thoroughly
with a gentle stream of tap water.
10 Let the Stark VARG air-dry in the sun
or gently wipe it dry with a clean cloth.
11 Make sure the drive chain is
completely dry and lubricate it,
see §Lubricating the chain.​

It would be pretty hard to really clean a dirtbike following those instructions. Maybe if ridden on a dry dirt track that would be ok with light dirt. A lot of riding for me means hard enduro mud and grunge and would not be easy to remove like that.

You have to be extremely careful (with any bike E or ICE) with spraying around the handle bars and behind number plate areas as well as the motor and battery. The under fenders, back end, suspension, and drive can probably sustain very light pressure and sometimes a little more with the tires. Of course you risk warranty if you tell them you over blasted it with pressure...

 

[UKLee]

A dirt bike you can not use a power washer on is no use to me, Promotional video say one thing manual says another

You hit a puddle at speed and the force of the water hitting the bike will be more than a power washer, I have had the force of the water from a puddle knock my feet off the foot pegs before now,

 

[Beagle]

You hit a puddle at speed and the force of the water hitting the bike will be more than a power washer, I have had the force of the water from a puddle knock my feet off the foot pegs before now,

I doubt that, but even so, what matters most is where said pressurized water would go.
Footpegs, wheels, skid plate and so on you can safely pressure wash.
Areas most sensitive to water are not exposed, they wouldn't be affected just by riding. I'd guess upper part of the bike is where you'd get trouble pressure washing the plastics and getting pressurized water in the wrong spot (hidden electronic parts).
Garden hose for the win.

 

[Theo]

The battery may very well have a 69K waterproof rating, which means that it can resist pressure washing, but not the whole bike has the same rating.
Remember that when you totally submerge a Varg under water even the lowest points, i. e. the two contact points of the tyres with the bottom of the lake, or river or whatever, undergo a pressure which is a small fraction of the pressure of a pressure washer.

 

[Chaconne]

i need help i pressure washed it and now when i turn on the stark the led will do the normal blink green but then shortly after it will go static red and the bike doesn’t go into gear

View attachment 12140

View attachment 12141

Did you charge your battery and try it again? Also, did you try to dry out the power button assembly? It connects under the front number plate you could try to make sure those contacts are dry?

 

[fsfs]

Did you charge your battery and try it again? Also, did you try to dry out the power button assembly? It connects under the front number plate you could try to make sure those contacts are dry?

Chances that it is the battery is low (not low battery but low probability the the battery is at fault). The weak points are the small white JST connectors behind the number plate and the switch assembly itself. Un-connect the connectors and take the switch assembly apart. Dry with hair dryer. Leave it at ambient temperature for a several hours (like over night), and then re-assemble everything.

 

[AL_V]

Check the mode switch, try compressed air, possibly WD-40 (water displacement) disassemble and clean if possible/necessary.

 

[Aleksandar13]

View attachment 12152

A dirt bike you can not use a power washer on is no use to me, Promotional video say one thing manual says another

You hit a puddle at speed and the force of the water hitting the bike will be more than a power washer, I have had the force of the water from a puddle knock my feet off the foot pegs before now,

Love that photo man, I agree you have to be able to pressure wash a bike and if you check most bikes manuals state the same, basically solicitors put that in there so if you blow your bearings you can't get after them. I have small bosh one and have been using it for years with no issues on all the bikes I had

 

[AL_V]

Waterproof is NOT the same as "Pressure Washer Proof."

 

[UKLee]

Waterproof is NOT the same as "Pressure Washer Proof."

So it seems.... another reason I will not be buying another stark.

 

[Chaconne]

So it seems.... another reason I will not be buying another stark.

It is not just Stark, most ICE bikes also don't recommend powerwashing either. I agree with you that we have to do it, but most manufacturers don't want to support it since who knows what pressures could be used.

We just have to careful and realize if we blast something like electrics or bearings there might be repercussions that we will be responsible for. Shit some ICE manufacturers don't have warranties at all, so owners are on their own the second they roll it out the the door. Stark is better than most.

 

[Aleksandar13]

It is not just Stark, most ICE bikes also don't recommend powerwashing either. I agree with you that we have to do it, but most manufacturers don't want to support it since who knows what pressures could be used.

We just have to careful and realize if we blast something like electrics or bearings there might be repercussions that we will be responsible for. Shit some ICE manufacturers don't have warranties at all, so owners are on their own the second they roll it out the the door. Stark is better than most.

Totally agree, dump 9k on a ktm and you blow the top end on a tpi and it's on you to fix, stark has 2 years warranty and even if you'd think of buying like the buttons their priced reasonably well in my view.

 

[UKLee]

It is not just Stark, most ICE bikes also don't recommend powerwashing either. I agree with you that we have to do it, but most manufacturers don't want to support it since who knows what pressures could be used.

We just have to careful and realize if we blast something like electrics or bearings there might be repercussions that we will be responsible for. Shit some ICE manufacturers don't have warranties at all, so owners are on their own the second they roll it out the the door. Stark is better than most.

Well aware most manufactures say do not power wash there bikes but I live in the UK, it rains a lot! power washing is the only way to get the bikes cleaned off when they are thick in mud not had issues with our many mostly yamaha ice bikes or freeride electric being power washed.

Totally agree, dump 9k on a ktm and you blow the top end on a tpi and it's on you to fix, stark has 2 years warranty and even if you'd think of buying like the buttons their priced reasonably well in my view.

For what it is worth I have refused to buy ktm's (including husky and gas gas) for a long time, got plenty of older ones 520, 950, 300 but not a chance would I buy a later one. got lucky with the freeride it was all I could get during covid lockdown for the kids to use in the field behind our house but to my suprise it has been mainly trouble free, certainly a lot less trouble than the stark.

 

[Aleksandar13]

If it helps anyone, I washed the bike twice with my pressure washer, all good so far but I haven't been aggressive with the nozzle close to sensitive parts... Also use a small Bosch one for years... It's been all good

 

[Chaconne]

Well aware most manufactures say do not power wash there bikes but I live in the UK, it rains a lot! power washing is the only way to get the bikes cleaned off when they are thick in mud not had issues with our many mostly yamaha ice bikes or freeride electric being power washed.


For what it is worth I have refused to buy ktm's (including husky and gas gas) for a long time, got plenty of older ones 520, 950, 300 but not a chance would I buy a later one. got lucky with the freeride it was all I could get during covid lockdown for the kids to use in the field behind our house but to my suprise it has been mainly trouble free, certainly a lot less trouble than the stark.

Ya I have powerwashed my bikes since the 80s since I have mostly lived in New England where it is quite rainy --hence the name-- and where enduro riding is mostly restricted to swampland and unusable polluted post industrial wetland. But over the years back to the 80s I have always been much more careful with my Euro bikes when it came to powerwashing than my Asian bikes. Overall sealing and electrical system exposure has never been that solid on Euro bikes in my experience back to the late 70s.

I once saw a Shane Watts video where he was sealing up his KTM with duct tape before a ride in the wet slop commenting on how "open" the modern dirtbike was, and I thought to myself at the time --that is only because he is on a KTM my Yams and Hondas would never need to be taped up like that. BTW at the end of the video Shane was powerwashing his KTM and I am sure somebody had to manually dry out the "openness" or it would suck in water and be a bear to start next time out BTDT .

 

[Beagle]

Wow guys, you definitely have to dry the sensitive parts by blowing air after power washing, that will save you a lot of trouble, don't let water sit on electronic parts.

 

[Chaconne]

@grayhixon what was the final outcome with your bike?