Stark VARG

[Firebolter]

Nice to know there will be a DAMN fleet of them! :) Did you guys get the power upgrade?

Silly boy-

f_ck YEAH!

[davej]

Addressing the issue of Electric Overspin is probably the most important thing to us singletrack hounds. An electric bike rides like an autoclutch bike until you get to the point where you have to take your feet off the pegs. Then you are screwed.

Have you limited your accel rate on your Nuc24F? It can be very effective traction control. I think the TC on the GET ecu I have on the KTM500 works the same. Though if you could add inertial data (actual bike forward velocity) to that and not just wheel speed it would be even more effective.

I'd love to play with the VARG app before the bike releases. Also, delivery dates for new orders have pushed out to Oct now. Not sure how many they've sold but the needle is moving...

Yes. I did a full blast take off on the surron then opened the log to see the accel data. Then i programmed a file to limit the accel to around that value. Is that what you are talking about?

That said, that file didnt quite do enough to eliminate the overspin so maybe i need to keep tweaking it. Or better yet, "can i copy yours?"

[Bucho]

I really appreciate you early adopters of electrics. Please figure all the bugs out for when I get an electric 5 years down the road

[Firebolter]

I really appreciate you early adopters of electrics. Please figure all the bugs out for when I get an electric 5 years down the road

Maybe I'll will you mine Phil! I want that dang surfboard!

[Marylander]

One thing I've come to like about the electrics is the lack of maintenance. I really don't like working on stuff that much so eliminating a lot of that would be cool (I recognize that a lot of you are tinkerers so you're tinkering with the electrics too but it's optional, more than required).

I'm learning a bit about living with electrics as I recently picked up a cheap 13 fiat 500e. I'm picking up things like range difference between high speed/low speed, average temps/cold temps, etc that you can read about but that don't mean a lot until you live with one of these things. I also like that it only costs me about $0.60-0.70 to go to Frederick rather than about $5-6 in my truck (which gets pretty good mpg for a truck). I didn't get it for cost savings but to avoid all the short 1-2 mile trips I do close to home that I thought could reduce the lifespan of the truck, the cost savings is a bonus...

I think I could really enjoy a full size (or 7/8 xtrainer size) electric bike.

[phoo]

Stark's response today on my question about the power:

the difference between the Alpha and the Standard is just the software. All the rest is the same.

Interesting. If that's true, that means two things --

1) I made the right choice in getting the 60 HP version, since I'll be way down low in the power band all the time, anyway.
2) My concerns regarding whether I made the right choice of bike regarding range were unnecessary since if they are the same other than software, the RPMs that I'm turning will be the same on both models since they're the same motor.

BTW, I put my order in the other day for a grey one, 60 HP, rear foot brake, kick stand, 18" wheels, and I followed their instructions and ordered "down a weight" on the suspension to make it a little softer for enduro riding. I'm excited! I'm wondering if I should build a cage for the battery compartment, though. I know it's supposed to be well protected, but the idea of smashing it on a rock garden and breaking cells inside the packaging that I can't even see sounds awful.


Thanks,

~Patrick

[phoo]

This is a good looking bike and I have many ideas about it, both good and bad. Addressing the issue of Electric Overspin is probably the most important thing to us singletrack hounds. An electric bike rides like an autoclutch bike until you get to the point where you have to take your feet off the pegs. Then you are screwed. The ability to fine tune this thing is a crucial feature.

"Hey man, can I borrow your file for the rock garden at the cove"?

Exactly! That's what I was thinking! "Hey Dave, you crawled right up that muddy line", "Yeah, I got a new VERT-FLY setting, it's badass!", Bill "can I get a copy from ya? when we get back to camp" Dave "what ya got to trade?"

I *love* that you can store 100 ride modes, and have five active at any time. Seriously, you can totally do what's being talked about here. And have easy access to a setting for rock gardens, hill climbs, tight single track through trees, all-out on straights and whoops, and still have one left over!


~Patrick

[phoo]

both Phoo and I have a depo down on a Grey one
He doesn't know I reserved one nor that we both picked Grey!

Hah! Badass!

Also, related to someone else's post -- I just checked Stark's site and delivery date for new orders is now December 27, 2022!

Hell, I'd still be happy if my "September 20, 2022" delivery date slipped into December. But then I'd sure be sorry (not sorry) for those who ordered later and didn't get theirs until even later. ;)

Seriously, though -- for only $100 to reserve a spot in line, if you have any thoughts about this at all, it's worth taking the chance. Yes, it's non-refundable (it becomes "returns processing fee"), but it's also only $100.


~Patrick

[phoo]

Nice to know there will be a DAMN fleet of them! :) Did you guys get the power upgrade?

I wonder if they'll have spare plastics avail at time of order. I'd like to see it in the other colors. It looks great in all of them - the swoopy bodywork really is good looking in the pics.

Agreed the costs will go up.

The official site claims you can buy a whole host of replacement parts before they ship the actual bikes.

I did the 60 HP version. That's already 50% more HP than my 300 two stroke, which I'm usually running at low throttle openings, so I didn't see much need for the 80 HP monster.


~Patrick

[Firebolter]

I did the 60 HP version. That's already 50% more HP than my 300 two stroke, which I'm usually running at low throttle openings, so I didn't see much need for the 80 HP monster.
~Patrick

BECAUSE YOU CAN-


Seriously though, it will take you a little getting used to e-power. To me, it is more like trials riding, in that you have to attack and use momentum more. Kinda on and off and with more power comes more spin! Software is everything so it will be sweet to have the ability to fine tune and tweak various setting to try and make a good "mud" map for slippery gnar stuff and then a Hill climb map for blasting up big stuff etc. Virtual flywheel setting and max power and how the power ramps in, is gonna be fun to experiment with and a place like Phil's IS PERFECT FOR E-BIKES! I had a blast yesterday on the little underpowered SurRon but I cleared everything everybody else did!