Stark VARG EX Ready for an 80-horsepower, 265-pound dual-sport?

“Greg, you just gotta promise me you won’t operate the bike fully submerged, like Ryan F9 did,” said the Stark Future representative arranging the loan of the new EX. “You do live right next to the Potomac, after all.”

“Bud, you know that is not my style,” I assured him. “I’m more than a little more risk averse than Mr. F9, and I ride in a way designed to make sure you return my calls, dig?”

“Good. You don’t want to know what one of those Arkenstones costs. And of course it didn’t die after its initial submarine mission. No. It only fried after Ryan gave it back to us.”

“No worries, man. I treat these machines as if they were mine. I’m really looking forward to having a chance to finally ride this bike.”

It is possible I committed a sin of omission with that statement.

Don’t misunderstand. I wasn’t planning to ride underwater and I really was looking forward to testing the first Stark electric motorcycle to be able to wear a license plate and be street-legal. Stark’s electric motocrossers and enduro bikes are fast becoming legendary. The rural counties that surround my home in Maryland are filled with miles and miles of unpaved farm and forest roads — some calm, some more exciting — but to ride them one has to have a street-legal vehicle. And the Stark VARG EX is street-legal.

But the part I didn’t say was I was just a little scared. It’s easy to understand why.

Motorcycle enthusiasts everywhere had been begging nay, pleading with Stark to deliver a street-legal version of the VARG. Those people’s patience was eventually rewarded with not one, but two different “streetable” models: the EX, the one I was riding, which is an enduro-inspired ride, and the SM, a supermoto version designed to provide street- or track-oriented hooligan riders with everything they’d ever wanted. Common Tread’s Zack Courts got an SM to review and will be along with his thoughts later. I requested an EX, which would give me a chance to take the bike into some of my favorite off-pavement play-riding areas.

It doesn’t look like Stark exerted themselves much to make the EX road-legal. A modification to the front number plate to include an LED projector headlight and integrated turn signals, and some combined rear turn signal and brake light combination fixtures were about the extent of things. The suspension, wheels, frame, and drivetrain were essentially the same as the bike people were racing. There were also other tells that my test unit was a very thinly modified racer. The handgrips were safety-wired in place and the bike was wearing a fresh set of Metzeler 6 Days Extreme Enduro Racing tires even though the bike was only showing a little over 300 miles on the odometer. It was also equipped with a special strap under the rear fender for securing the sidestand up when it was being raced. Also telling was the fact that the bike does not have a key. One just turns it on. The bike’s charger was the final tell. It was contained in a standard motocross pit stand, which made it impossible to transport on the bike.

If one is being an entirely responsible motorcycle journalist, one has to ask oneself just who, exactly, requires a cartoonishly narrow, “Praying Mantis from Outer Space” hyperspace-capable dirt bike that somehow managed to become legal for operation on the street? Could you commute on it? Sure, and your schedule would probably appreciate the extra time yielded by getting to work shortly before you left home. Operation out in the backcountry would at least require some detailed planning for charging stops or a fixed base camp where electricity is known to be available. Folks lucky enough to live in rural areas will find the ability to backroad scratch on the way to and from unpaved roads or local trails is a pretty attractive combination.

Personally, I don’t think that Stark Future spent a lot of mental bandwidth overthinking who it was for, exactly. One suspects their approach was more along the lines of “If we make this bike as stupid powerful, crazy light, and wicked fast as we are capable of, people will want one so irrationally that the rest will take care of itself.” Some of those people have been hell-bent to talk to me when they saw me on the road riding the bike. Those folks are waaaay out there and are not scared to share it. Things might just be taking care of themselves.

Phil Burleson, the sales and finance manager at Frederick, Maryland’s JT Motorsports, went a dozen extra miles to work with Stark to get the bike ready for me to ride. Stark delivers the bikes with a rear brake that is foot-activated to meet DOT requirements, but there is also a left-hand-activated rear brake provided with the bike, and given the clutchless moto didn’t have anything else for my left hand to do, Phil had his service department install the hand-operated brake. That hand brake would turn out to be much easier to control precisely than the tiny pedal would be while wearing proper off-road boots. Stark had also recently started delivering a portable charger that could be carried in a backpack, and Phil swapped one of those out of his stock for the pit-stand version. If one intends to wander, having some insulation in one’s pack against bad range calculation and the subsequent walk home is really part of good ride planning.

Phil also walked me through the operation of the controls, which, for the sake of conversation, appear closer to vintage Star Trek than vintage Kawasaki. There is a unitary control button cluster on the left bar. The buttons are large, round and illuminated, and communicate status information by changing colors. The bike also has forward and rear “walk modes,” which Phil told me could be real bonehead-savers if I rode into something I couldn’t ride out of, but are also helpful when loading or unloading the bike in a pickup truck or trailer.

The main instrument panel is provided via an environmentally hardened Android phone, called the Arkenstone, which has a robust docking station — complete with charging and data connections built into the VARG’s cockpit. The Arkenstone runs a Stark application that allows the user to completely customize the performance parameters of five different saved profiles. The user can select the horsepower, regeneration percentage, and modify an actual power curve. The display shows the curve and the rider just uses a finger to drag it to the preferred performance level.

Using Android software lets Stark gather aggregate performance and error data, as well as manage over-the-air updates for any programmable components anywhere in the bike’s power systems. You don’t need an app on your phone to ride because anything user-configurable is easily configured directly on the bike’s captive phone, which then directly translates user preferences and inputs into powertrain operation. It was far easier for Stark to adopt a widely supported hardware and operating system environment than to design and build their own.

It’s really kind of a genius move in the electric vehicle technology space. It also allows new features to be added to the motorcycle. During my time with the VARG, Stark began pushing out a traction-control function that used the hardware that was already there.

Think about a whole new set of functions, and make the bike do something it didn’t do when you bought it. Try that with your ’69 Sportster.

Running the VARG EX on a public road is an eye opener. Unlike some other street-legal electric motorcycles, the VARG’s electric motor has some sonic personality. On the “throttle,” the VARG has a definite scream to the engine sound, partially due to the use of thin panels of light metals in the cases, the focus on lightness, and a lack of concern about the sound output in a competition environment. There is also a great deal more driveline noise than most electrics — many of which are belt-driven — given that the 520 chain Stark specifies needed to be sized for the stout 80 peak horsepower.

On-road handling, even with competition-grade knobbies, is razor-sharp. The bike changes direction effortlessly and, combined with the instant response to throttle input, I found myself ripping down a narrow road after only a few minutes of acclimation. It was almost as if the machine itself all but disappeared underneath me. Acceleration, deceleration, and turning became nearly transparent, gestural.

If you want hairy-chested confidence, I’m sure Zack will be along soon with his take on the Supermoto version, with its stickier tires and bigger, dual front brakes, no doubt exploring the ridiculous and unrecommended.

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November 2024 may be 23 months in the rearview. 

The average price of unleaded gas was just over $3 per gallon. Rafael Nadal hung up his tennis racket for good. The Biden administration was still in the Oval Office. That’s how long it’s been since BMW first unveiled the F 450 GS. 

The concept broke cover at EICMA 2024. Its production model equivalent debuted one year later, at EICMA 2025. With EICMA 2026 swiftly approaching, the F 450 GS has yet to land on U.S. soil, but BMW is finally slapping a sticker price on the new mid-size ADV.

As a quick refresher, the F 450 GS touts a 420 cc parallel twin listed at 48 horsepower (at 8,750 rpm) and 32 foot-pounds of torque (at 6,750 rpm). Flanking its steel tubular frame is a KYB inverted fork and a preload- and rebound-adjustable shock, which afford 7.1 inches of travel at both ends. Advanced rider aids like ABS Pro, Dynamic Brake Control (DBC), Dynamic Traction Control (DTC), and Engine Drag Torque Control (MSR) come standard. So do heated grips and a 6.5-inch TFT dash.

When the Bavarians officially unveiled the 450-class GS, it reported that U.S.-bound units would only arrive in GS Trophy trim. A lot can change in one year, as BMW Motorrad USA will now offer the F 450 GS in three different flavors. Looking at the model’s pricing structure, it’s easy to understand why.

When the Beemer arrives in Q1 2027, it will live in a varied landscape. BMW is taking a similar approach with the F 450 GS range. There’s the basic offering, the touring-friendly version, and the off-road weapon. There’s something for every rider and every budget. Whether or not that strategy works will be determined by sales. But at least the bike will put up a fight in the growing category. The same can’t be said for BMW’s F 450 R. 

Yesterday, the German OEM rolled out its latest roadster, the F 450 R. As expected, the announcement went light on surprises. The twin-pot mill still produces 48 horsepower (at 8,750 rpm) and 32 foot-pounds of torque (at 6,750 rpm). KYB still supplies the suspension (it just yields less travel). In base form, the model also boasts a 6.5-inch TFT, ABS Pro, DTC, DBC, and MSR. So why not ship it to the states?

That’s a question only BMW can answer. What I do know is that the F 450 R’s predecessor, the G 310 R, was hardly the brand’s most popular model in the U.S. market. Could the R-spec 450 find its way to the United States in the future? Of course, but given the F 450 GS’s timeline, I wouldn’t expect it any time soon. 

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Fuel savings

I’ll state the obvious. Gas is on the rise. It isn’t showing signs of falling anytime soon, either. Luckily, fuel economy is one major advantage of riding a motorcycle. There are exceptions, of course. Flagship superbikes, big-bore cruisers, and anything V-four-powered probably aren’t returning favorable mpg figures. Those who drive a hybrid vehicle, PHEV, or EV likely stand to benefit even less. But if none of those conditions apply, chances are your bike can give you a break at the pump. 

Summer weather

It isn’t June 21 yet, but summer weather is well on its way. Aside from a few pockets of the country, daytime highs are creeping up throughout the States. That means ideal conditions for riding your motorcycle. With spring showers receding and summer heat waves at bay (for now), there’s hardly a better time to log miles on the bike. Why not do so by going for a ride during RTW? 

Mental benefits

Countless motorcyclists see riding as a form of therapy. I’m no medical professional. I can’t legitimize such claims. What I can say is that riding is an effective outlet. Riding a motorcycle demands your full concentration. Little attention can be paid to the stressors of life. That includes pressure at the workplace. Starting and ending your day on the bike can help relieve those pressures.

Community

If you work at an office of any considerable size, you’re probably not the only motorcyclist among your colleagues. Opting for the bike on RTW can help introduce you to your riding coworkers. Many workplaces have designated parking spots for motorcycles. Sometimes, that’s all it takes to strike up a conversation between riders. You never know which one of your fellow employees is also fellow motorcyclist, be it a Hog-owning CFO or a Gixxer-riding janitor. You just might meet such workmates if you ride on RTW.

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Honda has confirmed that its retro CB1000F, with a paint job that’s faithful to the look of the CB750F Freddie Spencer rode in the early days of U.S. Superbike racing, is now arriving at U.S. dealerships.

The CB1000F concept was on display last year at the Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race in nearly street-legal form, raising hopes that Honda would put it into production. It has already come out in Europe and is now available in the United States. MSRP is $10, 599 with a $775 destination charge.

Much of the CB1000F is the same as the CB1000 Hornet SP I test rode last year, but anyone who prefers early 1980s Superbike style over today’s looks now has an option. The CB1000F is even closer to the base Hornet sold in Europe, but that model is not available in the United States, where we only get the SP. For U.S. consumers, then, the differences between the CB1000F and the Hornet SP are mainly a Showa rear shock instead of an Öhlins unit and Nissin front brake calipers instead of Brembos.

The other major difference between the CB1000F and the Hornet is that Honda has made some changes to the engine and transmission to fit the personality of the retro bike. The Hornet comes alive above 6,000 rpm, but the CB1000F is tuned to push the power lower in the rev range. The intakes are longer and narrower and cam profiles are different. The first and second gears have a lower ratio than the Hornet while the rest have a higher ratio for more relaxed engine speeds at cruising velocities, in keeping with the nature of the engine.

And of course the most obvious difference from the Hornet is the looks. That’s the CB1000F’s true unique selling proposition.

The CB1000F won’t make you ride like it’s the early 1980s, however. It’s equipped with a five-inch TFT display and offers the same five ride modes as the Hornet, including two customizable User modes that allow you to set your preferred levels of power delivery, engine braking, and traction control. An inertial measurement unit enables cornering ABS, as well as informing the traction control.

Having ridden the Hornet, I personally suspect those tuning changes will be good for the new retro model and would be an improvement, in many riders’ opinions, on the Hornet, too. If there’s anything to be disappointed about, it’s that Honda isn’t offering the small fairing it showed on some of the concept bikes at Suzuka last year. I guess if you really want to go full-1980s-retro, you could always bolt a #19 number plate to the front and really look like Fast Freddie.

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Women riders are more visible than ever

We’ve reached a point where women on motorcycles are more visible than ever, and still, somehow, unexpected.

The 20th anniversary of International Female Ride Day, coming up Saturday, brings this paradox into focus. For me, it also draws attention to the times when I experience riding as something universal, and feel like just any other rider, and others when my being a woman shapes the experience in distinct ways.

Recently, while on an afternoon ride, I noticed a red-and-black sport bike following our group of four. That’s not unusual, since riders sometimes tag along for a bit before peeling off. This one didn’t. Instead, the rider followed us onto the small dead-end street by the lake where we’d planned to stop for photos and pulled up behind me.

Vicki Gray of Motoress created International Female Ride Day in 2007 to encourage more women to ride while celebrating those who already do. This year’s theme, “Women Accelerate,” will play out across the world through independent, loosely organized rides sometimes tied to local causes.

I’ve taken part in several women’s motorcycling events over the years: a Women’s International Motorcycle Association rally, an all-women training session at the Eternal City Motorcycle Show in Rome, and International Women’s Day rides and seminars in both the United States and Italy. Each one, in its own way, has linked me to a longer lineage of women riders, women like the Van Buren sisters, who crossed the United States in 1916, and Louise Scherbyn, who founded WIMA in 1950. These women traversed many of the same routes in New York I ride today.

Women riders still make up only about 15% to 25% of the American motorcycling population, depending on the study. In that context, women-only events offer something tangible: community, support, and a temporary release from the quiet scrutiny of men.

I’ll admit it. I get irritated when men feel the need to “teach” me. The mansplainers arrive right on cue every spring, pointing out a “leaky fork seal” I didn’t ask about or questioning if I can handle a liter bike. Not the guys I actually ride with, but the ones I run into at a gas station, an early-season event, or online.

When I ride with women, the tone changes. We still talk bikes, maybe even more than when I ride with men, but there’s less scrutiny and more ease. At the last IFRD ride, we swapped notes on what we love about our machines, complimented each other’s gear, and compared classes we’ve taken. There were funny stories, a few disaster stories, and yes, some lighthearted teasing about men who ride with us.

But there’s an unintended side effect of women’s events. The more space we carve out for women riders, the easier it becomes to contain us there and treat us as a niche or an exception to the assumed male rider.

You can hear it in the phrasing. “Best motorcycles for women” often really means beginner bikes or options for shorter riders. I’m neither. Ask me about the best modifications “for women,” and I don’t have a useful answer because good modifications are personal, shaped by ergonomics, riding style, and preference, not gender.

Even gear reflects this tension. Add pink to a jacket, and it signals “woman rider,” but only for those who want that signal. I like pink for my ballet shoes. On a motorcycle, I’m not interested in announcing my gender to everyone I pass.

That’s the ongoing dilemma. I can’t speak for all women riders, since we come in all shapes and from different backgrounds, with our own ideas about riding.

But women riders also shape this tension. Separate spaces can, over time, become comfortable enough that you stop leaving them. The intention matters. Are these groups helping women riders break into male-dominated spaces, or building something that doesn’t need that validation? And either way, are they changing the culture or just reshaping familiar patterns?

I’ve seen a strong show of support among women riders, especially for those just starting out. There’s more freedom to make mistakes, to ride a little slower, or a lot faster. (Once, in Texas, I rode harder than I ever had with a group of women I’d just met.) Just as important, there’s room to ask questions without feeling exposed or judged. That kind of environment can make all the difference in building confidence, including to ride comfortably in mixed-gender groups.

At the same time, I’ve watched new hierarchies take shape within women-only spaces, such as cliques forming or the occasional “mean girls” dynamic emerging. Riding with women isn’t a guaranteed sisterhood. That may be part of why both informal groups and more structured clubs develop. They give riders a way to find their people and settle into a common language of motorcycling.

I don’t have a simple answer to the question of why it’s special to ride with women. Most of the time, I think of myself simply as a rider. Still, I value the occasional all-women event and moments when another woman joins a ride and it feels entirely normal.

Perhaps that’s part of what IFRD makes possible: a chance to reflect on what riding means to us individually and to women’s motorcycling communities. And maybe it invites something simple from men, too, not to overlook it because it’s about women riders, and to think about what they can do to encourage more women to accelerate.

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