Growing up in the age between Facebook and Instagram, my attention was exclusively focused on lads who'd converted their KTM SX 125s to be street-legal supermotos. Back then, all I could think about was what a pain converting them and getting them approved as street legal would've been, before the pain of maintaining a race bike.
Oh, how far we've come, or, rather, how far Stark Future has brought us with its latest supermoto SM model.
We've known that the Stark Varg SM was coming now for a while, but we've only just got the details, and they are juicy. We're looking at the most powerful street-legal bike the company has ever built and the one with the best power-to-weight ratio. No one was complaining about a lack of power before or too much weight, but Stark's not waiting around for complaints.
In its most powerful configuration, the SM will produce 80 hp and 914 Nm (641 lb-ft), making it the most powerful supermoto. That's right, move over KTM 690 SMC R and see you later, Ducati Supermotard. The Varg SM weighs just 124.5 kg (274.5 lbs), which is around 60-70 lbs lighter than anything that's comparable power-wise, and around 28 lbs heavier than an out-and-out track-only weapon like a KTM 450 SMR.
Keeping the SM on the boil is a 7.2 kWh honeycomb magnesium battery that functions as a structural component, and is supposed to improve chassis rigidity and balance while delivering 81 km (50 miles) (WMTC) of real-world range. Now, I can hear all naysayers saying that's not enough, and, unless you're only planning on terrorising city streets, I'd be inclined to agree with you, but Stark has something up the SM's sleeve to deal with this.
Recharging takes under two hours with Stark’s new 3.3 kW portable charger, which is light enough to fit in a backpack and compatible with any household outlet or AC car charger. In theory, this would make a 90-mile round trip ripping through the canyons doable, with a stop in the middle for lunch, or, what a lot of people will be using this bike for, no doubt, terrorizing your local kart track, having a break, and terrorizing again.
Suspension is provided by KYB, featuring fully adjustable 48 mm closed-cartridge, 290mm stroke forks, and a triple-adjuster rear shock with 303 mm of travel. So there's slightly less travel up front when compared to other models from Stark Future, but that's to be expected from a supermoto.
Stark claims that a "newly developed triple clamp gives the SM greater steering precision and front-end feel, while CNC-machined hubs, aero-grade rims, and Brembo brakes deliver exceptional stopping power and stability." The Brembos in question bite down on a 4-piston monoblock radial caliper with a 320 mm floating disc at the front and a 220 mm hydraulic disc at the rear.
Adding to the stability is a high-strength steel frame with a forged aluminum subframe and precision-
machined triple clamps engineered for ideal stiffness and flex. Although all the specs scream "take me to the track", especially the fact that you can choose from four tires depending on how performance-oriented you are, this is a street-legal motorcycle in practically every part of the world and grants urban assaulters more power than ever.
The road-ready features include: Flexible indicators, crafted from durable optical silicone for superior longevity, a 4,000-lumen headlamp — three times brighter than any competitor, ensuring exceptional visibility at night, and a reinforced, integrated license-plate holder combining minimalist design with robust protection. So you get all of the power and precision you could ask for from a supermoto, but without the need to work on pistons, filters, or valves.
The Stark Varg is available to order immediately through Stark’s global dealer network of 500+ or
through this link. The standard (60 hp) model will set you back $12,900, but if you want the full-fat Alpha (80 hp) model, be prepared to fork over $13,900. Could this be what's needed for supermoto riding to make a resurgence?
