Attention all petrolheads and e-bike fans ... Swedish-owned, Spain-based electric motorcycle manufacturer Stark Future has just confirmed some big news. The company is developing electric street bikes with one mission: to outdo petrol-powered bikes.
This expansion into the realm of road motorcycles is not sudden; it officially started when the world’s fastest electric motocross bike, the Varg EX, was made street-legal late last year. It follows Stark’s intentions to bring a Supermoto based on the Varg, as revealed earlier this year.
Confirming the news to MCN, Stark Founder and CEO Anton Wass said, “Most people don’t see that an electric street bike can be competitive. When we bring out our electric street bikes, we will change that perspective.” He added, “I am convinced that we can build street bikes that are significantly better than the gas bikes in all the main categories – and in fact, we are (in the process of) doing that.”
At a time when most electric motorcycle firms are still trying to find their feet, Stark Future is already miles ahead – being an actual profitable electric bikemaker. What is it that sets the company apart?
To start with, a straightforward, technology-focused approach. As opposed to purchasing off-the-shelf components, the company manufactures almost everything in-house, from the engine to the batteries. This vertical approach gives it control over performance and cost, both of which are the foremost factors in a bikemaker’s success.
Take the first-generation Varg EX, for instance. Around 80 horses on tap, on a bike that weighed 176 lb (110 kg) thanks to carbon fibre and magnesium components, meant it outperformed its IC rivals under the 450cc class.
“There have been a lot of challenges along the way, but if I look back to pre-launch, we didn’t expect the interest from people to be so big,” Wass added. And big it was. So much so that Stark went on to update the motocrosser with the MX 1.2 this past month with a revised chassis and gearbox, more range, better suspension, and most importantly, the ability to fine-tune the output from 10 to 80 horsepower in real time.
Rather than sitting back on its laurels, the company put in the work to offer an upgrade literally nobody asked for! “We cannot share it externally yet, but we have timelines internally and we’re working very hard,” Wass shared in relation to the upcoming street bikes. Now I don't know about you, but that’s a serious bikemaker in my eyes.
No wonder the company reported a Q2 revenue of €47 million (about US$55 million) and an EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) of €4.5 million ($5.2 million). Stark previously recorded its highest-ever monthly sales of €18.3 million (about US$20.72 million) for the month of April, with a positive EBITDA of €2.8 million ($3.17 million).
“It’s just below 5,000 bikes in one quarter, and we are happy with that progress,” Wass explained. “We are still the fastest-growing Spanish company ever in history.”
Stark's record-breaking sales and rapid surge to over 400 dealers in 50 countries is living proof of a strong demand for its products. The company is also closely collaborating with Royal Enfield’s electric Flying Flea division.
This collaboration is bound to help both companies in R&D, scaling production, and optimizing costs. For those who don’t recall, RE’s parent firm, Eicher Motors, invested around €50 million ($58.5 million) in Stark in late 2022.
Currently, Stark hand-assembles all of its motorcycles at its Spanish plant near Barcelona. Although this facility is capable of producing up to 150,000 motorcycles per year, Stark will likely produce a good chunk of these new street bikes elsewhere.
“If you look at the most popular models in Asia versus the most popular models in Europe, it’s different motorcycles. So, the models we produce to target Asia will also be produced there. For models targeting Europe, we are planning to produce them here,” Wass confirmed.
The likes of LiveWire, Can-Am, and Zero Motorcycles are sure to have taken notice. How long do you reckon it will be before we see Stark’s street bikes in action?
Via: MCN
