- 500 examples will be produced globally with no second production run
- 80bhp motor; 7.2kWh battery and titanium parts
Stark VARG SM SKÖLL has been unveiled as a limited-run version of the company’s electric supermoto for euro markets. Production is restricted to just 500 motorcycles worldwide with Stark explicitly stating that there will be no second run. That makes the SKÖLL rarer than rare. The motor produces 80bhp, weighs around 123kg and combines long-travel competition-derived suspension.
That unusual name comes from Norse mythology where SKÖLL is the wolf that pursues the sun. Stark may have taken that idea rather literally with the motorcycle. Nearly everything that could reasonably be finished in black has been darkened, including the triple clamps, steering hardware, swingarm, motor casing, inverter housing, charging-port cover and switchgear.
It gets the full 80bhp Alpha performance specification and Stark’s Dynamic Traction Control. The system is highly configurable rather than simply offering a few fixed road modes. Riders can create a ten-point curve for power delivery, regenerative braking and traction-control intervention, giving the VARG an unusual level of adjustability.
But that electric powertrain is sensational.
Carbon-fibre-sleeved motor operates at 360V nominal voltage. Quoted 275Nm at the countershaft, it makes a frankly absurd 978Nm at the rear wheel after gearing. The manufacturer says the motor weighs only 9kg and achieves more than 95% efficiency through much of its operating range. Its 7.2kWh battery is housed in Stark’s magnesium case and forms a major part of the motorcycle’s tightly centralised package. Riding time can reach up to six hours depending heavily on terrain, pace and rider ability.
SKÖLL comes with a 3.3kW portable charger weighing just 2.2kg. From a 220V, 16A supply, the battery can go from empty to 80% in around 82 minutes and reach a full charge in under two hours.
The VARG SM uses the frame architecture developed from Stark’s road-legal VARG EX enduro motorcycle, but the geometry and suspension have been retuned specifically for supermoto use. The idea is to retain enough compliance for bumps and imperfect surfaces while giving the front tyre the accuracy required under hard braking and at substantial lean angles.
KYB suspension at the front uses a 48mm closed-cartridge fork offering 290mm of travel, while the rear shock provides an enormous 303mm. Both ends are highly adjustable. The seat is approximately 935mm high and ground clearance is around 312mm!
Stark also incorporates navigation and trail functionality through its Arkenstone interface. Turn-by-turn guidance, offline maps and GPX support are available. Riders can record routes and lap times.
Our electric two-wheeler market has so far concentrated overwhelmingly on scooters and practical commuting. Off-road-focused electrics remain rare.
The closest serious Indian example is the Ultraviolette Shockwave. With a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear spoked-wheel setup, it is sprung 200mm front travel and 180mm at the rear. It produces 14.5bhp, weighs 120kg and has a claimed 120kmph top speed. Also gets four traction-control settings, switchable dual-channel ABS and six levels of regenerative braking.
However, Shockwave is in pre-book status rather than as a normal ready-to-order production motorcycle.
VIDA has also displayed the Ubex concept, which it describes as an electric multi-terrain motorcycle. Again, this remains a concept and not something you can currently buy.
