Mxgp e-class

I'll keep my EMX125.

Honda will insist. Watch this space.

Is this something that has been proposed to happen or is this thread just to have a circle jerk of the e-haters?

I think they should just have an open class and let anyone run what ever, I just want the fasted guys on the track.

Cool, we'll get to see what they're worth on world class tracks.

Why 2026 though? I guess they'll be waiting for the Honda bike to be ready.

Could even be 3 competitive bikes by that time with Flux, better than single manufacturer but still, real open class would be fun.

Here is the full statement from MXGP:

"We saw in the last few months and years that have been many developments into the electrification of bikes, so I think that it’s a good moment to put down the base of a new support class that will be fully dedicated to electric bikes.

We don’t want to mix things [with regular machines], but to create a path for this technology to develop and continue to grow, and we will see how it develops. In the last few months many things have started without clear guidance on where it will go. I think that as the best and most modern platform for Motocross in the world, that MXGP should also embrace this new technology.

So we want to announce that in 2026 we want to create a new support race, in collaboration with the FIM and with the manufacturers, for a fully dedicated Electric World Championship that will be held alongside MXGP.

We aim to run five or six races in Europe for this, so we have two years to work with the FIM and the manufacturers on the rules for the bikes and to define exactly what it shall be. It will help to complete the package of an MXGP weekend, and also help the manufacturers with a very professional platform to help develop these products which are already on the market to complete the portfolio for a manufacturer.”

I think this is a good move, clearly there is a desire for it from a section of the industry, I don’t think we should run and hide from it. This is Stark’s space in this industry, they’re fighting a losing battle in hoping to race against combustion engine bikes. But they can be the pioneers of series like this 

Ridiculous. Put them in with the MXGP bikes. Who is running scared?

This makes sense and is understandably the natural progression to have them all in 1 race a few years further down the line would be my guess, although I do think electric will be so much quicker when they do merge them ice bike will fade out from the pro scene as quick as 2 strokes did. Within 2 years it went from majority 2 stroke to basically all 4 stroke,

The affiliations like ama and fim have to be diplomatic and political with the manufacturers who bring almost everything to the sport, and half of them won’t even have an electric bike by 2026.

The biggest short term issue I feel this could bring to racing if both fim and ama go the same route which Dave prater indicated a similar role out, is a company like stark could throw big bucks at the main talent, but then you don’t have all the best guys in 1 class, some are riding one class and some are riding the other.

Either way good or bad I see this as the only way the e-bikes enter the sport at the highest level within the next 2 years without upsetting the apple cart,

will also be kind of cool to ascertain can racing be as exciting and action packed without the noise both on track and on tv. Time will tell 

There are rules. They don’t conform to them. You can’t just build a motorcycle and expect everyone to change their rules to let you in. If Stark built their motorcycle expecting everyone else to just bend over backwards and disregard the rules to allow them in then that was incredibly naive IMO. 
 

Regardless of all that, they want to race in MXGP? Good luck with 30+2 at Lommel with an MXGP level rider onboard 

You mean like FIM SuperEnduro, where electric motocross bikes were included in the rules, but when Stark turned up to race, the FIM changed the rules the day before the first race of the season, excluding electric bikes?

The OEMs.

Maybe they will take a page out of NASCAR and stop for a coffee break/battery change so they can finish a race…

The could let the Stark Varg race in the 450 class, and let Stark prove it can finish.

I don’t know the exact rules of that situation, but we are talking about MXGP in this case, not super enduro. The bike is not eligible to race either GP class per the rules that have been in place for several years. Therefore they cannot and should not expect to be allowed to race 

How many Starks are out in the wild now? In the year or two Alta was a brand. I saw ONE. At one of the four tracks I regularly ride. And haven’t seen it since. I have yet to see a single Stark since the few guys on here have taken delivery. When was the first one delivered to customers in the U.S. ? Maybe they just aren’t that prevalent for tracks/series to be concerned with yet. We hear about them on here so some assume they’re all over the place. They did let a handful of Sur Rons race with the adult Pitbike class at a local Arenacross I attended. Not knocking them. Just ASKING. 

You're right they do want to race MXGP and 30 min + 2 laps is probably more than they can chew right now.

By 2026 no doubt that will be a much more realistic proposition for Stark (and possibly others).

Molicel batteries (that Stark is using) went from 4.2 Ah in 2022 to 4.5 Ah in 2023 and 5.0 Ah in their newest cell slated for mass production later this year. That's capacity going from 6.0 to 6.5 and now 7.0 kWh in a couple of years. Or even up to 7.2 kWh for an extra 800 g. At the same time, Flux is developing a 7.9 kWh dirtbike using the same cells.

Things are moving fast in this space. 

They also have that with the formula1 en motogp and that's not really a succes....and  don't think this will ne a succes either

Don't worry, the FIM would never screw them again...

Stark bikes are made in Spain, you'll find lots of YouTube videos of Varg owners in Germany, UK, France, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Estonia...

At the moment there are more of them in Europe than in the US cause there have been some serious issues with US deliveries (including legal issues in some US states which may not be solved yet). Right now some guys are having to order bikes from out of state dealers, getting it shipped or driving hundreds of miles to get them, it's a mess. That being said things are getting much better in the US lately.

To put things into perspective, Stark worldwide sales in 6 months have exceeded Alta total sales in their 3 years of production but most Altas stayed in the US. Stark is now making about 1 000 bikes a month.

Main difference is that Formula E and Moto E are dog slow compared to Formula 1 and MotoGP 

Dont know number but nearly every track I seen one or two lately. That is one or two more than Suzukis btw. 

Same. I see more Starks out here than Suzukis most times I go to a track. 

Why would they do that? The classes they have now are designated for ICE bikes.

Would you let an F1A car into a NASCAR race just to prove a point?

The current FIM MX rules don't specifically ban electric bikes. They do specify cc for engines in each class, and specify single  cylinder. The rules therefore didn't anticipate electric development, any more than they anticipate say a gas turbine powered bike.

Electricic vehicles have a clear future. They should be encouraged, not excluded. If they turn out to be too competitive, amend the rules in due course to allow good racing.

As it happens, I don't believe the Stark is comoetitive in mxgp at present, the range seems insufficient unless the power is reduced to an uncompetitive level. So...let them try, learn and develop. Banning them is Luddite, and stinks of OEM politics.

This is a smart decision all around . I like the two years to prepare everything .