Vince Friese on a stark for WSX

seth505
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9/5/2025 8:03am

If it's a truly "open" class then fair game but I am guessing this is going to result in super annoying racing. 

He's going to holeshot close to (if not) 100% of the time and then block a bunch of fast riders for the duration of the race. 

GrapeApe
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9/5/2025 8:13am
Zachintosh wrote:
Not really sure why a brand trying to build a positive reputation would sign one of the most hated riders in the sport. Also, I'm a...

Not really sure why a brand trying to build a positive reputation would sign one of the most hated riders in the sport. Also, I'm a Stark owner...

That is my thought as well. Stark is desperately trying to gain acceptance, why partner with the guy in the black hat?

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Beagle
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9/5/2025 8:21am

You all seem to assume that Friese would be Stark top rider. I'm not convinced, we have never seen him racing it, he will need time to adapt.

Zaragoza has beaten Dean Wilson and top euro riders.

Zaragoza and Friese are racing Fastcross in Italy next weekend, we'll see what bike Friese is on.

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The Shop

mxaniac
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9/5/2025 8:43am
mxaniac wrote:
Friese and Prado both get good starts and then ride a wide bike. Difference is Friese has the determination and Prado has the talent.As for starts...

Friese and Prado both get good starts and then ride a wide bike. Difference is Friese has the determination and Prado has the talent.

As for starts on the Stark, I have no first hand experience, but in talking with Derek Dorresteyn who was one of the Alta founders they had issues with the ebikes wasting a lot of energy throwing roost instead of propelling the bike forward. That may explain why the Stark wasn't competitive even with the likes of Bogle on it. 

A stark won that championship, it just wasn’t Bogle that won it…https://thepack.news/stark-future-achieved-a-historic-victory-by-winnin…

I've only watched the AMA Arenacross Clash for Cash where the Stark consistently did poorly.

jmo443
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9/5/2025 9:55am

Did I read somewhere that the stark can race either sx1 or sx2? But, once it’s signed up for one class at the event it has to stay in that class for the event. 

9/5/2025 10:30am

2024 World Vets don't remember the dudes name but he pulled every holeshot by a mile....cheater bike for sure no clutch no shifting just grab and go.

Forty
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9/5/2025 10:33am

looking forward to the racing - VF is a survivor - gotta give him that.

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JM485
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9/5/2025 10:48am
2024 World Vets don't remember the dudes name but he pulled every holeshot by a mile....cheater bike for sure no clutch no shifting just grab and...

2024 World Vets don't remember the dudes name but he pulled every holeshot by a mile....cheater bike for sure no clutch no shifting just grab and go.

It really depends on how long the start straight is and how deep it’s ripped.  A short start straight that is relatively hard packed really doesn’t give much advantage to the Stark, vs one that is a mile long and forces gas bikes to shift more than once.

1
9/5/2025 2:36pm
jmo443 wrote:
Did I read somewhere that the stark can race either sx1 or sx2? But, once it’s signed up for one class at the event it has...

Did I read somewhere that the stark can race either sx1 or sx2? But, once it’s signed up for one class at the event it has to stay in that class for the event. 

The power gets restricted for the event based on the class its in.   After the event the rider can have full access to the full power again. But during the event  the 450  class is restricted to a max of 54KW and 250 class is a max of 44KW . The controller on the bike restricts the output and officials are able to monitor it via software provided by Stark.  

The 250 class has a max and the 450 a max. I assume they can run less power if they want, but maybe not, maybe it gets locked in at the set number.    

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Beagle
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9/5/2025 2:51pm Edited Date/Time 9/5/2025 3:02pm
jmo443 wrote:
Did I read somewhere that the stark can race either sx1 or sx2? But, once it’s signed up for one class at the event it has...

Did I read somewhere that the stark can race either sx1 or sx2? But, once it’s signed up for one class at the event it has to stay in that class for the event. 

The power gets restricted for the event based on the class its in.   After the event the rider can have full access to the full...

The power gets restricted for the event based on the class its in.   After the event the rider can have full access to the full power again. But during the event  the 450  class is restricted to a max of 54KW and 250 class is a max of 44KW . The controller on the bike restricts the output and officials are able to monitor it via software provided by Stark.  

The 250 class has a max and the 450 a max. I assume they can run less power if they want, but maybe not, maybe it gets locked in at the set number.    

The locked value is just the maximum that can be set for 1 or 2 days and easily checked by race officials. Bogle had said he preferred racing at 55 hp while he was limited at 60 hp in SX1.

The odd thing is that hp limits imposed on Starks had been 60 hp in SX1/MX1/450s and 48 hp in SX2/MX2/250s for the past couple of years... but for WSX, FIM increased this to 54 kW (73 hp) and 44 kW (60 hp)! Electrics carry a minimum weight of 117 kg vs 99 kg for 450s and 95 kg for 250s.

All restrictions on electrics are subject to modifications after each race, in fact in FIM Superenduro, FIM kept loosening the restrictions after more or less each round since they started crazy restrictive in hp plus imposing a minimum weight heavier than the production bike so Stark had to add ballast to race the first rounds. They appear to take a different approach for WSX.

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Gordon Liddy
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9/5/2025 3:31pm
Zachintosh wrote:
Not really sure why a brand trying to build a positive reputation would sign one of the most hated riders in the sport. Also, I'm a...

Not really sure why a brand trying to build a positive reputation would sign one of the most hated riders in the sport. Also, I'm a Stark owner...

Eyeballs on their  bike.

Vince will get TV time because  he is a good starter.

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MaxPower
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9/5/2025 6:18pm

I think Vince will use this opportunity to straighten things out and everyone will like him

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FahQ
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9/6/2025 6:30pm
MaxPower wrote:

I think Vince will use this opportunity to straighten things out and everyone will like him

IMG 1062.gif?VersionId=VkMYHDRsygM V7dqzBc
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mx4
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9/6/2025 7:16pm
Moto Nomad wrote:
Running electric bikes with ICE bikes is so stupid. Would Formula-E run with ICE cars? I don't get the people that make these decisions. Kind of...

Running electric bikes with ICE bikes is so stupid. Would Formula-E run with ICE cars? I don't get the people that make these decisions. Kind of like giving four-strokes a huge displacement advantage.

Like what happened with 2Ts

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Tyler D
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9/7/2025 5:19pm

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Beagle
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9/11/2025 2:46pm
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kage173
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9/11/2025 2:53pm

Maybe I'll watch WSX after all. 

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mb60
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9/11/2025 4:34pm

I feel whatever Vince is riding he will be solid. Maybe not spectacular but solid rider. 

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crt32
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9/11/2025 6:19pm

Hicks is going to surprise people in WSX, he has insane flow on tight tracks.

bens 152
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9/11/2025 6:59pm

Do we know why he isn’t on moto concepts anymore? That’s a shocker to me. 

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SonofThor32
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9/12/2025 4:04am
mxaniac wrote:
Friese and Prado both get good starts and then ride a wide bike. Difference is Friese has the determination and Prado has the talent.As for starts...

Friese and Prado both get good starts and then ride a wide bike. Difference is Friese has the determination and Prado has the talent.

As for starts on the Stark, I have no first hand experience, but in talking with Derek Dorresteyn who was one of the Alta founders they had issues with the ebikes wasting a lot of energy throwing roost instead of propelling the bike forward. That may explain why the Stark wasn't competitive even with the likes of Bogle on it. 

A stark won that championship, it just wasn’t Bogle that won it…https://thepack.news/stark-future-achieved-a-historic-victory-by-winnin…

mxaniac wrote:

I've only watched the AMA Arenacross Clash for Cash where the Stark consistently did poorly.

I am sitting in the exact same seat as you.  I watched every AX race waiting for Hicks or Bogle to holeshot, pull away, or win at all on the Stark, and none of that happened.  You could tell there was a learning curve in the whoops, but they lost to the ICE bikes, every time, and most of the time by a margin.  Perhaps they were stuck with a lower HP setting?  Either way, that didn't go as I thought it would.

Beagle
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9/12/2025 4:43am Edited Date/Time 9/12/2025 4:46am

A stark won that championship, it just wasn’t Bogle that won it…https://thepack.news/stark-future-achieved-a-historic-victory-by-winnin…

mxaniac wrote:

I've only watched the AMA Arenacross Clash for Cash where the Stark consistently did poorly.

I am sitting in the exact same seat as you.  I watched every AX race waiting for Hicks or Bogle to holeshot, pull away, or win...

I am sitting in the exact same seat as you.  I watched every AX race waiting for Hicks or Bogle to holeshot, pull away, or win at all on the Stark, and none of that happened.  You could tell there was a learning curve in the whoops, but they lost to the ICE bikes, every time, and most of the time by a margin.  Perhaps they were stuck with a lower HP setting?  Either way, that didn't go as I thought it would.

In AMA AX Hicks was just discovering the Stark. Since then he became an official rider, had a lot of time on the bike and won in AX UK and SX tour SX2, he will be in the mix in WSX.

Let's see how Hicks, Zaragoza and Friese do tomorrow in Italy's Fastcross.

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