WE SHIP WORLDWIDE. ALL PRICES IN US$

Stark Drive Torque (Pre-order Reservation) Going into Production!

11/21/2021

Hello!

we are pleased to announce that production will shortly be starting on the first and only batch of Stark Drive Torque for our lucky pre order customers. Both the fat tire model as well as the regular tire as pictured below. thank you for those of you who want to be the first to own and love Stark Drive Torque.

we anticipate production taking 45 days at which point we will ship torque out to you via container ship.  note that you will be contacted shortly with the final total and to pay the balance so that we can proceed with your order.

If you have any questions about torque or would like to see if there are any available you can contact us at hello@starkdrive.com


sincerely

Stark Drive Team

Stark Drive LLC

Normalization of Operations and Free Shipping on Stark Drive Mini Worldwide

11/07/2021

Supply Chains

We are pleased to see that with worldwide cooperation there is a light at the end of the tunnel with our supply constraints and that manufacturing delays that have plagued us in Q2 2020 up to about Q3 2021. Our manufacturing partners are indicating that lead times for critical components have drastically reduced and are nearing our base expected scenarios which we have built into the lead times that are indicated on our website for custom configured bikes.  

All indications are that our asian manufacturing partners are roaring back with the anticipation of supplying us as required and while there seems to still be some constraints in what we call 'last mile' delivery, referring of course to the build up of fully loaded container ships at main distribution ports worldwide that have not been able to fulfill the manpower requirements to actually unload these supplies so that they can be processed through customs and picked up by our delivery partners. this continues to be one of the aspects we are looking at closely in order to mitigate these delays but due to the shocking increase in container shipping prices which we see no signs of abating in the near future due, ironically, to an artificially created shortage of shipping container manufacturing by the respective manufacturing companies primarily based in china. As has been the case for what seems like decades now, the amount of finished manufactured goods that are shipped out of china vastly outpaces their imports and as such its not economically feasible to ship these 'empty' containers back to china in order to be reused.  There have been moves to repurpose these containers to build everything from housing, retail locations and several other creative ideas to repurpose these containers instead of them either being recycled or worse yet piling up unused on vast swathes of land rusting away. 

In order to mitigate this cost increase we are still compelled to continue with our practice of shipping in shared containers with other goods resulting in slightly longer delivery times to our end customers.  These delivery times are calculated after you have configured your bike and input your address information on our website and before payment is processed.  

Stark Drive Mini - Free Shipping for a limited time

We love Stark Drive Mini and we believe you will love it too, so much so that we want to offer a special limited time promotion of Free Worldwide Shipping when you enter the coupon code 'MINIMEFREE' at checkout.  The link to this fantastically portable and powerful bike is here:

https://starkdrive.bike/stock/...

This bike comes with a powerful 350W motor and generous 7ah battery pack operating at an unbelievable 48V system-wide voltage ensuring that you can tackle any terrain thrown at it as well as it being light and compact enough to bring on public transit or even carry up to your apartment ensuring the safety and security of your bike.

We have fully loaded Stark Drive mini with front and rear lights for your safety as well as a powerful horn that lets people know your are coming up behind them before you zoom past using either pedal assist (PAS) or the electronic throttle as well as our standard USB charging port and rear rack so you can carry your bag, groceries or anything else, up to an inclusive loaded weight of 150kg. 

Remember with our specially configured batteries you can even bring Stark Drive mini with you on any commercial airliner fully complying with TSA regulations on maximum battery power of 160WH and we have had many customers take advantage of this to travel with Mini and explore the great outdoors on vacation or wherever your travels may take you.


Sincerely

Stark Drive Team

Reserve a Limited run of 50 Units Stark Drive Torque Now

07/06/2021

We are excited to announce that we are going to be making a limited combined run of 50 units of Stark Drive Torque and Stark Drive Torque Max and while early birds have already received this information, we want to share it with all that are interested in owning the first folding bafang based mid motor electric bike at up too 1000W.



Stark Drive Torque Max - Fat Tire 


We have written about torque and our master plan several times on the blog for example:

and so on. 

We have gone through 3 iterations of Stark Drive Torque improving the bike along the way and adding feastures that we felt would enhance the user experience of Torque.

We have even had the opportunity to send Stark Drive Torque out for Review:

Computerbild.de ( In German)


KevCentral on Youtube (In English)

With Torque you have the option to add Biometric Fingerprint Unlocking or use a key, configure the range with your choice of battery pack, display, etc.  

Pre-Order Stark Drive Torque Here

Once all pre orders are in, we will begin manufacturing which will take 45 days and then we will ship out this one of a kind bike to the lucky people who managed to ge their pre order in before selling out.

Sincerely

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC


Stark Drive And The World is in a Shipping Crisis

06/17/2021

To say that the pandemic has affected the world is an understatement; Country borders are closing, travelling has become an unpredictable gamble where you do not know whether or you can even board a flight let alone deplane at your destination. 

The manufacturing industry has also taken a hard knock and we have noticed a dramatic effect on the manufacturing of Stark Drive.  Our suppliers are taking longer to fulfill our orders and even once we get a bike assembled, simply getting it on board a vessel has become something that flirts with impossibility.

Larger companies such as those in the clothing industry with margins in the 50-100% range will stop at nothing to get their products onto container ships so that their fashion conscious customers can ensure that pandemic or not, they are following the current fashion trends.  Container shipping normally costs in the range of $2000 for a 20ft container pre pandemic but these costs have escalated into the unbelieveable range of $20,000 or even more per container.  Note that historically there was always an oversupply of space on a container ship so it was a buyers market so to say.  When the pandemic hit, container manufacturers (those that actually make the containers that are used to ship products) closed at first meaning that no new containers were being made, then when china cured covid country wide and these container manufacturers went back to work they did not go back to business as usual and work hard to catch up with manufacturing for the eager and impatient companies interested in shipping goods.  Instead they slowed down manufacturing of new containers and with the majority of countries in a trade deficit with china many containers would leave china but few would return to be used again. 

Stark Drive does not operate with margins of 100% nor do we operate with 50% margins.  Our company has and and always will sell the most affordable electric bikes in the world and that means margins in the low %s.  

Having spoken with logistics companies in china, we were surprised to learn that what historically was a buyers market for shipping has turned to a sellers market with container shipping companies and their associated agents dictating how much they will accept to send products.  Even though the actual costs to ship product has not increased these agents are living in the lap of luxury with huge margins on their shipping contracts.  


To add insult to injury, once we do actually manage to get our bikes onto a boat and it makes its way to the destination, they now become stuck at the receiving port because most of the world is still going through the scourge of the pandemic and ports are understaffed or suffering from pandemic related restrictions on staffing. Boats can be sitting for weeks in the harbour waiting to offload. 

https://www.businessinsider.co...

It really seems counterintuitive and duplicitous to me that those, where the pandemic first reach pandemic proportions, are not working to reduce the impact of said pandemic but rather looking to profit off it.  

We will continue to do our best at Stark Drive to get your bikes out to as quickly as possible and we have a batch in production right now so for those that decide to order a custom bike the manufacturing time will be dramatically less than our website 120-160 days.  We are shipping this batch in July 2021. 

Sincerely

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC

Stark Drive Teams Up with Splitit (Buy Now Pay Later) Layaway Payments

06/14/2021
One of our customers most frequently requested feature was an option to pay over time instead of paying all at once and while our bikes are ultra-affordable there was a significant percentage of our clientele that  was interested in monthly payments be it to add some additional upgrades to their bike or simply that they needed a form of transportation now and could not afford our base offerings.


Stark Drive searched for the best option when it came to paying over time, one that would work for anyone that had a credit card and we ultimately started a conversation with Splitit which helps our users split up payments over several months while still getting the bike shipped right away.

Furthermore, we are adjusting our guarantee period for anyone that purchases using Splitit so that your bike is fully covered for the entire duration of your payments and the added option of adding additional warranty before your final payment is made.

Now there is nothing stopping anyone of our customers from configuring the Stark Drive Electric Bike of their dreams. 

Please contact us via email at hello@starkdrive.com or via our online chat or at 1888-HI-STARK if you have any questions about Splitit or layaway payments.

Thank you

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC

Stark Drive Ultra 1000W Mid Sommer Sale

05/28/2021

Our Most Advanced Stark Drive at 1000W now $250 off! 

Its mid sommer and we are excited that more and more people are going electric with record sales in the electric bikes industry.  We are working hard to keep our supply chain active and to reduce our delivery times even though we have been hampered with delays caused by world events.  

We would like to announce a special sale on our most powerful Stark Drive Ultra at 1000W with upgraded components and specifications across the board including: 

  • 48V Systemwide Power Upgrade giving you more power to tackle challenging terraine
  • Upgraded battery pack to the latest 18650 cells that Panasonic Offers givng you longer runtime between charges
  • upgraded front and rear lighting to take advantage of the more powerful 48v systemwide power
  • More powerful braking system to stop you on a dime even with the higher speeds that can be achieved with this bike
  • cruise at up to 45kph with pedal assist or throttle
  • up to 80km range 

This sale is only while supplies last and we do not have many of the Ultra 1000W models remaining.

To take advantage of this discount use the code: ULTRADISCOUNT2021 at checkout.

The Ultra is located here: https://starkdrive.bike/stock/...


Sincerely

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC

How Tesla and Elon Musks Electrification Ideals Increased the Cost of Stark Drive

05/12/2021

Hello Everyone!

One of our main goals at Stark Drive have always been to keep the costs of our electric bikes as low as possible thereby lowering this barrier of entry to 'go electric' and this is engrained in our company mantra. With our electric bikes starting at only $399 and fully configurable, this aspect seems clear, however, one important thing to keep in mind with our electric bikes is that the largest percentage of the total cost to manufacture one of our electric bikes is the battery pack that is custom manufactured for Stark Drive using state of the art Panasonic 18650 batteries.

Just as we have in previous years and with the goal of ensuring our batteries are as recently manufacutred as possible late winter, we placed our standard order to have our custom battery packs manufactured when we informed that our per battery cost was going to double from our historical rates. This unexpected icnrease was much higher than the standard inflationary cost increase that happens every year and dumbfounded us.

On speaking with our trusted assembly factory they were asking whether or not we would be interested in changing the cell type in our battery packs to help maintain the prices we had paid in previous years and this was someone we would never comprimise on so we declined however we then reverted with the question as to why these standard and widely used Pansasonic 18650 cells had increased in price so dramatically. The answer surprised us: Tesla.

Tesla has recently built and is operating an assembly plant in China and the demand for their cars has been very healthy. Together with their battery partner: Panasonic they have been supplying China with their all electric vehicles as fast as they could manufacture them. The side effect of this as we learned was that Tesla has contracted not only the entire production of Panasonic Cells but also all the LG 18650 cells that are manufacutred in the region including all capacity in South Korea, Japan and even any domestically produced capacity along with the other electric vehicle manufacturers in China such as Nio.

This has had a knock on effect for the electric bike manfuactures in China and has increased battery costs considerably.

The requirement for 18650 cells and lithium cells in general does not look like it will be abating in the near future and

manufacturers are scrambling to bring more manfuacturing facilities online but for the short term this is going to be something that is unavoidable.

Even though, this does put a strain on the manufacutring of our bikes, our personal belief at Stark Drive is that the electrification of transportation is a good thing and the sooner that we can take all ICE vehicles off the road the better for both the health of our increasingly urbanized populations as well as the Planet.

Sincerely

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC

Stark Drive Mini - Limited Edition 48V Prototypes Available

04/18/2021

We are constantly looking to improve our range of bikes with a keen focus on electric bike technological developments which have been accelerating at an impressive rate in recent years.  One of the key drivers of these improvements have been battery technology and every time we run a new production run we only use the latest available Panasonic 18650 cells on the market.  These cells are not only reliable but also long lasting for several discharge and recharge cycles. 


We have a unique opportunity available for a lucky few customers to be able to own our new prototype Stark Drive Mini Which is available here: whttps://starkdrive.bike/stock/8.-stark-drive-mini/ at a discounted price by using the coupon code PROTOTYPE2021 at checkout which will not only get you a state of the art ultra light electric bike with a systemwide 48V power system but also $300 off. 

These Minis are fully loaded with our largest battery pack, latest bike computer and all our available options for Mini. 

We may also email you approximately 6 months after purchase to get your thoughts on Mini so we can make even more improvements if required. 

STARK DRIVE MINI - STOCK

We believe that Stark Drive Mini will totally upend the affordable electric bike market and city transportation as a whole. We have built Stark Drive to be durable, perfect for many usage case scenarios for both that are tight on space or enjoy the open road. We have pre-configured this unit of Stark Drive with the most important upgrades to ensure maximum usability while keeping it 100% legal in the USA as a registration free electric bike. We use the latest advanced Tesla inspired lithium batteries and the most powerful geared motors we could develop and on top of that Stark Drive takes just seconds to fold when storing it in tight spaces or on public transport.

Includes Throttle, Cruise Control, Front and Rear Electrically integrated lights, horn, USB Power Out, and of course the Rear Rack

PERFECTLY PRE-CONFIGURED

Above you can see the the pre-configured bike we have custom built for our customers providing an excellent balance of performance with affordability and most importantly complete compliance with all USA regulations for electric bikes. Options such as the Stark Drive Cargo Bag, Custom Built Stark Drive lock, or Warranty Upgrade can be added to this bike if desired in our accessories section.

Take Stark Drive with you in your vehicle, fitting nicely even in a compact hatchback or even on the bus or train so that you can handle that last mile of travel in style and comfort. Stark Drive is the most affordable electric bike on the market at this price class and configuration bar none. Please contact us if you find anything better and we will reward you.**

STARK DRIVE HUB MOTOR

Stark Drive Advanced includes a 350W hub motor at 48V which is the perfect balance of power and performance for the typical city based commuter with a little bit of extra umph for those coastal travels and light trail riding. The motor is speed limited from the factory at 32kph as per USA regulations. These limitations can be unrestricted after delivery. The drive system on Stark Drive is a Cadence Pedal Assist (PAS) System.

STARK DRIVE BIKE COMPUTER

Stark Drive Advanced includes a bike computer which give you a total of 5 levels of pedal assist. This will let you choose a lower level of pedal assist when trying to maximize range or a higher level of assist when in hilly areas or hauling a heavy load for towing capacity. The display also has a battery level indicator, total real time amp draw from the battery in order to gauge how much energy you are using as well as odometer and speed traveled. The bike computer also controls the bikes core functions such as speed limitation, should you choose to install a different diameter tire on Stark Drive etc.

STARK DRIVE FRAME

Stark Drive Advanced uses a 100% aluminum frame for maximum durability, and strength while keeping the total weight at the top of its class. At a weight of approximately 13kg we are ultra competitive in the sector with respect to weight to power ratio.

STARK DRIVE POWER SYSTEM

Stark Drive Advanced includes a 7 Ah battery 48V pack that is unique to Stark Drive with 18650 Panasonic Cells. We use Tesla inspired batteries of the highest quality from Japan. The battery is the most important component on Stark Drive and its quality will deliver power for hundreds of charges and in all weather conditions. The battery is perfectly designed for Stark Drive and fits completely hidden with the frame making the bike look, to the untrained eye, just like your average regular pedal bike. The battery is perfect for towing or more challenging terrain terrain. You will get approximately 30-60km of pedal assist from the battery at the lowest setting*

*Note that range estimates are dependent on rider and load total weight, wind speed, terrain, and temperature.





Thank you

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC

Looking Forward To The Bright Future of Electrified Transportation

01/14/2021

Electric Bikes have come a long way in even the last 5 years when looking at industrial design and ergonomics not to mention the economics of owning an electric bike. 

''E-Bike Sales to grow from 3.7 million to 17 million per year by 2030'' - Forbes

''The electric bicycle boom in the US is bigger than we thought, and it's only getting bigger'' - Electrek

''Cities are Transforming as electric Bike sales skyrocket'' - The Verge

''The e-bike is the perfect gadget for the COVID-19 pandemic'' - Fast Company



We have been working hard at Stark Drive to keep up with the demand for our bikes with the US market doubling e-bike imports in 2020 with special focus on our supply upstream supply chain with a focus on improving Stark Drives specifications as well as maintaining our industry leading prices. 

Our Customers Have Spoken

In our quest to  improve our range of bikes many of our customers have asked for more power and better acceleration.  This presented a challenge to us as we wanted to improve these characteristics however we still needed to stay true to our pricing model. The upgrade from 36V to 48V across the range of our higher power bikes was a challenge that we were pleased we were able to be able overcome in 2020. 

Focus on Stark Drive Torque

We are of the firm belief that (affordable) torque based electric bikes are the future of electric bikes with their more powerful engines to the more compact and efficient design and we are happy to announce good results with the second prototype Stark Drive Torque and Torque Max which we have been testing over the last several months.  The Fingerprint recognition was one of the most interesting features allowing us to lock and unlock the bike without needing to worry about a key and with the future upcoming smartphone integration and GPS tracking we believe we have a truly unique transportation system for the masses.

We want to express a heartfelt thanks to those that have helped to launch Stark Drive by backing us when we launched in 2017 as well as the thousands of customers that have ordered after our campaign ended.  We also extremely appreciate those customers that ordered from us in the midst of the pandemic and the extended wait times they had to endure due to issues with logistics, your patience has not gone unnoticed and we will be offering you a special credit on our site for free products/merchandise.


Sincerely

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC


Stark Drive's Next Generation of Bikes - Torque

12/05/2020

The electric bike industry is moving very quickly with startups appearing on a regular basis. Many of these start ups, not unlike ourselves when we first launched, simply take existing open mold designs and paint their branding on the bike to resell in the marketplace.

However although we used an existing mold design, we really wanted to think out of the box when it came to standard features, a customizable design and affordability, a trifecta that in 2017, and even today, is lacking in the marketplace for the simple reason that its very hard to accomplish.

We have been working hard to improve our line up to keep pace with the developments in the industry and have recently finished our latest back of bikes with an 33% improvement on system-wide voltage (from 36V to 48V) resulting in better power delivery and improved efficiency, something we have talked about in our previous blog posts.

Stark Drive Torque

We are also looking forward to the launch of Stark Drive Torque which will again be a first for the industry in that we will be offering a mid motor, bafang based, Torque driven electric bike. The advantages of a Torque based electric bike to that of a cadence based are numerous with the greatest benefit being instant response to changing riding conditions such as in the image below.

Stark Drive Stock

Our new generation of bikes are very fast, topping out at 1000W and improved cell chemistry in our battery packs using the latest that Panasonic has to offer. Below you can see a chart of expected performance based on the PAS level and expected range.



Follow us on instagram, twitter, and facebook: @starkdrive for our latest announcements and if you are interested in the launch of Stark Drive Torque, join our mailing list at www.starkdrive.world.

Thank you

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC