We are super pleased to announce the delivery of a prototype Stark Drive MIni has been shipped to one of our early backers on our recently completed campaign on Indiegogo. We believe in getting our bikes out as fast as possible and ensuring our backers get to use the most affordable electric bike in the world as fast as possible.

The lucky backer is based in Germany and along with Stark Drive Mini we have included a number of limited edition items that are not available to anyone except our backers on Indiegogo. These include:

• Stark Drive Leather Keychain
• Stark Drive Limited Edition Stickers, and
• Stark Drive Celebratory Balloons

While these will not improve your ride they will certainly help you to stand out when you are enjoying Stark Drive Mini wherever your rides may take you.

Once Stark Drive Mini is delivered, we will reach out to our backer for their feedback on their first impressions and will post these on our blog.

Stark Drive Mini Full Production

The timing of the end of our campaign is excellent as it will take a couple of weeks for the funds from Indiegogo to be transferred to us and we in turn will transfer these funds to our partners in China to being production of the remainder of all the bikes that were backed, we expect this to take about 35 days and we will ship directly after that. In all we anticipate that the bikes should be delivered early summer 2019.

Stark Drive Torque

We are still working hard to improving Stark Drive Torque and we will be posting an update to the progress of the most affordable torque based electric bike in the world soon. Initial tests suggest that in the higher end model, it is insanely fast and has torque to spare no matter what you throw at it. We will also soon be posting some ride along videos shot in the challenging hilly terrain that can be found in Stockholm and you will see for yourself that no matter what hills you are trying to climb Stark Drive Torque will always get you there with as little effort as you care to exert (of course you can always adjust the amount of assist you get to make your ride more challenging). Whether for leisure or exercise or simply commuting, Stark Drive Torque is built to handle anything you throw at it.

Sincerely,

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC

We Love Sondors and what they have done to help bring the electric bike industry in check by exerting pricing pressure on the incumbents to popularize electric bikes. We dont love high prices and on reviewing their pricing, which by the way is going up as per the time schedule above we noticed that once all taxes are added and taking into account their 'free' shipping the cost to your door if you live in the EU is almost 2x the price of a better equipped Stark Drive City Bike which we offer for 950 USD.

Not only that but Stark Drive City comes by default with a front light/horn as well as rear light that are all integrated into the electric system as well as a 21 gear shifting system (compared to Sondors 7). Stark Drive also comes with full front and rear shocks as well, instead of a hard tail you get from Sontors. All in all Stark Drive is an exceptional bike for the price.

Sincerely

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC

Hello Everyone,

we at Stark Drive hope that your new year has started off well and coming back from Russia I can say that there is a huge amount of potential with electrifying our cities and making them smart. One thing that our support frequently gets asked are the basics behind electric bikes and for that we have found an exceptionally well written article from bycycling.com

here

It answers all your questions about torque based bikes as well as hub motors and how they work and the advantages/disavantages of each one.

We are working hard here to work on V2 of our prototype Mid Motor drive electric bike which will have even more battery capacity and we will revert soon wtih more information about this.

We will also be shortly releasing a second video of my trip to Russia and what i was doing there.

Thank you all for your support!

Sincerely

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC

I wanted to reach out to all of our backers and customers and talk about our relentless drive to get affordable electric bike technology to everyone who wants it. It's been an incredibly difficult road for us to even get this far with many having doubted that we would deliver our first bikes and then those that doubted we would deliver the remainder of the thousands of bikes we have shipped to date.

Then there were those that doubted (once again) that we could manufacture an electric bike for under $300 US but we not only have the manufacturing in place we have our manufacturing partner in china in constant communication with us asking us when we are going to submit our first order so they can get to work as fast as possible.

We have had our competitors try to cancel our facebook account, cancel our crowdfunding launches, attempts to get us in trouble with our tax authority, leaving fictitious negative feedback publicly about our company, the list goes on and on. While their determination is laudable, the result will unfortunately always been the same, Stark Drive and our company motto remains the same:

Manufacture the most affordable and well equipped electric bike in the world

No matter what happens it will only help us to grow stronger and more determined until we achieve this goal which does not necessarily mean that we are the sole providers of affordable electric bike technology, more so that we are an enabler that helps convince the industry that they should shift their focus away from trying to make a tidy sum on the sale of each individual electric bike and rather to focus on smaller profits on larger quantities.

Stark Drive 750(W)

One of the things we have taken less advantage of has been our new and improved 750W electric bike with an upgraded easy connector assembly system as well as several upgraded components such as brakes and lights. We are going to be focusing on launching this to the mainstream with prototype units already sent to some lucky reviewers in the US where these bikes are completely legal but on top of this, Stark Drive already has a CoC certification for all the EU for bikes up to 1000W meaning that as long as your local authority follows the EU wide standards it will be ok to use even these higher powered bikes in your area.

Stark Drive 750 will still be the most affordable bike in its category (power) in the world. We are looking to launch this in the interim before we bring Stark Drive Torque to market.

We want to wish everyone a prosperous and successful 2019!

Thank you for all of you that believed in us and helped us make Stark Drive Possible.

Sincerely

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC

We here at Stark Drive wanted to wish all of our backers and customers a Happy Holiday Season and best wishes for the New Year.

We have Stark Drive In Stock For Immediate Delivery Worldwide

In the new year the new Anti Dumping duty introduced by the EU (approx 84%) will take effect basically doubling our prices as it has increased the prices of our competitors substantially. Buy now at: www.starkdrive.bike/stock now.

Not only do we have power up to 500W, but we also have both Standard and Fat tire bikes available in a variety of colors as well as your choice of any 250W model perfectly configured for the European marketplace with rear lights integrated into the electrical system. As you can see below our competitors are also increasing their pricing in the new year. It should be noted that we still offer Stark Drive Mini for a starting price of $299 on Indiegogo.com

We hope for the best in the coming year and have a lot of plans for Stark Drive in 2019 including the launch of our Torque based electric bike with our own custom frame design further expanding our range and the expanding our lineup to cover more usage case scenarios.

As you can see below our Stark Drive Torque model has been designed with mobility in mind in so much as we have adapted the new frame design to include the ability to fold both for transportation as well as improving the ability to secure Stark Drive Torque when you arrive at your destination.

Torque will come with a variety of power options starting at 250W with an instantanious power level of 500W when needed as well as being able to fine tune the power settings once you unlock the bike computer to ensure you have the perfect configuration for your usage case senaio.

1000W of RAW POWER!

Stark Drive Torque will be configurable up to 1000W where in our own internal testing have reached speeds up to 83kph (52mph)

The maximum legal power levels will depend on your own countries requirements with up to 750W currently legal in the USA. We have an EU wide certification (not individual countries) for Stark Drive up to 1000W meaning that you can experience the full power of our Torque based system but note that you should check with your local authorities to ensure that you are allowed to have this locally as all countries have their own individual rules and do not necessarily follow the EU wide rules.

Special Features of Stark Drive Torque

We have been exploring what we could add to SDT to make it better and we already have our engineering team working on expanded battery capacity that can be added to the system like lego blocks, integrated GPS/GPRS to track your bike, Integrated APP that works in conjunction with the torque motor to give you even more information on your smartphones external display. We are also looking into adding USB to our battery packs so that when removed from the bike they function as power plants for your devices. Upgrading the wiring to Stark Drive so that its color coded and plug and play when you want to add components. Adding smart signaling as well as a smart helmet that links to the bike via bluetooth to signal what direction you are looking to travel as well as helping you in an emergency automatically if it senses that you have been in an accident.

Finally we are looking to add biometrics to your bike so that you no longer need a key to start the bike and the bike will know you are near and automatically unlock and be ready to go. Just one less thing to worry about.

Sincerely

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC

Stark Drive Mini is now live on Indiegogo for only 299 USD!

We would like to introduce everyone to the Mini (our standard and carbon belt drive variants below as captured in full 3D. As you can see we have worked hard to configure MIni to be both agile, light and fully featured with the ability to easily and quickly upgrade the bike just by purchasing components from us that are made to fit together with the bike like lego.

The battery is hidden within the frame and easily removable to charge when you are on the go and with a weight around 13kg you can easily take Mini with you, wherever you may find yourself.Especially useful is the folding feature which makes Mini Ultra Compact to fit in the tiniest of places

In order to save even more weight and offer a cleaner alternative to a standard steel chain we have a variant of Mini that includes an oil and hassle free Carbon Belt Drive System. It also includes powerful disc brakes as well as unique features such as cruise control that are not available on any standard bikes that we know of at this price bracket.

Carbon BELT DRIVE

Thank you for all your support and feedback!

Sincerely,

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC

We have been working hard on the upcoming launch of Stark Drive Mini on Indiegogo December 15th at 12:00 PM (GMT+1) Swedish Time but that does not mean we have not also been working hard on the next phase of

Stark Drive's Master Plan

Which is all about Torque. You see unlike Stark Drive and Stark Drive Mini which operate using a hub motor, Stark Drive Torque uses a torque based sensing system which gives the rider unprecedented control when taking advantage of PAS Technology not to mention a dramatic increase in power to climb even the most challenging terrane.

A fairly comprehensive video on the subject (not done by us) has been published online which we have shared below:

The Speed Test was difficult to measure out on the streets for the simple reason that this bike is intensely fast and as you can see from the video below, we got it up to just over 80kph in our free wheel test.

We went all out on Stark Drive Torque Max which is a 48V based system and we have designed it to be modular and configurable. The base unit includes a 9ah battery pack however its been designed so that these packs are expandable meaning that you can attach extra power to the bike if needed when you are traveling longer distances or simply need power at your destination. All Additional batteries will function as Power Plants through USB meaning you can power your devices wherever you are.

USB Charging was a feature of Stark Drive from day one however there are many cases where you dont want to be chained to your bike when you arrive to your destination and with the Stark Drive Power Plant you no longer need to be.

Below is your base model Stark Drive Torque (SDT) based on a very powerful 36V system which coincidentally means that that the powerpack can out put more Ah meaning longer ride time with the same size pack as compared to Stark Drive Torque Max above.

SDT uses a Bafang based complete Mid Motor Torque Drive system which is completely integrated from an electronics perspective. The display as you can see below is crisp, clear and a GUI is as detailed as it is comprehensive with a lot of information such as assist level, trip distance, total distance, Max speed etc..

Bafang Go App Compatibility

In our increasingly connected world, it was not going to be long until there was an app for your bike and here it is. As our system is completely based on a Standard Bafang Package, it also means that our bike is 100% compatible with the Bafang Go App which works on iPhone and Android based system. There is simply not enough real estate on the built in display that comes with the bike in order to display all the information continuously being acquired by the drive system so this app gives you the opportunity to customize the interface to display that information that is relevant to you.

We will have more information out SDT as well as SDM coming in the near future.

Sincerely

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC

Here is one of the competitors to Stark Drive Mini. Its called the Swagtron but there is one glaring issue with labelling it as a competitor as its not an electric bike at all. The Swagtron is a throttle equipped scooter. Once you run out of power, your going to be carrying it to your destination and it only has a range of 10 miles or 12 km which even our base Mini beats. Not to mention that If you do run out of power with Mini, you can conveniently pedal to your destination.

Stark Drive Mini Launching on Indiegogo on December 15 2018 at 12:00 pm (GMT+1) Stockholm Time.

Its also claimed in the advertising that this is a folding bike which of course is a bit misleading. the only thing that folds on this bike are the handlebars, the main frame itself does not fold like Mini does and as such if you do live in an older building or have a cramped elevator or staircase, it will be exceedingly difficult to being the Swagtron with you.

The battery on the Swagtron is not removable so that once you run out of power you need to wait for the batteries to recharge which could take hours.

The rear wheel is exceedingly small and not standard meaning that you will be depended on getting proprietary replacements from the manufacturer.

Its not such a great deal at $299 if anything goes wrong as was discussed in a review on amazon.

There are a lot of things lacking with this bike that we include by default with the Mini although its nice to see that they have a bike computer as standard.

We are super excited to be working with Indiegogo again for the upcoming worldwide launch of Stark Drive Mini (SDM): the most affordable and customizable electric bike ever!

As a base model, SDM will start at a mind-blasting $299 US which is even more affordable than some of our toughest competition such as Swagtron and our bike still operates as a bike unlike some of our competition which are electric only.

We are aiming to cover the gambit of all last mile usage case scenarios with the launch of SDM whether it is someone that wants an ultra affordable and ultra light last mile transporter which they can sling over their back with our custom designed carrying case or on the other side an ultra compact powerhouse with a powerful 350W motor and upgrades in cruise control, display, as well as ultra durable disc brakes.

Now there is a misconception that perhaps exists whereby people think that a 350W motor is not very powerful and although there exists more powerful motors on the market such as up to 1000W one must also consider the weight of mini plays a significant factor in the acceleration of the bike off the line as well as the top speed.

Think of it as putting a V8 motor in a Geo Metro which used to operate on a 3 cylinder engine. Due to the low weight of the car itself, even though there are more powerful engines on the market, the V8 turns the metro into a powerhouse. The same is true for the 350W version of Mini which is the highest possible motor we could fit on these ultra compact wheels. The acceleration is mind blowing and the range is incredible.

We have also stayed true to our philosophy in adopting our configure to your unique usage case scenario on our upcoming launch. You can pick a host of options depending on what you need from a basic bike computer to a very advanced large format display to cruise control and throttle and even different sizes of battery packs that would even allow you to legally take SDM on a plane removing the hassles of finding transportation when you arrive to your destination.

We even have the option to change the tradition steel chain out to a carbon belt drive system which not only lasts much longer, and requires less maintenance but is also lighter.

Our visit to Burning Man 2018 was a huge success with SDM stealing the show on the agility courses that were set up at the event.

There will only be a limited number of Early Bird units that launch at our unbelievable price of $299 so stay tuned to Indiegogo on December 15th at Noon Swedish Time (GMT+1) to get yours.

Whether you Take the Subway, Bus, Boat, RV, or even Plane, Stark Drive Mini is your faithful companion which will get you there with ease.

Sincerely

Stark Drive Team
Stark Drive LLC

Hello,

I am conflicted, and confused. The mantra has always been that the EU must work together in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and there has been a considerable effort in order to build more renewable sources of energy such as wind, water, and even nuclear (although the last one is debatable from an environmental standpoint).

There has also been several efforts throughout the eu to get more people to use electric bikes with government incentives in france, sweden and several other EU countries. There has even been a push for electric vehicles of the 3 and 4 wheeled variety and even slow but steady restrictions put in place preventing even these types of vehicles and their gas guzzling counterparts from metropolitan centers.

From an environmental standpoint, this is great and wise and logical. The logic from my perspective tends to disappear when one considers the fact that, even with incentives from the government, the average person still needs to be able to afford an electric bike and to that respect the EU (and the US to a degree) has decided it is logical to impose anti dumping duties on all electric bikes that originate from China stating that local companies can not compete.

I could write forever about business competition economics and the simple fact that in order to compete you must innovate be it on price or tech, if you can not innovate, someone else will and you will cease to exist, that is unless you get the lawyers and government involved.....this all sounds very familiar doesn't it my mate's.

You cant have your cake and eat it too. Pick your battle, if your battle is to restrict competition and limit consumer choice through government regulation, that’s great but on the flip side if your goal is to incentivize more environmentally forms of transport that people actually use and can afford then there should not be taxes that make this less appealing.

The EU since a few months back has introduced an anti dumping duty of about 84% on all electric bikes that originate from china. some companies have tried to innovate moving their production facilities to another country which is nothing but a short term fix to a long term problem. once the volumes get high enough in these new countries, the government will impose taxes here also.

The US has introduced protectionary measures of about 25% on all electric bikes originating from china when once there was no additional duties whatsoever for Chinese made electric bikes.

The EU tax serves to basically double the price of an imported electric bike meaning that even less people then before can afford one.

BLOOMBERG ARTICLE

EU ANTI DUMPTING

Stark Drive will do its best to remain true to our mission to have the most affordable electric bikes in the world, as always our prices are the lowest in the world and do not include any government imposed taxes for the respective countries of delivery. You should consult with your local import authority to determine what these additional costs could amount to.

Sincerely