Green Transport

Stark Drive is committed to advancing green fossil fuel free transportation technologies and when we launched we wanted to provide our customers with the most affordable electric bike solutions in the eBike marketplace.  

When we first launched our $399 US electric bike people were sceptical that such a price-point was even possible.  Our ambitious goal of lowering the barrier to being able to own a means of transportation that helped primarily people living in cities use it as their primary means of transportation or in conjunction with public transport was thought to be impossible however we defied the skeptics and not only launched Stark Drive's 'City' Range of bikes but also delivered on our promise.  

Since then we have been working towards achieving our master plan which included launching Stark Drive Mini which was even more affordably priced at $299 which we thought to be the perfect companion to those that wanted to eschew the rental scooter revolution which has spread worldwide to many cities often treated poorly by the users, improperly parked on sidewalks with there even being questions about the maintenance of the scooters which could result in safety concerns for riders that rent this form of transportation.  In conjunction with this, scooters are by design prone to launching the rider forward in the event they hit an obstacle that is larger than the wheel diameter which can often result in serious injury as it is common to see riders of these public scooters forgoing safety gear such as helmets.  We at Stark Drive believe that the bicycle has a much better weight distribution for the rider to ensure balance when riding even when obstacle's such as potholes or the like are encountered ensuring rider safety.

After the launch of Stark Drive Mini we then went on to design our first registered custom frame design that incorporated high quality and powerful Bafang mid motors to drive the bike further centering the balance of our bikes by eliminating the heavy rear wheel hub based motor and of course taking into account that our entire range of bikes have the battery pack hidden in the frame of the bike centered on the bike.  

Furthermore we have produced the first prototypes of Stark Drive Carbon which is going to be the first 20'' Tire based folding Mid-motor eBike that achieves significant weight reduction by using carbon fibre as the frame material instead of the traditional aluminum that is commonly used in the marketplace.  We will in short order be releasing videos of both Stark Drive Torque as well as Carbon demonstrating their raw performance as well as describing the features that we have incorporated into these new models which are typically only found on eBikes at a significantly higher pricepoint.

Shanghai Bike Expo 2023

Our CEO was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Shanghai Bike Expo this year and with that we have been impressed with the amount of integration that is occurring within the eBike industry.  Instead of separate components being frankensteined together to build an electric bikes, more and more our suppliers are working to integrate components in more seamless ways so that they not only look better but also improve performance.  Some examples of this are turn signals incorporated right on the frame of the bike, rear lights being built into the rear rack.  The amount of innovation within the industry is mindblowing and the expo was a good demonstration of this with hundreds of companies showing their wares and their ideas of how to build a better eBike.  We have spoken with dozens of companies and will be designing our future products with these innovations in mind. 

Our Future In The Skies

There is an burgeoning eVTOL sector that has been gaining momentum in the last several years which we consider to be very interesting when talking about transport for our customers.  More and more companies are developing their concepts of battery based aircraft and we would compare this to be a bit of a wild west with many different concepts being designed and tested.  The main benefits of the majority of these new styles of aircraft is redundancy in the form of multiple rotors with an inherent improvement in the level of safety when compared with more traditional rotor based craft like the helicopter.  

 Its more important now than ever to have safety and redundancy as the primary focus for the development of any aircraft design considering the fact that if some component were to function improperly, you not only have to worry about just stopping as you would with an electric bike but also the inevitable descent down to ground.  Stark Drive takes these safety concerns very seriously which is why, for the last 3 years, have been working to perfect our design for an eVTOL and having it customisable based on the customers intended usage be it commuting or simply enjoying the feeling of flight. 

The current generation of electrolyte based Lithium batters are entirely unsuitable for travel in the skies and we believe that the risks associated with using this technology is doomed to failure.  Standard lithium cells are exceptionally sensitive to damage and when lithium is exposed to air leads to an unstoppable combustion process at extreme heat levels.  Lithium cells are also exceptionally sensitive to temperature and must operate within a defined temperature range to function optimally.  Any eVTOL that is using this technology is inherently unsafe and we believe that this style of cell will be regulated out of the marketplace for this application either through regulation or darwinism. 

Hazardous Materials Airplanes

We look forward to providing you more details on our eVTOL design as well as test flights demonstrating Stark Drives concept of how we think we can democratize the skies. As always, Stark Drives eVTOL will be the most affordable in the market and have the added advantage of being customisable both during the order process or even once you receive your craft and want to upgrade it in the future.

E VTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft are a new and exciting development in the world of aviation. These aircraft have the ability to take off and land vertically, similar to a helicopter, but are powered by electricity rather than fossil fuels. This makes them more environmentally friendly and efficient than traditional aircraft.

One of the main benefits of eVTOL aircraft is their ability to take off and land in a small area. This makes them ideal for urban areas, where traditional aircraft would struggle to find space to land and take off. They also have the ability to fly at low altitudes, making them less affected by weather conditions than traditional aircrafts.

Another advantage of eVTOL aircraft is their efficiency. Electric motors are much more efficient than traditional combustion engines, which means that eVTOL aircraft consume less energy and produce fewer emissions. This makes them a more sustainable option for transportation.

E VTOL aircraft also have the potential to revolutionize transportation by reducing travel time and increasing accessibility. They can fly at high speeds, making them much faster than traditional aircraft, and could make it possible for people to travel from one city to another in a matter of minutes. They could also make it possible for people in remote areas to have access to air travel for the first time.

Despite the many benefits of eVTOL aircraft, there are also some challenges that need to be addressed. One of the main challenges is the issue of noise pollution. Electric motors are much quieter than traditional combustion engines, but eVTOL aircraft still produce noise with their propellers. Stark Drive is working on ways to reduce the noise emissions of eVTOL aircraft to minimize the impact on communities in conjunction with our development process and there are some exciting technologies we hope to incorporate into our craft.

We believe eVTOL aircraft are a promising development in the world of aviation. They are more efficient, sustainable, and versatile than traditional aircraft, and have the potential to revolutionize transportation. 

We at Stark Drive are always looking to improve our bikes so that they are more rugged, durable and refine the electronics on our bikes.  In our latest batch of Stark Drive Bikes which were recently completed we are pleased to have implemented a number of improvements which not only enhance the users interaction with the bike but also make refinements to improve the protection of critical components on the bike to protect from accidental riding damage when going off road. 

Our dedicated team of assemblers work tirelessly to ensure that every bike that leaves the line are properly assembled and will work right out of the box.

Here you can see 

Here are all the accessories that you need to ensure your Stark Drive bike is working properly.  These are securely packed in a seperate box for shipping. 

More photos of our assembly process

Here is how we box our Bikes, in double walled cardboard with bubble padding on the does to ensure that there is no damage in transit. 

A photo of some completed bikes. 

New for 2022 we are including a protective metal reinforcement bar near the delicate components to protect them from damage while riding.  This area is where the motor cable connects to the electrical systems on the bike as well as the derailer.   

Stark Drive Aviation Update

For those of you who made it this far in the post a special treat with respect to an update to our aviation ambitions.  Stark Drive has now completed the scale model prototype of our new electrically powered VTOL aircraft and it is undergoing flight tests.  We have spared no expense in ensuring that our aircraft takes advantage of the latest advancements on the market today to improve flight time, carrying capacity and performance.  Shortly we will be making the big reveal on our new aircraft with specifications, as well as special launch pricing for those that decide to pre order.

We at Stark Drive have achieved one of our dreams, the ultimate folding mid motor electric bike set has now been completed.  The Stark Drive Torque Max (Fat Tire) Models were completed a few weeks ago with some delays on components for the thin tire version.  Now we have finally completed our limited batch of Thin Tire Stark Drive Torque bikes as you can see a small sampling of below.  These bikes are all equipped with fingerprint biometrics to lock the bike as well as a host of other upgrades and features which we have discussed at length in previous blog posts.  

Stark Drive uses the most advanced Bafang mid motors to drive these fast and efficient bikes along with our largest battery packs for a huge amount of range.  There are a limited number of these bikes available on our stock page here www.starkdrive.bike/stock

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at hello@starkdrive.com or via our online website chat. 

Stark Drive Torque

Stark Drive is almost done with the final manufacturing for Stark Drive Torque which took longer due to the fact that for the thin tire bafang motor we required a different light and horn solution for compatibility.  below you can see a video of the testing of this solution which is confirmed working. we hope that these bikes will be completed in approximately 2 weeks. 

Stark Drive Aircraft Development

we find the electrified personal recreational aircraft space very interesting and we are well into development of our first prototype which we hope to have completed by late october 2022. We have worked to ensure that anything that we considered were underperforming aspects of design from a few other players in the marketplace were addressed.  we are using the latest technologies in the development of our aircraft and our focus as always will be to build an ultra affordable and configurable system that can adapt to the way you want to use it.  

We are so incredibly excited to finally announce that after a wait which was made much too long due to circumstances beyond our control we can finally announce that all of our customers worldwide who pre ordered Stark Drive Torque Fat Tire 1000W will be receiving their bikes shortly as they all have shipped.  we will be following up with tracking information for all the bikes once we receive this information from our logistics partner. here is a video demo of the features of this unique and design protected bike. 

The Fingerprint reader has been installed on all bikes to keep the design more simple.  You can see how the fingerprint reader (which can register hundreds of fingerprints to share the bike) both can activate and disable power on the bike.  

We have a few additional Torque Fat tire models fully loaded which we produced in order to save some time, if you are interested in one of these models, they will ship immediately, please contact us at hello@starkdrive.com.

We are also pleased to announce that we have upgraded the Stark Drive Torque Thin Tire addition from 250w motors to 350w motors free of charge as a way to make it up to our customers whom have waited so long.  we are still working on completing these bikes which had some issues with the front and rear light/horn assembly.  These will be done in a couple of weeks.

Thank you

Stark Drive

We are finished with the FAT (Final Acceptance Testing) which was required to have all the electronics together on a bike in order to test and confirm that everything will function together.  Of note is that Bafang does not by default include a horn connection on their wiring harness so we needed to create a workaround so that it would function properly.  Below you can see some videos of the bike in action including that the fingerprint reader works quickly and disables system power.  

We have asked for a slight revision to the cable for the fingerprint reader which will take 10-15 days to complete at which point all the components will be populated the bikes, go through a final QC check and then boxed and shipped to the luck people that have reserved this powerful, fast and one-of-a-kind bike. 

We have also upgraded the Torque (thin tire model) Tires from 1.95 inches to 2.35 inches for more traction due to the amount of power that one can harness with the Bafang mid motor that is included on these models. 

Torque Update

An update to those that pre ordered one of our limited edition Stark Drive Torque bikes (both Torque and Torque Max (AKA Fat Tire). 

The final assembly is progressing as per plan for the torque bikes, here you can see a photo of the components (minus the bafang motor) have been populated to these fat tire bikes which will eventually sport a 1000W bafang Motor.  These motors are exceptionally well built and there has been talk on the interwebs of people upgrading these to upwards of 2500W in their stock condition. 

There is currently refinement of the electrical systems as we are proud to announce here and now that all models will have the capability to be upgraded to include fingerprint recognition unlocking. Stark Drive is one of the first to add biometrics to the Bafang mid motor bikes so a bit more coordination was necessary with our engineers and those that work at the exceptional company Bafang to ensure that operation works as expected with the proper connections to the motor system and battery which all flow through the motor in order to monitor the battery state so that all the information displays properly on the display which is also supplied by Bafang.

We hope that these are all completed in the coming days so that they can go through their final testing and finally be boxed up and shipped around the world to those lucky enough to snag one of these unique and powerful electric bikes that are sure to turn heads wherever you travel.

We appreciate the patience that has been shown by our customers as these are completely unique bikes that are patented by Stark Drive and as such have taken longer to manufacture compared to several of our competitors which simply use open mold bike frames and add components onto these base units.

If you have any questions we welcome them at hello@starkdrive.com. 

Flight Ambitions

Stark Drive continues in its pursuits to push forward into the VTOL space with the manufacture of the worlds most affordable and safe aircraft which we conservatively expect to have flight times of 30 minutes, will be using non flammable and exceptionally safe solid state batteries as well as an included ballistic parachute as an option for those that want to take the craft up to its planned max 1500m HAGL.  

Stark Drive Torque Frames

we are pleased to present a few photos of some of our completed Stark Drive Torque Frames, they have now been painted and are on their way to the assembly factory where all the components that will be added to these handsome frames are ready and waiting. 

Stay tuned for more photos and video of assembly and testing this upcoming week.

Looking past the complexities of the Electrical Systems on a Stark Drive Electric Bike, even the painting process is multi-step and complex requiring 9 phases in order to get the durable and beautiful finish that all our bikes arrived to our customers doors:

3 Coats for primer painting, to make the frame to be smooth and neat
2 Coats for top coat, that is the final color of the bike
1 step for transfer our logo
1 step for drying label and finally,
2 coats for a matt finish

Video Located here: