Stark Drive Reviews 

Solid bike, very well built.

Got it yesterday after a long wait - relatively speaking - 7 months.. Took it for my commute today and satisfy so far. Ride well and maintain a good steady speed.

As i got the Advanced version with all bells and whistles, i am still learning how the whole things reacts and mostly, what button does what...

I went through FAQ and not really found any links on « Getting started » with this bike.... any suggestions?

Also, how do we modify that max speed!?

Here is my honest review. I will be fair and will not be tarnished by some of my earlier frustrations.
Ordered in July 2017: USD 1,247 + 200 shipping + USD 434 in March 2018 for importation = USD 1,881 DDP for the bike finally delivered in mid April 2018.
I wanted to cancel the order several times along the way because I never got told I would have to wait for so long but that was not possible; and during that time I constantly used my regular push bike through sun, wind, rain and snow..
Anyway, got the bike, put it together, few hurtles but nothing major and got it going.

First the charger is very slow, it takes the whole night to charge the 17AH battery, not so cool but I guess their sell up strategy is to sell the fast charger. They could have provided that as part of the base package
Second the bike is heavy... like really heavy 27kg (60lbf) with everything (including the lock). It's double the weight of my daily usage 250USD bike.
Third, I am 6' tall, and this is the absolute tallest you can be with this bike otherwise you would not be very comfortable.

BUT
it's nicely built, even for a Chinese made bike
It's fast and the battery seems to hold pretty good
It goes everywhere (big tires, heavy shocks)
It's good looking

Other comments
-The foldable feature is irrelevant in my opinion because the bike is so heavy that it's not possible to lift it in the trunk of a car. Plus it adds a big thing in between the leg that is, at time, annoying.
-The gear shifter is not very well situated and it requires to stop the throttle to shift gear which is not so cool
-There is a big lag at the sensor (when pedaling) and at the throttle for the motor to kick in. It's definitely safer as is but really annoying and for all my other ebikes, it was not like that (so I need to get used to it).
-The bike is REALLY heavy, the motor basically is there to compensate for the heavy weight of the bicycle, of course with mode 5 it goes faster than it would even if it was lighter.
-With a bigger front gear the bike could be a lot faster, because full speed on (39km/h) with a bigger front gear I would be able to pedal more (not a huge deal, but I guess a design oversight in my opinion)
-The screen is nice, the bike has lots of features (for example the rear light turns on when breaking), color/style are not common out there

During my wait, I had the opportunity to look in more details in the market. I found a very similar bike (maybe made in the same factory) for 800EUR all delivered and duty paid (350w/13AH) which is not more expensive that the Stark bike if not cheaper (plus they have stock and really cool wheels), and plenty of other options for the USD 800-1,500 range that were cool also and cheaper overall.

Anyway, at the end of the day, for me it's not the end of the world to have spent that money, the bike is nice, powerful and it does the trick. But it's too heavy and it took too long to get it.

If I had had the opportunity to try to bike before buying I would not have bought it, but I got excited online and I bought it maybe without checking it in details or maybe overlooking some of these aspects. It does not feel like riding a bicycle, it's more like a moped which is cool but not what I was looking for / expecting.
I can take the kids out (without the motor) and it's fine (one in the back) and one following on his one bike, and I can commute to places not too far away without driving (which is nice) going 39km/h; but I still use my light 250USD bike to commute every day to the office because it's light, very agile, very fast and it gives me a great workout.

To STARK, I'd say it's a good start, but you now need to make a light aluminum, non foldable electric bike for the city. I have seen that there are now some road bikes that don't even look like ebike for less than USD 2,000 all included...

With this review, I don't intend on starting an argument, I am saying it how it is and how I experienced it. Some users might have different opinions and I don't have any financial interest in any other bike makers. Just sharing.
I am glad that there are some people with visions and projects, maybe communication could have ben better, likely the design could be improved but surely the bike is in my garage now and I use it.

Cheers
Jeremie

Nachdem das Bike endlich angekommen ist, gab es einige Probleme. Die Speichen waren lose, das Tretlager war schon nach 120 km kaputt. Eine Pedale ist fest. Reparaturkosten bis jetzt 100 €. Von Stark Support kam nur die Meldung ich sollte die Pedale zurückschicken. Ist ja wohl ein Witz. Danach bleibt das Bike wieder ein Jahr stehen. Eine Rücklichtlampe hatte ich im Januar bestellt. Die ist immer noch nicht da. Sehr sehr komisches schwedisches Unternehmen. Wenn der Support besser wäre und die Reklamationen bearbeitet werden würden, wäre das Bike in Ordnung.

Great bike and had problems with it after a mechanic messed with my cadence sensor but customer support was very quick to respond and help out.

The bike is indeed excellent! And crazy cheap. Better than other electrical bikes I tried and it looks a lot better. Great design, everyone complements it! The only downside would be too many gears, you dont really need 21. But otherwise, quite the steal! Love it!

Service was indeed weak. Like most of starks customers, im sure i can relate to the stressful, worrying, helpless feelings that starks customer service provided. I waited about 6 months to get my bike and mistakenly relied on thinking i would recieve it in a timely manner. Yet..... it was like everything changed when UPS knocked on my door. Product perfect. Rode smoothly. Yet needed an instruction manual.

Nach dem ganzen Liefer-Stress konnten wir die Bikes jetzt in Schweden ausgiebig testen.
Ein gut konstruiertes Produkt. Nach Austausch des Tretlagers und Montage größerer Kettenblätter auch gut zu nutzen. Der 250Watt Motor ist am Berg zu schwach. Die Akku-Reichweite (9AH) beträgt je nach Motoreinsatz bis zu 40 Km. Das Mitführen eines Ersatzakkus ist sinnvoll.
Als Resümee: Ein preiswertes und sicheres E-Bike.

Ich habe im August 2017 bestellt und das Fahrrad im Mai 2018 erhalten. Der Bestellprozess war sehr einfach und die Bezahlung mit paypal unkompliziert. Intransparent wurde es, als man auf einmal noch mal extra Zoll verlangte. Über sechs Monate nach der Bestellung. Hier besteht ganz klar nachholbedarf. Der Endpreis sollte auch im Bestellungsprozess angezeigt werden.

Bei dem Fahrrad muss jedem klar sein, dass man ein Fahrrad für 400$ bekommt, aber der Reihe nach.

Der Zusammenbau ist auch für einen Laien ohne Probleme schaffbar. Mit Videos klappt das im Zeitraum von 45 Minuten. Top dafür.

Das Fahrrad hat in der Basisversion einen 250 Watt Motor. Das sind ca. 0,3 PS. Ich bin eine Person von 60 KG und auf gerade Strecke ist der Motor ausreichend. Er beschleunigt schnell und geräuscharm. Echt klasse. Auf gerader Strecke reichen die 250 Watt aus. Im Gebierge aber sieht das anders aus. Kleinere Hügel sind nicht das ganz große Problem. Aber eine Steigung ab ca. 7% führt den Motor schon stark an seine Grenzen. Da muss man schon stark trampeln. Und das bei einer leichten Person. Ich will gar nicht wissen wie das bei Person mit 115 KG Körpergewicht aussieht. Gegenwind auf gerader Strecke macht kaum Probleme und das Fahrrad hält super die Geschwindigkeit
An diesem Punkt kommen wir auch schon zum zweiten Kritikpunkt. Die Reichweite. Auf der Homepage steht etwas von 60 KM. Das ist utopisch. Realistisch ist auf relativ ebener Strecke 35 KM. Sollte es Bergauf gehen sinkt die Reichweite Richtung 20 KM.

Verarbeitung
Die Verarbeitung ist dem Preis angemessen. Die Federn vorne sind etwas ausgeschlagen, haben zu viel Spiel und müssten bei gebrauch sicherlich nach 2500 Km gewechselt werde. Die Reifen sind klasse, haben auch bei Schotter grip und sind schön breit. Klasse. Ähnlich wie auch die Bremsen. Diese sind griffig, aber müssen nach jeweils 250 KM eingestellt werden. Aber auch das ist kein Problem. Der Computer funktioniert Einwandfrei und auch das Licht vorne ist gut. Die Hupe ist gewöhnungsbedürftig und wird von anderen Verkehrsteilnehmer gerne überhört oder nicht richtig eingeordnet. Hier vlt eine Klingel anschaffen. Das mitgelieferte Ladegerät ist langsam beim Aufladen und das Aufladen dauert seine Zeit. Es kann ein besseres bestellt werden
Ein Riesenpluspunkt ist der Herausnehmbare Akku und das Zusammenklappen des Fahrrads. Der Akku lässt sich einfach entfernen und in der Wohnung laden. Sehr einfach und sicher. Durch das Klappen kann man es auch in Autos transportieren, oder aber in Zügen als Gepäckstück. Klappt einfach. Einfach in den Zug einsteigen und dann im Zug klappen. Es fehlt eine Anfahrthilfe. Ohne unterstützung macht das Fahrrad keinen Spaß.

Für wen ist das Fahrrad was?
Die Zielgruppe ist, wer jeden Tag das Fahrrad auf einer flacher Ebene nutzt. Also 15 KM zu Arbeit hin, da laden und dann wieder zurück. Dann macht das Fahrrad viel Spaß und ist ein sehr kostengünstiges Verkersmittel mit dem man nicht im Stau oder in vollen Zügen steht.
Ungeeignet ist das Fahrrad für Menschen, die gerne damit Touren im Gebierge machen. Dafür hat das Fahrrad zu wenig Power und zu wenig Reichweite. Auch für das Gelände ist das Fahrrad eher weniger geeignet.
Ich empfehle die Basisversion mit folgenden Zusatz zukaufen. Federn für den hinteren Bereich. Die fehlen meiner Variante.
Gepäckträger sollte ein Fahrrad schon haben. Das Schloss ist gut und lässt sich ideal am Fahrrad montieren. Wer plant weitere Strecken zu fahren, sollte sich für den größeren Akku und für den 350 Watt Motor entscheiden.
Von mir gibt es eine klare Kaufempfehlung und das Fahrrad würdefür den Preis von mir 5 Sterne bekommen, aber ein Stern abzug durch den intransperten Bezahlprozess

My Experience with Stark Drive Customer Service is very bad! Their e-mail responses are vague and never answering all my questions. I have received one bike with a bent rear brake disc. The Customer Service responded that because I had already put 40km on the bike it might be my own fault. After that answer they ignored my repeated questions about the subject. I probably can buy a disc somewhere, because it is a generic brand, but the trust to Stark is broken.

Even worse is the problem with a TS-488 computer. It shuts down occasionally. I also asked for a protocol of the computer and received only partial answer how to re-set an odometer, which, btw was not accurate. I am still waiting for a protocol because I wanted to be sure that the problem is in the computer itself.

I have bought two bikes - City + and Advanced with 500W motor. When we rode the bikes side by side up to the hill with my wife, she was on a weaker bike faster - effortlessly pedaling, while on the stronger one had to down shift three gears lower and to pedal with force. She is 10kg lighter than I. Also, she starts much easier than I, I have to always pedal with force to get bike going. It seems the assistance applies only after I reach a speed of 7-8 km/h.

The Bike itself is of good quality except for a cheap front fork. I like the concept and design and I can tolerate cheaper parts because of the price. (Although today they are comparable bikes for a similar price on the market) However, I have to agree with other backers who are also frustrated with the inept Customer Service! How to Starkdrive expects to survive with a such poor attitude to its customers?

Update 27.7. - after reading Starkdrive response on 23.7. I have resubmitted unanswered questions again:
I did not receive the answer to my questions until I wrote to the Trust Pilot. In Your answer you contradict yourself. In the first answer to a brake rotor problem you wrote: “To tune the brakes and fork take this to a certified bike shop as during shipping the bike can be jostled.”
In the Trust Pilot answer you wrote : “The rear disc is protected excpetionally well on transport and damage to it in transport is extremely unlikely, it is however easy to damage it while using the bike if you hit something.”
I rode the bike only on the road. You are probably right that a damage did not occur during shipping. The disc could be already bent when the bike was assembled.
But this is just a minor problem that I can correct myself.

Much more serious is the problem with TS-488 controller and the power issue. Let’s be clear : The controller shuts down itself while I am riding. The battery is full. The display goes blank and I have to push the “ON” button to re-start it. I have a little over 230km on the odometer and this shut-down happened 5 times.
I accept that the odometer cannot be re-set for warranty purposes.
The assist with a throttle has a long delay – about 3 to 5 seconds. When I twist a throttle while riding, system seems to shut down before it starts to work.

Your generic reply “The 500W motor is more powerful then the 350W however other factors such as what gear you are in, assist level, rider weight, rider ability, and terrain will also play a factor. The assist can be enabled immediately with the throttle or you need to pedal so that the sensors on the bike can detect movement and begin to assist you.” does not answer my concern. As I wrote, I bought two bikes – City+ and Advanced. I rode both and I am telling you that City+ has more power than my 500W Advanced. I compared both on roads in my neighborhood under the same conditions.

Therefore I am asking for a computer protocol, because I think that the controller somehow limits the current flow to the motor. Or. Do you have other explanation?
To be sure that both bikes are equal, I ordered another controller TS-488 for the City+ bike (order #1863) - I did not receive it yet either. Should be done in the middle of July.

Sincerely

Dusan Neumann

Two days later still no reaction from Stark Drive Customer Service except for a computer generated note.

August 27th, Strkdrive absolutely ignores my e-mails. All I receive is a computer generated response that my question will be answered pro,ptly. A real answer never comes.

Fast responses to any questions. I would and will be ordering from them.

I love the design of the bike and it feels really nice to ride it around my city. Friends that I pass by with the bike gets impressed, and it does indeed feels like a very great purchase! On the other side: When I turned on the electric power, I felt amazed that I cycled so fast that I almost got scared. But for some reason the electricity kinda stopped working on the first day riding out of nowhere. It probably isn't the company's fault but one of the manufacturers, and it feels kinda complex to ask the company for a fix, so I might go to a third party to check this up.

It is a wonderful bike -for that price ; precious. And the support has gotten a lot better, along the road ...

Vorweg: Das Bike ist m. E. für den Preis absolut ein Hingucker und läuft bei mir seit einem halben Jahr problemlos! Natürlich kann man bei der ersten Produktion/Auslieferung aus Asien überhaupt (Ich war unter den ersten 150 Bestellern!) nicht wirklich erwarten, dass alles auf die Sekunde genau läuft, aber die Kommunikation von Oscar via Homepage und Telefon war immer auf der Höhe des Geschehens.
Einige Besteller warnten schon bei der ersten Verzögerung vor unlauteren Machenschaften, Unerreichbarkeit unter der Adresse etc.
Wer sich im internationalen Warenverkehr außerhalb Europas nicht auskennt, der sollte sich nicht so schnell hinreißen lassen. Schließlich ist ein eBike unter 400 USD woanders auchgar nicht erhältlich - und dann wartet man eben gern auch etwas länger.
Ich gebe zu, wer ein termingerechtes Weihnachtsgeschenk erwartet, der kauft eben beim Versandhändler mit Riesenlagern und Vorräten und nicht bei jungen Unternehmen, die erst einmal Richtung Kostendeckung arbeiten müssen
Ich freue mich, dass die Idee des Konstrukteurs nicht nur eine Eintagsfliege wurde sondern weiter läuft und wünsche Oscar und seinen Mitarbeitern weiter viel Erfolg! Wenn ich jemandem ein günstiges und dabei absolut brauchbares Bike empfehlen darf dann dieses!

I waited over a year for my Stark bike .. It finally arrived about two weeks ago and I have to say it’s brilliant .. It far exceeds expectations . Very well made and an excellent specification ...
The year wait was very frustrating indeed as any meaningful and specific customer liaison was poor to say the least ...However , in view of the quality product now received , all this can be forgiven ...
Only negative now is that there are no instructions in respect of the electronic controls ... I’m still trying to figure a few out ..
I strongly recommend this bike as a good buy

Electric bikes brand Stark Drive are excellent!
It can be seen that the creator puts his soul into his work.
Bicycles are of good quality and are available to everyone.
I recommend to purchase!

Very happy to have received this bike here in the states. It took a longer time then i would have preferred, as it took about 5 months from when i ordered to when it was delivered. i paid 934.88 dollars in total for the bike including the delivery but the good thing was there was no taxes when it come to me. I would say that it compares to one i was looking at for about 2000 dollars when i look at the specifications. it was harder then i thought to install the front tire as the front disc rubbed while it was installed but i took it to a shop and he did the installation for me and make sure everything was working properly for 35 dollars. I even got the new battery that lets you turn off the power to the whole bike which i am very happy about after reading some of the reviews here.

my father is more excited for the new small version of stark drive bike because he will use it for boating. the communication with the company has been good although very brief and to the point with email responses only a few sentences long.

i guess this is the problem when trying to start a new company and having not many people working for you. even so, i am happy that things worked out considering all the problems they had with indiegogo and their competition which managed to cancel their project on that site. it probably was not easy to start from nothing again.

I have now had a chance to try this bike from a friend after he bought it online. the bike seems to operate very quickly and it requires no stress to use the pedals. I was in shock it was only 600 USD which is about (38000 rub), you can not even get a regular bike of good quality for this price in Russia. I will be investing in one of these bikes for myself very soon.

Я просто попробовал этот велосипед от друга, и я впечатлен. Я буду посещать сайт и заказывать его самостоятельно. это то, что нам определенно нужно здесь.

Я хочу оставить отзыв для Stark Drive. Я просто получил доставку своего велосипеда в Москву, и я должен сказать, что это самое интересное, что я когда-либо имел на велосипеде. im пожилой мужчина 68 лет, и на протяжении многих лет я не мог ездить на велосипеде из-за редутоидного артрита и других мышечных заболеваний, которые у меня есть.
электрические велосипеды здесь недоступны для меня, так как я на пенсии очень мало денег. это был частичный подарок от моего внука и сына. с их помощью я смог позволить себе этот электрический велосипед. самая лучшая часть заключается в том, что, поскольку в России не было налога на импорт в 1000 долларов, у меня не было налога на импорт в России, сумма, которую я заплатил, составляла 599 долларов США. Оскар (или кто-то из «Старк-драйв») связался со мной, прежде чем отправить велосипед, чтобы сообщить мне, что я был первым человеком в России, который получил электрический велосипед от компании. Я живу за пределами Москвы, и это помогает мне продолжать действовать. тропы здесь в основном без холмов, но с помощью педали я могу проехать 30 км в день. Большое вам спасибо за то, что вы сделали электрические велосипеды доступными.

I’m sick and tired of tactics of Stark drive to irritate negative reviewer by asking same questions over and over again through Trustpilot. I highly doubt that they are doing same for positive reviewers if indeed they are real legitimate reviewers. I provided order number, my name and email and not once received any query from them. What they are doing is to discredit my negative review and only allowing positive reviews. Now I truly believe they are very unethical. Hope they spend their energy to address problems for customer rather than paying attention to negative reviews. When you start caring your customer, negative reviews will fade away. Maybe it’s too easy to ignore common sense.