Enduro21 catches up with Stark Racing Director, Sebastien Tortelli after the historic FIM SuperEnduro World Championship title to find out what’s next – spoiler alert, it turns out the answer is EnduroGP and Hard Enduro.

There’s a lot going on with Stark right now. Winning the SuperEnduro World Championship manufacturer’s award ahead of KTM, ticking off Superpole fastest time and overall podiums along the way. Plus acceptance (finally) by the burgers of Erzberg they have sanction to take on the Iron Giant and this week’s announcement electric bikes will race in the EnduroGP World Championship.

On top fop that the statement they will race “four out of five world championships” in 2026 points to the FIM Hard Enduro series.

While the result from the 2026 SuperEnduro season might be a world title, along with the above news about EGP and HEWC, but perhaps the biggest prize is surely acceptance from within the world of enduro that Stark and electric motorcycles are now part of the gang.

You cannot knock their commitment and diplomacy at working with, not against their detractors and institutions like the FIM and the AMA to find solutions to be able to be in the paddocks at the highest levels of motorcycle off-road racing.

Enduro21 caught five with the Director of Stark Racing, Sebastien Tortelli, in a long-ranging conversation touches on their plans for EnduroGP, bike evolution, the value of Erzberg, saying it without saying they will race Hard Enduro and why making more noise is the route to the competing in AMA and GNCC.

The truth is this interview was longer than five minutes. You can listen to it on Soundcloud: 

It’s been a long time coming, a long journey with a lot of hurdles but an FIM World Championship must feel pretty good?

Sebastien Tortelli: “Well, we work always towards an end goal and winning a world championship was always that goal. I was expecting a big step this year in SuperEnduro but it happened faster than I expected, honestly.

“Eddie has been great and made great improvements this year getting onto the podiums and with a Superpole fastest time at the last round. It wasn’t easy last season being alone but he has worked hard.

“But also, Toby because basically he's the one who made the difference in this championship. It's really the work of the team to get this title but what I like is we took somebody who was not there, really, and we brought him in and he almost won a moto this year which also showed the ability of the bike at the same time.

“It's amazing for the team and it's amazing how we did it but also because two and a half years ago we were denied entering this championship with Taddy. This year we took a championship at the same location in Northern France. So it's kind of ironic we did it there but we did the loop and that's what’s amazing. Now we have to keep pushing forward if we want to do better next year.”

Recap some of the biggest hurdles you’ve had to overcome to even just be at the races due to the situation you found yourselves in two seasons ago.

“The big thing is it shook everybody up a little bit and I think we took everybody by surprise. The rules were made [before Stark existed] where any electric bike could race SuperEnduro. I imagine it was done at that time because KTM went with their Freeride one time and also Alta, so they made the rules.

“And suddenly overnight they changed and that was the bug hurdle for us because we were able to do it, other companies did it, but we were not authorised to do it ourselves. For what reason? Well, you know, it’s still not clear.

“And so it took some time and some work and we did the due diligence with the FIM. We showed we were transparent about all we were doing. They came to the factory and saw that we were not a joke and the bikes were in a real manufacturing base going through a CE homologation which is a high standard that they do actually for motorcycles for automotive certification.

“So all this lead into some tests and we were able to make the rules to be able to do it the second year. This was a big step for us because we are a dirt bike manufacturer and a lot of identification comes from racing so it was normal and very important that we wanted to race with the product.

“SuperEnduro was the first world championship that we could attend so that was really good progress. We made progress also with some National Federations in France and the ACU in the UK who were the two black sheep at the head of the group which is what made us move forward and open the eyes to people.

“And then today if you look into off-road racing, we are well accepted because of these hurdles. So it was not an easy one but it was well worth it and the highlight of it is being integrated as one of the manufacturers which is very important for everybody but  personally it's a big stepping stone that we cannot take back.”

For all those hurdles, SuperEnduro has been the trail blazer sport in many ways for Stark, the first world championship the FIM gave permission for you to race in and now your first title – why did you go with this sport first and has it been worth the effort?

“At the beginning it was more something that we could obtain because it's a controlled environment, it’s easy to see for spectators, the races are short and I think it was a great fit for us.

“We didn't try to go to MXGP or something we cannot do. We tried to go in places where we can compete and I think it was an easy way, not that SuperEnduro is easy, but technology-wise it's more easy in a control environment with short races like Arenacross, like Supercross and SuperEnduro.

“We’re not going to try and race Le Touquet for example, it’s not possible for us to do it and we are transparent about that. We will get there someday but we know that is one of the toughest races and we don't think it's the time to show up to these races yet.

“There is a time for everything and I think as we evolve as a brand we will do more championships, we'll get better at it and I think we will enter championships where we think our place is there and that's the main idea, we won’t go to go crazy on something that is up there and the goal is not possible.

“We want to be competitive and to be mixed with conventional bikes – you know I'm not allowed actually as the race team manager, to go into any racing event with only electric bikes, it's the golden rule here. So I will enter the championships that I think is good for the brand, a good image and where we are capable of being right there at the top.

“Last year we did two championships and this year we're going to probably do four out of five.”

Which leads us to EnduroGP – we think it's correct to say that you'll be there this year?

“Well, actually we are doing some things today, right now as we speak but I think the news will come out next week. Then you will learn more about this when we go live.”

Editor’s note: this interview was conducted just a few days ahead of the announcement that electric motorcycles will be allowed in EnduroGP so Seb’s answered questions more broadly about how it will work for them to race in EGP – read more on that here:  Electric Bikes To Race 2026 FIM EnduroGP World Championship

“EnduroGP is a new challenge and a serious challenge. I think it can only be taken by the factory because it demands a lot of effort. We are partnering up with OxMoto, a French team who are already racing in the World and French Enduro Championships for many years but in 2025 with our bike in France. They will be the main structure so it's a full factory team with agreement with OxMoto.

“They will have full factory support meaning we have engineers going to the races to help and work with them, testing is done here in Spain so let’s say it's not a full factory team but it's kind of a full factory team.”

Obviously an EnduroGP racing day is long, can be seven hours or more, how will it work for the team and the bike at the races?

“Yeah, they are long days, but we are allowed to change battery at the service area before entering the special tests. So, we will manage that with agreement over the rules. This year is the first test really, everything came late so we had a very short amount of time putting everything together, getting the rules right to be able to participate and not be penalised, it was quite a bit of discussion.

“But in the end the promoter and the FIM were on board for it and last year maybe everyone saw us in Germany we did a test with the marshall to find out how it would work and we took that in consideration to be able to make the programme.

“The line-up of racers is a little bit different, we're gonna bring new blood in because we were late to make these plans also and let's say it's a compromise for the first year and then we'll see where we go but the idea is to be there, to learn from it and then hopefully next year we can be stronger.”

After talking with the EnduroGP promoters last year we know they were keen to have you onboard…

“I think they’re very keen for different reasons but one thing is the 125 class or the Junior class they can ride the Stark on a restricted licence with no problem because our bike is licenced even for young license holders. I think it takes a lot of liability away from the promoter to have bikes that are legal and we can provide something that is legal and makes everybody happy.

“In the future we are not the only manufacturer who do electric and I think that would motivate more people to come also and make it more eco-friendly.

“Everybody is revisiting their race format also so maybe we're in a time where people are looking at how they can improve TV coverage, or improve spectator viewing to get the event bigger.

“All this is changing at the same time as we are coming into the game and I think all together we can make help more people who love the sport, even if it's motocross or Supercross or Enduro or Hard Enduro. I think all this makes people excited about looking at the racing and if we can make it easier to look at it I think we will create a better product for everybody. The public will be happy, the manufacturers will be happy, riders will be happy.”

We will also see you at Erzbergrodeo, finally, after they changed their minds. It’s an event where you have a level playing field and is less about ‘can an electric motorcycle compete’, more about ‘can the rider compete?’

“Actually, I think maybe I will do my first Erzberg as well as the team. A lot of the guys are saying, ‘you should do it’, and I am like, ‘why not? I’ve never done it’. So I will give the prologue a try. It is a cool and amazing event and a big one so it makes sense to go there. I did Gotland Grand National last year and loved it so it will be fun.

“But for Stark to opportunity to have Stark riders from every level race at Erzberg is a big step for the future. It’s not only the Pro team but it’s open to everybody and for us that’s a major difference and that’s why it makes sense for us to also be there. The end goal is for our customers to race anywhere they want and we have some countries where it's slightly more difficult but step by step we're getting there.”

Winning the SuperEnduro world championship it is positive thing for a manufacturer but we know that in enduro you've had a lot of kickback, by going to Romaniacs last year, Erzberg this year and now EnduroGP, what are you saying about yourselves?

“I mean the goal is to be bold and be at different events to show what we are capable of.  Those are the steps that I'm working on and the team is working on to be able to show that we can be there.

“But that's not where we stop actually our goal is also all our customers to have the choice that if they want to do it they can do it. It works in two hands for me: if somebody signs up today for SuperEnduro they will be able to enter and that's a big plus for us.

“All this is to open the doors and we are young company that is paving the road for many years to come.

“We are the first ones to get there with electric and that's why it's tough. We took the challenge and today we are very successful with it but we want to make it a choice if you want to go out there this weekend and ride with an election bike, you can. We don’t want it to be the case of ‘no, I cannot ride’ or ‘I can only go ride electric class because it's only electric allowed’.

“What we want to do is be one of the manufacturers and then when you get there basically you have the choice. If you are someone with a four-stroke or a two-stroke in your garage you can say maybe today I'm gonna ride my two-stroke, maybe today I’m gonna ride my four-stroke.

“That's the beauty of it, we are trying to pave the road for people to have the choice and that's important.”

Is competing in all these sports helping develop the EX Enduro model?

“Racing at the highest level is always big feedback. The couple percentage of people who can race at the highest-level test at a high level too. We have people riding every week on our bikes doing the endurance testing to make sure everything is good, testing the wear and tear of parts. But when you go to the high-level racing like the world championship, you are taking everything to the next level.

“So, the testing that you did with the endurance people steps way above to the high level and push parts and see really where failure can happen. That's why it's important also to race because on top of racing, you’re doing R&D and then you get new parts developed.

“If you look at our bike today you would think three years ago and now the bike looks the same but the bike is completely different. We evaluate inverters, we evaluate microchips, we evaluate all that is inside and changing a lot every year.

“From the outside we want to make sure the guy who bought the bike three years ago doesn't feel like his bike is three years old, that it still looks the same. That's important that even if the inside components are different, from the first look you don't see that and it's only when you ride it that you feel the difference of performance.

“That's something that we are changing from the normal because it's not what people are used to. They see a different sticker kit on the bike this year, a different shape of plastic the next and we are trying to make it where it's more you know the same stream of development but with evolution that you don't see with the naked eye.”

And that includes changes in battery development?

“Yeah, for sure. Last year we went from 6.6 kW to 7.2 kW and this year we made progress where when we still are 7.2 picture kilowatts, but the heating process of the cells is completely different which make the bike last longer and more powerful so there's a steady graph that says every year the battery gains around 7% performance.

“This year we were using the same technology in World Supercross that we are bringing to the market and that's the process  even if it's not seen from the outside. It’s not always every month but every year there is evolution that comes into play because this industry is moving so fast and technology is growing fast.

“We actually evaluate as we go and that's not something we always tell people but we're always working on it to make it more efficient, more tuneable, more accessible to people. We went from the first one where with the first phone where you could only go from 10 horsepower to 80 horsepower and engine brake the same but today we have the same format but you can actually customise your own power curve and braking curve. This is the evolution that we give our customers and we try to give also to customers who bought the bikes a couple years ago.”

This year we are doing the process to be certificated by AMA so it will open up for the amateurs

The AMA and racing in major US series is still a problem for you, can you see a time when Stark will be in a GNCC race for example?

“I hope so. It's getting closer. This year the amateur rider can get a bike license so that  means they are accepted by the rules which is we went through with them. Every year you need to get the bikes certified and this year is the first year that we are doing the process to be certificated by AMA so it will open up for the amateurs and that's the first step.

“We're getting closer to being homologated for Pro racing but you start by homologating for the amateur then you make your proof and show that everything is going well then you can go to the next step.

“It’s taking a long time but It's also our work to try to make it possible and I think they want to see more evolution in the way that’s different from what the FIM required but we're working on that to make it the way they like to do it.”

…so the other way around to Europe where you went Pro racing first?

“Yeah, exactly. It's a little bit different. We have to go by the amateur to be able to go Pro. It's a different way we around.

“Last year we did TKO for example where Eddie was able to take part because they had an electric class but the three fastest qualifiers were fast enough to qualify for the main event which was with mixed bikes.

“So there are avenues to start participating and we are getting more knowledge of how to work with the system and the more people see the bike the better it's going to be.

“They still need one big requirement which is noise and that's one of the main requirement that AMA is asking for we're on the way to make it happen. I think that will simplify more things when this happens.”

“People feel you need to have a certain decibel level to be heard, so it's a little bit in reverse. I think it's like Moto GP where you don't have any limitation but when you go in the street with a bike you have limitations and it would be the same for us meaning that if you're in your backyard you can turn off the sound but when you go to an official race you to push the button and make some noise so everybody can hear you.

“It's like I said, you cannot change the everything at the same time. Everything takes time and we need to go through the hurdles and understand what is needed to be able to move forward.

“That's what we've been doing the last few years and we made good progress but I think personally speaking for myself we'll be racing in AMA before we go to MXGP.”

What's the what's the problem in MXGP?

“We have to be accepted by MSMA (manufacturer’s association) and we are not so it takes a little bit more time to get there I guess and create a platform to be accepted and then we'll see where the racing goes at that time.

“That was really clear last year when they made an announcement there would be a E Class that Stark factory will not participate. That's really the still the aim of our of our company and even if it's not a class we will participate, I think we will gain knowledge that is interesting. I know last year we not participating in the rules application for this class even though we are the number one electric motorcycle.”

Would one route into MXGP and motocross racing be via kids bikes and junior bikes then?

“I don’t know. I think there's a big space to be taken in 85 and 65 I think for electric that platform is missing.

“KTM did a great job with the 50 but between the 50 and next level bikes there's a big gap and we see a lot of kids getting away from our sport because they like the electric, they're used to electric scooters, they go on the 50 and they're comfortable and then in the US you have the Cobra 65 but after that you have a big gap and we lose a lot of kids in that period.

“So it's important to make that bridge for the sport because I mean if kids like it and are racing and having fun with it we need to keep them in the sport.

“Electric has been doing that with the kids and we need try to move forward. Even if there's not a big super big quantity of motorcycles being sold for that age it's a bridge that is necessary for the future of the sport.  

“We we will get there with the lower classes but it's like everything it takes a little more time and you need to be bigger in it to be stronger to be able to accept that you know you are making a transition and not you know making the money that is needed to have a functional platform. So right now developing the platform is one way and seeing what we can do with the platform to be able to make it viable and make it good. This doesn't happen overnight because on that particular power range you don't have so many platforms.”

Obviously the SuperEnduro season was successful but next season you surely have higher expectations?

“Yes we want to improve and do better but Billy and Jonny Walker and the Brightmore brothers, all the English guys are really, really strong so it's tough competition I mean it's really tough competition but Eddie did good progress from last year to fourth on the podium so it was a good push. Toby came a long way from the beginning of the championship to the end. He’s still, I would say very “trial” still but there's a lot of good work to be done with him in the winter to get him to the next steps and I think that's really possible.

“So far everything looks good for us and definitely we want to compete next year and try to do better, that's always the goal. Until you reach the top of all the championship you always have work to do.”

So, both Eddie and Toby will do some Hard Enduro races this year then?

“Yeah, we will announce it as some point soon but these guys are not going to sit around on the bench they're going to be racing until next winter, there's more world championships on the horizon.”

Hard Enduro World Championship?

“There's a possibility, [laughs]. Everything on time!”

 

Photo Credit: Stark Future + Enduro21