What owners do with it
Real-world range33 owners said
30 to 50 mi52%
Over 50 mi24%
15 to 30 mi21%
Under 15 mi3%
Who rides it7 owners said
Adult 180 lb+86%
Adult under 180 lb14%
Where it is ridden78 owners said
Trails and woods78%
Streets10%
Motocross track9%
Own land or yard3%
Stock or modified21 owners said
Upgraded parts52%
Stock48%
Specs
Performance
- Peak power
- 59.7 kW 80 hp.
- Battery
- 7.2 kWh
- Range (maker)
- Up to 6 hours of riding
Size and rider
- Weight
- 264 lb
- Street legal
- Yes: homologated in the US (Class M license, 16+)
- Maker price
- $13,040
Prices
197 owner reviews
As a person who own a Stark Varg EX supermoto conversion thing I feel you should know, there is a break in "oil" change after the first 40 hours. Also there is "engine braking" or regen braking and it helps alot at least for me I would try messing around with that and also there is crawl mode if you hold the up button on the gear selector it puts a yellow light on that means your in Crawl mode. Last there is a bunch of custom stuff you can do to starks but you really have to research for them. I personally use Warp 9 wheels and titanium bolts, CMT Compositi Carbon Fiber parts, and a whole bunch of others. Loved the video keep it up and good luck keep the front wheel down. <3
Definitely the best bike I have ever road and owned
Not worth it at all. The kooz hp127e venom will destroy the stark
Hmmmm… more range but either way I’m in.
Best bike ever! I Bought it last year, a lot of hour on it. For me the only issue is that I guess for weight reduction the screws and some part sucks. In hard enduro I already pierced the right side cover and broke multiple screws when maintaining. But, you can order straight from their website, everything come fast so in that regards it's a quality (like you can rebuild your entire stark from the website). Maybe some people will insult me but listen, electric bike IS the future, every tracks in my country is getting shutdown due to noise and various reason, in the meanwhile I'm riding my stark in the forest and nobody tell me smt. (yes I do not speak english natively so there is a lot of mistake).
This is exactly what happened to me when I rode one. Set at 30hp, the smooth torque was perfect for technical single track and hill climbs with plenty enough power, acting like a 300 2 stroke. The engine braking was like a 450 4 stroke, so brake inputs were minimal and just for finesse. At 60 hp on straightaways it was face melting. The ergo triangle was perfect bone stock for my 5’10” frame. Same KYB suspension as a YZ450, so infinitely tunable. 30hp in the mountains got us just over 50 miles. Expect opens terrain and higher speeds to yield 30. It rides just like any 300 or 350 (depending on your custom settings) but you can use the power control and engine braking like a rear trailer brake to aid in turning. I didn’t want to love it, but I think I’ll be out $13,000 soon.
Hi, yes it definitely did for this type of riding
I got the stark Varg ex with 5,500 miles and no issues lol but great video
I get about 2 to 3 hours on my bike but if I bring my generator I can get 4 to 6 hours on it easy when you stop and have lunch just charge it and you're good to go it gets really good range in the woods and on hard pack desert Trails but if you take it to the track where it's relatively sticky the range goes down a lot especially because you're on the gas a lot more on the track but me bringing my generator solves that problem
stark varg supermoto would be a MOST excellent commuter.
Now that they've added traction control obstacles are so easy to overcome. It's actually kind of insane.
How old are you / what is your pace? I found my dad can consistently get a little over 40 miles out of this bike. The pace is an important factor. I'm riding A XC pace. Going slower extends the range quite a bit!
I just bought mine with the medium suspension and raced it yeah in VA. Glad I got the medium and not the hard
The Stark front brake is basically how my 2008 KTM brembo brake works so it must be the older version. Some people say they're better. 🤷
I love my stark varg EX, both enduro and SM setup. I also love my 690 SMCR - But this review is so biased, it's crazy. For proper SM riding, my stark is light years ahead of the KTM, if you know how to ride it and adjust it (seems like you only know how to work on suspension, on the bike youre biased towards). For road riding, more than 50 miles, i ALWAYS take my KTM, as thats the only thing its better at.
I do agree after owning the varg ex for one year that in the very hard stuff like over rocks and logs the varg is second place to my xcw🇺🇸
I used the walk mode for loading it up, but I didn't think it was strong enough to hold the bike on a hill. But I never tried it, so you might be right :)
Mine did. They work very well despite looking like they came from CHIPS bikes. They're big, round, and stick out quite far.
Fun fact: After getting more and more used to the bike the range will grow big time in Enduro/MX. With an ICE you do a lott of effort to keep the motor happy and in it's powerband. Subconciously you take that technique to the Stark and you will just waste both your and the bikes energy. Also uphill new Stark riders tend to modulate power with the rear brake, something i saw @KRANKiT do as well. That consumes huge amounts of power. I've been on the same ride doing the same tracks with my MX 1.0 and a new Stark rider on his EX (with bigger battery) where i used 40% he over 60%.
I currently own a 2022 ktm 690 and a stark varg EX. Best of both worlds. Most Range and best sound: ktm Most fun: stark absolutely hands down. I end up riding my stark for 90% of the time. When the stark SM gets updated thru the years I see myself selling the 690 for another stark. The stark is a head turner indeed. 80hp on a 120kg bike is absolutely insane. Everyone who knows this bike has huge respect for it. I’m not a racer nor a professional enduro guy, so I don push the bike to their limits. Just for day to day use the stark is my go-to bike. Does not need to warmup, no expensive maintenance, just hopup and blast away. In enduro-hating belgium,being silent is a big plus. I ride mountainbike trails regularly without being yelled at once. After a while I do miss the feeling of a perfect downshift, and the sound of a monocilinder, that’s where the 690 comes in 🎉
The first thing that comes to mind is ''Told you so!'' I own a Stark MX 1.0 for 2.5 years now and the only reason i'm selling it is because i bought an EX 2 months ago. I have it next to my Beta 300 2 stroke and there a not a lott of times i prefer the 2 stroke. It's so much more relaxed, especially in Hard Enduro. You ride longer with way less frustration. It also crashes really well. I've just spend 9 days in Pascuet Hard Enduro terrain and crashed it as much as anybody. Still i only managed to break a taillight while the other snapped or bend more parts than you can imagine. Sure it has some flaws and errors and my MX 1.0 had pretty much all ''child diseases''. But their warranty covered everything. I would love to get rid of the phone. Sure it works a multitude better than on the MX, but still often lags. Also it's just annoying to have to take it out all the time when parking somewhere (did you know MX trousers come without pockets!?). I'm now on my free trial off the subscription. The playing with maps is nice, but not nice enough to have a subscription for me. Would it have cost €100-€200? Sure i would have bought it in a heartbeat.
One of the best Stark review videos I have ever seen. I found myself agreeing out loud with every comment that you made. I have to admit, the clickbait of the title made me watch it and I was ready to blast you in the comments..until I got to the end. Every "electric" hater that ever talked shit on my EX, immediately wanted to ride it when I offered it to them. And then afterwards, they were completely blown away and trying to crunch numbers to see how they could fit one into their budget. I feel more confident, can ride faster, climb hills that I have never made it up on my Beta X-trainer, and make it over obstacles that would normally challenge me. And as long as I don't drop it multiple times during the ride, I am less fatigued at the end. I would say the the only downfall is the weight. But it only matters when you have to pick it up when it's horizontal. When you are vertical, it feels light as a feather. The 80 HP is definitely a party trick. But it's like carrying a gun. You only need it when you need it. And it's nice to have. I ride in 30 HP the majority of the time. With the occasional click into 45 HP for a hillclimb. 80 HP is unusable in the woods. But slap on a set of supermotos for the street and be prepared to lose your license. The very first night I took it out with the 17" Warp 9 supermotos, I got pulled over at the end of the night. Ended up Bullshitting with the cop for 15 minutes and he was really just more interested in the bike rather than giving me a ticket. Absolutely zero buyers remorse and worth every penny. I almost want to buy the SM version so I don't have to keep swapping wheels out. It's that good that I want 2 of them. Will I ever sell my gas bikes? Hell no. This bike has its place. 40 miles of range is not enough to go on a long street ride. But its plenty to do our 15 mile hard enduro loop that takes almost 5 hours. And after that Im spent, but the Stark has plenty left in the "tank". So for me, it works. Will it work for every use case? No. But that's what you don't wear dress shoes to the beach. You need dress shoes, sneakers and flip flops. A shoe for every occasion. But I find myself choosing the Stark over the other bikes more often just because it's so goddamn fun. Great video. You earned a new subscriber tonight.
I love my Varg EX.. Put Anakee wilds on it, changed the 1st sprocket to 14 tooth, it does 100Mph, crazy acceleration. love it
I have 250Hrs and 8K Km on my Varg EX and i really love it.. 0 Problems, just pure joy.. Would never swap it for a gas bike.. It goes 155Km/h with the 14 Tooth in the front and the acceleration is stupid :D I have the subscription and I love it for the Power curves.. I just use the power curves, but i set it perfectly, so i will keep on paying for it :D. If you need "park mode" just put it in crawl mode when on a hill, it blocks the reverse movement..👍
I wasn't fully aware my bike had regen til afterwards Sunday so with some adjustments and a charge at lunchtime I should get a little more range
Yup, I have one. Pretty cool and different to ride !!
Exactly what he says in 20:20 tho its heavy, once you get used to it you learn to take advantage of its features like crawl and reverse to get you out of trouble. I just rode mine last Saturday some enduro riding and crazy hill climbing and got 2.5 hours and 14.5 miles and only used 50% battery and i am a big boy😂. Really happy with the bike no regrets
I have a Stark EX. Most fun bike I've ever ridden. Great 2yr warranty from Stark. I tell people not to ride it unless they're ready to want one too. I also tell people it's complimentary and not a replacement--- at this point. Once they can get energy density close to 400Wh/Kg it could likely finish a 2hr hare scramble at A-level speed. They are partnering with EVE Energy for their next-gen battery, which is reported to be 330Wh/Kg versus their current ~265. Overall - if you have the cash and want, it's a no brainer.
I have two enduro bikes one is the Stark EX and the other KTM 300 TBI. The KTM have not been used for 6 month and collecting dust in the garage… I do hard enduro and I can do double blip effect without the clutch no problem and actually I feel a better pilot on the Stark than the KTM.
Got to do a hard enduro day in TN on one. It really is that good, but.... I want a swappable battery, a swappable flywheel (different weights), and an actual clutch. I think this is totally doable being the E trials bikes have this. Larsen did a good breakdown on this with a simulated clutch. As a stunter, 2 staggered left levers is even doable as long as the pull isn't insane. I also think once solid state batteries get more mainstream that the weight will be further cut down. It's an awesome bike, but I'm gonna wait a bit to see where the market goes with the electric stuff.
Im an EX owner for over a year now. For what I want out of an enduro, it ticks every box. Only 2 things really let it down. 1. Lock feature. It fails more than it works. You can spend 30 minutes unlocking it again. 2. Subscription. I ordered AND received mine a month before Stark made it public that there was one. The only thing that should be behind a paywall is the Sat nav (and as the phone is just that, you can download and use free sat nav anyway). Everything else is already on the bike, and should be available. Starks argument for data cost is silly, the only reason for them using/ needing data is for everything they promised in the beginning that they have yet to deliver.
Ex owner here, the only downside of the bike is range, you can ride 65 to 70km enduro slow pace.. after that you need a massive metal thing with the charger inside and power
I've owned both the Surron Ultra Bee and the Stark Varg. If you just ride trails, the Surron Ultra Bee is better and half the price. If you just ride motocross, though, the Stark Varg is better.
I've had mine for a few months, absolutely love it. havent delved into the advanced power modes yet.
it'll be a long time before they suit me, ridden one, range is nowhere for my type of riding - couple of hours maximum and then a shitty walk home, future my arse
2 strokes are no good in 2026 as the police will be called if you ride them near anyone. Also they need rebuilds after 30 40 hours. I have just hit 200 hours on my varg and all i have done is af#djust the chain, changed the oil and put a new rear tyre on. I can ride it anywhere i want so my hometown is an enduro circuit. I couldnt get away with that on a 2 stroke
I placed the order on the 2nd day the Varg Ex came out. I ride it since a year 100hours 3200km . Had a ton of issues my battery was swapped right in the first two months-but the problem was the VCU -which was swapped as well . In the meantime also the drive train is swapped. I had all issues you could imagine. But I sold my gas bike . Riding the Stark off-road is like cheating compared to a gas bike. Wherever you stop in a challenging steep section- you can just continue without charging gearing. Mileage is always something to look out for. My riding is kind of dual sport-and the 80 HP is only on asphalt „usable“ but funny when chasing roadbikes 😅. I ride the Pirelli Rallycross which is on road rideable. When swapping from a gas bike to the Stark, be careful not to whiskey throttle as you do not have a clutch. The rear brake can’t stop the gas in my experience. Also the emergency stop is not as fast as a typical kill switch. So after one year, the battery is no long like it was new, but that is expected- probably 85% -would be nice to know it but I still can ride off-road longer than my physical fitness lasts. For wheelies there is nothing comparable-everytime everywhere. Currently I can’t wait for the next weekend riding again
@ThomasSouthilloh I have, a friend has one, that's what I meant by lots of different bikes. It's great, ridiculously fast! But it's just not a 2 stroke and for me that is bikes 👍
I just did 25 miles of slow Enduro riding and used 40% of my battery. Ride time was 2 hours and 15 minutes
got first bike 1972 - owned 12+ Mc - Been riding electric MC 4 yrs - Way more Fun - Easy to ride - Always on powerband - Dial a slide - no shift /clutch - Huge torque - Never stalls - Quiet -No Viberation Range 3to 4 hours = more than me - Go for it - look my channel to see me on electric MC
Would be nice to be out in the woods not worrying about kicking It over with muddy boots. And chances are I'm not going more than 40 miles in the woods. Without taking a couple hour break anyways
Compré una la usé solo 5 horas !!!! , ahora estoy hace más de dos meses esperando cambio de powertrain y batería!!! Un desastre !!! 35 años corriendo motocross , jamás estuve tanto tiempo sin poder usar una moto !! No la recomendaría
Well done, I like your style. Less flash & more substance. I have to admit, I overlooked the Ultra Bee when shopping. I love everything about my Stark Varg EX except the weight. If I fall on a hill, I feel every extra pound. Other than that, parts, if needed come in 3 business days. It’s also wonderful to have a 2 year warranty. BTW, I’ve had no issues that sidelined the bike in my year+ of ownership. Unfortunately I paid more than twice the MSRP of the Ultra Bee, but after your mods, they are getting closer in price, and mine is street legal. The Varg needed no extra parts or mods to hit the trail running. I have both a KTM 300 2-stroke & KTM 500 4-stroke and they are gathering a little dust. I only pull one of them out when the trails are more than 30+ miles.
I switched from my 350 EXC to a Stark and have never been riding as often as now. Why? Because people in Germany HATE offroad riding. They always have been hating it, even 20 years ago. But at this time not everyone had a smartphone with a 500 megapixel cam in the pocket. As I do not have a closed enduro track in the near I drove less, because every time you are driving people offend you. For me it takes the fun out of it. With electric bike they are still not amused if you are driving over trees etc. but they often dont notice me. :D Thank you for your videos, I am working hard on techniques and really like your content. Would be happy to see some more videos of the Stark, continue to get well soon. As mentioned the bike for me is very good. Of course it is not perfect. But as a hobby driver primarly you benefit from the missing noise. I guess in the US the people are not that that sensitive. ;)
Our supermoto school got this bike late last season. Added supermoto slicks. We wait in line to ride it. It is that good. We opted for the hand brake, no foot brake (we are not in north America).
Seems like it’s the real deal. What I can’t get over is lifting the front wheel at a stand still or very slow pace without the clutch, I wonder how to overcome this with just the throttle. Seems like for sm though this will shit all over a 450. The lack of maintenance, the power and torque and ability to dial in engine braking would be a game changer. As for the enduro I think I’ll wait until they get a bit lighter and the battery gets better range. But I’m very interested. Will have to ride one to see how to manevoir it in real slow tight situations.
@cyclenews I service mine myself and have only needed to change the oil 4 times and adjust the chain in 2000 miles. Its cost me about £30. I suppose i should get the shocks redone but they feel fine.
you dont need the subscription unless you want to race in race series. You get a free data sim that gives you free broadband. I often use the internet while riding in the woods on a break and it costs nothing. ive done 2000 miles and its cost me about £30 in oil and bolts ive lost. This bike is stupidly cheap to use after you buy it. My original tyres still have over half their knobblies.
I done 60 miles switching between 60hp on road and 30hp in woods and still had 40% battery left when I go full 80hp on road you can see that it drains well faster tho
I've had a Varg for a couple years and it's a lot of fun (I've been riding dirtbikes for 44 years). I grab it over my ICE dirtbikes/ATVs for any ride that the range is long enough. The faster the trails, the less the range, but most days, it's a combination of fast, flowy 50" trails and slow, gnarly mountain single track and I get about 50 miles of range ride after ride. And this is with the smaller, original 6.5kWh battery.
Subscription is only for some things you don't really need. I'm with you in that I'll never pay a subscription for a dirtbike, motorcycle, pickup, etc. ever. Have had a Varg for a couple years and it's a lot of fun (I've been riding dirtbikes for 44 years). Not a replacement for ICE bikes, but I find I grab it for any ride that the range is long enough. The faster the trails, the less the range, but most days, it's a combination of fast 50" trails and slow, gnarly mountain single track and I get about 50 miles of range.
Awesome bike. I leave mine on 60hp at all times with no issues, you can still easily walk it up a bike ramp. I prefer zero regen to carry more speed and improve range. Drilling big holes in the bottom of the “airbox” improves cooling and keeps the fan off more, increasing efficiency. I’m running 15/42 to improve rideability, reduce wheelspin, lengthen the torque and increase range. Stock Pirrelli’s are surprisingly good and the suspension is good enough to run until the first maintenance. Put on flex bars and a horn. I quit loading the generator and it’s a goal to empty the battery in a day 😅
Great review, I consistently get 50-60 miles, with 10-15% left. Technical trail riding. But that also is properly tuned with the subscription. For dual sport I have a lightweight set of 18/21 wheelset. With shinko trials tires. Balanced. When I say lightweight…..I mean LIGHT! Adds roughly 10-15% additional dual sport range. Highway speeds kill the range. The sweet spot is backroads, 30-50mph. Using the paid subscription, I have my EX tuned to equal my 501 and bottom end of my 300. You can equal a tuned and uncorked 501 using 40hp and then detuning the top end toque. Surprisingly the lowered top end torque relay adds range, really adds the precision to throttle control. Especially for downhill balance wheelies, modulating throttle slower and easier while over backwards. The only times I had felt the lower high end torque was a detriment would be soft sands long extreme climbs, was never an issue. When I could go to my power map instantly. 😎. Don’t forget, I charge my EX at night. Off peak. It’s <.50¢ for a full charge. If,so charge it during the day 240v form a solar charged inverter. For free. But that free cost me $1600. 😜😂 Recharging at base camp quietly is awesome.
I got the 60HP for that same reason, and it's still too much for my for anything but straight roads 🙂
I got the 80HP version too.. But it would only be usable if they made Traction control or if you change the gearing to go 160Mph, then you could set it to 80HP i guess.. 150Hrs, 4K miles done, 0 problems..
I would second that, however I bought the EX with the intention of using a 2nd set of rims with street tires, and with street tires, 80 hp is a lot of fun and very useable. Off road, I keep it at 60hp most of the time, regardless what kind of trail riding I'm doing
I have the alpha and I would recommend not wasting your money on it. nobody can use that much power. I like 35 hp on track, 25 in trails.
I’ve got 90 hours on my EX and it’s the best dirt bike I’ve owned. I own a 24 TE 300 and FE 350, both getting much less use now. Not getting rid of them, still dig on ICE bikes. But the Varg? Way more fun to ride. Completely agree on the 80 hp (Alpha is such a great marketing term; nobody will not buy that) being a complete waste of money. I have it, used that level maybe 4 times, great for a thrill but of little value. I ride with 45 hp with variety of regen levels mostly in slow wooded single track, which is where this tech shines. I get plenty of range and can ride all day - I typically charge during lunch but even that isn’t really needed for my scenario. Oh, and I do subscribe (mainly to support Stark) but don’t use any of the advanced features as I don’t find them needed for what I do, the stock power curves work great. Subscription isn’t needed to enjoy the bike.
I’ve owned my Stark MX since they hit the market and have zero regrets after multiple years of ownership. I’ve never paid a dime for a subscription because you don’t need it, it was a later software addition that only showed up after development of the Gen2 bikes. All you really get is being able to mess with the actual power curve and I can control that fine with my right wrist. You can still set the 5 switchable power and regen modes without it. You can still ride the bike as normal without it. You can still track your rides via various free apps without it.
The lack of maintenance is another factor. Also, I think you said you borrowed this one but you can unbolt the charger from the stand and just use the charger. You can upgrade to 80hp after you buy. I have a bunch of hours on my EX with 80hp. 80 is pretty dumb and great. Totally not worth it unless it is for you. The thing I tell people before they ride away is “the bike won’t stall but you might” - a very interesting thing to ride and genuinely fun. I’ve been practicing my pivot turns and it is manageable. Also the left hand rear brake is awesome but I did upgrade the master to make it a bit more powerful.
@thomasmcelroy5785Oh, trust me I was pissed when I found out, especially as they never mentioned it before purchase (I believe I was one of the first 40 customer bikes). The mapping is nothing more than a gimmick as the stock curves are so linear you don't need to create custom. You get 5 modes standard, that you set you HP and regen in. That's all you need.
I own a Stark. I don't have a subscription. The bike is amazing.
Had my EX for over a year now. Some things. The "lock" feature is terrible, all it does is put the bike in neutral! The neutral at traffic lights can be adjusted in app. My range is 4 hours. The subscription isn't required, as realistically your only paying for the nav. Luckily as its android, you can just download your own. Have to say though, for what I need from a bike, it's the best I've owned!
It´s 100% optional, at least here in Europe. Matt i partly wrong. There are five modes, they are not set and you can adjust power and engine braking in all of them. With the subscription you can tweak the power curve and the engine braking. You get to try it for three months for free. I have, and found no use for it.
I got to ride a Varg MX a few months ago, and it had me maniacally laughing the entire time, I love it
I’ve had my bike for about a year. I love it best bike I’ve ever had. About the handbrake yeah that’s the original thought but I found out the more. I started writing it and breaking it in the better I got. My brothers a motorcycle mechanic he was saying because of the dot 4 oil instead of doing big poles to try to get air out arm increase the furnace firmness two smaller pumps at the top end of the stroke. This was a very surprising suggestion and it works extremely well. My back brake will lock up faster than I expected to now. I do that as a habit now top of the stroke fluttering pumping. And my brakes are noticeably firmer now than the original. When I go into the garage occasionally I’ll reach over there and pump it. My brakes are awesome. Stevie B, Hawaii An amazing bike!!!
If you 450 don’t stand up whenever u want it to without touching the clutch something is wrong with it
My KTM is up for sale after buying my ex. I probably will never go back to a gas bike after owning the ex for 2,000 miles! Flawless unit.
Owned tons of dirt bikes. Stark is my favorite. Two years in and it's been flawless. There is electricity more places than gas stations. When I go camping I bring my small generator, which I used to bring anyway....
I have combined the foot and hand brake. Not that hard. There are several brands selling a combo that drops into the rear foor brake reservoir. Bolt on a brake line between there and the handbrake and you're good to go. Moving to another bashplate will void the warranty so you should really concider that. However i've yet to break mine and if i do, it's cheap and still has the damping foam to deal with anything coming through it.
@mototrailadventure2725 My first ride I had it a 10% because I thought it would be like a 4 stroke and really slow you down when you come off the throttle. As I rode more the 2nd ride I ended up at 75%. It still doesn't slow you down like a 4 stroke and isn't really noticeable to me on flowy singletrack since I am either on the throttle or brakes and not really coasting. Where I noticed it the most was casual riding on 2 track to and from the singletrack when you left of it does slow you down quite a bit but still feels less then a 4 stroke to me. As for the power regen portion I think it probably just lessens how quickly you use up the battery.
You can get a kit that will allow for both foot and handbrake the drawback is when you press one it affects to the other and I couldn’t get the handbrake to work well so I ditched the dual brake kit and stuck with the foot brake
I started with the foot brake ,then switched to hand brake, both would be the best. I like to run 28 hp for saving energy ,mine and the bike , 48 to 54hp depending if there is any big hills to climb 😀😎🎥
Same but with my Beta 300RE. Was planning on riding cleaned the airfilter topped off the auto oiler fired it up rode around the block. It was idling perfect for a two stroke. Put it back in the garage and took the Stark. I have also been riding for 40 years and the chassis and torque are magical.
48 miles, start to finish. That's finally some realistic mileage being discussed with these bikes, thanks! This is about 25% more mileage than the average i get out of my Varg, but i also ride exclusively off-road and I normally don't go until full depletion. The usual framework I use is battery percentage points used per mile of riding, regardless of terrain or power settings. This means you will average somewhere between 1.7% and 2.5% per mile doing light throttle inputs, flat ground, staying under 35-45mph and no wheel slip. The math shows upwards of 50-58 miles. Bump it up a little bit and the "normal" or more average riding demands is around say 2% to 3.35%/mile. This nets you something around 28 to 36 miles of usable range. Lastly, if you're really hammering on it, you're going to draw something like 4.8 to 5.2% (or more!) per mile, and the range is about 18 to 25 miles. While this might be more of a "play toy" for more serious riders, it's usually either adequate enough for most average riders, or beyond their capabilities. In that case, the extremely SLOW charging is the single largest drawback i have with my electrics and is largely the reason I still own gas bikes.
I was one of the first to get a Stark. I also have a heavily moded KTM 300 XC that I would have called the best dirt bike I have ever owned (been riding for 40 years). That is until I got the Stark. I rode the KTM once a few months after getting the Stark. I literally turned around after 10I minutes and told my wife I will never ride the KTM again….I have not ridden or even started my 300 XC in two years. I probably should start it.
Map adjustments for the throttle response is behind a pay-wall. The stock profiles means you don't get good low throttle response until you're over 50-60hp. I rode one of the original variants and it was very lively and fun. The newer firmware (where they added crawl and reverse mode) makes it mushy and unpleasant by comparison. It's still good, just not what I remember. I really wish i had both hand and foot brakes on mine. Maybe it's an old school habit, but no for brake and no clutch is pretty annoying, or downright terrifying when you go to hit the "panic switch" and nothing is there. I'm sure that if you grow up in electrics, it wouldn't even be a known issue. You'd just assimilate into it. Most people tend to love the hand brake. I personally hate it.
The range is approximately 1.7% to 5.2%* battery capacity per mile of riding. A simple math equation will tell you your expected mileage, minus any guard band capacity you choose to protect the battery (ie-60 to 80% depth of discharge instead of using the entire battery) I don't care how conservatively you ride or how little you blip the throttle, your numbers are going to fall within this range quite reliably (in other words, don't believe any wild claims that the bike can go 70-90 miles on a charge, etc). Quick math means on a 6.5Ah battery, you're going to get: 100 / 2.0% = 50.0miles (unrealistic) 100 / 3.5% = 28.57 miles (realistic) 100 / 5.2% = 19.23 miles (really hitting it hard) With the newer 7.4Ah battery, the numbers are approximately: 100 / 1.7% = 58.85 miles 100 / 3.35% = 29.85 miles 100 / 5.0% = 20.0 miles Keep in mind, even though the numbers sound bigger in the newer 7.2Ah batteries, it's not a linear relationship between capacity and usable output. In other words, a 10% capacity increase may not give you 10 more miles of range, etc. Also, the numbers I've provided are from my Stark (as well as an Alta EXR that I've used onroad and offroad, with a 5.8Ah pack). I ride a single track in the woods, with my son stealing it on occasion to do a bit of track riding. Your individual numbers may fluctuate a bit, but once you get into more average numbers, it'll paint a better picture of your usage profile, and therefore expected range.
I put off things too and i love my Varg EX.. I got 120Hrs on it and about 4 oil changes (need to do one more, but i'm putting it off) 😂. The bike is awesome ❤
3:47 in my experience if you spend any time in sand the battery drains fast because you'll have to be more aggressive on the throttle to overcome the resistance of the deep sand. Track is the same it uses up battery pretty quick. But I those same conditions a gas bike will use more fuel. Trail or desert riding I'll generally be in mode 3 or 4 and I'll ride for a couple hours and be tired before it runs out of battery. The type of riding I usually do I'll be getting back to the truck with 20 or 30 percent left
yay! Loving the Varg content, keep it coming. FWIW, I picked up an AXP skid plate w/ linkage protector and ran it for a bit and Slavens reached out and said they were recalled. Evidently, Stark Future tested the skid plate and said it wasn't up to the task and could cause damage to the battery pack ... which could be ... bad bad. So back to the stocker ... I also ran an OX-Brake LHRB that retained the OEM rear brake level - so you get both, and it worked great! good power, etc, but eventually failed for me ... so back to the OEM LHRB, which is sadly a bit weak for my taste for my (mellow) style of trail riding ... Adding shorty levers helped with power, and I'm messing with pads to get a bit more power. I really want to be able to use the LHRB as a trailer-park clutch of sorts, but agree with ya, it just doesn't work well enough with all that torque... Really looking forward to more insights on the bike ... I absolutely think it has made me a better rider as like you mentioned body position is really key on this bike and never getting behind it, since it has infinite gearing and whiskey throttle situations would have real consequences! I can ride longer on the Varg with less energy spent mostly because I think I'm doing a better job focusing on body positioning and just doing the fundamentals better. That bike is so much fun ... my 300 is collecting dust since I got this thing...
I have 6 mx bikes 125 250 two stroke 250 450 four stroke 500 exc and the stark all my gas bikes collect dust now from how good the stark is… I don’t even lube my chain and it hasn’t moved after 59 hours and I’m a top 3 any given race in the B class. Bike is the best thing ever it allowed me to build my own track in my back yard with county approval all because it’s electric. In Maryland no less!!
Another awesome video, Rich!. I just raced my Varg very recently in a desert race, it was so much fun! Look forward to the clutch video. I do have less confidence with the rear potentially spinning as I approach an obstacle and need 100% to know that the front will come up without the clutch- Yes, you and A. Carleson (sp?) prove that wrong. As for the skid plate, I saw somewhere where Stark explicitly said using a 3rd party skid plate invalidates the warranty, so I'd just do my research first before you decide
How cold was it when you broke the skid? I practiced and competed hard enduro on the first stock one for over 100h with no issues. I was surprised it lasted so well. Then when the weather got close to 0°C it broke in light hit. Bought a new one that lasted for two weeks. That was about the moment I realized it might have been the winter temps that were the problem. Not something you'd expect from Swedish design 😁
Range. Need more range, I was all in until you talked about range. Great insight. Thank you.
120 miles? why would you wanna ride a dirt bike that far? I'm 50 and 30 miles and i'm done at least for a hour or two. I have a stark and have never used more than 50% battery on a ride. Ive done 100% in a day before but that was going home ever hour or so for a rest. Even when i was a teenager i never rode 120 miles on a dirt bike. Maybe if you're a pro but im just having fun and ive done 2000 miles on mine since september and its cost me £15 in chain cleaner and lube and £15 in oil and i still have 3/4 of the bottle of oil left and about half the chain cleaner and lube. It also only costs £1.50 to charge fully. How much would that have cost on a CR500 or 450? and how long would the bikes have been off the road having the engines rebuilt?
Yes, I would say so. The only caveat being they are physically heavy. They feel very light while riding though. Sounds like around 20-25hp on the Stark would be a lot of fun for you I think
A to AA rider, 235lbs, on singletrack I get about 30 miles from full to almost empty. Ymmv
So are the batteries better now because 15000 for a bike that you can ride for an hour then wait for it to charge, im sorry but that doesn't cut it. Stark is awesome but it will never compare to a gas bike.
@Sir.Vinchenzo it’s so fun, I go out for usually about 2 hours of single track about 10min ride from my house and that uses about 40%. Love the rear brake on the handle bar, so much more control and has way more power than I need.
as a person who owns an electric pitbike(surron) i know its not even in the realm to begin to compare these bikes. but even in a small bike like this. the torque gets me up full dunes and any hill where my friends with gas quads and gas pit bikes cant. you cant beat the feeling
I think the only thing that stops me from buying one is the range… if I could get 50-70 miles I’m sold
@peteandalie The Stark is not for hard enduro It is for normal enduro (slow and fast trails and climbs every now and them) but specially for people that like to fly over trails with huge acceleration.
I recently did a bit of a range test on my Stark first generation. I got 3 hours and I used 50% of my battery riding Hard Enduro tight single track trails. when I ride at the Moto track I get three motos, usually about 40 minutes long
In hard enduro you will get 5 hours riding
Regarding battery, we know without the physical forces of pistons, fly wheels, or lack of the centrifugal force and placement of battery which keeps weight low is a huge reason why everone raves about the handling of the stark varg and says it feels lighter then it is when riding. Most say they only feel the weight when picking up. That said, regarding the biggest complaint/negative, range and refueling (charge time). Battery chemistry as well as completely new batterie technologies are moving at light speed. Toyota and CTAL already have planned productioin for sodium chemistry replacing lithium for that has benefits for specific applications over lithium. Solid state is becoming a thing too. Bottom line, very soon (with in a year, maybe sooner), I believe we will see batteries that are lighter, smaller with much faster charging technoloy and at the same time having significant capcity for much more range. This will likely lead to less areas being closed and ones that have become off limits to be reopened in time with lobbing. So a lot to look forward to. This is only the beginning.
It’s not a clutch it’s an electronic add on to the existing throttle signal
I took a ex to pick a van up the other day set to 11hp 35 mile trip went from 98%to17% disappointing only did max 43mph maybe better at 30-40hp???
Once they reach 100 miles and/or solve the recharging problem these will see like hotcakes. I had a go on the MX version, astonishingly good.
I've had my EX from release. Range anxiety was a thing at the beginning, but 2k later, and you just know how far you can go on a charge. Stark has finally released the "backpack charger", so for me, at least, I will be able to ride. Stop for a bite to eat at a mountain restaurant, have it charge, and be on my merry way... although off road riding is currently banned due to swine flu...
For “normal” rides where I am, my EX ends up at around 30% left. Half of the ride is up mountains where you definitely burn electrons but the other half is down where very few electrons are harmed.
so, for my riding which is all single track with minimal 2-lane (read: faster than 20 mph) work I can ride for 35 miles without much stress. If I swing back to the truck during lunch and charge a bit, I can get 30% back during lunch. The higher speed stuff *really* drains it quick - but if you are *just* doing slower technical single track - it has plenty of range to be a go-to trail bike (which it has become for me). Still have my 300, but prefer the EX for sure - so much fun!
Still not enough range. I went out on Sunday and we probably did 75 miles, and that was cutting it short.
Not that I know of, you can use the throttle and brake at the same time, that how I would mimic having a clutch, I held the rear break in and loaded up the throttle then released the rear brake.
I teach on these bikes so if it helps: Due to the extra weight lower you need to exagerate the suspension compression and pull back on the bars a little harder when doing any front wheel lift, that will offset the feeling of the bike lurching forward. FYI - valving is the same for all spring rates (which is surprising) but it is what is I suppose. The chassis rides flatter due to no shifting and because there is no clutch work. The Brembo rear brake naster has a 11mm piston, it was a deliberate choice by Stark for better modulation. A lot of us have changed the rear master for a 10mm master, increase rear brake power.
@Electric666sNo question, I’m faster on the Stark. Especially on an MX track, not so much in the bush.
Hello Ben! It’s not mine, I borrowed it. I have another friend with the 80hp version that is going to snowbike his, so that’ll be interesting. But now I want one and they’re outta my pocket book range too. I’m gonna have to wait for the used market. Range, we got 31 miles and ended with 11%. We cut our ride short cause we don’t wanna push it! The only downfall for me is range right now. I thought I needed a clutch but you don’t. I actually prefer it without which surprised me.
I've had a Stark for just over a year and I think this review is pretty much spot on. This would probably have been my review in the first few months of owning the bike. However, after 14 months of riding it, I wouldn't be quite as glowing. That initial "blown away" everyone feels when they first ride one faded quickly for me. I can't fault the bike, it is what it is. I ride mostly tight enduro style trails with ugly loose climbs and I really miss the clutch. You are right in that lofting the front usually mean gaining some unwanted forward speed, but when the battery gets down to 60%ish it starts lacking that initial hit and becomes even harder to get the front up in a controlled manner. It "feels" light when everything is going well. Get out of shape on a nasty slope and the extra 12kg really makes a difference. I will say that it makes for good training when I get back on my 250 2 stroke as it feels like a mountain bike. I'll add I've had zero technical issues in over 100 hours. It's fun, but ultimately I don't feel the same sense of satisfaction when riding it.
Pretty sure I said it would go 30kms on sand and asked them to put a petrol engine in it, that’s worth a 2 😂 ✌️
@KincadePavich Yes of course. The instant torque is unlike anything. But was surprised at the hp compared to our uncorked 500 exc. It dyno'd virtually exactly the same. 60hp. And that's because 80hp is in ideal test conditions at the motor shaft not the wheel. So yes incredible marketing.
On 220v it will charge fully in a couple hours. On 110 it takes longer, I haven’t paid exact attention. Maybe like 5 hours? It weighs more than a 450 but feels significantly lighter while riding. Heavier putting it on a stand
I do this with my Stark Varg EX. Bonus: it has both forward crawl and reverse crawl, making it very easy to load and unload.
60hp is waaay more than enough..... You dont really have any use for that 20 extra hp.....
Battery life is horrible. Wont even consider it until it gets WAY WAY better. Cant go all day woods driving with buddies
Wait the CR500 is the real torque monster compared to the 450.... but the Stark sets a new bar for sure.
Had one of the very first Starks in MT. Most honest review I have heard here. I will add. Pour thousands into a 450 or 500 engine to add power. It might feel more powerful than a Stark. The first gear and pin it thing of a stark. It is hard to tell if my 500 with to much money into the engine has more power. My 500 makes a stock 450 feel weak in sand or a big hill.
Looks tiny but its still too big. If you only need 30hp for enduro the motor could be about 60% of the size and mass of the 80hp unit. So thats unnecessary weight and size that could have been designed into battery space for extra range = bad design work. Plus the battery is 420 volts at top of charge. So your bike isnt charging up fully.
Im 68 and really, really like my Stark Varg EX.
I used to do circle wheelies in my driveway talking to my neighbor who was in his hot tub drinking. At 10pm. You just can’t do that on a gas bike. These are soooo quiet that new tracks will open and nobody can make noise complaints. I love 2 strokes. I see the appeal of 4 strokes. But electric is sooo good.
Get and enjoy it. Ride it lots that first year. Hit it frequently for the next 5 years or so. Then it needs a new battery year 7 or so. Maybe that’s no more $ than a combustible top and bottom end
if only the range wasent terrible. 450 you get 80 miles on 2 gallons.
Dunno about deserts as i live in England but I got 80 miles out of mine the other day on a mixture of road and mud.
You're looking at skewed data. You're only ever seeing the negatives. I've had issues with my Stark (i have a very early bike number and have had it for a couple of years now). I've had major items replaced under warranty, with a power train arriving at my house within a week. They replaced the battery for me, not because I asked them, but because they'd looked at the telemetry and decided it wasn't performing to it optimum values. This week, the bluetooth module has packed up, ticket opened Sunday, they troubleshooted it Monday, new module turned up on Wednesday. Do i go and post about all these issues ... no, not really, I just go and ride. Is having an extendable, 2 year warranty one of the best things you can have on a bike, absolutely. Did you ever even hear of a KTM owner having an entire engine replaced under warranty on a dirt bike?!
Not near enough range for my liking, 30 miles is barely a before lunch ride!! Looks fun for play though, that is alot of money for a play bike.
@ralfrimrott493you probably shouldn't get one then. Use a gas bike for that. Enduro is incredible on this bike, just try one they are incredible. It lasts about 4 hours of solid enduro no stopping.
OOOOOF 30 MILES..deal breaker for sure. 5 hour charge in between :(
DONT BUY...!!!!! MINE BROKE THE FIRST WEEK...THEN they have no parts available...3 month wait.. NO DEALERS.. NO support when there's a problem...the battery doesn't last...then they wanted $1,800 bucks to fix this piece of crap. It's a fad...don't waist your time or money..go get a real dirt bike ...COMPLETE WAIST OF MONEY. I took a loss just to get rid of it
you're supposed to have freeplay in the levers....
I took delivery of my stark varg EX last week and absolutely love it! You will not regret buying this bike! I am still in the honeymoon phase, but have not experienced any issues in the few rides I have taken it on
It handled like crap until I upgraded the shock spring. Mine came with a harder spring setup .46 fork and 4.8 shock (according to my weight), but Star EX shock choice is way undersprung for a 200-220 LB rider so I had to go up to 6.0.
The range is simply not enough, especially if you enjoy freeriding and discovering new trails or you're into trail building. With the gas bike, even if you run out,there are ways to get it off the mountain,while with this one you're stuck. It's also worth mentioning that you are relatively lightweight and you are skilled enough to know where or how to save some energy. If someone is heavier and rides less than you do (so most riders) they will definitely drain the battery faster. That being said, I've ridden one in a test ride and they are a lot of fun. So if you have the means it can be an awesome second bike. Not for serious competition though (yet). Electric bikes will definitely take over at some point,but for the time being they are just fun toys.
I've slowed way down on riding just because of the endless maintenance. Even when I have time to work on my bikes ..I simply have zero desire. I'm looking into a Varg soon
30 milles range for most rea lives users is ridiculous
Its a good bike if u ride 20mins at a time
I had over 40 mx bikes. This is by far the best one.
I've owned one for 2 months and im winning motocross again at 41 years old. Took it for a trail ride for 1 hr and come home with 35% left running on 30hp was the best trail ride I've ever done.
crazy part is how tiny the vargs motor is .. watch a teardown video , its unreal. The 360v system just changes everything
I got my ex and it is the best bike iv ever ridden the adjustable power is perfect for girlfriends to come for a ride and the battery last for ever
here my 2 cents if want take 3 day ride this never going to meet what need there for i will never buy one cool we option but hate how people push on others and a a long with offering parts tells me it is going break alot
Its an ebike with no gears of course its going to be easier
I just finished a 60 km hard enduro race with 21% remaining battery with my ‘24 Varg MX equipped with 6.5 kWh battery, not the 7.2 new model. You can get twice battery range if you properly “break-in” your battery. In the beginning i was disappointed about the range, but now I’m so proud of my battery performance. My range is 10% better than a ‘23 beta 300 rr.
Range = 30 miles on my EX too. All singletrack pnw I Agree with most things you said. However once you learn the technique of dropping the clutch to get over an obstacle on the stark, I don't think the 300 will shine in any scenario compared to the stark. The only difference between my experience and yours with the bike is I've had issues with it. Otherwise, the bike is incredible
Imo all this is exact same as Tesla owners - lala, perfect, beautiful, magnificent. But when you test it, you find out that, sure, it's fast, but mirrors adjustment is the most idiotic in the history and alike. Same here, show a real technical stuff and whisky throttle because there is no clutch :)
I personally get more like ~40 miles with fairly aggressive trail riding on my MX. I sense that you are a stronger and faster rider than me, so ymmv. I'm also a light dude at ~170 lbs with backpack. But I do think an average/intermediate rider out with his friends would get more like ~45-48 miles range on the EX.
Are you daft? All dirt bike riders have been riding with a clutch on the left hand until now - it's weird to get used to something new after so many years. I've been riding dirt bikes for 29 years and it has always been at the same spot. Getting used to no gears, no cluth, and break where the clutch used to be takes some time. With that said, once you get used to it it's much more precise than trying to break with MX boots on. It's a formidable machine and I'm kind of regretting getting a new 450 a couple of weeks ago instead of a Stark Varg EX.
@JS-nf1sn did you try Nitro mode on your Stark yet? Where you have it in mode 1 40 horsepower then as you're on a long straight or going up a hill put it into map to which is 80 horsepower. Most people have no idea it's literally like the Fast and Furious NOS button it is the most insane feeling on a dirt bike anyone will ever experience. Basically you're using the maps like gears or a boost button and you are instantaneously going from 40 to 80 horsepower with the throttle 3/4 to a half turn and it's instantly going into hyperspace you feel it literally immediately after hitting the button it just blast off. 80 horsepower is unusable at low speeds the throttle is too sensitive. If you're too scared to try it you can always go from 40 to 60 and see how that feels but the trick is you have to be going fast you have to be going on a long straight or up a hill you have to give yourself a lot of space and then another hack I do is if I want to stop really suddenly I just go all the way up to map five which is 100 Regen
I bought my bike in January I have the MX version and it is by far the best bike ever. Every time I write a 450 it feels like a dinosaur it feels very clunky and slow even though I can't ride a 450 to it's true potential it's still feels slow as hell.
STARK NITRO MODE HACK... Kincade I have over 160 hours on my varg and 80 horsepower isn't usable unless you use it in Nitro mode for example put it in mode 1 40 horsepower then as you go up the hill or on a long straight with traction to the rear wheel then go to map 2 which is 80 horsepower and that will give you the most unbelievable feeling on a dirt bike you will ever experience just like the Fast and Furious NOS button but most people don't know how to use 80 horsepower that's because you only use it like the NOS button. You only use it when you're already going fast basically you're using it as a booster.. Going from 40 horsepower and pushing the button and then going to 80 horsepower with the throttle at least 3/4 or halfway as soon as you hit that button into 80 horsepower you better be holding on because it is literally the most unbelievable feeling ever
A stark will walk the dog with any 500cc bike
30 mile range, inability to swap out the spare $7k battery and$15k OTD....wow
I think the maintenance factor is a major thing that people overlook. So many riders are on the older side, they have jobs, they have families, we don't have all the time in the world. Being able to just go out and ride the few minutes you get, instead of wasting as many hours doing maintenance is game changing. It's EASY to own a Varg.
I’ve got about 55 hr on my mx. great bike for fast stuff but I’ve found myself gravitating back to my te300 recently.
I have the 80hp version. You're truly not missing anything with the 60. Even the 60 is honestly unusable. I've tried hammering mine as hard as I can and it rarely if ever breaks 60hp on the usage chart. I can't touch 70-80hp even though it's technically on tap. I think I had like one spike that got closer to 70hp, but it was a split second blip. Most of the time I ride in 60hp mode. I only got the alpha "just because". It was probably a waste of $1000, haha 😂
I may be the one person who actually dislikes the hand brake. If I were to do it all over again, I would've gotten the foot brake version and added the handbrake on afterwards (or in this guy's case, it has to come with it anyway, so that's pretty cool). I own and have been on several electrics (Alta EXR, Surron UB and LB, Zeros, etc.), so I'm not just a "one try and rant about it on the internet" kind of person. I get flak for mentioning anything less than stellar on the Stark so I'm guessing people just can't deal with differing opinions, but to each their own. I also wholeheartedly agree with the assessment of the brake fade or softness, or whatever you want to call it. I've been on 3 of them and owned mine for a few hundred miles now and it's just not as sharp as my other bikes for some reason. Not terrible, but i guess I was expecting them to have a lot more bite like on my KTM. Did they fix the kickstand for the EX model? They probably had to redesign it for the sensor to be road legal and in wondering if the EX version is any different.
Were you going 5mph the whole way? Lol I find it impossible to get anywhere near 40 miles out of this thing and I'm really slow.
The bike is insanely nimble and feels lighter than a 250 while riding. If you have to pick it up, you definitely feel its weight.
It's even better on the East Coast. I race hare scrambles in and around VA and my Varg MX lasts over 2 hours.
Did my part, sub'd! Love the bike, but at 30 miles it doesn't work for me. When/if the range doubles with newer battery tech to 60 miles, Im in.
Stark MX 70hrs 30% Moto Track 70% Single Track. I have two sets of wheels Moto/Single track OEM KTM wheels bolt on. Up graded skid plate OEM broke first ride. Rear brake I have foot and hand brake. I like having both allot. Suspension is terrible revalve is on my list. Kincades review is spot on. Tech single track 25/30hp brake regen 10/20%. With the weight of the bike I can carry good momentum roll speed. Evening single track flast flow to tech 2hrs ride time no problem. To get this range I am throttle aware. My gas bike is a KTM 150.
This dude is bum hurt that a Stark will smoke his gas bike. I grew up on gas bikes. Since I bought the Stark there is no comparison when riding with my friends who have gas bikes as immediately climb up hills and lead on the trails. I haven’t touch my 450 since I got the Stark
In my experience going out and riding a single track I use between 30 to 50% of my battery before I'm exhausted. At the Motocross track, I drained the battery in 90 minutes, 50-year-old novice Rider.
The ktms come with a little spring on the front brake taking up the tension making the engagement instant. The stark might not have it
Two major things for me: 1) The lower sound (it's not silent) lets me ride in places I otherwise can't. I'm from a small country which is unfortunately not blessed with trails for off road riding, but I've yet to be chased awy from woods or MTB trails by police or public. 2) Very low maintenance, as you mention. Just push the button and GO! 🙂
Maybe the diffrent feel in the brakes comes from the brake-lines, since KTM usually comes with steel lines.
@mikepalmer1971for my riding (tight slow woods) I can get 30+ miles and still have 35% remaining if I don’t charge during lunch. Works for me. Faster average or deep sand will kill it much quicker!
The EX doesn't come with the return springs in the brake handles so the brake light switch will work. Put in the springs and it takes out the play. You will have to put a small shim in so the lights still work. Been riding for 50 years. The Fun factor is far above any ICE bike I've ever ridden, I rode 43 miles of single track in the mountains and had 35% left.
We are so close to having the ultimate weapon for offroad. Kudos to Stark for sticking with it and taking a massive risk so we can all enjoy riding! It took about 3 years to get that extra 20%. So its possible in 5 years we see another 50%. It will happen slowly and then all at once. Btw use a theragun on the brake lines, blew my mind how many bubbles came out and my brakes returned to that factory feel.
It’s so true, after riding my stark. I got faster and more efficient on my 2 stroke.
Great review! I recently received my MX. Love it! Crazy amount of torque, and I am just riding around 25hp max. Such a well designed bike.
Also it’s obvious youve never ridden a stark , they make a gas bike feel like dog shit , unresponsive, vibrating piles of shit . Using a foot brake just feels dumb in comparison to hand brake . And people who have never ridden them always talk about the feeling of the engine blah blah blah . When you remove vibration and noise it heightens the sense of things that matter far more like feeling everything that your tyres and suspension is doing . Hearing your tyres scratching for traction and hearing the thuds and thumps as you hit bumps . You think you are feeling more on a gas bike but you are missing out on being in tune with so many things you don’t even know are going on underneath you ! Ride a stark and you mind will change fast . They produce the same about of torque as 3 450s and it’s on tap all the time every time you twist it . Before you call me a bunch of names , I guarantee I’ve done more hours on a bike than you , and had more gas bikes than you . Came off a 450 to a VARG and there’s no comparison. And despite my last comment I don’t give a fuck about the environment either but facts are facts
Everything you said is very true the only thing i found was a big downside is the EX compared to a friends beta 300 x trainer was so much heavier the beta literally feels like a bicycle when you switch from the varg but yes the instant torque and the fact that you can lift the front wheel whenever without thinking definitely is a big upside for the varg if they made it a bit lighter and more range it will replace my gas bikes
I've been riding dirt bikes for 35 years. The stark varg is the best bike I've had, by a mile.
My first ride on my EX I drifted away from my riding buddies and heard birds chirping in the woods. So good. My 300 & 350 have been collecting dust ever since I got this thing - it is SO much fun. Solid review - pretty much sums up my thoughts on the bike as well. I think I'm becoming a better rider with the Varg as I focus on my fundamental more consistently (body position, foot placement, movements) and the LHRB is a complete game changer. I even love the angry motor whine when you catch some air....
I have the EX version; interestingly I use 35% and 70% regeneration and switch back on forth all the time.
I'm 6'0", 210 and carry a ton of gear and water. I ride pretty hard (B level) single track and can get 40 miles at 30hp and 35% regen.
There’s some videos on YouTube. It’s pretty much what you would expect, it’ll do the biggest jumps possible and climb any dune but it runs out of battery very fast.
I’ve been riding on and off for 3 years on a kx250f I just bought a varg ex and it’s a total different ball game I feel a lot more comfortable and confident to try new mechanics and challenges
Really enjoying your channel! I bought the mx over a year ago and love it. I opted for the 60 hp version for $1k less and put into the suspension and flexx bars. I’m 58 and 210, and I get 35-40 miles range. I ride mostly flowy single track. For that, it’s perfect. Charge up the night before, ride, wash, repeat! I love the torque and left hand rear brake. I also feel much faster and use a lot less energy on this bike. I have two settings I like, 45 hp with 25% for flow regen for flow, and 45 hp with 75% regen for downhill. Only issue I’ve had is blue tooth connection with the phone. It’s a bit flaky if the bike sits for a week.
Batteries have not increased or changed in 30 years. Your cell phone 20 years ago. Compared to now, you still have to charge it every day. These bikes are useless unless you could get a couple of days of riding out of a charge. Not to mention with no sound. It takes away a lot of the fun, just like cars. You need sound. Or at least some of us do
Fantastic review Kincade. I agree with pretty much everything you said. 60+ B rider, Stark EX owner and yes, I have multiple gas bikes and over the years I have 'em all. I also love the Stark. On the rear brake - yes, US spec requires that it's shipped with a foot brake installed, however, if you want the free rear handbrake setup, you have to check the box when ordering, otherwise you don't get it. Lots of guys are complaining that the forks are too harsh. I thought so too - at least over rooty/rocky/rough terrain. Before spending a bunch of money to revalve, I simply drained some oil out of each fork leg. Made a huge difference. Range. My hope was that I could do a 40 mile semi hard-core trail ride with 20% remaining. I've done that multiple times. I'm 205 without gear, so I'm lugging around a lot of baggage. But, I increased the regen and use even more on big downhills and I've been able to do plenty of 40 mile rides with juice left over - very cool. I ride it set to about 30 hp and frankly, with the power delivery, it's all I need. (And my last bike was a 500, so I know all about big power). I might also add, that when charging, if you can't plug right into a good outlet, make sure you have a heavy-duty extension cord. I had a cheap orange cord and after a while it was too hot to even touch! I bought an 8-gauge extension cord, no more issues. Keep up the good work!!
I got a demo bike and it seemed to have a few glitches but nothing that kept me off it. If the phone battery gets too low it will do wierd stuff. There is also a pairing issue that people can't seem to get past but if you know how to pair it quick it became a non issue. I hope they fix it with an update but I'll wait for a few update cycles before doing it. Otherwise the bike is sick!
Picked a demo bike not long ago. Other than a bad wheel bearing its been flawless
I rode one in July. I was really impressed with the chassis over choppy terrain / handling and power delivery (instant torque). It felt infinitely more capable than my KTM. Range will undoubtedly improve in the coming years, removing the last obstacle for most riders. The no / low maintenance is also a huge leap forward.
in my 40 yrs of riding dirt bikes this the of best bike i’ve ever ridden (mx)and owned.
MY STARK VARG EX BRICKED! First, love my bike and dealership. Disappointed in Stark Support. Been dealing with “support” (Maybe I got a new technician) since June when it was cutting out till I went to charger it one night when it was at 40% and when I woke up it was at zero and would take the charge. While it was intermittently cutting out support said it was one of three parts and refused to send all three parts as I would assume they are penny pinching on shipping. Now that the bike is at the dealer the first parts failed to fix the issue they now don’t have the part needed as it is on back order. Again the bike is more than awesome to ride. Just tired of them not having any sense and f urgency and look like I have to cancel my next travel. I have a Ford Lightning and never had any problems after 44,000 miles. I’ll follow up with how this gets rectified or not quickly.
I just took my Stark EX on its first single track ride. It fantastic, beautiful. Yes it is light as a feather at higher speeds 10-15 mph. At low speed I got my butt kicked the feeling is top heavy and I was
It's not about being green, it's just better. Love my Stark Varg. No maintenance, and it's the fastest dirt bike I've ever ridden.
With street tires, 80HP, the throttle is just a rheostat for front wheel height. I'm amazed I haven't been pulled over yet
Im 37 just got my stark varg ex. Love it !! Same lil phone issues but it got better. So fun so easy to ride. Instant smiles !! Still love my gas ktm but this is sick !!
I've got the Stark Varg EX, the range is no problem at all for my type of riding. I went riding in the city the other day for 4-5 hours and got back home with 60% battery left. Have to use your riding modes well and you can go all day long. (20hp-80hp wisely). Yesterday I went hard on curvy country side roads for 2 hours on modes 60-80hp and got down to 60%. Fast highway riding, constantly holding the gas going 60+mph, especially in wind, is not good at all tho. Drains it quick. But that's not at all what it is designed for.
I hope you didn't come to the fire conclusion based on that video.. That is a Stark Varg phone catching fire when it got whacked on the concrete pilar.. The motor battery was fine.. I have a Varg EX, i hope none of the bikes caught fire.. ❤. I had a problem where they changed my advanced power modes from 15HP to 80HP, i almost crashed the bike.. 😂
Ya swapping out the stock tubes if you didn't pick something else is a must. The MX doesn't offer an option. I replaced the red plastics with IRC heavy duty standard tubes. That said, the stock Pirellis are better than expected.
I've got one sitting in my garage, with a flat front tire.
The stock valving on the Mx is weird. I have to have mine done pretty quickly. The ex is really good stock. Have you done a referral yet?
I got a Varg EX about three weeks ago, I love it, yeah the things you're talking about I totally agree with, but that's what we got and I'm pretty stoked to ride this thing because it is insane! It's pretty cool to ride stealth.
@ShanePinney Great, thanks! How about the rear light and small plate holder, should also be possible to put on the MX right? Regarding suspension, I did find the EX more compliant in the woods however I had to back out over 5 clicks on almost everything - how did you guys deal with that regarding your wife’s weight? Sure it needs a few hours to break in...however, no baseline settings from Stark as we have for the MX right? Thanks again!
on an mx track, varg always. i have an ultra, way too light for deep sandy tracks and huge jumps.. rode the varg a few times. gonna buy 1 for the track and keep the ultra for woods/road
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