2025 Stark Varg EX Review – First Ride

What better place to test a high-performance electric dual-sport than the Pyrenees mountains? That was the only question I had. Ready and willing! No one needed to twist my arm. For the next few days after landing in Spain I’d be evaluating Stark Future’s Varg EX – essentially a street-legal dirtbike based on the existing MX platform that began delivery in May 2023 – after having a chance to peruse the company’s headquarters and manufacturing facility. There’s a lot to unpack with this new dual-sport, so let’s dive right in.

Given that the Varg EX is essentially an electric, high-performance dual-sport, there are some unique advantages in design that Stark Future was able to capitalize on – starting with a staggering amount of power on tap. Its 7.2kWh honeycomb magnesium battery has its cells attached to the outer casing to aid in efficiency and cooling while offering 20% more range than the MX model. Stark Future claims the range to be 1.5 to 6 hours of ride time. The wide range, they say, is dependent on the rider’s skill level as well as the variations in disciplines which can cause the power to be zapped more quickly in fast-paced settings like motocross. The Varg’s 20-pound aluminum PMAC motor has a similar design to Tesla motors which use a carbon fiber sleeve around the rotor to minimize the air gap and maximize the magnetic field interaction in addition to a handful of other benefits. It is also a stressed member of the chassis. Stark claims the Varg EX puts out 60 horsepower and 764 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheel. For riders who simply can’t get enough, unlocking the “Alpha” software ($1,000) gets you an extra 20 hp. Charge time from empty to 100% from a 240v outlet is said to be two hours while a 110v should take approximately 3.5 hrs.

Because of the electric bike’s unique frame design which doesn’t use lower frame rails, Stark claims the “lightest chassis in enduro,” which is a fine claim, but at 264 pounds total, it’s still approximately 10 el bees heavier than a KTM 500 EXC-F. Fully-adjustable KYB suspension with enduro-specific damping is used at both ends providing nearly 12 inches of travel and 14.5 inches of ground clearance which is aided by a unique shock linkage bracket improving clearance. Further changes from the MX to the EX come in the shock’s mounting point to the frame. Stark Future was able to provide more flex longitudinally while the front end has improved lateral flex, all with the goal of a more compliant plush ride for off-road use. Brembo provides the braking components for slowing down the 21/18-inch wheel combo, equipped with 260mm and 220mm rotors, respectively. As standard, the bikes come with a rear brake lever where the clutch lever normally is, but bikes bound for the U.S. will also come standard with a foot brake lever and other DOT-compliant accoutrement like tacky turn signals per regulations.

Keeping with the theme, the Stark Future Varg EX’s display might be one of biggest departures from the norm yet. Dubbed the Arkenstone (embrace the nerdiness), the Varg EX’s display is a (nearly) fully-functioning military grade smartphone complete with its own SIM card for data and over-the-air updates (no cell service at this time). The unit snaps into the middle of a soft pad (think bar pads typically found on MX or off-road bikes) and wirelessly charges while attached. The Arkenstone uses the Stark app to run the display for the bike which can be used as a normal TFT-style display with the standard info, or used as a map with info like speed, range, etc. overlaid. Other Android apps like onX can also be downloaded.

Dive a bit deeper into the electronics and things continue to get interesting. With the attractive CNC’d aluminum switchgear on the left side of the handlebar, five selectable ride modes are available. Within each of those ride modes, you can dial in the exact horsepower number and regenerative braking percentage (think engine braking) to suit your preferences. For those looking to dig deeper, the power curve can also be adjusted. With a long press of either ride mode selector, you activate crawl mode which limits your speed to three mph and can be used both moving forward as well as in reverse – a handy feature for loading or turning around on a tight trail.

And finally, we can wrap up this section of the bike overview with the options when ordering your Stark Varg EX, which left this editor thinking, “Man, why can’t everyone offer that?” In addition to being able to unlock the 80 horsepower Alpha mode and choose between a hand and foot brake lever, Varg EX purchasers can also select between “soft” (143 - 154 lbs), “medium” (165 - 176 lbs), and “hard” (187 - 198 lbs) spring rates, Pirelli, Metzeler, and Michelin off-road rubber, and tubes or mousses. Additional items that can be added include a front disc guard, titanium footpegs (3D printed in house), and a titanium bolts kit.

Once we hit the trail after a short transfer on pavement, the bike's smooth throttle response was appreciated in the dry, loose conditions. Once we decided to play around on some hill climbs, the idea of always being in “the right gear” continued to help. When you’re slamming up a hill that you have no idea of what it’s going to be like, not worrying about stalling or shifting gives your mind that extra split second to focus on other things. I attribute that to my interest in tackling obstacles that I may not have otherwise. The tractable power and lack of distractions in that moment lets you calm down, re-focus, choose a line (even if you have to do it in the middle of a climb), and power through which, on an ICE bike, takes a lot more mental bandwidth. I’m not saying I’m convinced, as we’ll get to in a bit, but in practice, it’s a really interesting proposition.

For our ride of mostly tight single or two-track, I kept the power at 35 hp with the top three riding modes only altering in the regenerative braking. The set up was: Mode 1: 35 hp/20% regen, Mode 2: 35 hp/50% regen, and Mode 3: 35hp/70% regen. I added the 60hp and 80hp modes to 4 and 5, respectively, but for our purpose – most purposes – those could be considered overkill.

The trails we rode in the Pyrenees were tighter, sometimes loose and at other times rocky. The 35hp setting was just right. When we’d attack climbs or descents that I’d swap from Mode 1 on the way up and Mode 3 on the way down. With 70% regen, I hardly needed to use the brakes. Similar to keeping a bike in gear on a downhill to let the engine braking keep your speed in check. Ride modes aren’t new to motorcycles, but there isn’t anything close to this on-road or off. Being able to dial it back with a push or two of a button was incredibly convenient.

Power isn’t everything though, and despite the Varg EX’s relative heft, the only time I felt it was when I was pulling the bike off of its charging stand. On the trail, the KYB suspension did an excellent job of damping harsh impacts without deflecting in the rocks. When we were able to wick up the pace a bit, flicking the bike side to side was effortless and confidence inspiring. Of course, the Michelin Six Days Extreme tires stuffed with X-Grip medium mousses also played a part, offering excellent grip in every condition whether it was miles of rocky dry creek beds or endless loamy climbs.

The one thing that gave me the most trepidation was when I first walked up to the bike and saw a lack of foot brake lever. My jetlagged brain was not looking forward to having to retrain the muscle memory in my foot to my left hand. Sure enough, I was right. As soon as we dived off the road into a rocky creek bed I found myself burying my right toe into thin air constantly. As time went on it happened less and less.

By the end of our four-hour taste test, I was second guessing everything I had thought before. Using the hand brake, you’re able to dial in the amount of braking pressure more easily than you can with your foot in an eight-pound motocross boot. Go figure. The folks at Stark suggested using the brake as a clutch during the more technical riding. While I could see what they meant, that never became second nature, though I did end up using this technique to success a few times. If there were any complaints, I’d ask for a bit more power from the lever in order to more easily lock the rear wheel.

The Arkenstone is definitely an interesting concept. Many of the motorcycle displays on the market already look like smartphones, why not make one both? The Stark Future app that is essentially your display is pretty neat. Just like your smartphone, it has integrated maps built into the app which allow for a pretty unique experience and offer the options of GPS routing and recording. Like a smartphone, you can also download other apps. Pop the Arkenstone out of its wireless charging dock, and you can even take pictures with the camera.

The idea of using an app as the display on a phone sours the experience a bit though when you end up backing out of the app entirely. It’s not the most intuitive, but users will likely get the hang of it. It’s also entirely possible that Stark will have streamlined the experience more so soon enough, as the team of app developers we came across at HQ looked pretty busy. When asked if there were any plans to go full hog into producing the Arkenstone as a fully functioning cellular phone, the team replied that it wasn’t up to their standards at this point for that to happen, but didn’t rule out the possibility.

And now, let’s discuss what will likely be the biggest barrier to entry: range. The last two dual-sport motorcycles that I’ve owned, I’ve installed larger fuel tanks on. My dual-sport trips typically consist of week-long point-to-point rides with 150 to 200-mile days in the saddle, almost entirely off-road. The Varg EX would struggle to make even a third of one of those days. While that may be the extreme end of dual-sport riding to some, hopefully it can provide a dose of relativity. If your idea of dual-sport riding is trucking out to an area with friends and riding technical stuff for a day, it’s totally a viable option. If you ride out to the trails, well, hopefully it’s not too far and you’re not planning to ride very long, oh, and you’ll need to get back home.

During our first day’s ride, we spent four hours riding very little pavement and mostly tighter technical trails with a bit of fast two-track sprinkled in. When we got back, in addition to being stoked about the bike overall, I felt content with our ride. I got sweaty, I was challenged, and I got to rip through a beautiful part of the world and I had 56% of charge remaining. If you’re going to tackle tight trails where the average speeds are kept at a modest level, there is plenty of charge for your average Joe to spend the day exhausting themselves in that terrain. It’s when the speeds pick up that the battery power goes quick and that is an observation that extends to any motorcycle, ICE or EV.

After four hours of riding during the second day on trails and roads with a much higher average speed, I was down to 25% by lunch. Being that I was at a press event, we met a well-placed van full of massive 10,000Wh powerbanks parked trailside near our outdoor lunch stop. Not a convenience most will likely be afforded. By the time we finished our leisurely hour and 45 minute lunch, I was back up to 63%. After just an hour more of riding, once we arrived at camp, the bike was reading at 40% charge. I think the best use case for me would be trucking the bike out to a location, exhausting myself for a day on the trail, then packing it in or hooking up a generator to charge overnight. Of course, that’s basically what I do with my two stroke dirtbike. Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to try this soon on our home turf. 

The Future?

Whether or not the range works out for the way you ride is up for you to decide. If it does work, you’re willing to tweak the kind of rides you do, or if you just stick one of these in the stable next to your filthy ICE bikes, you’ll be rewarded with an experience that is like no other this crusty ol’ moto-scribe has had the pleasure of having. Let’s not forget the inherent low maintenance of an electric motorcycle, too. The Stark Future Varg EX showcases excellent performance as a dirtbike – full stop. It also provides a ride unlike anything else thanks to being electric and, of course, some brilliant engineering by the nerds at Stark Future. At a starting MSRP of $12,990, we’re edging ever closer to a Future where the performance to cost ratio of electric motorcycles is closer than it’s ever been and that’s not to mention offering up a ride that is entirely its own.

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