What is it like to live with the battery-powered Stark Varg EX dual sport? We spent six months with one, riding it on various terrains to understand its strengths and weaknesses.
Photography by Jimmy Lewis & Ryan Nitzen
After six months of real-world testing on everything from single-track trails to fire roads, we’ve learned whether Stark’s street-legal electric dual sport lives up to its bold promises—and where it falls short.
Electric Innovation Meets Off-Road Reality | Stark Varg EX Review
The Stark Varg electric motocross bike was introduced in late 2021, with customer deliveries beginning in April 2023. The Spanish-based company with a Swedish founder has made waves by offering electric motorcycles with up to 80 horsepower, aiming to provide a compelling alternative to traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles. In 2025, Stark introduced the street-legal Varg EX dual sport/off-road version, and we’ve spent several months riding it in varied terrain to learn its strengths and weaknesses.
The Varg motocross bike has proven competitive with ICE motorcycles despite not being allowed to race head-to-head by most racing sanctioning bodies, including the AMA. However, some races have welcomed them, and Jack Brunell won the 2024 British Arenacross Championship on a Varg. The FIM recently allowed the Varg to race in the SuperEnduro and World Supercross series, with Eddie Karlsson earning his and Stark’s first SuperEnduro podium at the opening round of the 2025-2026 series in Poland.
The Electric Motorcycle Divide | Stark Varg EX Review
Electric motorcycles are polarizing. They provide numerous benefits, including ease of use, customizable power output, reduced maintenance, less noise and lower emissions. But many hard-core motorcycle riders want noise, a clutch, multiple gears and the ability to explore long distances. Stark aims to provide a bike with enough performance advantages to make even the doubters take a second look.
Power and Technology | Stark Varg EX Review
With 80 horsepower available on Alpha models, the Stark Varg and Varg EX are the fastest production dirt bikes on the market, though most riders won’t need that much power. Fortunately, you can adjust the power output from 10 to 80 horsepower on Alpha models and up to 60 horsepower on standard models. You can also adjust engine braking, battery regeneration and more with the optional pro subscription.
All these features are controlled by the Arkenstone display, a military-grade Android phone that mounts to the bike in a protective case. Even with the standard model, you can customize five maps with 10 to 60 horsepower and 0 to 100 engine braking. This allows you to make the bike feel like a two-stroke with minimal engine braking or more like a four-stroke with aggressive engine braking, which also provides battery regeneration. You can easily switch between your five preset maps on the fly via the up/down buttons on the left side of the handlebar. The display also includes extensive ride statistics, including distance and GPS tracking of each ride.
The waterproof left-hand control cluster includes the up/down power level buttons, a horn, a turn-signal switch and a headlight switch. The power level buttons also control a walking mode—great for moving the bike around or loading—and a reverse mode that helps with repositioning or turning around on tight trails.
What Makes the EX Different | Stark Varg EX Review
Before diving into our riding impressions, let’s look at what distinguishes the EX from the standard Varg motocross model.
Street-Legal Additions
- 4000-lumen headlight, which Stark claims is three times brighter than most competitors
- Turn signals integrated into the headlight/number-plate mask (larger DOT/NHTSA compliant signals provided for the U.S. market)
- Rear running/brake light
- Foot brake for U.S. and Canadian models (required for street-legal use), plus optional hand brake for off-road use
- Kickstand
- Bike Lock mode to prevent theft
Performance Updates
- 18-inch rear wheel compared to 19-inch on motocross bikes
- More compliant frame for improved comfort in rocky terrain
- Larger capacity 7.2 kWh battery providing about 20% more range than the original 6.5 kWh battery (the latest Stark MX1.2 models use the same battery)
- Stronger chain guide
Optional Pro Subscription ($15/month)
- Turn-by-turn GPS navigation
- Trail Mode to track and navigate rides
- Advanced power curves
- Advanced engine-braking curves
- Race Mode with power limits to meet sanctioning-body requirements
Customization Options
When custom ordering your Varg EX through a dealer or directly from Stark’s website, you can select from the following:
- Alpha power mode with full 80 horsepower
- Red, white or gray plastics
- Three suspension packages (soft, medium or hard)
- Metzeler, Michelin or Pirelli tire options with optional mousse inserts instead of tubes
- Front/rear disc guards, titanium footpegs or titanium bolt kit
Our test bike came with the medium suspension setting, Metzeler Six Days Extreme tires and lightweight Stark tubes.
Reduced Maintenance & Cost of Ownership | Stark Varg EX Review
Like other electric motorcycles, the Stark Varg EX has no clutch, piston or valvetrain to wear out. You don’t need to clean air filters or buy gasoline. However, there are still some minor maintenance tasks that you will need to perform. The transmission uses oil that Stark recommends changing every 40 hours, and it includes an engine-cooling system that will require some periodic maintenance. The radiator is placed at the back of the bike rather than the more vulnerable front location like on most standard motorcycles.
Stark claims the cost of ownership is about $600 for 100 hours of use versus $6327 for a typical ICE dirt bike, including fuel and recommended dealer-performed maintenance. The $12,900 MSRP for the standard model is comparable to dual sport models from KTM or Beta.
Living With & Riding the Stark Varg EX | Stark Varg EX Review
We’ve had this bike for about six months, giving us real insight into daily ownership. Maintenance is indeed easier—you just need to check the bolts and service the chain. No oil changes and no air filters to clean.
However, you must plan for charging and ideally have a 220-volt outlet, though a 110-volt outlet works with an optional adapter. Charging takes at least two hours with 220 volts and four hours with 110 volts. The charger is integrated into the bike stand, which comes with the bike. The stand weighs a hefty 40 pounds, making it impractical for transport—you’ll want a regular stand for going to the track or trails.
The kickstand is like many European bikes that automatically swing up when you remove weight from it, which can be annoying. The bracket is thin, and ours cracked when the bike fell over on the stand on a rocky trail.
With a little practice, navigating the phone app to change power and engine-braking settings becomes second nature. We set up the five maps in stages from 25 to 60 horsepower to make it easy to adjust for different riding conditions.
Real-World Range: The Critical Factor
Understanding the Varg EX’s range is crucial for determining if this bike fits your riding style:
Riding Style |
Duration |
Distance |
| Aggressive trail riding | 2-3 hours | 30-35 miles |
| Intermediate trail riding | 3-4 hours | 35-40 miles |
| Beginner trail riding | 4-6 hours | 40-50 miles |
| Open trail/fire roads | Variable | 60 miles max |
We did several rides alongside a KTM 450 EXC-F with the stock 2.3-gallon fuel tank for comparison, and in every case, the KTM still had 30 miles of range remaining when the Varg EX battery was empty at 60 miles.
Stark markets the Varg EX as a street-legal dual sport bike, but in our opinion, the battery doesn’t provide the range needed for highway, high-speed trail or fire-road use. For slower-speed trails and rides under four hours, this bike will surprise you with its ease of use and performance.
Riding the Stark Varg EX | Stark Varg EX Review
We rode the Varg EX in a wide range of conditions: paved roads, fire roads, forest roads, two-track trails and tight single-track. Our test bike came with medium suspension settings and was the standard 60-horsepower model.
Rider Cockpit | Stark Varg EX Review
The Varg EX is narrower than most off-road bikes, as there is not a large fuel tank or radiators on the front of the bike. This, combined with the overall shape of the bodywork and no muffler at the back, allows for easier movement on the bike. The seat is about the same as that on most other dual sport and off-road bikes, so it is not very comfortable for long periods of sitting. The stock aluminum handlebar received no complaints, and it has a hole for the wiring to run inside, which contributes to a clean, modern look. The phone that shows all your ride stats and battery level is much larger than a typical dual sport or off-road dash and could eliminate the need to buy an aftermarket navigation system. We unfortunately didn’t have an active app to test the nav system, but the ride tracking is impressive.
Power Delivery | Stark Varg EX Review
It is important to point out that throttle control is great, as it needs to be without a clutch that experienced riders use to control traction. You can ease on the power in slippery conditions. We found the sweet spot for trail riding was between 25 and 35 horsepower, with the engine braking set around 30. More skilled riders were comfortable with slightly more power, but nobody wanted the full 60 horsepower for trail riding except when necessary for big hill climbs. Having power available when you need it is great, but using more power significantly reduces range.
Without worrying about the clutch, shifting or stalling, the Varg EX lets you focus on other aspects of riding. Most riders can tackle more difficult terrain than they could on a traditional bike. As one test rider said, “It’s predictable, and not worrying about shifting, using the clutch to find the sweet spot in the power or stalling is a game changer.”
Weight & Handling | Stark Varg EX Review
Stark claims a weight of 264 pounds, but we measured 272 pounds on our scales compared to 253 pounds for a KTM 450 EXC dual sport bike with a full tank of fuel. The Varg EX is at least 15 pounds heavier than a dual sport bike and closer to 25 pounds heavier than most off-road bikes. Despite that weight, you don’t feel it on the trail unless you’re wrestling it around in tough spots—and even then, the crawl mode and reverse can help you out significantly.
Suspension & Chassis | Stark Varg EX Review
The KYB suspension settings and chassis received excellent feedback from everyone who rode it. The suspension is more similar to an aggressive trail bike like KTM XC or Beta RR Race models than a KTM XC-W or EXC dual sport bike. Suspension settings are very personal, so most riders will do their own tuning, but the Varg EX tracks straight, corners well, and does not do anything strange.
Brakes | Stark Varg EX Review
The Brembo brakes work well. Our bike had the foot-pedal rear brake installed, and some of us prefer that, while others like the optional hand brake to keep the right foot free to move around and weight the footpeg. There were no complaints about brake performance.
Lights | Stark Varg EX Review
The headlight is better than any stock headlight we have ridden with. It has low and high beams, and unlike most other stock bikes, you will likely not feel the need to install an aftermarket light. And huge bonus points for the integrated turn signals on the front. Unfortunately, those are not legal for U.S. DOT/NHTSA, but they are a clean design that deserves some recognition. The provided U.S.-legal turn signals are also better than most stock units.
Noise Level | Stark Varg EX Review
The Varg is significantly quieter than any gas-powered bike, though the cooling system generates some noise, and the chain and tires spitting out debris make more sound than the bicycle-quiet operation Stark claims in their videos. Still, it’s far less likely to make enough noise to anger other outdoor enthusiasts, which could help keep riding areas open or even open new ones.
The Verdict | Stark Varg EX Review
If you want to do 50-plus-mile rides or anything that includes significant open and high-speed riding, the Varg EX isn’t the best option. The limited range and lengthy charging times make it impractical for adventure dual sport riding or exploration.
However, if you want to ride trails—especially tight, technical trails—and keep your rides under four hours, you may not find a bike that’s easier to ride and live with. The effortless power delivery, reduced maintenance, quieter operation, and two-year warranty from Stark make it an excellent choice for many off-road motorcycle enthusiasts. The $12,900 price tag is competitive with comparable dual sports, and the reduced maintenance costs provide long-term savings. CN
2025 Stark Varg EX Specifications
| MSRP | $12,900 Standard / $13,900 Alpha |
| Engine Type | Liquid-cooled, electric motor with carbon-fiber housing, 360V |
| Horsepower (claimed) | 60 Standard model / 80 Alpha model |
| Torque (claimed) | 764 lb-ft at rear wheel |
| Battery | 7.2 kWh lithium-ion |
| Charger | 3.3kW, 16 A, 120V/240V |
| Charging Time | 3-5 hours @ 120V 2 hours @ 220V |
| Frame | Chromoly steel mainframe; aluminum subframe |
| Handlebar | Tapered aluminum |
| Front Suspension | KYB 48mm closed-cartridge coil-spring fork, compression and rebound damping adjustable. |
| Rear Suspension | KYB single shock with linkage, triple adjuster, spring preload, high/low speed compression damping and rebound damping adjustable. |
| Front-Wheel Travel | 11.8 in. |
| Rear-Wheel Travel | 11.9 in. |
| Front Brake | Brembo, 2-piston caliper with 260mm disc |
| Rear Brake | Brembo, 1-piston caliper with 220mm disc |
| Front Wheel / Tire | 90/90 21 in. |
| Rear Wheel / Tire | 140/80 18 in. |
| Rake | 26.1° |
| Wheelbase | 58.58 in. |
| Ground Clearance | 14.49 in. |
| Seat Height | 38.9 in. |
| Weight (measured) | 272 lbs. |
| Warranty | 2 Years |
Click here to read the 2025 Stark Varg EX Review in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.
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