Stark Varg EX review — 60 horsepower and nowhere legal to use it

Stark Future’s pitch has always been simple to the point of arrogance: the Varg is not a good electric motocross bike, it is the best motocross bike, and the electric part is incidental. The EX is that machine with lights, a horn, mirrors and an EU L1e-derived homologation path — a 60-horsepower enduro bike you can legally ride to the trailhead.

After six weeks and roughly 700 miles, the performance claim holds up. The ownership claim is where it gets complicated.

Riding it

The Varg’s party trick is not acceleration, though there is a great deal of that. It is the absence of a powerband. There is no clutch to slip, no gear to be in, and no moment where the bike is not making everything it has. On a technical climb this is transformative — you pick a line, you roll on, and the bike simply goes where you pointed it.

There is no gear to be in. After a week you stop thinking about traction as something you manage and start thinking about it as something you spend.

The Arkenstone control app remains the best software on any motorcycle, electric or otherwise. You get genuine control over engine braking, power delivery curve and traction control, in a UI that assumes you know what those words mean. Stark ships something like 100 preset maps, and unlike most manufacturer apps, changing them actually changes the bike.

Living with it

Fifty miles of hard trail riding is a long day for most riders, so the range is genuinely adequate. The problem is the second day. There is no DC fast charging, and a full recharge from a standard outlet is an overnight affair. If your riding involves a truck and a campsite, you need a generator or a plan.

The verdict

For comparison against the cheaper end of the market, see our 2026 electric dirt bike buying guide.