Stark Future Varg EX electric sports enduro: The electric future starts now
The Stark Varg EX is on a par with good sports enduros with combustion engines in terms of chassis, weight and price, but superior in terms of performance.
(Image: Stark)
- Ingo Gach
The young company Stark Future already caused quite a stir with its electric motocrosser, the Varg MX, almost three years ago. Now the brand from Barcelona is following it up with an electric enduro. The Varg EX has nothing to do with the half-baked attempts of other start-ups, which look more like e-mountainbikes. The Varg EX is an absolutely competitive sports enduro bike with top-class suspension and a very powerful electric motor. It could herald a new era in enduro sport.
The company is backed by a team of experienced engineers, with French former motocross world champion Sébastian Tortelli and American supercross star Josh Hill acting as development riders. Stark Future was founded by the Swede Anton Wass, who became rich with an internet company for motocross accessories. With Stark Future, he wants to build nothing other than the off-road motorcycles of the future.
Form follows function: good design
The Varg EX is based on the Varg MX motocrosser and adopts its electric motor, steel frame, seat, handlebars, suspension elements, wheels and brakes. Its design is very successful because it is completely subordinate to the requirements of off-road riders. The seat is flat and pulled far forward so that the rider can slide forward almost to the steering head to put weight on the front wheel when cornering.
The Fat Bar aluminum handlebars are positioned high and the stainless steel footrests developed by Stark Future are – lighter and stronger than any others on the market, according to –. The standard handguards, also developed by Stark Future, are also said to be the lightest of their kind.
Stark Future Varg EX (9 Bilder)
Stark
)High-quality chassis
No savings were made on the equipment, with a fully adjustable 48 mm upside-down fork from KYB at the front. With a closed cartridge system and 300 mm suspension travel, it should be prepared for pretty much anything off-road. At the rear, a fully adjustable shock absorber from the same manufacturer with 303 mm of travel is used, and the compression damping can even be adjusted in the high and low-speed ranges. The long suspension travel results in a seat height of a dizzying 990 mm, but also a generous ground clearance of 368 mm.
Practical details have also been considered, so the enduro rider will be delighted with the recessed grip under the seat to lift the bike out of the mud with muscle power if necessary. The brakes are from Brembo, with a two-piston brake calliper and a 260 mm brake disk on the 21 -inch front wheel. At the rear, a single-piston brake calliper with a 220 mm brake disk provides support.
Powerful: 80 hp
Weight is always an important issue in off-road sports and Stark Future tries to keep it as low as possible, which is why the engine housing is made of carbon fiber laminate and the battery housing of magnesium. The Varg EX is specified with a weight of 120 kg, which is in the range of sport enduro bikes with combustion engines. The Varg EX beats them all when it comes to maximum power, as its electric motor with 360 volts delivers 59 kW at its peak.
This is likely to be too much for the vast majority of off-road riders, which is why Stark Future also offers a version with 44 kW at –, which is roughly equivalent to the power of a 450cc sports enduro with a four-stroke engine. In contrast to this, the Varg EX does not have a gearbox, but it does have a reverse gear. This saves the rider from having to dismount and push the bike off-road.
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With road approval
Important for enduro riders: the Varg EX has road homologation and can be used on public roads. It comes with an LED headlight that provides 4000 lumens of light, a tiny LED rear light/indicator unit, a short license plate holder and a kickstand. If you are looking in vain for the front indicators in the photos, they are integrated almost invisibly into the small lamp mask.
Stark Future Varg EX II (7 Bilder)
Stark
)Stark Future has come up with something special for the cockpit: It consists of an Android smartphone with a touchscreen. The water and shock-resistant Stark Arkenstone (SIM card included) automatically connects to the motorcycle, charges wirelessly in its handlebar mount and functions as a control and navigation device with route recording and turn-by-turn navigation. The electric enduro receives software updates wirelessly. The aluminum button housing on the left handlebar end, which can also be used to operate the Arkenstone, looks particularly elegant.
Can be ridden with an A1 driving license
The Varg EX meets all the safety and environmental requirements of the EU – and can be ridden legally by 16-year-olds with an A1 motorcycle license or car drivers with a B196. This may sound surprising for an 80 hp motorcycle, but the Varg EX must not produce more than 11 kW (15 hp) in continuous operation in road traffic. It has several power curves that can be set between 10 and 80 hp.
Range depending on ability and requirements
The most heated discussions about electric motorcycles are always about range and charging times. At 7.2 kWh, the battery of the Varg EX is 20 percent larger than that of the Vark MX. Stark Future makes a sensible distinction between beginner, amateur and professional riders and the "Enduro", "Hard Enduro" and "Motocross" areas of use in its range specifications. Accordingly, the manufacturer specifies different riding times of between six hours for a beginner in hard enduro and 37 minutes for a professional in motocross.
As proof, Stark Future has posted a full-length video online in which an amateur with a helmet camera rides for exactly 5 hours and one minute over gravel tracks and winding paths in Spain until the battery indicator has dropped to 0. The charging time with the supplied cable is supposedly two hours at a 230-volt socket.
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No more expensive than conventionally motorized enduro bikes
Anyone fearing exorbitant prices will be pleasantly surprised: the 60 hp version is available for 12,900 euros and the 80 hp version costs 13,900 euros. This means that at least the 60 hp Varg EX is in the price range of a 450cc sports enduro with a combustion engine. The Varg EX can already be ordered and deliveries will begin in the first quarter of 2025.