VOLUME ISSUE JANUARY , P93
road bikes, so it is not very comfort-
able for long periods of sitting. The
stock aluminum handlebar had no
complaints and has a hole for the
wiring to run inside, which contrib-
utes 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 ac
-
tive app to test the nav system, but
the ride tracking is impressive.
Power Delivery
It is important to point out that
throttle control is great, as it needs
to be without a clutch that experi
-
enced riders use to control traction.
You can ease on the power in slip-
pery 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 rid-
er said, "It's predictable, and not wor-
rying about shifting, using the clutch
to find the sweet spot in the power,
or stalling is a game changer."
Weight and Handling
Stark claims a weight of 264 pounds,
but we measured 272 pounds on our
scales compared to 253 pounds for
The Varg EX has
plenty of controllable
power to have fun in
just about any type
of terrain.
