Comparing the Stark Varg to the Talaria Komodo is like choosing between an iPhone or Android. The iPhone is very user-friendly, it has clean lines, sophisticated high tech that does uber cool images, videos, and more. Android, on the other hand, is fully customizable, has lots of add-ons, and is still user-friendly, but in a different way. Android talks to just about everything. iPhone doesn’t.
The Stark Varg is the iPhone. Komodo, the Android. Both awesome in their own right, but different. Quite a few thousand dollars different! So, what camp are you in? Let’s look into this, not the stats and generalised info that you can find anywhere, let’s work out where you want to ride, how you ride, what your mates ride to paint the full picture of what your perfect bike is.
If you already know, because sometimes you just get that gut feeling, that’s great. Keep reading, though, just to make sure you’ve covered everything. If you’re like me, at the first sign of the new best thing, ADHD kicks in, and I’ll be out to buy it – it takes effort and a calm chat to discuss pros and cons. I’ll try to be your calm chat today! (But can’t guarantee you won’t want to rush off to buy an e-moto!, sorry, not sorry!)
For those who are looking for a competition-ready bike, check out this article. It goes through our top e-motos that might be of interest to you.
The Stark Varg
The Stark Varg is a weapon. I can’t even say it’s the equivalent of a 450cc gas dirt bike. It’s actually faster. Power to weight is insane, 80 horsepower on a 260 pound frame. Instant torque, no gears, and without a traditional engine, the weight can be distributed differently to increase stability. You can ‘tune’ the engine with a few buttons. And the tunes are almost endless; you have so much control over how the power is delivered.
Maintenance is like nothing I’ve seen on gas dirt bikes before. No filter to keep clean, no oil to change, no clutch plate to…umm.. Yep, we’ve all been there! You get the idea. The technology is next level. If you’re a racer or someone who loves data, have you seen what information you can get from the Varg? You can log rides, G force, airtime, power modes, everything. And that’s on the free plan. Upgrade to the Pro plan, and you get lap times, navigation, race modes, and more.
A Stark Varg is for riders who want to keep up with their gas dirt bike mates… and then overtake them. No tinkering required. Aftermarket parts are available, but not plentiful. The parts from Stark are easy to obtain if you need to replace anything, but they’re not exactly cheap. That’s what you get for top-level engineering.
The Varg is your true gas dirt bike replacement. It’s not in the e-moto category. Many events are starting to allow Varg to enter, although keep in mind you may need the paid Stark Varg subscription service. This service has the option of racing mode, which limits the power during races to conform to the regulations.
The Talaria Komodo
Those who ride the Komodo are looking for fun on a high-performance machine. The Komodo has mid-size e-moto heritage, and it continues with the nimble, flickable e-moto feeling. Yes, it’s a dirt bike, but it comes with that playful vibe. With *only* 32kW – which, by the way, is a huge amount of power, and weighing only 216 pounds, it also has an awesome power-to-weight ratio. For reference, the usual mid-sized e-moto has around 12-15kW.
Complete with a standard size wheelset of 21/18, adjustable forks with 250mm of travel, hydraulic brakes, and all the features you’d expect on a competition-ready model. Where the Komodo is really different from the Varg is the moddability. Aftermarket parts are plentiful on the Komodo; they are plug and play, and the best part – they don’t have the ‘Varg tax.’
Will the Komodo stand up to a hard ride, enduro event, or an SX series? Probably not, not without a few modifications. But that’s the fun. That’s part of the process and what takes this bike from being awesome to being a winner. The price difference between the Komodo and the Varg allows for many modifications before you’ve spent the same amount.
Stark Varg vs Talaria Komodo
Here are the stats. Keep in mind that you can purchase the Stark Varg with many different options, so I’ll use the typical figures, but it won’t account for every option. I’ll also use the MX 1.2 for the data, check out this article for info on the EX.
| Feature | Stark Varg MX 1.2 | Talaria Komodo |
| Peak Power | 60hp or 80hp | Around 43hp (32kW) |
| Weight | 260 pounds | 216 pounds |
| Philosophy | Full-Size MX Replacement | High-End Mid-Size Hybrid |
| Price Tag | $13,000 (ish) | $6,000 |
| Mod-ability | Difficult | Easy |
*Prices are accurate at the time of writing.
Build or Buy?
For us at GritShift, we love to mod bikes. There’s something about getting a high-quality bike, and then tinkering slightly to make it exactly fit you and your riding style. While I do mod my gas bikes to some extent, it takes considerable knowledge, planning, and typically a trip to the local mechanics to help. In some ways, my gas dirt bike has about the same moddabilty as the Stark Varg does – and that doesn’t even take into account the electronics. I would guess about half the stuff in my toolbox wouldn’t need to be used on my e-moto! No injectors to clean, tools to rebuild engines, filters to replace.
The Komodo, on the other hand, is more like a high-performance LEGO set. Want to change the motor? Easy. With a general knowledge of common sense and an ability to Google, anyone can do a motor change. Even suspension is easier to change. The parts simply go together. And thanks to Rusty and his R&D team here, and other similar companies, the aftermarket parts world is booming.
It all comes down to two things. Do you want a ready-made, (almost) perfect Stark Varg, or do you want the ability to add upgrades here and there with ease? Neither answer is right or wrong; it only comes down to what you want to do.
Something else to consider, the Varg has some pretty neat technology. But, like I was saying earlier, it’s like Apple. You can’t add widgets with ease, you get what you get, and are limited by the, albeit large, options Varg offers. The Komodo can swap and change with controllers, motors, and batteries without a fuss. Aftermarket options with endless tunes are available; Talaria is happy to play with anyone.
Where will you ride?
The Stark Varg is at home on an MX track, enduro event – basically anywhere you would want to ride a 450cc gas dirt bike. The Talaria Komodo can venture almost anywhere the Varg does – and for most riders, this will be more than enough. Only the riders who really push the boundaries will find they’ll need to make a few modifications.
The forks on the Komodo are a bit soft for many hard riders. Then again, trying to do the same level of riding on a bike that’s physically much smaller than a Varg is probably asking for some of the stock components to break. Some aftermarket parts would bring the Komodo up to snuff, but it will always be a smaller bike.
The Talaria Komodo will be great in tight, technical sections where agility is needed. The Varg will feature if raw speed and power are needed. Both will be a huge amount of fun; it just depends on which way you want to go.
What do you choose?
This is a really tough choice; both bikes are fantastic, just in different ways.
Stark Varg: If you’re thinking of competing in events and want a true like-for-like dirt gas bike, the Varg is the way to go.
Talaria Komodo: If you want a high-performance e-moto, great value for money, endless aftermarket parts, and want the nimble and smaller e-moto feel, the Komodo is made for you.
The price difference between the Varg and the Komodo might also be something to consider. The Varg is about double the price of the Komodo. While we love the technology the Varg has, most, if not all of us at GritShift enjoy creating our dream builds. Either way, when the weekend comes around, as long as you’re getting out there and enjoying it, it doesn’t matter what bike you’re on.
More reading:
If you’re still trying to work out what the best high-performance dirt bike is for you, check out these articles:
Random facts to look cool:
Why did the creators of Stark Varg start the company?
Anton Wass, founder and CEO of Stark Varg wanted to create an environmentally friendly motorcycle that pushes boundaries. According to their website, they want to challenge the norm. They set out to create the electric equivalent of the gas dirt bike.
While Surron and Talaria were creating the e-moto market, Varg is breaking into the dirt bike market.
Where does Stark Varg come from?
The company is located near Barcelona. The design, building, and assembling is done in their production facility there.
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