Stark ex or 1.2

I have given up on Dust moto and Bonnell's 902 electric dirt bike I put deposits in the first quarter of 2024 and now they say a early 2026 release date and I get it but even when a first new bike comes out there's growing pains which is normal, so I have decided on the Stark Varg ex I would probably get the 1.2 mx if I could a 18 inch rear tire when ordering.

Deposit in 2025

Just order an extra 18' wheel with the 1.2? They are not that expensive. But you could also order the EX with MX suspension if you want that. Just keep in mind the EX is streetlegal, the 1.2 isn't.

I was trying to shave as many pounds as I can with the mx 1.2 being a few pounds lighter I believe and also will not have to register/ license the bike.

The weight gap is the 19' being seriously lighter than the 18' and not having lights etc.
The rest is the same in weight.

fe501tired said:

I was trying to shave as many pounds as I can with the mx 1.2 being a few pounds lighter I believe and also will not have to register/ license the bike.

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What about getting an EX and just not installing the turn signals/mirrors and all that stuff? Mine will hardly ever see the street but having a bike that’s titled and registered really adds value if you ever to go sell.

True

fe501tired said:

I have given up on Dust moto and Bonnell's 902 electric dirt bike I put deposits in the first quarter of 2024 and now they say a early 2026 release date and I get it but even when a first new bike comes out there's growing pains which is normal, so I have decided on the Stark Varg ex I would probably get the 1.2 mx if I could a 18 inch rear tire when ordering.

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When you spec the MX 1.2, if you select Enduro suspension rather than MX, you get the 18" rear wheel rather than the 19" MX wheel. You can see the size flip when you go to select your tire options.

what is the difference between MX and EX suspension? its the same KYB just a bit harder on the MX? can i tweak the EX suspension to convert it in MX sus?

Springs and valving are different. Similar to other manufacturers (Yamaha, KTM, Honda, etc.), MX bikes come with the stiffest springs and valving to take big drops. Enduro models come with lighter springs and valving since huge jumps are not the intended purpose. Softer suspension is more comfortable, but the primary intent is keeping tracking in rough terrain by keeping tire in contact with the ground. Then, the dual sport models have the softest, most comfortable spring rates, typically. Stark is about the only manufacturer that will let you select three different spring/valve rates within a genre, which is nice.

You can adjust the dampening of any suspension within its limits, but you'll never make an MX suspension behave like enduro suspension because the valving is only adjustable within a useable range of the spring rate. You'd need to replace the spring and have the suspension re-valved. Much cheaper to get the type of suspension you want from the factory and order it for your weight. But then, there are those that will have even that revalved, so if you are the type to have the suspension re-worked anyway, than it doesn't really matter which you get as the springs are cheap and can be swapped if you, or a tech, is already inside to revalve anyway.

Chadx said:

When you spec the MX 1.2, if you select Enduro suspension rather than MX, you get the 18" rear wheel rather than the 19" MX wheel. You can see the size flip when you go to select your tire options.

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I thought or heard that the mx1.2 only can be ordered with the 19 inch rear wheel and as far as ordering it with the enduro suspension I'm not sure about that as well maybe other's can chime in thanks .

fe501tired said:

I thought or heard that the mx1.2 only can be ordered with the 19 inch rear wheel and as far as ordering it with the enduro suspension I'm not sure about that as well maybe other's can chime in thanks .

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Last time I did a test build on their website, it automatically changed the rear wheel size based only on the suspension selected. I just went and did an MX 1.2 build again and they have decoupled suspension and wheel tire selection. Meaning, on an MX 1.2, you can order MX suspension or Enduro suspension. Then, when you go to tire selection, you can select MX tires and get 21/19 wheel/tires or you can select Enduro and order 21/18 enduro wheel/tires no matter which suspension you chose.

Though I don't know why you'd order 21/19 with Enduro suspension or 21/18 with MX suspension, it's great they allow that much order customization. And then choose your spring/valving for rider weight on top of that. Love it!

On the EX, you can select either suspension (MX or Enduro) but the tire choice (and presumably wheel size) you can not select and so seems locked into 21/18. Maybe that will change in the future, though again, not sure why you'd want MX wheel/tires on an EX.

@fe501tired So to answer your original question, yes you can order a MX 1.2 with 18" wheel/tires and with either MX or Enduro suspension. Hop on their website and do an MX 1.2 build to see your options.

Chadx said:

Last time I did a test build on their website, it automatically changed the rear wheel size based only on the suspension selected. I just went and did an MX 1.2 build again and they have decoupled suspension and wheel tire selection. Meaning, on an MX 1.2, you can order MX suspension or Enduro suspension. Then, when you go to tire selection, you can select MX tires and get 21/19 wheel/tires or you can select Enduro and order 21/18 enduro wheel/tires no matter which suspension you chose.

Though I don't know why you'd order 21/19 with Enduro suspension or 21/18 with MX suspension, it's great they allow that much order customization. And then choose your spring/valving for rider weight on top of that. Love it!

On the EX, you can select either suspension (MX or Enduro) but the tire choice (and presumably wheel size) you can not select and so seems locked into 21/18. Maybe that will change in the future, though again, not sure why you'd want MX wheel/tires on an EX.

@fe501tired So to answer your original question, yes you can order a MX 1.2 with 18" wheel/tires and with either MX or Enduro suspension. Hop on their website and do an MX 1.2 build to see your options.

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That's great to have those options, but if you want an enduro bike, the EX still seems like the best choice unless it saves significant $$ to get an MX1.2 with enduro suspension and 18" wheel.

AL_V said:

That's great to have those options, but if you want an enduro bike, the EX still seems like the best choice unless it saves significant $$ to get an MX1.2 with enduro suspension and 18" wheel.

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Saves $900 in MSRP when I do like builds on the Stark website:
Both 60hp, adding sidestand to MX, and for both, selecting enduro suspension, 21/18 wheelsets with the same default Metzeler 6 Days Extreme tires.
$12,090 for MX1.2 vs $12,990 for EX (not including shipping, setup, etc. Just core MSRP).
So, 7% cheaper for the same thing minus the lights.

If you have no interest in lights (for street driving or just trail lights or trail visibility, then no reason to pay $900 more for an EX with the exact same suspension/wheels/tires.
And, saving 4 or 5 pounds doesn't hurt either. I'd rather get the MX 1.2 with Enduro suspension and wheels and have $900 to spend on good wrap-around hand guards, other guards, decent tubes and tires, aftermarket seat, etc. But to each their own as some like having lights, even if only trail riding, for visibility, night rides, etc. or if they ever decide to plate it and ride on the street in the future.

Nice we have the option to set up either of them with enduro or either of them with MX suspension.

Is MX1.2 frame the same as EX frame?

Chadx said:

Last time I did a test build on their website, it automatically changed the rear wheel size based only on the suspension selected. I just went and did an MX 1.2 build again and they have decoupled suspension and wheel tire selection. Meaning, on an MX 1.2, you can order MX suspension or Enduro suspension. Then, when you go to tire selection, you can select MX tires and get 21/19 wheel/tires or you can select Enduro and order 21/18 enduro wheel/tires no matter which suspension you chose.

Though I don't know why you'd order 21/19 with Enduro suspension or 21/18 with MX suspension, it's great they allow that much order customization. And then choose your spring/valving for rider weight on top of that. Love it!

On the EX, you can select either suspension (MX or Enduro) but the tire choice (and presumably wheel size) you can not select and so seems locked into 21/18. Maybe that will change in the future, though again, not sure why you'd want MX wheel/tires on an EX.

@fe501tired So to answer your original question, yes you can order a MX 1.2 with 18" wheel/tires and with either MX or Enduro suspension. Hop on their website and do an MX 1.2 build to see your options.

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maybe an EX with MX suspension for MX use and jumps but you can ride it on the road aswell... its like having a street legal motocross