Converting EX to an MX?

[davis224]

Did a search amd didn't see anything, so apologies if it's already been covered. I'm getting close to pulling the trigger on a stark, and I'll likely be riding MX 90% of the time, but the idea of being able to ride it to work, or to a nearby trail is super tempting to me. Has anyone done this? What works/doesn't work well?

Ideally I'd order one with MX suspension and be getting a set of MX plastics with no lights/plate/etc and a separate set of rims and tires for street/dual sport. How does the battery hold up on street riding? Would say a 30 minute ride at 45-60mph on country roads be doable or completely drain the battery? If I get it with MX suspension, is everything else nearly identical? Or should I be more sensible and just get an MX and haul it?

 

[Erwin P]

An MX is just an EX with harder suspension and no lights.

I've owned a MX 1.0 for 2,5 years and since very short an EX. On the street with street tyres i seem to get 95km or 59 miles.

Get the gearing taller and range gets better, but your speedo will be off.

 

[DaveAusNor]

Hi Davis,

I'm running a very similar use case to yours. I ride to the MX track near me (15 mins away, 10% battery each way), and then hit a bunch of laps before riding home. All I have to remove at the track is my number plate and underbar mirror. I usually disconnect the headlight too.

I also use the bike to commute to work (although with SM wheels and different gearing). With SM and 14/45 gearing I get approximately 1% battery per kilometre (50-80 kmph roads). So maybe could stretch 60miles if its less highway riding. The battery gets eaten up significantly more if you're over 45mph for longer stretches. I would recommend you get the EX with the hardest suspension (better for MX).

 

[Lost]

I use my EX as a daily and get about 3 hours ride time on 50-120km roads. Stock gearing, stock wheels.

 

[Karinshi]

i think the best choice is choosing the EX with MX suspension, and then you have a street legal MX weapon

By the way @Erwin P the EX and MX has the same frame? for example, my local dealer told me the other day that the SM frame is weaker than the EX frame, that if you use the SM frame on enduro type riding it could broke easily... This has worried me in part, but on the other hand, it seems like an exaggeration... supermoto bikes have always been used aggressively too, with flat jumps and a bit of abuse on the street... it sounds strange to me

 

[DaveAusNor]

I wouldn't think the frame is any different at all on any of the bikes, just the forks on the SM.

 

[Karinshi]

I wouldn't think the frame is any different at all on any of the bikes, just the forks on the SM.

i just look into the web and both the EX and SM seems to have the same parts name on the frame "SEX1-F-W-KT" but the MX has a different one "SMX1-F-W-KT"

my local dealer is smoking something...

 

[AL_V]

I wouldn't think the frame is any different at all on any of the bikes, just the forks on the SM.

When the EX came out they said it had a more flexible frame.
Not sure if I believe it, but even so, I doubt if I could tell the difference.

 

[Erwin P]

When the EX came out they said it had a more flexible frame.
Not sure if I believe it, but even so, I doubt if I could tell the difference.

I can't feel it. But the suspension is worlds apart.

 

[AL_V]

I can't feel it. But the suspension is worlds apart.

Yea, i’ve heard that they went from too stiff on the MX bike, to too soft on the EX.
Is the EX suspension decent with out a revalve?

 

[Erwin P]

For us the MX was actually quite fine. We're a sand MX country. Pretty much every suspension gets beefed up around here. Mine is still stock but a lot of people had the front stiffened by tuners.

I'm ot 100% sure about the EX. 1 day of minor offroad (with beginners) and a few days on SM wheels on the street. It's not soft out there.
Will be going on an Enduro trip in a few weeks. But that will be Hard Enduro and i never had a bike quite soft enough for that.

 

[davis224]

When the EX came out they said it had a more flexible frame.
Not sure if I believe it, but even so, I doubt if I could tell the difference.

I think the MX1.2 and EX have a softer feeling frame than the original MX. The MX I rode did have a bit of a harsh feeling.

I've heard KTM wheels will fit, so if I get the EX I could pick up a set of used KTM SM or dual sport wheels?

 

[davis224]

For us the MX was actually quite fine. We're a sand MX country. Pretty much every suspension gets beefed up around here. Mine is still stock but a lot of people had the front stiffened by tuners.

I'm ot 100% sure about the EX. 1 day of minor offroad (with beginners) and a few days on SM wheels on the street. It's not soft out there.
Will be going on an Enduro trip in a few weeks. But that will be Hard Enduro and i never had a bike quite soft enough for that.

How is it in sand? I've heard it feels quite different compared to a gas bike in the sand/reduced range. Not a huge deal to me but there are a couple sand tracks I ride.

 

[Lost]

The 1.2/EX and SM are essentially the same bike. The OG MX had a slightly heavier frame (from what I'vebeentold) But basically everything is cross compatible across all 4 bikes. In essence, it's one bike 4 different trims.

 

[Erwin P]

MX 1.0 has entirely different electronics. But pretty much everyhting else is bolt on. You could make a 1.0 a 1.2, but you would need the motor, battery, VCU, wiring harnas, phone and docking station.

 

[Lost]

MX 1.0 has entirely different electronics. But pretty much everyhting else is bolt on. You could make a 1.0 a 1.2, but you would need the motor, battery, VCU, wiring harnas, phone and docking station.

As far as Im aware, the motor is the same across all 4 platforms (SPMAC). The MX1.0 having 300rpm more due to calibration.
Stark already offers the harness from gen 1 to 2 VCUs. Some people here have them, creating in effect several "MX1.1s" .
If you wanted to get buck wild and have the phone and battery too, I'm sure someone will figure out plug and play solutions soon (if someone hasn't already).

 

[Erwin P]

The MX 1.0 gen 1 and 2 have motors with different inverter covers and chargerports that do fit.

However the 1.2/EX/SM have different wiring on the motor and different battery connector ports. Do not fit on the MX1.0 without doing the whole full E setup swap.

 

[Tr1nk3t]

Hello !
Me and my brother have been racing alot of MX in our younger days so enduro is not our cup of tea , but we also want to ride the streets and take a ice cream in a hot summer day sometimes!
So Me and my brother has just been doing the conversion from EX to MX on both of our brand new bikes and are almost finished
We have the 2025 EX and have put on a 19" mx rear rim and tire and a 14 teeth front sprocket but kept the ex rear sprocket as it is , standard ( only 1 teeth diffrent from ex to mx), We are also doing the suspention as we speak , bought some other springs for the forks and rear shock from a mx suspention brand here in sweden called Kumlin Suspention.
also bought the MX plastics kit but only for the front numberplate and the rear fender part with the mudflap so we can make some kind of new license plate holder to screw on to the EX rear fender bolt holes and make it detachable and not use the ugly standard EU licenseplate holder that comes with the bike whne we ride the streets and to take it off completly when we are on the mx track ! so we are going to 3d print a new mount first of all , and then later fabricate a final version i hope so it will be easy and fast to go from MX to street in just a couple of minutes .

(Side note)
i also feel that the bike has the footpegs alot higher than my last mx bikes ( ktm 350 2011 and YZ 250 2002 ) or the handlebars are sitting alot lower or the seat is higher ? i dont know and hasnt figured it out yet but maybe im not alone about that feeling , but i also bought 15mm raisers for my handlebar to try if that makes it feel better for me ( i have short legs and really long upperbody ) so when standing up i feel like the bars are to low , but with that said , its was no problem with the cables to raise it 15mm but i think 20mm can be hard or bad on the cables without some cable exstentions , i hope i have time to get back to you all after i get the suspention back and doing the first real test on my local mx track and on the streets.

Another thing i noticed when converting from EX to MX that is importent to mention , THERE IS ALMOST ZERO TO NONE Grease from factory in the rocker arm and all the other moving parts that has bearings around that area ! , check it out if you havent or you will be replacing them soon

Thank you for reading all this way and sorry for my bad english .