jasonjm
Member
- Likes
- 7
- Location
- los angeles
heya all i own 3 x husky te 300 2 strokes, all newish and kitted out to the max for hard enduro.
I typically ride really steep technical stuff, big hills climbs, big descents etc, not much in tight wooded areas, more desert technical riding.
obviously the TE 300 is a very capable bike (whether you love it or not, its very capable).... so i feel this is a good comparison.
PROS of VARG
1) its a real dirt-bike, doesn't feel like a toy like surron small / medium bikes
2) being able to change modes for different power profiles is very cool, they are so different i don't even need to look down, after 2 hrs riding i could tell immediately which of the 5 power modes i have i am in
3) for very steep descents being able to balance on both pegs, plus using 100% regen, makes it very very good at difficult descents.
4) since the bike was designed for MX tracks, its friggn good at jumping, way way better than my TE 300. When i ride stark i get way more air than TE 300
5) i have no idea why so many are complaining about stark suspension, maybe i just got it right. I ordered bike with suspension set for 10-15 kgs lighter than i really am, and then backed off the clickers through trial and error with 1 hr of testing on a simple loop that involved a steep climb, steep descent, some tight flow, some rocks and a jump. The suspension is good, no complaints. I generally don't ride with a plush suspension so maybe i am more used to a harder suspension than most who knows. but its really good, zero brake drive or other nonsense. i like the suspension a lot, way way better than i could get any stock KTM suspension i have ever owned to be.
6) the bike is surprisingly easy to pick up after wrecking or dumping the bike. because the weight is lower down maybe it makes it easier. its easier to pick up than my te 300 which is pretty much as light as you get in a gas bike.
7) the HP modes on varg are misleading in a way, even at 10hp you can climb hills that a 50cc bike has literally zero chance of climbing, its almost like the HP is the max you can get but at lower HP modes it will still spin that wheel no matter what it seems.
8) I get 4 hours of difficult riding out of the varg, that is enough for me.
9) the bike is unbelievably good at hill climbs where the ground is not too uneven, steep hills with predictable ground are unbelievably easy. Once it gets very rocky or tricky then i did not find it any easier to climb than the husky.
CONS
1) bike is too narrow and too hard to grip between legs, definitely my major gripe, i have to fix this. this is by far the biggest con for me.
2) i can feel the weight coming hot into a turn, the varg has more inertia and straight line fixation, the TE 300 is definitely easier to initiate turns on
3) we should be able to adjust how quickly the power comes on from the throttle its silly. I should not need 60 HP to lift the front. I should be able to do it at 20HP if i could adjust how quickly that power comes on. just silly. I bet they could almost calculate "wheelie mode" and program it into the throttle, i don't see why not.
4) the bike is taller than te 300 which does make it slightly harder to balance for hard enduro if you need to get a leg down
5) whiskey throttle will be an issue, using the rear brake is not the same as a clutch. in 30 HP mode this is fine, but if you riding at 60 or 80 HP, this is really going to bite you at some point.
I typically ride really steep technical stuff, big hills climbs, big descents etc, not much in tight wooded areas, more desert technical riding.
obviously the TE 300 is a very capable bike (whether you love it or not, its very capable).... so i feel this is a good comparison.
PROS of VARG
1) its a real dirt-bike, doesn't feel like a toy like surron small / medium bikes
2) being able to change modes for different power profiles is very cool, they are so different i don't even need to look down, after 2 hrs riding i could tell immediately which of the 5 power modes i have i am in
3) for very steep descents being able to balance on both pegs, plus using 100% regen, makes it very very good at difficult descents.
4) since the bike was designed for MX tracks, its friggn good at jumping, way way better than my TE 300. When i ride stark i get way more air than TE 300
5) i have no idea why so many are complaining about stark suspension, maybe i just got it right. I ordered bike with suspension set for 10-15 kgs lighter than i really am, and then backed off the clickers through trial and error with 1 hr of testing on a simple loop that involved a steep climb, steep descent, some tight flow, some rocks and a jump. The suspension is good, no complaints. I generally don't ride with a plush suspension so maybe i am more used to a harder suspension than most who knows. but its really good, zero brake drive or other nonsense. i like the suspension a lot, way way better than i could get any stock KTM suspension i have ever owned to be.
6) the bike is surprisingly easy to pick up after wrecking or dumping the bike. because the weight is lower down maybe it makes it easier. its easier to pick up than my te 300 which is pretty much as light as you get in a gas bike.
7) the HP modes on varg are misleading in a way, even at 10hp you can climb hills that a 50cc bike has literally zero chance of climbing, its almost like the HP is the max you can get but at lower HP modes it will still spin that wheel no matter what it seems.
8) I get 4 hours of difficult riding out of the varg, that is enough for me.
9) the bike is unbelievably good at hill climbs where the ground is not too uneven, steep hills with predictable ground are unbelievably easy. Once it gets very rocky or tricky then i did not find it any easier to climb than the husky.
CONS
1) bike is too narrow and too hard to grip between legs, definitely my major gripe, i have to fix this. this is by far the biggest con for me.
2) i can feel the weight coming hot into a turn, the varg has more inertia and straight line fixation, the TE 300 is definitely easier to initiate turns on
3) we should be able to adjust how quickly the power comes on from the throttle its silly. I should not need 60 HP to lift the front. I should be able to do it at 20HP if i could adjust how quickly that power comes on. just silly. I bet they could almost calculate "wheelie mode" and program it into the throttle, i don't see why not.
4) the bike is taller than te 300 which does make it slightly harder to balance for hard enduro if you need to get a leg down
5) whiskey throttle will be an issue, using the rear brake is not the same as a clutch. in 30 HP mode this is fine, but if you riding at 60 or 80 HP, this is really going to bite you at some point.
