front on the 200 felt like it wasn’t tracking
the ground well and gripping in the
corners. I think the suspension needed
some tweaking to cure the problem.
The 200 was so much more forgiving
compared to the 125 in terms of keeping
it on the boil. It would pick up from
almost anywhere in the power range,
delivering the power really smoothly.
The gearing felt quite tall, which means you
can really get moving on faster sections of
track but it still works well on the slower,
more technical parts of the track too.
For me this is the sweet spot between the
125 and 300, and is the bike I enjoyed riding
the most out of the whole Beta range.
The 300 has a real crazy smooth power
delivery and feels similar to a four-stroke to
ride but it still has that great two-stroke hit.
It was probably my least favourite two-stroke
to ride but I was able to be a bit more lazy
on it and ride a couple gears higher and it
would still pull hard. This would suit someone
who is looking for smooth, tractable four-
stroke style power, but with the light weight
and hit of a two-stroke in one package.
Next up were the four-strokes. I’d have to
say the 350 was my favourite four-stroke.
It has so much bottom end and just had a
real torquey motor in general. The power
delivery from the bottom end is quite hard
hitting initially but smooths out, and has a
real playful characteristic to it. The bike as
a whole feels so planted on the ground and
keeps good contact, giving a lot of feedback.
The 390 is an awesome bike but didn’t
feel as good as the 350 to. It had similar
characteristics to the 480 with smooth
never ending power but not as extreme. It
felt better to ride than the 480 and offers a
middle ground between the 350 and 480.
I found the front end quite harsh on the
390, but that could just come down to a
few suspension changes (as on the 200). I
could really tell the difference between the
engine maps on the 390 and felt it really
mellowed the engine on the wet mode.
Ok… so the 480 is a complete weapon
and felt like it had never ending power that
would just keep pulling the bike out from
under me. I was able to just leave it in a high
gear and it would just pull and “tractor” in
any situation, such as approaching a steep
hill at a slow speed and it would climb up
with ease. I found the 480 to still be quite
nimble considering its engine size and
weight, but nowhere near the other bikes
for that. I think the 480 would suit someone
who’s wanting a bike for trail riding as its
got unbelievably smooth power and you
can basically forget about changing gears
or having to worry about being in the right
gear. It would probably also shine on a
race track that is open and fast. But… it
would be a mission to hold onto and would
fatigue you a lot faster compared to the
other bikes in the line up. LIAM CALLEY
KIWI RIDER 53