EXPRESSING A PREFERENCE
Throughout the day I was asked several times which bike I preferred. It’s a
tough question. I genuinely like them all and to be truly certain I’d like to ride
them all a little more. But I do really like the 480 and the 350. The 480 suits
my lazy, use the bikes grunt and not work too hard riding style and the 350
was just bloody great to go quick on. I can’t help thinking the power deliveries
on these bikes are more accessible and effective than a lot of the opposition.
Across the board and straight from the box they all have great suspension
that is plush, well controlled and reasonably bottom resistant. As the model
capacity increases the suspension does get firmer…the 350 is firmer than the
125 and so on. At 100kg or so in riding gear they were a touch on the soft side
for me when pushing, however I very much liked the action and probably
wouldn’t change much for Enduro work because I don’t like a hard bike.
As you can maybe tell… I’m very taken with these new Beta enduro models.
They have some very cool features like the mode button placement and push
button clip on/off seats. Shortly we will have the bikes for a full test and be
able to go in to greater detail.
On such a great range of bikes, and only having the day to try them all, I had
to really look hard to find some niggles. For me, the seats felt a little boney at
the back where as a tall rider I spend a lot of time. Also, I’m not a fan of the
shortish, triangle shaped brake pedal which looks just like the KTM item, as
occasionally my boot slips off it. But that’s it really. There’s a lot to like and a
lot of bikes to choose from to get exactly what you’re after. After the demise of
KTM’s much-loved 200, I can see the Beta 200 being in high-demand for that
balance between power, weight and usability.
So, that’s my initial take on the Beta Enduro range. Go and test ride them, but
be prepared to be impressed is all I’ll say. JOCK MCLAUCHLAN
KIWI RIDER 49