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the States . This made a noticeable difference in the bike being able to handle the whooped-out sections and I felt I wasn ’ t having to rely so much on my body ’ s suspension working to compensate for how the stock suspension was reacting with the ground . I was blown away with the way it could now handle a set of roots coming into a corner ; I can now come in with the bike more settled and charge out quicker . Having a large torso , I made changes to the stock bars as I found them to have a narrow , flat sort of feeling that I don ’ t like . I moved the bars into the forwardmost mounting position which helps me to get into the attack riding position and not feel so tucked up . Another change I made was the tyre choice . I ’ m not a fan of the original tyres the 200 is equipped with , they were super-fast wearing , and they don ’ t provide a good deal of hook up in muddy conditions compared to the Bridgestone X20 ’ s I run . Another change I made to suit my XC racing was the gearing . Running a 45-tooth sprocket at the rear I was able to get a lot more top end speed and still have good bottom end , which is now a bit mellower . I purchased a new skid plate that protects the rear linkage - unlike the stock one - and a Polisport pipe guard and swingarm cover that give the bike a cool look , but also help prevent the black swingarm from getting damaged and gouged on rocky terrain . I fitted aftermarket radiator braces and haven ’ t dented or twisted a radiator with them on , and installed a fan to help prevent the bike possibly overheating at a gnarly enduro event . There ’ s little bad to say about Beta RR 200 Racing , but a bit more protection over the bike , such as a skid plate that covers the linkage , rear , front disc guards , and possibly a pipe guard would have been appreciated . Those things are only external and have no overall affect to how the bike handles and performs . The Beta 200 Racing is a phenomenal bike and ready to take whatever gets thrown at it .
KIWI RIDER 59