BETA. All. If you ve been following the offroad FIRST RIDE WE SWING A LEG OVER BETA S LATEST 450 RR OFF-ROADER 2014 BETA 450 RR P88

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FIRST RIDE P88 All BETA WE SWING A LEG OVER BETA S LATEST 450 RR OFF-ROADER BY THE CYCLE NEWS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT PALMER If you ve been following the offroad scene lately, you ve probably been

They ve been doing quite well in the Southern California desert, and they got a big win in the Nevada desert not long ago at the Vegas-to-Reno off-road race.

1 FIRST RIDE P88 All BETA WE SWING A LEG OVER BETA S LATEST 450 RR OFF-ROADER BY THE CYCLE NEWS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT PALMER If you ve been following the offroad scene lately, you ve probably been noticing more and more Beta motorcycles popping up at the top of the results columns. They ve been doing quite well in the Southern California desert, and they got a big win in the Nevada desert not long ago at the Vegas-to-Reno off-road race. Beta has also been making a mark in EnduroCross and extreme off-road events across the globe lately. So what does all this mean? Just one thing obviously the Italian marque is pumping out competitive off-road bikes - both four-stroke and two-stroke - the past few years. One of them is the Beta 450 RR thumper. Ever since taking on a complete overhaul in 2010, which included getting its first in-housebuilt motor (before then Beta used KTM motors), the 450 RR has been one of the best bikes in its class. Unfortunately, many out there don t know that. Beta is still trying to make a name for itself here in the US, so the 450 RR is still a bit of an unknown to most Americans and isn t one of the first brands that come to mind when people go shopping for a new big-bore four-stroke off-road bike. But that s understandable. Beta, better known for its long history in trials, has only been offering off-roaders since For 2014, the Beta 450 RR isn t radically changed over the previ-

2 VOL. 50 ISSUE 39 OCTOBER 1, 2013 P89 Big 450s can be intimidating in the tight and technical stuff, but the Beta 450 RR is remarkably docile when things get tricky on the trail.

The RR s molybdenum-steel double-cradle frame has the same geometry but got some strengthening in key areas to improve durability and rideability.

3 FIRST RIDE P90 ous model. Its Beta-built 449cc four-valve motor is the same as before, but some attention was given to the transmission. There is a new countershaft that features the latest heat-treating process, and the bearings it rides on have been beefed up. The shift drum has also been modified to improve shifting action. The RR s molybdenum-steel double-cradle frame has the same geometry but got some strengthening in key areas to improve durability and rideability. Most of the changes to the bike were made to the suspension. The 48mm Sachs fork features new compression and rebound pistons to improve oil flow, and valving has also been modified. Plus, the top fork caps were redesigned to make changing the springs easier. Out back, the Sachs shock gets a reshaped rebound adjustor and updated valving. (Above) Pretty in red. More red and a new front fender reveal the 450 RR s 2014 identity. Price remains the same at $9199. (Right) Thanks to the 450 RR s super-smooth power delivery, there s no need to panic when the going gets tough. Remove the seat and you ll discover a beefed up and redesigned base for a better fit and sealing. Other than more red coloring and a new front fender, that pretty much sums up all of the changes to the RR. Luckily, the 450 RR didn t need a lot of changes anyway. It was and still is one of our favorite 450 four-stroke off-roaders. And we were reminded of this after getting a chance to tool around on the RR recently. Like before, we were again impressed with the Beta s awesome motor, even if it is still carbureted. One of our testers who had never ridden the 450 RR before was taken back by the Beta s excellent throttle response and by how well the motor performed, saying he was very impressed with its strong power output and how smoothly and seamlessly the power is delivered across the board. And he s right. There is no real hit or explosiveness

VOL. 50 ISSUE 39 OCTOBER 1, 2013 P91 anywhere in the Beta s broad delivery but just smooth power that starts developing way down low that doesn t really let up until you re about ready to click up

4 VOL. 50 ISSUE 39 OCTOBER 1, 2013 P91 anywhere in the Beta s broad delivery but just smooth power that starts developing way down low that doesn t really let up until you re about ready to click up another gear. Top-end isn t anything to write home about but who cares when you have such good bottom-end grunt and midrange meat to work with. Don t get us wrong the 450 RR is still plenty fast and revs out nicely, but it feels most at home on slowerspeed, tight and technical trails. We again found the bike relatively hard to stall, even while plonking along over rocks and ruts in first or second gear. Flameouts were few and far between but when one did happen, it would usually fire right back up with a quick tap on the starter button, even in gear with the clutch pulled in. Like most 450s, you have to keep air flowing through the Beta s radiators. In extreme situations, the Beta will get hot in a hurry and eventually boil if you re not careful.

FIRST RIDE P92 The 450 RR is not yet fuelinjected but you wouldn t know it. Throttle response is very good right out of the box. Throttle response is amazingly crisp.

5 FIRST RIDE P92 The 450 RR is not yet fuelinjected but you wouldn t know it. Throttle response is very good right out of the box. Throttle response is amazingly crisp. One of our testers was surprised to learn that the 450 RR is still carbureted after riding it the first time the RR s Keihin FCR- MX 39mm carb works that good. Still, we d still like to see the 450 RR get fuel injection, especially since many of our off-road riding often includes significant elevation changes, but not on this day. We love the Beta s hydraulically actuated clutch and its ultralight pull and decent feel. We never experienced any fading but didn t get the chance to really put it to the test. The Beta s six-speed transmission is mated well to the RR s power delivery. Each gear serves a real purpose and picks right up where the last one left off. It also changes gears eagerly without much thought or effort by the rider. Overall, the Beta is a pussycat on the trail. It feels light and agile (especially for a 450), and is just plain easy to ride. Again, our tester who had never ridden the RR before was impressed to say the least. He said the bike felt very nimble, and he also liked how low and in control the bike felt between his legs. None of what he said, however, was anything new to our testers who were already familiar with the 450 RR. Like last year s bike, the 450 RR has a light-feeling front end. It also steers quickly and responds instantly to rider input, and once you re settled into a sweeping turn, the bike stays planted yet will make quick changes if commanded to do so. Suspension is sound. Both the shock and fork soak up the smaller stuff like they weren t there while having enough left over to absorb the big hits. When speeds pick up, though, the suspension does feel a little on the soft side and you ll use up all 11.4 inches of its travel, front and rear, quickly. Still, the Beta feels wellbalanced on the trail. Once again, there just isn t much we don t like about the

VOL. 50 ISSUE 39 OCTOBER 1, 2013 P93 Beta 450 RR. We could nitpick about the Beta s somewhat wide handlebars that one tester complained about, but that s a quick, no-cost fix.

6 VOL. 50 ISSUE 39 OCTOBER 1, 2013 P93 Beta 450 RR. We could nitpick about the Beta s somewhat wide handlebars that one tester complained about, but that s a quick, no-cost fix. Some people mostly desert racers - might think that the bike is a candidate for a steering damper, but, really, the 450 RR is a stable-handling machine and pretty damn good just the way it is. But if you want more, however, Beta still offers its BYOB (Build Your Own Beta) program, which gives you the option of customizing your Beta before you buy it. According to Beta, many Beta owners take advantage of this unique program. Check it out at their website at CN SPECIFICATIONS ENGINE TYPE:...Beta-built, liquid-cooled, 4-valve, 4-stroke, single STARTING:...Electric, w/back up kickstarter. BORE X STROKE:...95mm X 63.4mm DISPLACEMENT:...449cc COMPRESSION RATIO: :1 IGNITION:...DC-CDI w/variable ignition timing, Kokusan. SPARK PLUG:... NGK LKAR 8A-9 LUBRICATION:...Twin oil pumps, separate oil for engine and clutch CARBURETOR:... Keihin FCR-MX 39mm CLUTCH:... Wet multi-disc TRANSMISSION:... 6-speed FINAL DRIVE:... O-ring chain FRAME:...Molybdenum steel/double cradle w/quick air filter access. FRONT SUSPENSION:...48mm Sachs USD fork, fully adj. REAR SUSPENSION:...Sachs shock w/adj. rebound and hi/low speed compression FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: in. REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: in. FRONT BRAKE:...260mm floating rotor REAR BRAKE: mm rotor FRONT/REAR RIM:...21 in. (front) 18 in. (rear) FRONT/REAR TIRE:...Michelin Enduro Competition WHEELBASE: in. SEAT HEIGHT: in. GROUND CLEARANCE: in. FOOTREST HEIGHT: in. STEERING RAKE/OFFSET: degree rake/23mm Offset DRY WEIGHT: lbs. FUEL TANK CAPACITY: gal. WARRANTY:.6 month Limited Warranty MSRP:...$9199

2014 CRF150R/RB MOTORCYCLES.HONDA.COM.AU

2014 CRF150R/RB MOTORCYCLES.HONDA.COM.AU The award-winning CRF150R/RB packs genuine high-performance fourstroke power into a mini racer. INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION Younger racers may be smaller in stature,