BIKE2017 BETA RR36
THE OPINION DIVIDERThough it has zero bearing onperformance, the most talked-aboutchange on the 2017 RR range at thelaunch was the new Excel rims; thenew silver Excel rims. With Betafitting the distinctive black rims ontheir RR models for many years,their decision to shift ‘back’ tosilver Excels for 2017 was certainlyan opinion divider. Many seemedto think the move represented anaesthetic step backwards for theItalian manufacturer. Counteringthat, Beta’s Head of R&D, StefanoFantigini, pointed out that the silverrims give the new bikes a lighterlook, and that they’re much lesslikely to get scuffed by trail debris ora rogue lever during a tyre change.A redesigned digital dashboardmight not sound like a noteworthyupgrade, but it is. And it was warmlyreceived by everyone at the launchin Italy for its practical value. Itslong list of functions now includesa battery voltage reading, whichpromises to be useful for thefuel-injected four-strokes and the(electric starter only) Xtrainer.What else? Well, the new fuel capfeatures an integrated bleed valve.As for the new graphics, let’s just saywe’d really like it if Beta would go outon a limb and be recklessly creative.We can’t help but think these newRRs deserve a more distinctive look.“Improved engine performance at low rpm isevident across the entire 2017 four-stroke range,making the thumpers even easier to ride.”THE LAWS OF AT-TRACTIONStarting with a morning sessionin a rock-littered riverbed, beforespending the rest of the day ridingsome of the best singletrail thatTuscany had to offer, there’s oneword that sums up the experienceaboard the new Betas: ‘traction’.With the dry, hardpacked and stonyterrain providing a great testingground, it soon became evident thatall the new RRs put their power tothe ground very efficiently, findingtraction in places we weren’t alwaysexpecting them to.Improved engine performanceat low rpm is a feature of the entire2017 four-stroke range, making thesethumpers even easier to ride. But itwas the RRR350 – which gets newintake and exhaust camshafts for2017 – that made the most noticeableimprovement on its predecessor.Pulling like a tractor from low rpm,the 350 motored effortless up snottyhills, refused to stall when shortshifted,and constantly kept drivingthe machine forward, not sideways.Compared to their 2016equivalents, the relativities betweenthe various capacities hasn’t changedthat much. The RR350 is still thedo-it-all machine that goes a bitflat at higher rpm. That’s where itsbigger brother, the RR390, steps in,offering a bit of extra fun when theterrain opens up. The RR430 is theclosest you’d get to a traditional 450,combining a mid-capacity machine’sagility with broad and forgivingpower. The RR480 is obviouslyking of the firetrails, but it’s alsosurprisingly easy to manhandle intight terrain.In the two-stroke department, theRR300 has been widely regarded asa great all-round machine for severalyears now, and the improvementsto the 2017 fork will make it moreattractive to a wider ranger ofrider weights and abilities. As thebest-selling bike in Beta’s RR range(following the Xtrainer, that is), the300cc smoker features an engine thatperforms much like a four-stroke.With no aggressive hit as the powercomes onto the pipe, its broad,smooth and predictable surge ofgrunt makes it incredibly easy to getthe rear wheel hooking up. It’s littlewonder why, using such an impressivepowerplant as their race-bike base,Steve Holcombe and Johnny Auberthave been dominating the Enduro 3World Championship this year.The engine map switch (availableonly on the Racing models lastyear) is now standard on all BetaRR models in 2017. Offering twoselectable positions for dry- andwet-weather riding, the two mapsmake a larger relative differenceon the two-strokes.37