2023 Beta Demo Day: 300, 250, 200, Xtrainer, 500, 430, 390 and 350!

[@practicaladvmoto]

I just picked up a Beta 300rr. Pretty happy so far

[@alabamadirtrider]

No way, that's awesome man! Make moar videos please, I miss you guys.

[@practicaladvmoto]

lol id love to but I’m super time poor at the moment. We just had a baby

[@alabamadirtrider]

Oh wow, congrats man, that's awesome news! Better start saving for that first 50cc bike then, they grow up fast!

[@practicaladvmoto]

Ha! Ikr? It’s taking all my self control to not just go ahead and buy a pw50 :) Thanks!

[@stevecarmack6267]

Great video bud. I enjoyed hearing and seeing your reactions to each bike. Shame you didn’t get to revisit the 350 but I suspect the difference in modes would be similar to the other so at least we have an idea. Thanks for sharing!

[@alabamadirtrider]

Thanks Steve! Yeah, I'm a bit bummed I didn't try the 350 again, it could only have gotten better. Honestly in rain mode it was still very good, just felt like a KTM 250 (4 stroke). All the fast guys loved it in full power mode so I think that says a lot for it!

[@raizt1596]

1. Kinda hard to believe that that Xtrainer doesn't have much torque at the bottom.... where it's known specifically for its torque. 2. You also said, "You can't really go wrong with any of these bikes." I think this is something great about the demo day. Everyone loves to compare this bike to that bike, but they're all fun! 3. You looked like you were fastest and had the most fun on the 200rr.

[@alabamadirtrider]

It just felt weak, maybe the torque numbers look good, but it was the worst bike there that day in my opinion. And it vibrated badly. Keep in mind I ride a 300 with a red spring backed all the way out. Edit: yes, the 200 was a lot of fun, I honestly think that if I were to buy a Beta, that's the one I would get. So light, nimble and feisty.

[@DaveP923]

First, I loved my Beta 390 and watched this to get someone else's opinions on the entire lineup. I owned one KTM and you couldn't give me another one. BUT, how can you tell much other than bottom-end torque on a course with no sections allowing you to get above 2nd gear? In just watching, the best bike for that kind of riding would be the 200RR. Why 'fight' the useless additional horsepower or the extra weight and top-heavyness of the 4-strokes?

[@alabamadirtrider]

The demo course was actually the "kids" course at NATRA. It's easy and rather tight because it's for kids, but it's in an area that made sense for the demo day, so it was used. It is representative of the handlebar trails we have down here, so in that regard it was good. I agree that in the tight and technical a 2 stroke is a lot easier to handle, especially over a long day of riding in the heat. Having said that, lots of guys down here like their 4 strokes, and I felt that Beta's entire lineup was very good. The Beta 4-strokes are fueled really nicely, better than KTM, and that makes them feel responsive and easy to control. I would be very happy with your 390, or the 350, for the terrain we have here. Having said that, I do love my KTM, but it's also tuned for how I ride. Every manufacturer has some issues, KTM just happens to be at the bleeding edge and so their customer base tends to be their beta testers. The Beta 200 was a really fun bike, I just wish it was counterbalanced. That's the one area Beta needs to steal KTM's technology.

[@adventureoffroad1]

Thank you Adam! I still haven't gotten all the way through the video, but I promise I will. NATRA is blessed to have you. You're a tremendous asset to our club. I sincerely appreciate you're honest feedback. Great video. :)

[@jwaller1327]

I wonder if there might actually have been a problem with that particular XTrainer on that particular day. I just spent the last several weekends test riding several different bikes. I was really between the 200RR and the XTrainer. I ended up choosing the XTrainer because it was so much smoother than the 200RR and it wasn't quite so snatchy as the 300RR. It surprises me that the XTrainer felt weak on the bottom end for you and had all those vibrations. I chose it because it was comparatively smooth, had a lot of power down low and in the middle for more technical riding, and had an easy-to-manage, linear power band. The fact that it was a lot lighter than the others besides the 200RR doesn't hurt either. Both the XTrainer belonging to my friend that I test rode several times and the one I bought were good. I wonder if that test-ride mule you were riding might have been worn out.

[@alabamadirtrider]

That's very possible. There is another demo day coming up at the end of November, so I'll ride another one to see if it's any better.

[@keithbell8960]

Really good video!

[@alabamadirtrider]

Thank you!

[@ddrowdy7666]

Thanks, I am planning to go to a demo day in about a week.

[@louisdoucet1498]

I owned one Ktm, my response... I'm on my third Beta, need I say more, 200,390,300.Thanks for the vid.

[@alabamadirtrider]

Thanks for all the comments, it's good to know some of those differences for sure.

[@louisdoucet1498]

The 390 has a longer stroke which gives it more traction with less rpm.

[@wickedmotorsport]

Honestly after watching a few other demo days of same bikes, this loop they had you do serves no justice to most of the bikes. The majority of the other reviews had the 200rr race as #1 pick. Followed by the 350rr and xtrainer.

[@alabamadirtrider]

We have to work with the land we have down here. If you watch my 2024 demo day video, I also liked the 200RR the most. The 350 is good, but I'm not a fan of the Xtrainer because it vibrates a lot.

[@wickedmotorsport]

@alabamadirtrider I get it, just a shame they didn't make a section a lil more open so the bikes weren't stifled in that super tight woods. I just picked up a 24 200rr race and I'm blown away at how nimble and quick it is.

[@wickedmotorsport]

@@alabamadirtrider ill have to check out your other video. Musta missed that!

[@alabamadirtrider]

@wickedmotorsport a lot of what we ride here is tight woods like that, but you're right, it doesn't really demo what these bikes can do in the open and on race courses. Congrats on the 200, that is a sweet bike.

[@louisdoucet1498]

The 200 is smaller it is built on a 125 frame.

[@trials_bike-xu3xf]

I appreciate that you added in your after thoughts in the video as far as the power valve being the most likely cause for the different feel of the bikes. Some people would take what you were saying as “KTM is better than Beta” which really comes down to setup and tuning. Kinda hard to get a really good feel between bikes on a demo day because you don’t know how the bikes are set up. Really good comparison though

[@alabamadirtrider]

I appreciate that comment! That's exactly why I added it, I don't think KTM is better power wise, though I do think KTM has better counterbalancing. The Betas as super nice bikes and just feel like quality all around.

[@ronbuellwinkler4586]

Maxxis tires I ran last year needed a lower tire pressure for me, so maybe those had too high air pressure for that day.

[@alabamadirtrider]

That's very possible, Mark did comment that he wasn't sure what they were all set to. I'm also spoiled by my IRC tires. Of course it may just be my lack of skills, Tyler and Brandon ripped it up hard without much trouble.

[@toddandmargo]

My favorite was the 300 RR race edition . I think air psi was a culprit to traction along with frozen red clay . Great vid

[@alabamadirtrider]

Thank you! And you may be right about that, a few other people said the same thing. I don't know enough about the Maxxis tires to say for sure.

[@Coal-Creek-Rider]

Need to come ride Windrock in East Tennessee with us.

[@alabamadirtrider]

Edit: wait, I mapped the wrong place, looks like that's under 2 hours from my house. Is there single track there?

[@coreyberry3875]

Beta 4 strokes are incredibly!!! Demo day was awesome.

[@alabamadirtrider]

You said it man! I'm very glad we went, even with that 4am wakeup.

[@captainamerica9353]

"incredible"

[@nklx_moto]

Thanks a lot for this bunch of Information! Makes me wanna test the 200 vs 250/300 Want an additional 2str to my 2022 350rr RE I did Not really like the Sound of the 200 compared to the 250/300 Was there a big diff in reality? Did you feel a big diff in handling between the 200 and 250/300?

[@woodsrider117]

Thanks for posting!

[@alabamadirtrider]

You bet!

[@josephkaye5105]

the rr 200 looks pretty sweet

[@alabamadirtrider]

It's a fun bike for sure

[@tthusky510]

Took me a few sessions but I watched the whole thing. Very interesting to me how different everyone’s experiences and perspectives are. Great vid.

[@alabamadirtrider]

Wow, thank you, that means a lot to me man. I'm always in awe of how fast you can ride, your videos almost look sped up. I don't have the reaction times (or the confidence) to ride that fast, but I'm always trying to improve. I will say that it's great that Beta can please riders on both ends of the talent scale 😁

[@vlodpg]

How does the 500 feel heavy when it weighs the same as the 430/390?

[@alabamadirtrider]

The rotational mass of the engine. Just like a KTM 300 feels heavier than a KTM 250, even though they weigh the same on a scale. In the woods that is felt.

[@vlodpg]

@@alabamadirtrider Thanks, never thought about it that way.

[@alabamadirtrider]

No worries, I was surprised by it the first time I rode a 250 also.

[@UnicornMoto]

Nice job! One of the best Beta Demo videos I’ve seen. 👊

[@alabamadirtrider]

Thank you, I appreciate it. I also have one from 2024 that I think is a little better.

[@UnicornMoto]

@@alabamadirtrider I picked up my 430 RE today. Thanks again for the video.

[@alabamadirtrider]

That's awesome, congrats!

[@eroseberry74]

Great video.

[@alabamadirtrider]

I appreciate you watching!

[@lecorse5534]

We can clearly see that you are a 4T guy, but it was nice to hear you compare and comments. At least you are not paid by a brand thx

[@alabamadirtrider]

For our woods down here I actually prefer my 2 stroke, I also have a KTM 350 4 stroke that was my first bike. But as I got more comfortable on the smoker, the 4 stroke gets less use in the tight stuff and now is wearing dual sport clothes.

[@t3601f]

Very cool of this dealership to do this

[@alabamadirtrider]

Yeah, Mark is an awesome guy and runs a great business!

[@captainamerica9353]

Yes, Demo Days are available to all Beta dealers. Beta supplies the bikes.

[@philgoogle1535]

Thanks for your effort to post this review. Lots of useful information here.

[@alabamadirtrider]

No problem, and thank you for watching. Next demo day I'll try to do even better.

[@jackieonassis7438]

As slow as you go you need the rr rather than race edition.

[@alabamadirtrider]

Edit: apparently I misunderstood your tone, so I'll apologize.

[@jackieonassis7438]

@@alabamadirtrider lol, It's about getting the right tools for the job. In this case we're just trying to have fun so the best tool for that is the one that best fits your skill. But part of the fun is getting whatever setup you want even if it doesn't correspond to your skill level. Truth is, a lot of the riders I see would probably have more fun on an old XR or one of the trail bikes. But then again, it's fun to own a race bike

[@alabamadirtrider]

Ok, maybe I misunderstood your original statement, but the whole "wow, you're slow" comment got old in high school, and yet random people keep trying it with me here. So let's reset. But with regards to your second comment, I'll actually disagree. The big difference between the RR and Race Edition is the suspension, right? (ignoring the premix difference). I can tell you that even at "my speeds", having the suspension on my 300 reworked was the best money I've ever spent on that bike. I definitely got faster AND I have more confidence, and thus more fun. I've ridden "lesser" bikes and I'll stick with what I've got.

[@jackieonassis7438]

@@alabamadirtrider touché! I take pride in how slow I go. By the time I finish a trail the seasons have changed. I do, however, confess to being a suspension snob. As you point out, it makes an extraordinary difference. That being said, I got rid of my WP suspension and went a couple of different routes before settling on KYB. The digression is with the Beta is the Sachs suspension is awesome for many riders, particularly if you are racing in novice or C class, or simply ride trail. The KYB is awesome for those who want to get them dialed for them and go fast. On another note entirely, after you see the similarity between the Kayaba and the Showa (aka Showaba) fork design, it is apparent that most of the "magic" is simply in the valving and of course, getting the correct spring rate.

[@alabamadirtrider]

I absolutely hated the WP air fork on my XC, so that's why I went with the MXT Lucky Carbon spring conversion. I have the clickers out enough to basically provide a plush but predictable ride, so I can hit off-camber roots and correctly predict what the bike is going to do. That was huge for my confidence. I'm still on the WP shock, but it's revalved and I have the MXT Tank. It's still not an Ohlins setup, I never compared it to KYB back-to-back either, but I know it's better than what I had, and also better than the XPLOR forks/shock on my 350, even though those are upgraded as well. I don't know if I'm a suspension snob, but boy those changes made a difference for where we ride.

[@JroyBulldoggin]

Got a buddy that just got a 430 rr-s. He likes it and he’s had it about 3 month but he decided to buy another bike and now has the 430 and a 300rx. He hasn’t told his wife yet he bought another one🫣

[@coreyberry3875]

Nice the 430 was actually my favorite bike of the day. I ride a husky te250i at the moment.

[@JroyBulldoggin]

@@coreyberry3875 nice. I ride an old 03 cr250r I got fixed up real nice.

[@alabamadirtrider]

Your buddy is doing it right, two bikes are always better than one ;)

[@JroyBulldoggin]

@@alabamadirtrider hahaha no kidding!! He’s actually my friends dad but we are all buddies

[@alabamadirtrider]

Dirt bike people are the kind of people you want in your life!