Own a 2017 Beta?

[newtozook 450]

Yep I went down there for a test ride, he spent a whole hour with me after he closed his shop, and was really helpful with all my questions. It was a really good purchasing experience with Matt and Ethan. 
I have a few more mods to do to my 300RR, but it is coming along nicely. I made a short ride review video yesterday after my first ride :

I actually watched your video on YouTube when I was researching the 300 rr
Awesome your a tt member and glad your liking your bike
I am getting mine in the next few weeks

[ToriMish]

11 hours ago, newtozook 450 said:

 

 

 

 

 

I actually watched your video on YouTube when I was researching the 300 rr
Awesome your a tt member and glad your liking your bike
I am getting mine in the next few weeks

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers, glad it was helpful. I've just put about 28 hours on it now, and I've had it less than 2 months. Absolutely loving it, I've modded it out to suit my riding and it's a joy to ride. I bet you can't wait to get out and ride yours!! Chuck a few pics up when you get it ?

[danketchpel]

On 3/19/2017 at 2:55 AM, ToriMish said:

Cheers, glad it was helpful. I've just put about 28 hours on it now, and I've had it less than 2 months. Absolutely loving it, I've modded it out to suit my riding and it's a joy to ride. I bet you can't wait to get out and ride yours!! Chuck a few pics up when you get it ?

Tori,

I watched your initial video and it was excellent! I was so happy to hear the bike instead of some dubbed in music and your comments as you were riding were really good.

I'd love to have a 300RR to go along side my 500 RR-S but I can't justify it ........ given the other bikes I have at the moment. I had a KTM 300 MXC for a long time and the thought of a Beta 300RR is extremely tempting..... which I will try to resist and soothe my desires by watching videos..... for now. 

Keep us posted on what you do to the bike and how you like it over time. I've only got about 15 hrs or so on my 500 in about 1.5 months and it's killing me as I want to ride it more. It just hasn't worked out in my favor recently but the riding season is just getting started so hopefully lots more coming up.

 

[frdsrck]

Just picked up my 2017 430 RR-S yesterday.  I got mine in the crate and they come mostly assembled.  Just have to put the bars on and plug everything in basically.  I have a couple of goofy questions.  The ignition wiring (one that goes to the key) looks like it could plug into two different places.  Can someone confirm which one it should be for me, I can't seem to figure it our from the wiring diagrams.  (Ok that one was easy)  But the three indicator/warning lights that are green orange and blue.  How are those secured?  Looks like they have a o-ring and circlip type retainer, but I cannot get them tight.... seems really sloppy (Still couldn't get these things tight - they look like they will just fall out after a couple rides).

I can post pictures later tonight, or maybe someone could post pictures of how theirs is maybe.

Also, did everyone follow the "break-in" procedure by the book?  I am going to have real trouble keeping it to only 75% of throttle for 12 hrs AFTER 2-3 hrs at only 50%.... ugh!

Anyone have difficulty mounting a TMD skid plate to 2017 4T?  That doesn't seem to wanna work for me either.  Did the frames change in 2017?  Didn't thin they did.

Edited March 30, 2017 by frdsrck

[dstewart]

On 3/29/2017 at 4:16 PM, frdsrck said:

Also, did everyone follow the "break-in" procedure by the book?  I am going to have real trouble keeping it to only 75% of throttle for 12 hrs AFTER 2-3 hrs at only 50%.... ugh!

Let it warm up properly, take it easy for the first few min, then just ride it as if you have had it for a year and forget about any "break-in procedure".  Break it in as your going to ride it.  Remember, the engine was already run WFO on the dyno before it was ever shipped to you.  Only thing I would do is make the first oil change early.

Edited April 5, 2017 by dstewart

[rdhenne]

I got the 2017 300RR about 3 months ago.  I love it, what a great bike, compared to the dirt bikes I rode in the 70's it is a quantum improvement in power delivery.  I have always been a 2 stroke rider but never experienced the strong torque in this power band.  I was riding some very rough terrain and a guy said these hills are 4 stroke country.  The Beta tractored up every one and never ever stalled like the 4 strokes do. I love the bike.  I didn't worry too much about break in because I don't clock out the RPM when I ride anyway.  The power band on this bike is really spot on, can't get the smile off my face when I don't have to down shift or wind out going up rough hills.  I was a little concerned that the oil injection was not using enough oil but it is injecting and I have a little oil in the gas from my break in mix anyway.  That will take some getting used to, the rest of the bike is perfect as far as I am concerned all I added/changed is radiator guards, hand guards, and a Q stealth spark arrester muffler.  I replaced all the springs for my weight and have not tweeked them much from the stock settings.  The dealer suggested just leaving the softer springs in but I have seen too many guys take nasty spills from fork bottoms, don't want to go there, plus I'm 65 and don't heal as fast as I used to.  Soft springs make you sit down and get lazy.  I am usually sporting a few black and blue spots from the last ride.  If I don't have any it's time to get out and ride again.

[Brock Warwick]

On 3/29/2017 at 4:16 PM, frdsrck said:

Just picked up my 2017 430 RR-S yesterday.  I got mine in the crate and they come mostly assembled.  Just have to put the bars on and plug everything in basically.  I have a couple of goofy questions.  The ignition wiring (one that goes to the key) looks like it could plug into two different places.  Can someone confirm which one it should be for me, I can't seem to figure it our from the wiring diagrams.  (Ok that one was easy)  But the three indicator/warning lights that are green orange and blue.  How are those secured?  Looks like they have a o-ring and circlip type retainer, but I cannot get them tight.... seems really sloppy (Still couldn't get these things tight - they look like they will just fall out after a couple rides).

I can post pictures later tonight, or maybe someone could post pictures of how theirs is maybe.

Also, did everyone follow the "break-in" procedure by the book?  I am going to have real trouble keeping it to only 75% of throttle for 12 hrs AFTER 2-3 hrs at only 50%.... ugh!

Anyone have difficulty mounting a TMD skid plate to 2017 4T?  That doesn't seem to wanna work for me either.  Did the frames change in 2017?  Didn't thin they did.

The three indicator lights are in danger of being molested by the clutch line routing.  I have only a few hours on my '17 500 and the indicator for the brights is intermittant, the bulb housing itself is dislodged as is the FI light housing.  That clutch line routing needs to be revised.

[danketchpel]

On 11/28/2016 at 6:18 PM, danketchpel said:

Same here, I only have 2 hrs on mine.

I'll post a review when I've got it setup for me and have some decent dirt time on it. It's probably going to be a month or so at least.

My super quick impression from 2 hrs, I think I'm gonna love this bike!!! The engine is smoothing out already and a little fiddling with the clickers etc. is starting to bring the suspension in where I want it. The FI mapping is spot on, amazing.

So, after some more time (~20 hrs now) on my 2017 500 RR-S I do indeed love this bike. It's what I have been waiting for. It has the stable, planted feeling handling I love. It doesn't do anything funky and doesn't "need" a steering dampener like some other bikes I've ridden. It just goes where you point it and tracks like it should. The power is precisely what I was looking for. It's not crazy over the top, but controllable from the very bottom on up and more available than I could actually need at any given time, PERFECT. The FI mapping is spot on, it just flat works without thinking about flame outs, hesitation, or herky jerky throttle control. It starts right up all the time, cold or hot, it just works. The response in the 1/4-1/3 throttle range is almost too sensitive and I will be looking into a G2 throttle tamer to see if I can slow that range down a bit for the rocky sections. I do like how the rain map mellows out the very bottom, that's very useful.

The ergos are good and I REALLY love how smooth the engine is. There aren't big vibes like some other 500's I've ridden it's 98% as smooth as my old DRZ400 which is one of the smoothest thumpers out there. My DRZ averaged about 40 mpg in mixed riding and I'm getting almost exactly the same 40 mpg average but with far more power, not bad. Could I wish for better mpg, sure, but not at the expense of the perfect running.

For the rest of the bike, my only "complaint" is the quality of the electrical connectors. For a $10k bike they should be upgraded to current motorcycle standards, sealed and locked closed. I also think the steel oil pump gears should come stock, that's some lame business there, no excuses. But those are the only things I see that should be addressed...... well the kick stand badly needs a proper foot, it's a dirt bike dang it. That pool cue Beta calls a kick stand is down right silly. I did have a minor weep of oil at the countershaft sprocket. I replaced the seal and no more leak, a minor thing that happens on many bikes.

Upgrades and mods so far;

4 gal IMS fuel tank

Seat Concepts low

Steel oil pump gears

Hyde skid plate

XRC billet clutch cover

Highway Dirt Bikes hand guards with fold out mirrors, custom clutch line from Galfer to work with the hand guards

Squadron Pro LED headlight from Motominded

LED blinkers front and rear from Sicass Racing with LED compatible relay

TM Designs swingarm chain slider

Nomadic Tail Rack

Xtrig quick preload adjuster for the rear shock

RAM GPS mount

My own custom machined and welded on foot for the kick stand

Current gearing 15/50 which seems to be a good balance so far for my riding conditions.

Upgrades still to come;

Heated grips

Installing the Scott's steering dampener I have from the previous bike using my own custom under bar mount

Rear shark fin

Mosko Moto 40L Reckless luggage setup, maybe a tank bag, not sure

I may opt for the Mox cush drive rear sprocket setup

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SoKal]

Thank you Dan for the updates. I don't have my 500 yet hopping for mid may but I am learning from your posts. I think my riding is a little different from yours more aggressive off road and less pavement. I have been looking for bags without using a rack curious what you find for a tank bag keep us posted

 

[surfer-dude]

Here's an update on my 2017 BETA 500 rr-s:

So, I now have 28 hours on this bike. I have not been able to ride off road as much as I wanted to because I fractured my wrist on my 20" subrosa pandora DTT bmx freestyle bike. I was doing some flatland tricks down at the beach, and when I went for a boomerang, I boomeranged myself straight into the asphalt leaving a small fracture, I went to the dr about a week later for the x-ray. 

I've read the beta and voyager manuals at least 10 times each and I think I know how the voyager works, I've done 2 oil changes, the second was ahead of shedule' with the specified oil in the manual, and the amazon oil filters. I have used some anti-sieze just about all of the external bolts. I pulled all of the wiring connectors apart and used some de-oxit from radioshack (I use this stuff on all my music gear so it should be cool for my bike) to clean and lube all the connections. I've also cleaned the aircleaner out a few times. everything is regreased now with the motul grease. and she has no weird idling issues at all, Ive bumpstarted her and have not noticed anything weird. I tried kicking her over but after a couple tries I was afraid the kicker was gonna break, and she's still too pretty to force her to do anything she dont want to do. So for now i'm just pushing her button in to get her going.

So I figure I know the bike a little bit more now. 

The bike handles really good and she is actually making me become a better rider, as I am making hills that I didnt make before thanks to excellent handling, really good ergonomics and smooth power delivery in addition to that that great clutch. I used to ride more motocross and freestyle than trails and this bike can handle an aggressive riding style pretty good, I think she actually likes it rough. I made a hill(cliff really) that I watched my old honda cartwheel 8-10 times down a number of years back, on the first try with the same dusty conditions and tall gearing. I did it without thinking about, in retrospect I dont think I was ready to try it, and I dont think I'll do it again for a while. She's to pretty to bang up like that. The trick is that I am no longer wildly spinning my rear wheel and I'm learning more about bike control thanks to all these great youtube videos about hard enduro, so I'm using the clutch better, and thats making me a better rider, before I thought clutch use was clutch abuse but now I know that I was wrong.

I tried dropping the fork legs in the forkclamps to gain a bit of ground clearance, but I didnt like how it handled. So I put them back to stock(the 2017 BETA 500 handles great by the way). I am now aware after bottoming the cases in the whoops, that I have less ground clearance than the old rat bike crf450, so my style has changed to compensate for it, so no more problems, but I do have quiite a few scrapes on the stock skidplate, pegs, shock and linkge, more from boulder hopping though, and lower fastway pegs are in the works so we'll see what happens. 

I like the bike but I felt I had to clean her up a bit from the guys that built her. So far I've rearranged the wiring behind the headlight and added a few zippy ties, because I thought it came to me a little sloppy. The mapping switch does keep switching to the slippery mode even when I want it in the dry mode, during the rough stuff so I think I'd like a new one. I wonder if maybe I can get it warranteed, hmmm... And, while I was at it I rearranged the clutch line so it wouldnt knock the brights led out of the indicator housing. The more I ride it, I realize that it in no way rides like my old 2003 crf450, so my setup has changed and my bars came back a little bit(still pushed forward but not as much for more high speed confidence as well as low speed control) and my levers are now raised closer to parallel to the ground rather than at a 45-50 degrees (for the more technical riding that I'm getting into). As far as the suspension goes I've gone up a click in compression in front and 2 clicks out back plus a hispeed click to help combat bottoming in the desert whoops. I still have'nt beefed up the springs or changed the oil but I'm planning on doing these very soon, along with some kind of linkage skidplate. I did order some fastway pegs for the better feel and lower center of gravity(I dont like the stock pegs all that much)and I am gonna ride her over to asv to get some goods from them, 130 bucks for both sides, They dont know what fits so I'll guinea pig it for them.

I like the quiet stock muffler but I think I want to get the powerbomb header for it. not sure why becuase it's perfect as is, but it's kinda hard keeping a stock exhaust. I'd like to pull the can apart and get it powdercoated tho... maybe gold to match the suspension or black would be cool.

I picked up a beta 125 rr-s for my wife last week, so moneys not exactly in abundance right now. And my 11 year old boy is ready for a kx 80 or something( way too big for his old xr50 luckily its just right for my 7 year old boy). Plus everyone got some new gear, except me haha.

So far since I've had this bike we've been out to the barstow HBMC dual euro scramble, spangler, & el mirage when my wife picked up her 125, and also to soggy dry lake, and johnson valley. and all trips were made with zero issues from the 2017 betas and the xr50 too.

I'm very happy with this bike, and she's saved me from a few good wipeouts when I got in over my head. She's very stable at speed, forgiving to my beginner mistakes(I havent rode in at least 10 years due to injuries and then starting a family and whatnot), and she corners just as good as anything Ive ever ridden. I've hit some berms really hard and there has not been any washing out, even in the sandy berms, I just have to keep my speed up. Ive blitzed some really good sand washes and she handles these as good as anything out there,(no headshake, so she inspires confidence) I just need to get more familiar with her and find the sweet spots on her firm saddle for those turns. In the whoops she is comparable to my old bike which is great, but my fitness sucks, so I almost wadded pretty bad, but again here valentina saved my skin on a gnarley set of high speeders.

  Now let me tell you about the hills, Ive been hitting some gnarley off camber technical hills in johnson valley and I've had zero issues even with the 15-48. I am finessing up stuff that I wouldnt even want to attempt before(off trail, ravine stuff, gnarley boulder sidehills). For the gnarley stuff I think I like the suspension nice and plush back at the stock clicker settings and in the whoops I like even more compression than where I have it set now, right now I'm at a compromise of the two. I think I want to lower the gearing for the hills and for some extra instant power in the rough tech stuff so, I'm gonna install the 13 tooth counter sprocket and see how she does before my next trip out.

The clutch is really good and I'm getting better at using it with the throttle, so all is good there. The shifting is where I am not exactly happy as a couple times I have accidentally went into nuetral when downshifting in a bad spot so I just need to be more aware of this small beta quirk and follow thru with a more complete foot movement. Also I cant find neutral when Im looking for it at stop lights, so now I just kill it, and fire her back up on the green. I've been playing with tire pressure and I feel that this has also helped alot, but the back tire is toasted and am need of a new on, I'm thinking about the tractionator desert HT for dual sport, and the goldentyre 232 or 532 for off road. Before this bike, I always used dunlops, so this is also new to me.

The back brake I seem to be struggling with, when I'm practicing my wheelis, and I need to keep it covered. And also on some downhills, I keep locking her up instead of just lightly using it to slow her down. I dont have a good feel for it yet, so I've been playing with the adjuster. I think the problem is all the play in the stock adjuster piece hole that attaches to the brake pedal, that I havent noticed in other bikes. So I'm hoping a new billet piece with tighter tolerence will help Oh, and I also grinded of an inner tooth from the brake tip to give a bit more clearance to try and protect the clutch cover. The front brake also feels a bit more grabby than me old honda, but I think this is because of the soft springs but other than being a litle too sensitive it's working great. 

The rear blinkers got banged up at the races so now they are angled forward a little bit. I could fix them really easily and I have before, but they keep getting knocked,and they look even cooler than before so that's cool. I have discovered that for races I can just pull a few bolts and the entire tailpeice will come off, then just unplug a few wires and replace the headlight with a mx plate and pull off the mirrors so I can go get my race on. Valentina's modular this way, so thats cool too. 

I made it out to the sand dunes in johnson valley and the 3rd gear hips and berms were no problem as long as I kept her on the pipe not a problem as I was running her in 4th with no issues there either, I just gotta be brave and not shut her off completely, the bike is totally capable and even seems to will me to ride better with more confidence. The Valentina bike is just about as flickable as my old bike and I feel that I am not really missing anything after making the switch from a motocross bike to an enduro. I havent had her on a motocross track yet but that's not really in my plans for her. maybe one day we'll go hit up a vet track or something with the kids, but that's not really in my plans. The bike is super easy to ride and thats my favorite thing about it. In my experience, I always wanted a bike that allowed me to ride better and made things easier, from my bmx days to mountain bikes and motocross bikes and even choppers that was always the goal. The power starts out nice and controllable but then can also get scary fast pretty quickly. You could say that my Beta, "she's really beautiful but also really dangerous".

I got to ride with a dude on a ktm 300, which was also really cool and a dude with a new kx450 while I was out there, and I went everywhere just as fast as they did, and banged all the same jumps with zero issues and I didnt crash in the sand, unlike them. 

So far I have not laid her down even once, and that's the way it should be. I almost crashed my brains out in the whoops once because I got fatigued and lazy and I was riding a bit over my head, not the bikes, and I almost crashed a few times doing some hills, and almost laid her down a couple of times when I backed of the throttle in the sand, but the bike saved my behind everytime and we rode it out. 

Great bike, she's pretty and I love her.

 

 

Edited April 19, 2017 by surfer-dude
pictures are cool with the story

[danketchpel]

4 hours ago, SoKal said:

Thank you Dan for the updates. I don't have my 500 yet hopping for mid may but I am learning from your posts. I think my riding is a little different from yours more aggressive off road and less pavement. I have been looking for bags without using a rack curious what you find for a tank bag keep us posted

 

Thanks. I wish my rides had less pavement in them, it just seems to be more and more of a reality as we lay out rides and try to connect stuff together.

There are a few options for bags that don't require racks, the Mosko Moto Reckless systems are designed that way. I think the 40L size is about right for these bikes and what I'll most likely end up with. I think the 80L is far too big. Another option is one of the GiantLoop setups. There are probably others also.

As for the tank bag, I have a Wolfman Explorer Lite. I placed it on the tank and it's a bit large I think. I'd consider the Wolfman Enduro or one from GiantLoop which Beta sells also. One thing I don't like about the GiantLoop tank bags is they zip onto the base which I've seen as a failure point. I prefer Wolfman's buckle system better I think it's more rugged and reliable and works better after it's dirty.

I put the tail rack on my bike as I often use my Wolfman Peak tail bag (great bag, I use it on several of my bikes) for day rides or want to be able to strap my jacket to the rack.

 

[frdsrck]

Anyone tried to mount a TMD Skid Plate to a 2017 4T yet?  I had them send me some different mounting brackets, but still can't seem to make it work very well.

How does the Hyde one mount up?

[Danceswithtrees]

5 minutes ago, frdsrck said:

Anyone tried to mount a TMD Skid Plate to a 2017 4T yet?  I had them send me some different mounting brackets, but still can't seem to make it work very well.

How does the Hyde one mount up?

Pretty much all the skid plates for the 4t's are going to mount to the two tabs/brackets on the frame in the front and one bolt in the back on the cross tube just like the stock skid plate.  The Hyde mounts this way and looking at a pic of the TMD it does too.  Are you missing the clip nuts that go on the front frame tabs?

[frdsrck]

 

x

Edited April 20, 2017 by frdsrck

[frdsrck]

59 minutes ago, Danceswithtrees said:

Pretty much all the skid plates for the 4t's are going to mount to the two tabs/brackets on the frame in the front and one bolt in the back on the cross tube just like the stock skid plate.   The Hyde mounts this way and looking at a pic of the TMD it does too.  Are you missing the clip nuts that go on the front frame tabs?

The front tabs are easy and line up fine. The Skid Plate itself is not quite long enough to the back and as such does not have a rear hole that would line up with the stock mounting hole (Plate would need to be an inch longer)  It would be easy if they had that!  Instead they have a hook type bracket that clips over the large rear cross member and a couple additional clips that are expected to cinch over the frame rails.  Those ones just don't seem to work in any convenient form and I have tried both the "Z clips" and some rounded/moulded ones they have provided.  I can try without them, but the rear mount provided is more of a guide tab than it is function so I worry without the center attachments, it will be loose and vibrate or be floppy.

I can take a picture later.

[Danceswithtrees]

2 hours ago, frdsrck said:

The front tabs are easy and line up fine. The Skid Plate itself is not quite long enough to the back and as such does not have a rear hole that would line up with the stock mounting hole (Plate would need to be an inch longer)  It would be easy if they had that!  Instead they have a hook type bracket that clips over the large rear cross member and a couple additional clips that are expected to cinch over the frame rails.  Those ones just don't seem to work in any convenient form and I have tried both the "Z clips" and some rounded/moulded ones they have provided.  I can try without them, but the rear mount provided is more of a guide tab than it is function so I worry without the center attachments, it will be loose and vibrate or be floppy.

I can take a picture later.

Well that's pretty dumb they didn't make it long enough and just use the stock mounting hole.  I'd probably send it back if you can.  The Hyde mounts solid to all 3 stock points and it's easy on and off, plus I use the Obie link guard which sits on top of the plate and the rear skid plate bolt goes through the plate and the Obie guard, just need a longer bolt.  It's a nice setup.

[SoKal]

On ‎4‎/‎19‎/‎2017 at 0:43 PM, danketchpel said:

Thanks. I wish my rides had less pavement in them, it just seems to be more and more of a reality as we lay out rides and try to connect stuff together.

There are a few options for bags that don't require racks, the Mosko Moto Reckless systems are designed that way. I think the 40L size is about right for these bikes and what I'll most likely end up with. I think the 80L is far too big. Another option is one of the GiantLoop setups. There are probably others also.

As for the tank bag, I have a Wolfman Explorer Lite. I placed it on the tank and it's a bit large I think. I'd consider the Wolfman Enduro or one from GiantLoop which Beta sells also. One thing I don't like about the GiantLoop tank bags is they zip onto the base which I've seen as a failure point. I prefer Wolfman's buckle system better I think it's more rugged and reliable and works better after it's dirty.

I put the tail rack on my bike as I often use my Wolfman Peak tail bag (great bag, I use it on several of my bikes) for day rides or want to be able to strap my jacket to the rack.

 

Yes I'm looking for small bag to get tools ect out of my Backpack. I think I ride to far back on the seat for that rack in the picture. Curious if anyone has the wolfman endure tank bag on there Beta to discuss the fit does it stay put or not 

[Raging Petunia]

Well I have been lurking for months on this forum without much to add. However, yesterday I picked up my 500 RR-S. I bought it after the usual struggle between ktvarna and beta. Barry Morris and the beta thread on this forum convinced me that beta was the right bike for me. I put a enough hours in it today to agree with most of the discussion on these threads. I had a g2 throttle tamer installed and I was glad I did. It has more than enough pop. I am not a motocross guy or a racer of any kind. I am sure that I will need lower gearing.
I think the tach may not be reading accurately. I will look up the thread about what to do with the wiring and see if that helps. I'm pretty sure that the rpm never got over 3k even at 70 mph.
I'll say more when I'm @ a computer.

[Brock Warwick]

I put the 13 tooth front on my 17 500 and it is immediately better for me.

[Raging Petunia]

I put the 13 tooth front on my 17 500 and it is immediately better for me.

That would probably help, I drove a friends 14' 520 rrs and it felt better.