Beta care and maintenance... need perspective

[kayakingsteve]

I've ridden duallies for years, KLR650, XT225, DRZ400, KTM 450, F800GS etc... but never heard of Beta until recently.

I think they look interesting and I like the specs on them. I know nothing about how reliable they are or how hard it is to get parts for them and service them. If someone had to compare them to other bikes, or say to a car in terms of reliability and repair cost, what would they be? Like a Fiat or a Corolla? Low maintenance like my old DRZ was or... ? I've never seen a Beta in person nor have I ever met a Beta owner, so pardon the stupid questions.

 

I'm in Florida and there is a trials store near me that may be a dealer for Beta... I'll find out on Monday if they can get any of the RR editions etc...

[Hoosier-Daddy]

The RR is definitely more off road worthy than the klr or drz. I would not want to take my 2 stroke RR on the road though.

[volitan]

Beta has been building bikes for long long time. We just never saw them in North America.

i live in canada and have no issues getting parts and the price for parts are decent.

they have their issues but they arent cheap garbage. They are solid and feel solid it too. I bought my first beta last year(300 RR), and i love it. 

Are you looking for 2 strokes or 4?

[kayakingsteve]

I'm looking for a four stroke to dual sport, do some light commuting on, would like to have enough power to hit the highway from time to time without feeling like I'm riding a tank off road. Have you had to do any major work on yours, how many miles have you put on which models? I really do like the look of Beta.

[FORMA MOTO]

Beta is like an Italian Yamaha, motor wise. You just do normal maintenece, and not worry about finicky problems.

If you ride in ANY dirt at all, you need to step up your maintenece interval. Even one hour in the dirt means you need to be changing your oil at 15 hours maxium. This is  because the dirt gets carried throughout the motor, 'sanding' it down...

This goes for any dirt bike.

Besides the motor, it's more like a Mercedes car: well engineered for sure, but not terribly well executed in some areas: plastics clips, kickstand mounting, hoses, etc. Pretty much like any european anything.

[drumiv]

If the trials store can't help you out, pm me and I can give you the name of the company I'm getting mine from. He's out of Miami. He's delivering it to day, which says a lot. I know of one guy here(Sarasota) that has one, a 300rr, loves it, zero issues. He backs up what Krannie said about execution; he said it tends to leak a little more than other bikes, but nothing to get too bent over. You'll defiantly need a big bore if doing any highway duty considering 80 mph is the norm. on 75.

[dyrtmon]

My Beta is just as reliable as my KTM, parts are ordered online (just as I do for my KTM). There are quite a few parts that fit both bikes as well.

[kayakingsteve]

Drumiv: I'm in Bradenton, sounds like you are over near me. I'll see what the trials store says, they are listed as a dealer.  I saw there is a dealership in Miami, is that where you got yours from? I was thinking if I did order one I'd get it lowered a bit. Even though I'm not short I love being able to really put my feet down and am not doing any real "jumping". My favorite bikes were small bikes like the XT225 or TW200, with the KTM I had I felt like I didn't need the extra suspension travel but loved the power and the light weight, just didn't see the need for a 40" seat height.

 

how long did it take you to get yours from deposit placed to shipped? Do they deliver it to your door (I would like to avoid driving to Miami if possible). ?  

Anyone have any experience with re-selling one of these? Would they be harder to re-sell compared to a KTM which is (currently) the more known brand?  I am sure in the future Beta is going to be much better known in the states.

 

[drumiv]

According to the owner, Fernando, Adventure Power Sports, Miami, Beta ships twice a year. I got lucky and he already had ordered one(that he was about to cancel) and got it in less than 3 weeks. For $200 he delivered it, about 3 hrs ago, to my door, on a Sunday. To me, that was worth it. I didn't know about the dealer in Bradenton 'till after the fact, but not sure they do anything but trials bikes. He is at most of the FTR events, and has a great reputation for standing behind the product. I can't wait to ride it. I'm going to register it tomorrow, ride next Saturday..

Edited April 9, 2017 by drumiv

[kayakingsteve]

1 hour ago, drumiv said:

According to the owner, Fernando, Adventure Power Sports, Miami, Beta ships twice a year. I got lucky and he already had ordered one(that he was about to cancel) and got it in less than 3 weeks. For $200 he delivered it, about 3 hrs ago, to my door, on a Sunday. To me, that was worth it. I didn't know about the dealer in Bradenton 'till after the fact, but not sure they do anything but trials bikes. He is at most of the FTR events, and has a great reputation for standing behind the product. I can't wait to ride it. I'm going to register it tomorrow, ride next Saturday..

That is a hell of a coincidence! Does it come to your door lubed and with fluids (minus gas of course)?

I _know_ you are gonna have to crank it up and ride it around some today! I have a feeling the trials place probably doesn't do the road bikes either, but will let you know when I find out.

[drumiv]

It came ready to go, including gas. And yes, I had to do a quick scoot up and down the street. I think my wife might have a hard time getting a ride on it...

[Ben500RR-S]

I've had my 2017 500  RR-S for about 7 weeks now and only have 4 hours and 60 miles on it so far but, I expect that I won't have to do much other than the oil changes every 10 hours.  Overall the bike is very well built and I took the chance on the bike based on all the posts I had read about how good the Beta was in the reliability department not to mention how good the bike has been reviewed as a dual sport.  

The bike has been awesome so far and I expect a minimum of repairs as time goes by as I'm no longer the off-road junkie I used to be as I have (boo-hoo), no one to ride dirt with nowaways.  

[MeCH_MaN]

Rides like a Lamborghini...
Maintenance like a Honda Civic...

[danketchpel]

The scheduled service interval stated in the manual is 30 hrs. That's twice the interval time of a KTM and part of that is separate oils for the engine and transmission, the other is the Beta oil filter is about twice the length of the KTM filter. The oil chambers are 750ml each so 1.5L of oil total capacity compared to a KTM at 1.2L But really the separate oil is a huge deal to me as it keeps all that clutch and gearbox debris out of the engine. It also allows for using more duty specific oils in each chamber.

The service interval is shorter than for my DRZ400 but not bad at all in the scope of things. From all the searching I did they are bullet proof and even come from the factory pumped full of grease unlike most bikes I've owned.

I'd plan on upgrading the plastic oil pump gears which is about the only weak spot in the engine. There is a steel set you can buy for about $190 or so then you're done for life.

The only thing on the bike that is more Fiat than Corolla is some of the electrical connectors are 70s vintage Japanese type which aren't bad, but connector tech has progressed a long ways since then. But otherwise most of it is pretty top notch Euro grade stuff.

 

 

[bryanaverill]

Interesting question...and reply's.  I've had a few dirt bikes over the years and I find the Beta takes more care in maintaining it to the level I prefer.  The parts are not an order on Sunday from RM-ATV and receive on Monday kind of thing either.  The numerous electrical connectors also need care and attention in my opinion.

Having said that, I don't have any trouble maintaining my 250RR.  Just routine cleaning and lubing and one bad crash that I had to replace the front fender.  All parts and accessories are available within a week of ordering them and prices are normal.  There are very few "generic" parts so you might pay more than some budget minded guys.

If my KTM/Yamaha/Honda buddies ask me (and I've owned all of them), I'd say it's like maintaining a KTM but pay attention to the electrical system.

[drumiv]

1 hour ago, bryanaverill said:

Interesting question...and reply's.  I've had a few dirt bikes over the years and I find the Beta takes more care in maintaining it to the level I prefer.  The parts are not an order on Sunday from RM-ATV and receive on Monday kind of thing either.  The numerous electrical connectors also need care and attention in my opinion.

Having said that, I don't have any trouble maintaining my 250RR.  Just routine cleaning and lubing and one bad crash that I had to replace the front fender.  All parts and accessories are available within a week of ordering them and prices are normal.  There are very few "generic" parts so you might pay more than some budget minded guys.

If my KTM/Yamaha/Honda buddies ask me (and I've owned all of them), I'd say it's like maintaining a KTM but pay attention to the electrical system.

Please elaborate on paying attention. I've yet to get mine dirty, and want to start out right. I heard about the speedometer/ water issue.

[wwguy]

17 hours ago, danketchpel said:

The only thing on the bike that is more Fiat than Corolla is some of the electrical connectors are 70s vintage Japanese type which aren't bad, but connector tech has progressed a long ways since then. But otherwise most of it is pretty top notch Euro grade stuff.

LOL, these are descendants of Molex connectors.  Molex was a U.S.-based company that originally made electrical connectors for G.E. (another U.S. company) and other appliance manufacturers in the late 50's.

2 hours ago, drumiv said:

Please elaborate on paying attention. I've yet to get mine dirty, and want to start out right. I heard about the speedometer/ water issue.

The connectors aren't sealed or locked together.  Thus oxidation, corrosion, and unexpected disconnection due to vibration etc. are problems.  Periodic inspection, a dab of dielectric grease in the connectors, and cable ties to hold the mating connectors together can reduce the frequency of problems.

There's also an issue with corrosion causing the capacitor/condenser in the wiring harness to fail.  Without that capacitor the electrical voltage in the harness fluctuates as stator and CDI output changes under different RPM etc.  It's no big deal when headlights flicker, but it's no good when the oil injection pump doesn't have enough voltage to operate.  It's been my observation that this seems to be the most common reason the oil injection system stops working unexpectedly.

Edited April 11, 2017 by wwguy

[bryanaverill]

Using electrical grease on connector terminals.  Making sure latches are closed as required.  Inspecting for corrosion (as above).  Looking for wire abrasion or insulation damage (like the horn terminals shorting to the frame).  Same as any other bike but just more wires and connectors.

If you're comparing street legal Beta to other street legal bikes, I bet it's typical.  Beta dirt-only bikes have more wires and connectors because they have street handlebar switches and wiring for turn signals, horn, etc. 

[bryanaverill]

Oh yea.  I'm checking my condenser very soon since my bike is OI.

[partsguy57]

Beta is like an Italian Yamaha, motor wise. You just do normal maintenece, and not worry about finicky problems.
If you ride in ANY dirt at all, you need to step up your maintenece interval. Even one hour in the dirt means you need to be changing your oil at 15 hours maxium. This is  because the dirt gets carried throughout the motor, 'sanding' it down...
This goes for any dirt bike.
Besides the motor, it's more like a Mercedes car: well engineered for sure, but not terribly well executed in some areas: plastics clips, kickstand mounting, hoses, etc. Pretty much like any european anything.

What does oil have anything with dirt??? It's a sealed environment!! You will clean your air filter more often, maybe a bunch more depending on dust. Do you change the oil in your pickup more often when you run on the dirt? C