Sell me on a Beta

[Kompact]

I'm looking for a new bike and am considering the 390/430/500RR. I'd love some honest opinions on them.

The bike needs to be street legal yet light and well suited to single track riding and rocky hill climbs. I currently ride a heavily modded CRF300R (That's a CRF250L with a CBR300R engine and a million other mods) and although I love that bike it's too heavy for the single track riding I do (360lbs wet).

I see all three of the bikes (390/430/500) weight about the same. I assume the only real reason to go with the 390 other than not wanting more power is because it's below the 400cc limit and therefore cheaper insurance, is that right? Or is there some other differences between the three models besides power?

I'll be riding the bike 90% dirt with the occasional DS trip tossed in.

What I'm looking for is:

1. Reliability / Durability
2. Low maintenance
3. Light and the weight carried down low

Let me know your thoughts and please include the negative as well as the positive.

[Ben500RR-S]

I have had my 2017 500 RR-S since 02/22/2017 and it has been totally reliable and dependable.  The only warranty work I needed in the full one year that I had the warranty for was for the kickstarter and it not recoiling.  I never use(d) it but when fooling around with it one day I noticed it was not coming back after going down.  When it was being fixed in July-I was going away for a 2 week vacation anyway, I had the shop/dealer replace the oil gears with steel ones so it all worked out.  

Every bike out there is the same with maintenance.  

One can have, in no particular order:

 

Light

Strong

Inexpensive

 

Choose any two.  The Beta's weight just a bit more than the only other comparable dual sports out there which are either the KTM's or the Husky's but the 2018's are getting better and are closer.  By the time guys have installed bigger tanks, seats, handlebar/radiator guards and all the other shyt that guys like to have on their bikes . . . 

 

I'm glad I got the 500 as my bike is now a Triple Sport and I can go street, dirt and I was thankful for the 478cc power I had on the snow this past winter and now, even after 3 months of constant 6,000-8,000 rpm operation, my motor is pulling as hard as it was before this winter, the motor has good power for me.  

 

I had thought of a 2017 CRF 250L but the mega weight and lame suspension had me looking at the WR250, then I had realized I might as well get a 500 class dual sport and I chose the Beta.  In looking back there was no way I would have been as happy as I am with the 500 RR-S, no way, and snowbiking this past winter was the most fun I have ever had on a machine and I'm looking forward to it next winter but am loving D/S season now.  

[jpbova]

I won't sell you, but I will tell you what I think.  You really need to ride one and decide for yourself.  The bike that fits you the best may not be the lightest, most durable, or lowest maintenance bike on the market, but it makes up for it because you have confidence when you're on it.

 

Reliability / Durability

I think Beta is okay here.  They aren't the fragile pieces of glass everyone makes them out to be.  However, they do have some issues, none with the engine.  Once you correct them the bike is fine.  I'm talking about plastics, computer, mudflap rub.  I think Yamaha takes the cake in durability. 

as far as reliability, we have 3 betas in our riding group.  None of them have quit on us for any reason.  The engine is the best part of the bike and is rock solid 

Low maintenance

Again, I think Yamaha takes the cake.  I am a tinkerer by nature, so the bike is either running and I'm riding it or its in pieces in the garage.  The bike is probably low maintenance if I would stop messing with it.

Light and the weight carried down low

No other bike carries it's weight lower than the beta does.  I love it.  I can lean the bike over to handlebar in turns with complete confidence.  I don't have a particularly long inseam, so the bike inspires a ton of confidence.  Handling and chassis are the things that stand out to me most when I ride another bike.  Beta nailed this.

Edited April 20, 2018 by jpbova

[TroutRunner]

I've got the 390, no reason for more power, I'm only on the throttle up to half way on the trails anyway.  I'm street legal and rode 12 miles to the trails today, ran around  35 miles of single track and back 12 miles.  Bike worked great.  I was in 3rd gear flowing single track to 1-2 gear single track up and down major sandy twisty hills.   5th gear is 50 mph, 6th is over 60 and up past 70.

[Sierra_rider]

On 4/19/2018 at 11:42 PM, Kompact said:

I'm looking for a new bike and am considering the 390/430/500RR. I'd love some honest opinions on them.

The bike needs to be street legal yet light and well suited to single track riding and rocky hill climbs. I currently ride a heavily modded CRF300R (That's a CRF250L with a CBR300R engine and a million other mods) and although I love that bike it's too heavy for the single track riding I do (360lbs wet).

I see all three of the bikes (390/430/500) weight about the same. I assume the only real reason to go with the 390 other than not wanting more power is because it's below the 400cc limit and therefore cheaper insurance, is that right? Or is there some other differences between the three models besides power?

I'll be riding the bike 90% dirt with the occasional DS trip tossed in.

What I'm looking for is:

1. Reliability / Durability
2. Low maintenance
3. Light and the weight carried down low

Let me know your thoughts and please include the negative as well as the positive.

Beta's are pretty solid and reliable as far high performance 4 strokes go. Maintanence intervals aren't going to be as long as a lower-stressed motor like a Crf-l or drz, but they aren't even in the same ball park of performance. The 430 is the short-stroke motor and is quicker revving/more "racy" than the other 2. The 390 has the longest stroke out of the Beta engine family and emphasis manageable low-end torque. None of the them are mapped super-lean like the Ktm/Husky dual sports. Some may argue it, but IMO the Ktm's are way too lean, prone to flameouts, and need several hundred bucks on ecu/fuel mapping to run good.

The weight is good on these bikes. I ride a '18 350 which is essentially the same as the other 3 and weight is not an issue at all. They chassis geometry on the Beta's has always been the best IMO, and they have great turning capabilities without sacrificing straight-line stability. 

[Marco the Pool Boy]

There is a lot of differences between the size displacements,a lot more than you might think, and it should picked for your size and type of general riding conditions.
Many many disagree but IMHO, predominant open desert like areas would spell out a larger displacement for many riders. Yet if you’re more of a tight/narrow woods rider many gravitate towards the smaller displacements.

I’ve owned a bunch of different open class DS very dirt focused bikes and I’ve found myself of the same tracks presently faster on a smaller displacement bike, and of course the great handling of the Beta chassis helps big time.

For many the absolute most difficult thing to do when picking a new Beta is the displacement. The 350/390/430/500 all have their strong points, check it out and any of them would impress you strongly compared to your existing ride....

I'm looking for a new bike and am considering the 390/430/500RR. I'd love some honest opinions on them.
The bike needs to be street legal yet light and well suited to single track riding and rocky hill climbs. I currently ride a heavily modded CRF300R (That's a CRF250L with a CBR300R engine and a million other mods) and although I love that bike it's too heavy for the single track riding I do (360lbs wet).
I see all three of the bikes (390/430/500) weight about the same. I assume the only real reason to go with the 390 other than not wanting more power is because it's below the 400cc limit and therefore cheaper insurance, is that right? Or is there some other differences between the three models besides power?
I'll be riding the bike 90% dirt with the occasional DS trip tossed in.
What I'm looking for is:

1. Reliability / Durability
2. Low maintenance
3. Light and the weight carried down low

Let me know your thoughts and please include the negative as well as the positive.