RUST magazine: RUST#37

BETA ENDURO 2019
Distance Trials rider. The extreme rider.
The smaller rider. The newbie. It’s a
great bike and having now ridden it I’m
not at all surprised to find it’s Beta UK’s
top selling model.
THE ROUND-UP
I love the addition of the RR200. If I
were say 12kg lighter (if only) this would
probably be my choice of ride. If you
think a 200cc two-stroke would be your
choice of bike, then this probably is
your bike. I’ve ridden Warren M.’s 2016
KTM 200EXC and this new RR200 easily
matches up to that, it’s possibly even
nicer – I just love the torque.
The suspension improvements for
this year are probably another big
positive. Being able to make damping
adjustments with your gloved fingers
means you can make changes on the
trail, no need to come back to the van
or break out the screwdriver from the
bum bag (fanny pack). And the fact
the adjusters make such a noticeable
change within just a few clicks – that’s
good news too.
The four-strokes are cool weapons. I
enjoyed the RR350 this time, so smooth
and linear – and a rev-hound in the
right terrain. But here, at Hell’s Gate,
I loved the RR390 the most. It’s like a
big 250F, so easy to ride, and the extra
oomph isn’t an embarrassment, it’s all
for the better. A great clubman bike.
And we all know the rest of the story.
The RR125 suits the Youth Cup hopeful.
The RR250 suits the budget-conscious
racer. The RR300 suits the extreme
rider, but racers will love it too (ask Steve
Holcombe). The RR350 is the racy oversize
250F. The RR390 is the clubman
all-day-long bike. The RR430 is the racy
450F for the rider who finds a full-bore
450 just too much. And the RR480 is the
big easy – show it a desert and sit back
and enjoy.
Yep, as ever, great work from Beta.
Each year a consolidation, each year a
neat bit of growth. Very nice indeed.
www.rustsports.com 45