2023 Beta Buyers guide -390RR -300RR -300 X-Trainer

Nicks’ review of the 390RR

We’ve been running through some nice little tight sections, ducking and diving through the trees with a few ditches to hop over. This thing is so much fun, it’s just playful. It reminds me of my Husky 250FE, and it’s got that sort of throw-ability, but it’s also got loads more power than the 250 had. The only foible with the 390 so far is that I’d say is that it coughs and stalls every now and then. It doesn’t really like it at low Rev’s. I’m used to riding a 690 which is such a chugger but the fun you have with this 390 is that it just does not feel like it’s getting away from you at any time. It just wants to do what you want it to do. I can lift the front wheel when I wanted, I can slide it. It’s a great bike. I love it. How good or bad do you think the 390 is in the woods we’ve been riding Nick? Yeah, there some 180 degree turns, and you can just throw it down whichever way you’re turning and open the throttle and steer with the rear end, and that’s my favourite kind of riding. It just puts a grin on my face. Mind you, after having ridden the two 300 2 strokes in the woods after the 390 both of them felt easier to ride in these tight conditions but if you’re just not a 2-stroke lover then this 390 would be an option although my opinion is that it would be better suited to more open going x country enduros and Hare and Hounds.

The suspension feels very plush, especially since it’s not been bedded in yet as the bike is brand new with about an hour on it so far but it’s pretty compliant. I enjoyed the feel of the bike from the get-go and the suspension is only going to improve with use. This is the first time I have ridden on the Sachs kit, and I have found it less ‘crashy’ than the WP suspension off the showroom floor. This raises your confidence and makes it more enjoyable to ride. Ed’s note; I found the suspension a little soft and while okay for weekend soft trails like these, however if I were to race this bike it would need some attention to the suspension first, especially the shock which was sprung very soft indeed. When it comes to the delivery of power to the back wheel the 390RR is super sweet, it seems pretty docile but that can be deceiving if you’re coming off an Austrian 350 which is way more revvy. I reckon this bike will have you out on the trails for longer than you would be on a 350 because of its easy natured character. That being said, I was riding the bike in the softer ‘rain’ map and once I switched to the ‘Sun’ map the bike livened up considerably. The propensity to stall almost disappeared, not entirely but it was a big improvement, and the power delivery was more immediate, still not brutal though. This bike in my opinion would be ideal for most any terrain but as mentioned above in comparison to the 300 2 strokes it’s not ideal for tight woods racing. For these types of conditions there are better models to consider but overall, I was impressed at the ride-ability of the 390.

Warren’s review of the 300RR

What did I think of the 2023 Beta 300 2-stroke? Well, it was my first time riding a 300 smoker in quite some time. When I was actively racing, the KTM and Husky 300s were my go-to bikes, so I’ve logged many hours on an Austrian 300. Nowadays, I ride an SX 250 motocross bike and a KTM 500, so it was interesting to find myself somewhere in-between the displacements I usually ride on this Beta 300. First off, the Beta feels noticeably different from the Austrian bikes. It somehow feels smaller at the headstay and nimbler, but the power is anything but docile. It’s smooth, but it has the guts when you need them. As for the suspension and chassis balance, this is the first time I’m riding on Sachs suspension, so it’s all new to me. The bike is brand new, but out of the box, it’s plush and very pleasant in the woods. Although we had a chance to get up into some higher gears, we could not top out 6th gear, and so stability at speed was not tested. The bike felt well-balanced, and I was surprised to find that I liked this Beta enough to seriously consider adding another bike to the garage, even when I wasn’t considering one. This is a motorcycle tester’s constant challenge when you swing a leg over a really good machine.

Another standout for me is the componentry – Excel rims as standard, and the controls and trim are all exceptional, with the only drawback being that the pipe is really soft (I dinged it within the first 5 minutes), and the aftermarket pipes for the Betas are pricey. Craig had mentioned that the 300 X-Trainer felt small but not cramped; well, that’s exactly how I felt about the standard 300. After riding both of them, I remain of the same opinion in that neither of them feels cramped. I’m approximately 6ft1, so I was left scratching my head at how they managed to get the ergonomics so right on both the 300s. The standard 300 had a considerable amount of power in reserve over the X-Trainer, and the little additional height and spec made it the standout bike for me and the one I would buy as a race bike if I were in the market. If I were doing anything other than racing, then the price and ride on the X-Trainer would probably push me in that direction.
Finally, I would normally be shopping aftermarket right away on the purchase of my 300s. I came away from riding the Beta 300 not feeling like it was necessary, and outside the pipe softness, I probably wouldn’t.