VOL. 55 ISSUE 38 SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 P123
ride. You can truly throw this
super agile and maneuverable
motorcycle around with ease.
But, that was to be expected;
what really wasn't expected,
however, was the performance
of the little engine—it is shock-
ingly good and powerful!
Don't let the headlight and
kickstand fool you—this little bike
hauls. It might look like an enduro
bike on the outside but it actu-
ally performs a lot like a moto-
crosser on the inside, at least in
the engine department. It makes
really good bottom-to-mid power
(for a 125) and it only gets better
from there. It loves to be revved
and when it is, you'll be rewarded
with fun high-revving energy. We
didn't get the chance to ride it
back to back against any other
125, but we wouldn't necessar-
ily bet against it in start-straight
drag races with any of the current
125cc motocrossers out there,
like the KTM 125 SX and Yamaha
YZ125. Besides the Beta, the only
125cc off-road bike out there is
the TM, but we haven't ridden it
yet. (Sherco is supposed to be in-
troducing a 125 off-roader soon.)
The Beta Progressive Valve is
not a gimmick. It actually works.
Easily accessible, turning the BPV
adjuster counter-clockwise creates
a more aggressive pull from the
engine, turning it clockwise, gives
the bike a more balanced, smooth
and less-aggressive hit. We liked
the aggressive side best and pretty
much just left it in this position
most of the time, but it's a nice to
have the ability to finely tune the
engine at a moment's notice.
We had no real complaints with
the Beta's stock jetting; it's very
crisp and clean, but, down the
road, we'd probably try tuning out
a slight lean spot that we noticed
on top.
Two-strokes and
lightweight go well
together when it
comes to rough terrain.
This little
engine packs
a punch.
It helps to be aggressive if you
want to go fast on the 125 RR.
