Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1202358
2020 HUSQVARNA TE 300i VS. 2020 BETA 300 RR COMPARISON P98 TIME TO RIDE Both bikes have a similar riding position, mak- ing it easy to get comfortable on either one. The Husqvarna suspension is set up for off- road trail riding, and it provides a very plush ride. If you are a bigger and/or more aggres- sive rider, however, you may find it to be a little too soft. The Beta suspension is a bit stiffer by comparison and allows for more aggressive riding. The tradeoff is that the Beta transfers more of the small bumps to the rider. We had five different riders compare both bikes, and all agreed that both bikes had their strengths in terms of suspension. If you like a really compliant motorcycle that will be comfortable all day, the Husky is the one to pick, but if you want to be more aggressive, you will prefer the Beta suspension settings. In terms of handling, which is closely re- lated to the suspension, both bikes feel stable at speed but are still really good at navigating through the tight technical stuff. The past Be- tas felt a little twitchy at speeds but cornered well in tight trails, and we are happy to report that the new Beta chassis feels much more stable at speeds but still corners well. There was not a clear-cut winner between the two bikes in the overall handling. As for the basics, the hydraulic clutch on both bikes performed flawlessly, and the same can be said for the brakes on both bikes. The engine performance is where these two bikes differ the most. As with the past fuel-injected Husqvarna two-strokes, we have found that the bikes run well, but they don't provide the exciting performance found on the previous generation carbureted models from both Husqvarna and KTM. They are pretty flat and lack the snap that makes two-strokes so fun. As we noted on our recent tests of the KTM XC and XCW's, KTM/Husqvarna does not recommend that you adjust the power valve to change engine character. However, if you want to improve the performance dramati- cally, buy the tool that KTM sells to adjust the power valve (it is a square head). It is about $10 from your Husqvarna/KTM dealer. As little as a quarter turn counterclockwise to loosen the spring and open the power valve sooner makes a big difference. For our test bike, the sweet spot was about a half turn out from the stock setting. In stock form, the Beta 300 RR runs much better than the stock Husqvarna TE 300i. It has an adjustable power valve like the Husky/ KTM but uses a more convenient Allen Fuel injection separates the Husky from the Beta's well-tuned carburetion system.