Cycle News

Cycle News 2020 Issue 32 August 11

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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2020 BETA 390 RR-S R I D E R E V I E W P104 give up a little bit of comfort on the small stuff, but it sure makes it fun to ride aggressively and had us look- ing for things to jump off of. The new Beta chassis is a little more stable at higher speeds, but it still corners well. The Nissin brakes with Galfer rotors perform well with no issues to report after a lot of mileage and varying terrain. We averaged about 45 mpg, so the 2.4-gallon tank will get you a little over 100 miles. It has a fuel warning light that illuminates way too early and had us a little freaked out the first few times, only to find out we still had at least a third of a tank left! That is where the translucent tank is helpful, as it was easy to see that we still had plenty of fuel left. We have noticed that the Beta two-stroke models also have a lot of fuel left when you need to switch to reserve as well, so it appears Beta does not want you left stranded out on the trail. As noted earlier, the Trail Tech Voyager unit provides many more features than any other stock off- road bike meters. Our only complaint would be that it is positioned a little high and could be damaged in a crash. Still, kudos to Beta for includ- ing this very cool unit, but it would be nice to have it placed a little lower. As for comfort, everything about the riding position felt good to all our test riders. The only complaint would be the stock seat, which is okay for aggressive riding when you don't sit much, but a long day of riding, espe- cially if it includes a lot of road miles, will leave you walking funny after- ward. An aftermarket Seat Concepts seat would be at the top of our list of aftermarket upgrades for the 390 RR-S. And the Michelin Enduro knobbies are not our favorite off-road tire, they have very stiff sidewalls that contrib- ute to a harsh ride, but at least you don't need to replace them right away as you do with the other bikes. They will last you a long time. Mechanically, we had no issue with the 390, but one rear blinker lens did go MIA. We love how light, nimble and agile the 390 RR-S feels on the trail.

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