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/127771
(Lett) The Techno's mot or has been " de-tuned" fo r '96, and actually wo rks mu ch better. The po wer band Is sm ooth and user-fr iend ly. (Below) Dark-grey body work and orange acce nts make the Beta one of the best-looking mach ines of '96. (Lett) The biggest news are the new Paio ll conventional forks. Beta Is the fi rst manufacturer to incorpo rate the goldcolored titanium-nitride coating into production . (Below) GeOff Aaron co mpetes aboard a mlldy mod ified version of the Techn o. Bette r brakes, aluminum handlebars and different gearing are the big gest changes he makes. rub ber pad in the lever lasts only about three kicks before it flies off. The re. All of our complaints our out of the way. Serious ly, that's abo u t all we could fin d to s n ivel abou t w ith the ne w est Techno, as the gr ey and oran ge machine is tru ly the sweetest Beta that we've ever ridden . The n ew motor is amaz ing in comparison to last year's - the power is smoo th and pred ictable, yet at the same time as peppy as it need s to be. Unlike some smooth and torqu ey machines, we fou nd that the Beta coul d be revved u p and rid den like a com pl etely d iffere n t bike if the sectio n req u ired it. Luggin g the m otor or revving it up p rodu ced e qu ally im press ive re s u lts . Aaron' s m ach in e was fitted wi th th e optiona l "fast" th rottle tu be, and we preferred it over the stock "slow" tube. The engi ne has a bul letp roof feel, and produced little, if any, engi ne noise at all. We ro d e mo st sections in seco nd gear, but occasionally clic ked it into th ird fo r lar ge steps or splatters. Gearbox action is average for a tria ls b ik e, but p o or in co m p ariso n t o a motocross bike' s. Finding ne u tral while the bike was runni ng was d ifficu lt, but the tranny action w as oth erwise fairly positive. . Th e cl u tch ha s o ne of the ligh test pulls w e' ve ever encounter ed, and th e act ion w as excellent. The feel a t the lever re mained co nstan t, even under heavy abuse. The new forks p rovi de a super-pl ush ride, and soak up sma ll p ebb les and large steps wi th equal au thority, but in all hon esty , we couldn' t feel the ad vantages of th e titan ium-nitri de coating. It sure looks trick, thou gh , and we're su re that the gol d color alo ne will sell mor e th an a few Techn os. The forks ar e fairly rigid an d mounted better than those on some competing machines . Cras hing the bike ne ver res ul te d in a tw isted front end. The rear su sp ens ion was adequate, but h ardl y ever produ ced the s a m e result twice in a row when dropping off sl abs. Such circums tances could p ro duce either a cushy, pa inless landing, or a clunky slam t hat left our a rc hes 'aching, Obviously, the rear en d is super- sensitive to rider input an d body positioning. In all other circumstances, how ever, the back en d worked just fine. Of all the 1996 trials bikes we 've rid den to d ate, the Beta Techno feels as if it h as jhe laziest steeri ng an g le. Making tight turns in sand required li bera l amounts of body English to keep th e fro nt en d fro m pl owin g. Time on the machi ne brought fam iliari ty, h ow ever, and the sensation faded. Brake action is excellent up fron t, and average in the rear. One finger on th e front brake lever is all that's needed to se n d the b ack end skyw ard . Aaron 's Braking-equipped bike performed mu ch . better in th is respect, as the front and rear b in d er s were better m atch ed in streng th. Th e Brak in g discs and pads di dn' t squeal like the stockers. While th e Tech no feels jus t as slim and maneuverabl e as any of its compe titors, it has the heaviest feel of the bik es tested in this issue. On the other hand, though, th e Beta was th e most reli able and nee ded the least amount of correct ive main te nan ce . Fo r co mpariso n 's sa ke, th e Be t a coul d be rate d a s th e "Ho nda CR" of trials machines. Beta motor cycles are im ported into th e United State s b y Co sm opo litan Mot ors. Th ey may be contacted at 301 Jacks onville Rd ., H atboro, PA 19040, zis;672-9100. While Cycle News believes the foregoing test reliable, it is the opinion of the reviewers only and should not be relied upon in determining the performance or safety of the vehicle. The reader should make his or her OW tl intest igation. Beta Techno 250 Specifications Ust Price $56 90 247 .5cc Uquid-eooled . single-cylinder two -stro ke Bore x stroke 72 .5 x 60mm CompNnlon ratio 12.0:1 Carburetion 26mm Mikuni Displacement Engine type Igniti_ _Digital 6 _ peed_ Trantuni..lo n Stertlng lIY_m Fuel capacity Kick _ Seat height Front tire Rear tire _ Front brake Rear brake FI drive Claimed dry weight 1.5 gal. 26 .8 in. 2.75 -21 4.00-18 Disc _ _ Di sc Chain H4 Ibs. 23