VOLUME 59 ISSUE 12 MARCH 22, 2022 P97
or gets you out of trouble if you get
stuck in something tight. When the
trails open a bit, the little 200 flies,
but unlike a 300 or open-class
four-stroke, you are more involved in
that process. You actually twist the
throttle and hold it there, and you're
going just as fast as the bigger bikes
on which you're just "blipping" the
throttle. In our opinion, holding the
throttle wide open is way more fun.
Compared to a 125, the 200's
broad and usable powerband
makes it a little easier to ride. Our
analogy is this: the 200 is to the
125 like a 300 is to a 250. It's just
a bigger small-bore, if you will. The
200 is basically the 125's bigger
brother with more punch, torque,
and all-around more rideability. You
don't need to rev this bike or feather
the clutch like you would a tradi-
tional 125. Instead, those extra 65
(Left) The Sachs
fork has received
some valving
fine-tuning. The
2.55-gallon fuel
tank feels slim
between your
legs. (Far left) The
Beta 200 RR has a
spunky motor with
plenty of torque.
It doesn't take much
effort to get the
lightweight 200 RR
off the grounds.
