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/1523663
P128 RIDE REVIEW I 2024 BETA 430 RR RACE EDITION work calls). Previous 430 models had some stalling issues but not this bike. The clutch never faded, nor did the bike overheat de- spite not being equipped with a cooling fan and me giving it plenty of opportunities dur- ing two warm days in the Nevada sunshine. At first, the 430's suspension worked well for me over the rugged trail. However, I started noticing that I was having a heck of a time hitting my intended lines. I also kept plowing through berms and popping up out of rutted corners. I realized I was fight - ing the bike on the tight stuff. It felt like it wasn't going where I was telling it to go, and I started to get frustrated. I soon concluded that the suspension was too soft, resulting in an unbalanced and unpredictable ride. After the first day's ride, Rodney exam- ined the bike and realized he had indeed gone overly soft with the rear shock. He bumped up the preload significantly and tweaked the damping at both ends. Before I knew it, I was on the trail again for Satur- day's "long" day, which was nearly twice the distance as the previous day's ride. Happily, Rodney nailed it this time. The bike was handling wonderfully now, and I could take advantage of both the Beta's outstanding motor and chassis and focus more on sim- ply enjoying the ride, and there was plenty of it to enjoy. Plenty! Overall, the Beta 430 RR Race Edition and I got along just great. The handlebars never touched the ground or, as I already mentioned, never stalled, and the bike made it through the first 40-plus-mile day without running out of gas—not even close. Despite the choking dust from the other 300-plus riders, the Beta's air filter was far from be- ing clogged. The bike just never missed a beat. Just like the standard 430 I rode last year, the 2024 Beta 430 RR Race Edition is very impressive. However, its KYB suspension, namely its 48mm AOS closed-cartridge fork, made it even more impressive. It is well worth the extra $500 alone. So, yes, it was indeed the right choice. CN 2024 BETA 430 RR RACE EDITION ($11,199) ENGINE 4-stroke, single VALVETRAIN 4-valve, titanium, finger followers w / shim adj. DISPLACEMENT 430.9cc COOLING SYSTEM Liquid STARTING SYSTEM Electric BORE & STROKE 95mm x 60.8mm COMPRESSION RATIO 12.33:1 IGNITION Dual-Map Kokusan 200w output – On Demand Traction Control LUBRICATION Twin Oil pumps w/cartridge filter & separate compartments for engine and transmission FUEL SYSTEM EFI, 42mm throttle body w/dual injectors CLUTCH Wet, diaphragm style TRANSMISSION 6-speed FRAME Molybdenum steel/double cradle w/quick air filter access FRONT SUSPENSION 48mm KYB AOS closed cartridge fork, adj. compression & rebound REAR SUSPENSION KYB 46mm body with adj. rebound and high/ low speed on compression adjustment FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL 11.6 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL 11.4 in. FRONT BRAKE Single 260mm floating disc REAR BRAKE Single 240mm disc FRONT WHEEL 21 in. REAR WHEEL 18 in. WHEELBASE 58.7 in. GROUND CLEARANCE 12.6 in. WEIGHT (DRY, CLAIMED) 239 lbs. FUEL CAPACITY 2.4 gal. PLACE OF MANUFACTURE Italy S P E C I F I C AT I O N S