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/1525556
P112 RIDE REVIEW I 2024 BETA 125 RR RACE EDITION the straights aren't so long that larger-displacement bikes can stretch their legs. (Regarding top speed, I saw 65 mph on the Beta's speedo once on a long and smooth dirt road and felt like it might've had a bit more to offer.) But it would take a little more work and skill to hang with your friends on bigger bikes while constantly trying to keep Beta in the sweet spot, which is nothing unusual for a 125 and not too hard on the Beta. On a 125, there is less room for error, but the Beta gives you a lot more room than your typical 125 two-stroke motocross bike- turned-off-roader, thanks to its torquey-for-a-125 engine. Done right, and the little Beta rips on the trails and will even perform well on a motocross track. Beta says the 125 RR makes 38 peak horsepower, which is pretty good for a 125. The Beta has a two-way "map" switch. You have Sun fier bikes out of motocrossers, usually a Suzuki RM125 or a Honda CR125R. Any production 125cc two-stoke off-road bike at that time was, I'll say it nicely, junk, but I do remember one time riding a stock Cagiva 125cc in Michigan that wasn't half bad. The 2025 Beta 125 RR Race Edition has everything I was dy - ing for from a 125cc two-stroke off-roader back in the day and even now—primarily torque. The Beta has plenty of that—for a 125cc two-stroke, of course. It's not enough to make you lazy or complacent like a four-stroke or big-bore two-stroke, but it does help make the Beta 125 surpris - ingly easy to ride and helps you maintain your momentum from turn to turn when you're in a hurry. Speaking of being in a hurry, the Beta 125 RR Racing Edi- tion is downright fast! It will get you to where you want to go as quickly as anything else as long as there are no steep hills and Engine modes: Sun for race, Rain for trail. iBrraaaapp!!!! I might have graduated from the Youth class decades ago, but I still enjoy twisting the throttle on a 125cc two-stroke. After riding the 2024 Beta 125 RR Race Edition, I think back to a few months ago, wishing now I had ridden this bike instead of Beta's 430 RR Race Edition in this year's Nevada 200. It's not because the 430 isn't a good motorcycle, but the 125 RR Race Edition would have been a ton of fun. I'm not exactly a stranger to 125s. I've got 125s revving in my blood. I used to ride them a lot. In my younger days, I chose to compete in the 125cc class— when they used to have that class—in several ISDE two-day Qualifiers that I competed in around the country. I rode 125s mainly for the fun of it and their light weight, with a half-hearted attempt to actually qualify for the ISDE. What I would've done for a bike like this back then, when I had to build my quali - The Beta-built engine packs a punch. The Keihin carbureted is well jetted.