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/1545507
P106 RIDE REVIEW I 2026 BETA 390 RS Beta knows how to build motorcycles that turn heads. either. So, the 390 fits my per- sonality just right. I found it very tractable, with great bottom-end and torque, yet it still likes to be revved. The meat of the fun is right in the middle, where I spent most of my time on the 390 and where I enjoy riding dirt bikes anyway. If all you do is ride in the dirt, you might find it geared a tick tall for the nasty, leg-dabbing, slow-going trails, but I found the stock gearing to work well for me overall, since I rode the 390 a bit on the pave - ment on almost every ride. The stock gearing, I think, is a good compromise. The engine itself runs beauti - fully. Fueling is spot-on; it rarely stalls or flames out. It's smooth and predictable, with a linear powerband that is anything but in - timidating. Yet, it still makes very good and exciting power overall. I loved the 390's hydraulic clutch, which offers great feel and a light pull. It helps make the 390's already manageable power even more manageable, which I as much on the dirt, where you spend a lot of your time stand - ing on the pegs, but you will on the street. It's in the dirt where the 390 really shines, and the more technical the dirt trails, the bet- ter. You can certainly feel its RR X-Pro lineage in its snappy engine, firm suspension and nimble handling. The engine revs quickly, is peppy, and defi - nitely feels a little "racey." I'm a midrange kind of guy; I like room to work the throttle rather than just blipping, as you do most of the time on higher-horsepower, high-performance 450s and 500s. And I don't want some - thing that makes all its power above 7000 rpm, or thereabout, On The Move The Beta 390 RS is an easy mo- torcycle to ride and a lot of fun, both on and off the road, though mostly off the road. That's no surprise. It's essentially a barely street-legal high-performance enduro bike, unlike most Japanese-brand dual sports that place a lot of emphasis on road comfort. Still, the 390 is just comfortable enough to be tolerable on the pavement for those quick jaunts from one trailhead to the other or a quick side trip into town for lunch and gas. Those dual sport-looking tires do improve the ride on the pavement quite a lot; it's much smoother and less bouncy. And it's geared just tall enough to reach 60 mph without being overly revvy or vibey. It's also on the pavement where you re - ally notice the Beta's hard-as-a- board seat; you don't notice that