Cycle News

Cycle News 2026 Issue 40 October 6

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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QUICKSPIN I 2027 Beta RX 350 P118 It also features vibration-damping bar mounts, a push-button seat release and tool- less access to the air filter. Beta claims the RX 350 has a dry weight of 220.5 pounds, the same as the RX 250. Beta says the RX 250F four-stroke model is three pounds heavier. The 2027 RX 350 retails for $10,290, the same price as in 2026. On paper, this bike is unlike anything else, and the ride lives up to that. Right away, you can feel how torquey and snappy this engine is, and it's clear this isn't just a big-bore 250. Having ridden the RX 300, you can tell this feels beefier. The jetting is spot-on, and it feels and sounds exactly how you'd want a big 350 two-stroke to sound, if not a little better. You can see some of the plastic vibrating at idle, which was a little worrisome, but once you get on track, it's not all that noticeable, especially when you're in the meat of the power. Throttling is spot on, and you feel the power come rush- ing as soon as you crack the throttle; however, it does its best work in the middle of the pow- erband. Second and third gears are this bike's sweet spot, and the power carries high into the rpm. You have to shift a lot to keep it in its happy place, from the mid- to top-power zone. The sun map offers a lot of punch right as you get to the meat of the power. As the track dried out and revealed slicker, hard-pack sec- tions, I preferred the rain map. The smoother power curve helps the bike hook up better on slick ground and makes it more rideable, which you will appreciate near the end of a long moto. Suspension is good all around; the KYB AOS fork is top-notch. For my 180-plus weight, the fork has good small-bump comfort, but it starts to feel a bit soft when you really push it and hit the jumps. Stiffening up the compres- sion made things better when the pace picked up. The rear end is a bit soft, too, so I made a few tweaks. The shock has lots of adjust- ments, including high- and low-speed com- pression damping. I also adjusted sag to give the chassis better hold-up, improving feel in faster sections.

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