VOLUME ISSUE OCTOBER , P119
The bike feels very light. With less
engine-braking feel than a four-stroke,
the chassis feels extremely free and
nimble. It's a rather tall motorcycle with
a 37.2-inch seat height.
The grips on the 350 are uber-com-
fortable. The soft-compound grips are
the best stock grips I've felt in a long
time. Paired with the elastomer-damped
bar mounts, vibration is a non-factor.
The brakes are more than capable
of slowing this beast down, and the
hydraulic clutch feels light with good
modulation and feel; I never felt a hint
of fading on this sweltering hot sum-
mer day in Southern California.
While the RX 350 is super fun and
unique, it's not perfect. The Beta has a
14/47t final drive, but I think a 48t rear
sprocket would be better, since it would
help it spool up faster out of tight, rut-
ted turns. It has tons of torque, which
is great, but I'd like a little more snap
when you first open the throttle. As it is,
you need a little clutch work to wake up
the engine when trying to carry second
or third gears out of the turns. Plus,
with the stock gearing, I'm sure the 350
can hit 90 mph in the straights, which
is a little overkill. Again, a larger rear
sprocket might be the simple answer,
(Left) If light
weight is important
to you, you'll love
the Beta RX 350.
(Right) There is
something about
the feel of a good
ol' carburetor.
