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/595371
2016 BETA 350 RR FIRST RIDE P68 Sachs fork. To be honest, we didn't feel the need to make any immediate clicker changes with the fork, nor did we with the rear Sachs shock, which features an aluminum body and adjustable rebound and hi/low-speed com- pression damping. With all of the adjustments, you should be able to find a satisfying setting for most spirited riding. The Beta is also a solid-han- dling bike. It's stable at speed yet is still very quick and respon- sive, but maybe not as agile or as light feeling on the trail as the KTM 350 XC-F or the Husky FE 350, Beta's closest and pretty much only rivals. Not to worry, though, it still steers plenty fast and is capable of getting down the switchbacks quickly. The Beta always feels planted to the ground, too. It's a sure- footed-feeling bike that comes with Michelin Enduro Competi- tion rubber, which are good all- around tires that don't wear out too quickly. The Beta's Nissin brakes are very strong but not grabby, and we never had any issues with the back brake overheating, but we never got the chance to really put them to the test like you would in a long race. It did, however, stay strong and con- sistent on long, steep downhills, and just had good feel overall. For 2016, the Beta 350 RR got a translucent tank, making it much easier to monitor fuel levels. It's still holds 2.0 gallons which seems sufficient. We just got back from a 30-mile ride and there's still at least a half tank left of fuel. The tank area is narrow, as is the rest of the bike, which has a fairly roomy footpeg/seat/ handlebar relationship. It is a very comfortable bike that is easy to move around on. It has a man- ageable 36-inch seat height and the tapered aluminum handle- bars are adjustable on the triple clamps. Seat foam is pretty darn firm, but the cover is grippy. We liked the digital meter that is actually very simple to oper- ate. That's not always the case with digital meters. The Beta does not come fitted with hand guards but does have a sturdy metal skid plate to protect the bottom engine cases. The 350 RR is also equipped with a spark arrester and is only red sticker eligible in California. Overall, we are very im- pressed with this bike. It might not be the first bike that comes to your mind when it's time to go shopping for a mid-size, four-stroke off-road bike, but it should be, or at least certainly not forgotten. If you're worried about reliability, we don't think you should be. Beta's have a good reputation in this depart- ment and we've never had any real mechanical issues with any Beta models we've tested in the past. At $9,399, the Beta 350 RR isn't exactly cheap but it's quite a few dollars less than its nearest rivals and certainly worth check- ing out. CN S P E C I F I C A T I O N S 2016 BETA 350 RR ENGINE: ................Liquid-cooled, 4-valve, 4-stroke, single-cylinder BORE X STROKE: ................ 88 x 57.4mm DISPLACEMENT: ............................. 349cc COMPRESSION RATIO: ........................ 13:1 IGNITION: ................................. DC-CDI w/ variable ignition timing, Kokusan, 200 watt output at 6000 rpm SPARK PLUG: .................NGK LKAR 8A-9 LUBRICATION: ............................... Twin oil pumps w/cartridge oil filter, separate oil for engine and clutch FUEL SYSTEM: ..............42mm Electronic Fuel Injection CLUTCH: ............................Wet, multi-disc TRANSMISSION: ...........................6-speed FINAL DRIVE: ..........................O-ring chain FRAME: ..........Molybdenum steel/double cradle w/quick air filter access FRONT SUSPENSION: ..................... 48mm Sachs USD fork; adj. compression and rebound, TFX technology REAR SUSPENSION: .......Aluminum body Sachs shock w/adjustable rebound and hi/low speed compression FRONT WHEEL TRAVEL: ..................11.4 in. REAR WHEEL TRAVEL: ....................11.4 in. FRONT BRAKE: ...... 260mm floating rotor REAR BRAKE: .......................240mm rotor FRONT/REAR RIM: ................ 21 in./18 in. TIRES: .......Michelin Enduro Competition WHEELBASE: ..................................58.7 in. SEAT HEIGHT: ............................... 36.8 in. FOOTPEG HEIGHT: ......................... 16.2 in. RAKE/TRAIL: ............ 26.5 degree/23mm CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT: ............... 234 lbs. FUEL CAPACITY: ........................... 2.0 gal. WORRANTY: ... 6 month limited warranty MSRP: ..............................................$9399