VOL. 54 ISSUE 7 FEBRUARY 22, 2017 P85
mid-power right into a strong and
smooth top end. There is plenty
of bottom-end grunt when things
get tight and technical, especially
for lighter riders and those willing
to cover the clutch. The snappy
engine has lots of power on tap
to pop and jump over rocks, logs
and whatever else is in the way.
Not all off-road riders want the
off-idle torque a 300 provides.
Lighter riders (under 175 pounds)
and faster, more advanced riders
will prefer the 250 RR engine
over the 300 RR. It vibrates less
and has better top-end over rev.
Testers over 200 pounds favored
the 300 RR's ability to lug and
find traction with minimal clutch
work and still pull strongly all the
way to the higher rpms.
Off-road and trail riders have
long known that 300 two-strokes
are magic in low-speed condi-
tions and crave the ugly stuff.
The tighter and more technical
the trails, the more the Beta 300
RR excels. Abundant torque and
a healthy bottom-end help get
you out of almost any seemingly
hopeless situation. And those fa-
miliar with the stall and flame out
of four-strokes can rest assured
the 300 engine will lug down to
idle without a hiccup. The Beta
300 RR just keeps chugging
along, working it's way through
nasty terrain, easier than the 250
RR. When the trail starts flowing,
the Beta 300 RR is ready to snap
to life and pull hard through the
mid and into a strong top-end. It
doesn't scream on top like the
250 RR, but it will provide plenty
of pulling power, especially under
a heavy load.
Overall the 300 RR is more
linear when it comes to power de-
livery and for a lot of riders that is
exactly what they are looking for
from a two-stroke. Both engines
have an adjustable power valve,
which can be used to adjust how
hard the power hits; it's worth
adjusting until you find the ideal
delivery. While both the 250 RR
and 300 RR feature a dual-map
ignition switch, one map for
slippery conditions and one for
normal conditions, we chose
the standard (designated by a
picture of the sun) over the slick
conditions map (designated by a
picture of a cloud and rain). This
is a rider preference option, but
since the engines are so smooth
and controllable in the standard
map, we most often chose that.
While it wasn't bad, we noticed
more vibration from the 300 RR
when compared to the 250 RR.
The six-speed transmission (same
(Above) The digital computer is
handy and easy to operate.
(Left) The 250 RR feels very light
and nimble.
