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/789906
2017 BETA 250 RR AND 300 RR FULL TEST P88 counter. The setup of the 250 RR and the 300 RR is not for high- speed terrain or motocross; in- stead, it works very well for what it's intended to do, ride off-road. With the same settings, both the 250 and 300 are well balanced. We ran between 105-110mm of sag depending on the terrain. For bigger and faster riders, going in a few clicks on compression helped hold the fork up in the stroke. These are trail bikes and that's where they work best. We rode some more open trail with decent whoops and the plush suspension handles the bigger bumps okay but definitely starts to pack up over consecutive hits. Unexpected g-outs will bottom the suspension, again reminding us that the slower and nastier terrain is the comfort zone. The overall feel from the Betas, especially on faster flowing single track, is stability. The stability also helps keep the bike going in a straight line through rocky creek beds. If you are looking for a more aggressive suspension set up, Beta sells the 250 and 300 in a Race Edition that has different suspension setup for faster terrain and racing. The Beta 250 and 300 come with FMF exhaust systems and we were a little heart broken when we fell over once in a rocky canyon and substantially smashed the FMF pipe on the 300. That is one downfall to two-strokes when off-roading—the pipes are often in harm's way, but, luckily, aren't crazy expensive when it comes time to replace them, and there are a lot of aftermarket companies that make guards to help protect them. Clear Winner? Neither one of the two-stroke Beta RRs is really better than the other. There is, however, a better engine displacement for your style of riding and it's up to you to decide what that is. A factor in choosing between the two is your weight. If you are a lightweight, around 150- 175 pounds, the 250 RR power will feel much like the 300 RR would to someone coming in over 200 pounds. The 250 RR has a little less vibration and overall is a more exciting engine that revs higher, but it doesn't lug as well as the 300 down low. Overall handling is similar, the 250 RR just feels a little more nimble thanks to less rotating engine mass. The Cycle News staff is split between choosing a favorite; half of the testers liked the 250 RR while the other half adored the 300 RR. But it's all about riding style. CN 2017 BETA 300 RR / 250 RR ENGINE: ........................... Single-cylinder, two-stroke DISPLACEMENT: .............................. 293.1cc / 249cc BORE X STROKE: 72 x 72 mm / 66.4 x 72mm COOLING: ................................................. Liquid-cooled COMPRESSION RATIO: ..............................12:1 / 12:8.1 FUEL SYSTEM: .............................. Keihin PXK 36mm STARTING SYSTEM: . Electric start w/back-up kick starter TRANSMISSION: ...............................................6-speed LUBRICATION: ............................................Oil-injection FINAL DRIVE: .............................................O-ring chain SEAT HEIGHT: ................................................... 36.6 in. WHEELBASE: ......................................................58.3 in. GROUND CLEARANCE: .......................................12.6 in. FRONT SUSPENSION: .........48mm Sachs USD fork, adjustable compression/rebound, TFX technology REAR SUSPENSION: ....................................Aluminum Body Sachs shock w/adjustable rebound and hi/ low-speed compression FRONT BRAKE: .................................................260mm REAR BRAKE: .................................................... 240mm FRONT TIRE: ... 21-in. Michelin Enduro Competition REAR TIRE: .......18-in. Michelin Enduro Competition FUEL CAPACITY: ................................................2.5 gal. CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT: ...................................224 lbs. CLAIMED WET WEIGHT: ................................. 250 lbs. MSRP: .................................................................$8499 S P E C I F I C A T I O N S (Above) A unique feature of the Beta two-strokes is its oil-injection. No need to mess will mixing oil with gas—it does it for you.