2018 BETA 500 RR-S
FULL TEST
P88
500 RR-S confirmed what I
already knew—this bike is not a
street bike. Not by any means.
But, hey, it did get me to where
I wanted to go, legally, but not
soon enough; its stiff seat and
firm ride had me longing for
the dirt, my initial destination.
And relief came as soon as the
Beta's knobbies touched it. Ahh,
now we're talkin'.
This is where the Beta is
happy—on the dirt. And it's very
capable on it. There isn't much
the 500 RR-S can't do when it's
in its element like this—its limita-
tions are pretty much dictated by
the rider's own limitations. For a
big bike, the Beta is quite agile
and responsive on the trail; don't
let its 500cc displacement make
you think otherwise. It's by no
And what hasn't changed? How
about this? The price. It carries
over its 2017 $9999 asking price.
Go Anywhere,
Do Anything
We'll get straight to the point, the
Beta 500 RR-S is an outstanding
dual sport bike, as long as your
definition of dual sporting is 99%
hardcore off-road riding; okay,
it doesn't necessarily have to
be hardcore, but as long as you
want to make dust or throw a big
roost, the Beta does the trick.
You can feel its Beta off-road
bloodline instantly. The RR-S is
definitely a dirt bike at heart. It's
not often that I load up a dual
sport bike to go riding; instead,
most of my dual sport rides are
initiated right from my driveway,
quickly followed by some pave-
ment, as was my first outing on
the Beta. A few shifts into it, the
means a beast. It's easy to ride.
The Beta's actual 478cc, four-
valve, four-stroke, engine makes
a ton power, but it's all useable
power. You can plonk around on
it or let it rip—either way is fine.
And don't think for a second that
this bike isn't fast; it is, but not
scary fast.
The Beta rolls off the show-
room floor geared fairly tall, its
15/48-tooth sprocket combo
keeps you from getting run over
by cars on the open highway.
Luckily, the Beta has enough
torque and bottom-end that it
will still pull you out of just about
any sticky slow-speed, low-rpm
situation on the trail but usually
The new Beta 500 RR-S is pretty.
