VOL. 55 ISSUE 8 FEBRUARY 27, 2018 P91
We've tested a lot of Betas over
the years and one of the most-
asked questions we get is: Is it
reliable? Based from our experi-
ences, than answer is yes. We've
had good luck with our Beta test
bikes in the past and the 500
RR-S is no different…well, except
for one thing—the rear license
plate holder. Ours snapped off
after a couple of rides, taking our
precious license plate with it. We
backtracked and luckily found it
under a bush alongside the trail.
Don't risk losing yours. Don't wait
to find a stronger way to mount
your plate like we ended up doing
on ours. Otherwise, we had no re-
liability issues. We put about 400
hundred miles on our 500 RR-S
test bike without any mechanical
failures, though we made it a habit
to always kill the engine via the
ignition key, not the handlebar kill
switch. This eliminates any chance
of forgetting to turn off the igni-
tion and running down the battery,
which will happen quickly if you
do. We came close.
The Beta has a small two-gallon
gas tank, so you'll find yourself
constantly monitoring fuel levels
like I did, and you'll quickly learn to
meticulously plan out your longer
rides when it comes to refueling.
My longest single stint on the 500
RR-S was a 70-plus-mile sporty
and mostly off-road cruise in the
desert, but it still had some gas
sloshing around at the bottom
when I was done. Fuel range with
high-performance dual sport bikes
like the Beta can vary drastically,
it all depends how hard you work
the throttle and what type of ter-
rain you ride in. The bottom line
here: the Beta does not hold a ton
of fuel.
The Beta is very comfortable
but a little on the tall side; handle-
(Right) Hand guards are
standard and so are the
fold-away mirrors.
(Far right) The 500 RR-S
features a fuel-injected
engine with a six-speed
transmission that's suited
for all kinds of terrain.
