After months of relentless punishment, countless hillclimbs and enough rock bashing to make a geologist jealous, it’s time to wrap up the long-term test of the Beta RR 300 Racing. This bike has been put through everything from technical hard enduro to wide-open farm hillclimbs, and if there’s one thing I can say with confidence, it’s this: the Beta RR 300 Racing is an absolute animal.

If you like your two-strokes with a bit of attitude, this is the bike for you. The Beta RR 300 Racing has a mental engine for an enduro bike – it’s got that instant punch off the bottom that makes it feel aggressive, but it’s also got a surprising level of torque that lets you ride it smoothly if you want to. The balance between explosive power and usable grunt is what makes it so damn good in hard enduro.

On fresh singletrack, it feels like it wants to rip your arms off in the best way possible, and on hillclimbs it just keeps pulling. The dual-spark setup definitely smooths out the power delivery compared to older models, but don’t mistake that for a loss of aggression – this thing still barks when you crack the throttle.

Out of the box, the KYB suspension is brilliant – it’s planted, predictable and capable of soaking up everything from gnarly rock gardens to sketchy drop-offs. But after 40 hours, the front-end has softened up more than I would have liked. It’s not bad, but I can feel it diving a little too much in steep sections and under hard braking. The rear still feels solid, but it’s worth noting that if you’re planning on keeping one of these for the long haul, you’ll want to freshen up the suspension after a while.

For my last proper ride on this beast, I took it to my go-to hard enduro loop about 30 minutes north of Sydney. This place has everything – tight technical sections, brutal rock climbs and flowy singletrack. Thanks to the ridiculous torque and punchy delivery, the Beta absolutely devoured the fresh trails. It hooks up and launches forward so well.

The new Mitas EX tyres and Nitro mousse combo have been a game-changer. In technical terrain, they grip like they’ve got Velcro laced into the tread. No matter how loose, slick or rocky things got, the Beta just kept clawing its way forward. It’s crazy how much confidence good rubber and the right setup can give you.

After that, I took it back to the farm for a day of hillclimbs. If there’s ever a true test of a two-stroke’s endurance, it’s flogging it up long, steep hills on repeat. The Beta sang all day, revving out clean, pulling hard and never once feeling like it was struggling.

After months of testing, crashes, sketchy climbs and deep mud bogs, the Beta RR 300 Racing has proven itself as one of the best hard enduro bikes out there. The engine is insane – raw, punchy, but still controllable. The suspension is great but does soften up over time. The build quality has held up well, aside from some cosmetic wear (the clutch cover is flogged, the pipe has copped a beating and the swingarm has its fair share of scars). But mechanically? This thing is rock solid.

Stay tuned for a full review of my 12 months with the Beta in a feature next issue.

 

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MY24 BETA 300 RACING

RRP $18,395 ride away

WARRANTY

Three months, parts only

DISTRIBUTOR

Beta Motor Australia

INTERNET

betamotor.com.au

 

 

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SO FAR

TOTAL HOURS 52

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