The lightweight with a middleweight heart...
This time I have the 2022 Beta RR200 at my disposal and I was pretty excited to give this new beast a run for its money. Amazingly, Beta is the only manufacturer that produces a 200cc two stroke machine. It’s a bit of a niche motor size, but in terms of the fun scale, it’s damn close to the top of the list.
125cc two strokes need a lot of rider attention to keep them on song, where 250 and 300 two strokes require more of a calm approach. If you aren’t careful on the big 3 hunge, then you could be in for a wild ride. The 200, is a pretty spot-on mix of both worlds as it can be revved out and ridden aggressively or torqued around the snottiest single tracks.
It’s been two years since Beta unveiled their all-new Enduro range and the brand continues to go forward. They have been crushing it in the World Enduro scene with multiple world titles as well as introducing an MXGP team and there is talk of entering the US Supercross and Motocross arena in the near future. They are also throwing a lot of energy into the local racing scene with an Australian enduro team that will be following the AORC, A4DE and other events around the countryside.
They are a super keen bunch and it’s awesome to see them grow as a brand. I remember first riding the RR200 in the hills of Italy and I was impressed with how easy it was to ride. The electric start fires up quickly and the fun begins as soon as you hop onto the singletrack.
It’s light between the legs and the riding position is quite neutral. The seat is nice and flat which allows the rider to move around easily. Brakes are decent, the hydraulic clutch is very nice and the quality of the finish is excellent.
josh@madeinmotion.com.au
I always have a bit of a chuckle at the bar bend and heights of new age 2022 Euro bikes compared to the same bikes 10 years ago. I reckon the bars are half the height of what they used to be. Maybe the Euros were all over 6 foot back then?
The 2022 Beta RR200 received only minor upgrades including amendments to both the forks and shock and a completely revised, fast-looking red colour scheme. The 200 platform has the same chassis and engine characteristics as the Beta 125 so it is a very small and lightweight bike. The 200 is not just a bored out 125, Beta actually developed a 200cc top end.
In the motor department, the RR200 has the same oil injection technology that the 250 and 300 two strokes have and the throttle response is fantastic. It’s a super linear, easy to manage power delivery that gives the rider a ton of confidence. You can ride the bike aggressively and rev it out and it will happily run along for the ride.
I found myself riding it more like a 125 at first, just because it’s a small bore 2 stroke and well, that’s what you need to do right? Wrong. This little beauty can be torqued down to such low revs and it will crawl for days up the snottiest of hills. It doesn’t mind a short shift either and pulls 3rd gear out of corners with ease. That extra 75cc works wonders and being so light, it’s super easy to chuck around on the spot should you ever get into a sticky situation on a hill.
Up top, it has a fair chunk of up and go, but its main attraction for me is the bottom end and mid-range power. Get the RR200 out on some flowing single track and you’ll be a happy chap. Let’s not forget the on-the-fly ignition switch with mud/dry maps that are at your disposal too. That’s very handy should you encounter some slippery stuff, and you will.
The RR200 encourages you to ride down the technical stuff and push the limits of traction because it is so light and has the ability to lug with ease. If I was to ever consider doing extreme enduro stuff, which I don’t plan too, I reckon the RR200 would be hard to go past. It’s just that easy to ride.
In the handling department, Beta have given the ’22 models a host of upgrades. Back when the new 2020 models came out, the forks were incredibly soft, and they were almost holding the Betas back from their true potential. That problem didn’t exist on the racing models with the KYB twin chamber forks at the helm but the stock ZF forks were way too soft.
Fast forward to 2022 and the good folks at Beta have stiffened those 48mm ZF’s up with some beefier valving and also given them a new look with some fresh anodising on the outer tube for added protection. The ZF shock has been given some love too with new compression damping settings with independent high and low speed damping rates. The shock is now more tuneable and has a more sensitive feel to it.
I was pleasantly surprised with the new suspension updates. The new settings in the ZF forks hold their own over the small chop and tree roots and the shock responds well, manages to get great traction and gets the power to the ground with ease. The bike doesn’t seem to squat as much when first being sat on and once out on the track, the whole feel of the bike is now more predictable for me.
It is more settled at pace especially coming into corners on the brakes and is more planted under acceleration. At race pace, the bike is still on the softer side of the spectrum but if you want to race a 200, that is what the RR200 Racing is all about! The majority of riders who will buy the RR200 are going to be pretty happy with the ZF package on the 2022 models.
I really enjoyed playing around on the new Beta RR200. I’m not an extreme enduro guy at all by any means but I found myself riding over logs and rocks and trying to find challenging stuff to ride up and down. I’m usually a ‘cutting laps, test track’ guy and don’t get me wrong, I did do a bunch of laps around our little test loop during the day, but I would then stop that and go searching for stuff to play ride on.
I haven’t really had a feeling on a bike to do that in a long time and it was pretty neat. I take my hat off to those extreme enduro riders though because that stuff can get out of hand pretty quick.
So, who is this bike best suited too? Being such an easy bike to ride, I’d say that it has a very broad range of riders that it appeals to. Someone who is a good, solid A Grade rider who is all about the slow, extreme enduro stuff would thrive on this bike because of its weight and power delivery. Also, a young junior enduro rider coming off an 85 onto a big bike would very easily make the transition onto the RR200.
I could go to the complete other side of the coin and say the RR200 is possibly one of the best two stroke bikes on the market for someone to get into dirtbikes and learn to ride on. Electric start, lightweight, and manageable power delivery make the RR200 a very safe bike for someone brand new to the sport. That’s a pretty versatile bike if you ask me.
All up, I had a ball on the new Beta RR200. It’s very much a fun bike to ride with a smooth engine that is torquey enough to take you anywhere you want to go. The new updates to the ZF suspension front and rear are a step in the right direction and now, the bike sits up higher and rides really nice on just about any trail you can throw at it. You can own one of these fun machines for $12,995 rrp. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, two strokes rule.
BETA RR200 RACING EDITION:
It’s pretty cool to think that Beta offer this same bike in their RACING versions as well so if you were to decide to take on the world 200cc at a time, then maybe the RACING version is for you?
- 48 mm Kayaba AOS closed cartridge fork and firmer ZF shock valving.
- Modified head and power valve. Beta’s engineers have also modified the head of the 200cc version and replaced the two power valves used in the standard engine with a single, stiffer component. These upgrades contribute to increasing power at mid to high engine revs.
- No oil injection. For the models of the RR Racing MY 2022 two stroke family Beta has decided to stick with its choice of doing away with an automatic mixer, so that they continue to set benchmarks for lightness and agility. RR Racing two strokes must be fuelled with oil/petrol pre-mix, a characteristic accentuating the thoroughbred racing nature of this version. These bikes can still be fitted with an aftermarket oil mixer, available from the Beta Factory Parts catalogue.
BETA RR200
ENGINE
Type Single cylinder 2 stroke
Displacement 190.2cc
Bore & Stroke 62mm x 63mm
Cooling iquid cooled
Compression ratio 13.5:1
Fuel metering Keihin PWK 36 with induction reed
Tank capacity 9.5L
Transmission Wet multi-disc with reverse opening
Clutch six speed
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase 1477mm
Seat height 930 mm
Ground clearance 325 mm
Claimed Weight 97kg dry
SUSPENSION
FRONT Hydraulic USD Fork with ø 48mm shaft
REAR Monoshock with progressive compound lever
BRAKES
Front 260 mm Wave disc and double-piston floating caliper
Rear 240 mm Wave disc and single-piston floating caliper
RUNNING GEAR
Handlebar NA
Front tyre 90/90 – 21
Rear tyre 140/80 -18
PRICE & CONTACTS
RRP $12,995 plus ORC
BROWSER betamotor.com.au
BLOWER 07 3518 4000
Warranty 6 months parts and labour