I had been flogging the Beta Xtrainer for a solid 40 hours, after Olly Malone did 29, and it was starting to look a little second hand.
The pressure washer was getting used most afternoons to wash it but I noticed I had to go above and beyond to get it spotless and use plenty of elbow grease to keep the metal from tarnishing.
It’s something I never really noticed on other bikes, but this Beta is white and it’s hard to keep clean. I put in the nervous phone call to Editor Mitch Lees and tried to sugar coat the fact that the bike was looking a little sad. After seconds, or maybe minutes, of Mitch laughing, he said: “It’s all good”.
Not sure if it’s just a motocross thing but I can’t handle a dirty bike. If you’ve met me you wouldn’t pick it, I’m a plumber that rolls in poo and I usually have some food on my shirt as I often eat in the truck going from job to job.
I decided to pull the Beta down a bit to look for wear and tear inside but it all looked great mechanically. The bearings were still like new. The ProPower carbon-fibre pipe guard has done a great job; there is not one dent in the expansion chamber. I always thought they were a wank, like bling kits.
If I was to own any two-stroke enduro bike, a pipe guard would be a necessity that I would purchase even before riding. The battery has never gone flat. I did fry a set of rear brake pads on one sand/muddy ride. The chain and sprockets are still in good condition.
I have struggled to gel and trust the oil injection; the hot mod back in the day was to disconnect it on the PW50s.
It’s only great for very slow riding but gets too rich in oil at medium speed and the bike sounds very oiled up.
It’s like listening to an Irish concreter at the pub after he’s had 20 beers. It could be because the pipe is too skinny in the expansion chamber, causing poor high-rev. It hasn’t effected reliability though.
The X Link Shock Guard is tough, as it’s seen some rocks. GoldenTyre has tossed us some new tyres; they have unreal grip but the compound we’re running is on the soft side.
I have to give the bike back to Olly now, but I loved my short stint with it and am converted.
The bike really makes everything easier, from its super torque first gear that just eats hills and the shock allows the rear tyre to track beautifully over the ground. Wes Mills
So Far
Hours: 70
Mods this month: None
Mods next month: Olly is coming knocking
This update of ADB’s Beta Xtrainer 300 long-term test bike as published in ADB issue #459 – December 2017.