ENDURO COMPARO | BETA 300 RACE OR 350 RACE

At its recent 2025 launch, Beta emphasised how it has made a big push this year in separating the different models of bikes it produces. The reasoning is to simplify the choices buyers have and now there’s a clear distinction within the range of bikes between beginner machines, value for money bikes and the top-tier race weapons. So we thought we’d see which one was better between the Beta 300 Race and the Beta 350 Race.

We really are spoilt for choice nowadays when it comes to the dirtbike market; I mean, how good is it that brands like Beta produce ‘Race Ready’ machinery for us to play on? No more mucking around with suspension or engine mods – it is as simple as putting your hard-earned down, wheeling the bike out of the dealership and racing it the next day. All the testing and tuning is already done so it’s ready to shred.

I was excited to ride the new Race models and the boys at Beta Australia actually air freighted a couple in fresh off the ’25 production line: a new RR Race 300 two-stroke and the new RR Race 350 four-stroke. The biggest appeal for me with these bikes compared to the new X-Pro standard range of bikes is the addition of KYB suspension. The ZF suspension fitted on the X-Pro machines works well but I reckon it’s hard to go past the quality stuff that KYB is producing these days. There is also a ton of specific Race model parts and pieces that make the new 2025 Race range a serious bit of gear.

ON TRACK

Despite feeling exhausted after riding the X-Pro models all day, it was time for me to have a play on the Race bikes… and honestly, I’m glad I did! I discovered that some of the little details that sort of bothered me on the X-Pro bikes were absent on the Race machines. The Race bikes just feel better, and that gives you more confidence on the track.

Whether it’s the different colour scheme or the abundance of anodised parts fitted to the Race bikes, you just feel faster on them. The new Nissin front calliper is lighter and stronger on the Race models, and they have beefed up the rear axle on the Race bikes to add some more stiffness to the rear end. The new map switch within the ’bar pad is a nice touch too, although I never even thought about running the mud map at QMP – I wanted full power!

Another welcome addition to the Race models is their handguards. For some reason, the X-Pro bikes don’t have any handguards, which I think is a bit silly, but don’t stress – they got the memo for the Race bikes so your fingers and knuckles will be safe.

The RR 300 Race features a new dual spark plug cylinder head and it aids in the combustion process to give the already strong and torquey 300cc engine a nice little boost of power. Unlike the X-Pro bikes, the RR 300 Race is not oil injected, and instead runs a trusty 36mm Keihin carb, and boy it runs like a dream. It is super crisp and clean revving and it feel like it has endless power. I was very impressed with the amount of low-down torque and grunt, especially when riding it in that meaty part of the rev range in second and third gears. You barely have to touch the clutch and it will easily claw its way across any terrain. We played around on a bunch of rock steps and small logs, and it was very impressive to see how little run-up was needed for the bike to get traction and ride over obstacles. The engine is a seriously good unit.

The RR 350 Race gets all the same chassis updates as the 300, but in addition Beta has made some changes to the crankcases on the four-strokes and used the same technology on the RX 450 to make the engines smaller and lighter. This means less weight; the bike is slimmer between the legs and has an overall better feel on track.

With the RR 300 Race being a damn good thing, I was expecting big things of the RR 350 Race. I love 350 four-strokes; they are perfect for the weekend guys who aren’t super fit and just want something light and nimble but with decent power. The Beta RR 350 Race proved to be just what the doctor ordered around the unforgiving bush loops around QMP.

The rough and chopped-out sections seemed to be tamed easily by the 350 and traction was impressive. The 350 engine isn’t the fastest revving machine, but it’s still deceptively quick. It doesn’t quite have the bottom-end grunt of an Austrian 350 bike but what this engine lacks in initial flare and spark, it makes up for in rideability. The RR 350 Race is very, very easy to ride and easy to get along with on the trails. It doesn’t get scary and is never too much to handle; it just does its thing and gets you from A to B with ease. And that was exactly what I needed after a hard day out on the tracks.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the Beta four strokes because they are due for an update, or at least an overhaul now that there’s the RX450 in the lineup, but for now, the RR 350 Race is a seriously fun bike.

The absolute standout feature on both of these bikes is the KYB suspension. The 48mm AOS Closed cartridge fork and KYB C46 RCU shock make these bikes a cut above the rest of the Beta range. They sit high in the stroke offering a firm enough ride to hit big obstacles yet plush enough to handle the smaller stuff. It also feels like the bikes, because they’re firmer, have more ground clearance, so I wasn’t catching the ’pegs in ruts as much. Unlike the ZF fork on the X-Pro models, the KYB fork holds up when charging into corners, and I just felt so much more at ease riding both of these Race models at a fast pace. I guess that’s why they’re called ‘Race’ bikes, right?!

FINAL THOUGHTS

It may have taken me all day to get on these bikes, but boy did Beta save the best till last, and I really enjoyed both of them.

It was interesting to feel the differences in the two machines back-to-back and I definitely feel like they each have their place within the racing world. The RR300 Race is more than capable of taking on any hard enduro event with its super torquey and responsive engine that has the crawling capabilities to get through anything. And boy does it sound good too, while that Keihin carb had that bike running to perfection. The 350 machine on the other hand, is ready to go for some grass track or sprint events. Point it at an off-road event and let it run wild.

The subtle changes that Beta has made across the board to its ’25 bikes have made them more rideable, and I like that a lot. Having the option to purchase a Race bike as opposed to the X-Pro stock machine is a great concept of Beta’s. And the RR 300 Race is only $2000 more the RR 300 X-Pro, while the RR 350 Race is only $1800 more than the RR 350 X-Pro. If you ask me, that is a small price to pay for what is already a solid base bike, but made even better thanks to the KYB suspension plus a few other trick bits and pieces. In fact, I’m pretty sure you can’t even buy a KYB fork on its own for that price difference!

If you are in the market for a new Beta machine and like to ride faster than your mates, I would highly recommend taking the Race option for 2025.