There’s a reason the 300cc two-stroke has become the weapon of choice for so many enduro riders. They’ve got torque when you’re being lazy, enough top-end to scare the crap out of you when you’re not, and they’ll happily crawl through technical terrain one minute before being held wide open down a fire road the next. The problem for manufacturers is that the 300cc enduro class is now so competitive that simply building a good bike isn’t enough, so Beta built three, one of which is the Beta RR 300 Race.

While Beta hasn’t thrown the kitchen sink at it for this year, there are a few small changes worth talking about. The underlying package is still bloody good: a strong and proven 292.6cc two-stroke, KYB suspension, excellent brakes and clutch, comfortable ergos and a steel chassis. There is, however, one little change we noticed almost immediately.

ONE CLIP TOO FAR?

The first thing that stood out was that the 2026 RR 300 Race felt slightly fluffy right off the bottom compared with the 2025 bike we rode last year in our 300cc shootout. That previous bike was excellent, it was crisp, beautifully jetted and incredibly clean right from low rpm whereas this one had a little hesitation when you tried to lug it.

According to Beta’s mechanics, the needle clip position has moved from position two to three, effectively richening the mixture. It’s not a catastrophic difference by any stretch, but if you’re the sort of rider who likes carrying tall gears, lugging the engine and working off the clutch, you’ll notice that little bit of bogginess down low. Faster riders spending most of their time in the mid-range and top-end probably won’t notice it at all.

The good news is that it’s hardly an engineering nightmare to fix. If it were ours, we’d simply move the needle back one clip to the 2025 setting and enjoy what should once again be a beautifully crisp 300. As it was during our test, it simply meant using the clutch a little more than we remembered having to on last year’s bike.

BULLETPROOF BETA

Once you get beyond that little bit of richness at the bottom, the engine is an absolute cracker. Beta’s 292.6cc liquid-cooled two-stroke retains the Keihin PWK 36 carburettor, BPV exhaust valve, six-speed gearbox and electronic oil-injection system, and there’s a reason this motor has developed such a good reputation.

I’ve got mates riding older versions of these things with well over 200 hours on the bottom-end. I even know guys with more than 150 hours on a top-end!

 

SUN OR RAIN?

One thing that really stands out on this Beta is just how much difference there is between its two engine maps. Plenty of bikes have map switches where you change modes, ride off and wonder whether anything actually happened. That isn’t the case here.

The rain map is noticeably doughier and softer. It takes the aggression away down low and even through the midrange it almost feels as though the power starts to plateau rather than continuing to build. Switch across to the sun map and the engine keeps pulling for considerably longer, with a much stronger feeling through the mid and into the top-end.

Because our test bike was already a little rich off the bottom, I spent most of the day in the sun map. Even at my skill level, though, the stronger setting isn’t intimidating because you can still carry taller gears and use the torque rather than constantly revving the thing. If conditions turn wet and ugly, you’re getting tired towards the end of a ride or you simply want to calm everything down, the rain map makes a genuinely useful difference.

KYB GOODNESS

The other major reason people choose the Race over Beta’s X-Pro is the suspension. The Race gets the up-spec KYB package rather than the ZF equipment fitted to the X-Pro and, yes, it’s noticeably firmer, but don’t see the word ‘Race’ and assume you’re getting some motocross-stiff setup that will knock the fillings out of your teeth.

It’s firmer for enduro. The KYB suspension in enduro models still has that plushness we’ve banged on about for years, but there’s more support when you hit square edges, jump erosion mounds or drop off ledges. I went back and forth with clicker settings and ended up back where I started during the test.

If you’re an A-grade rider competing at state or national level, spring rates are going to depend on your weight and pace. Once you get beyond roughly 80-85kg and you’re genuinely pushing the thing, you may want to start looking at heavier springs. For punters like me, though, the standard setup is bloody good.

 

GET OVER IT

I also prefer the cockpit on the Race. Beta uses a different bar mount to the X-Pro, which leaves the Race handlebar flatter and lower and puts you in a more aggressive position over the front of the bike. The X-Pro bars feel higher by comparison and personally I much prefer the Race arrangement.

Whether sitting or standing, the whole bike feels natural. The seat is also much better than the rock-hard Beta seats we complained about a couple of years ago, where it almost felt like you could make out the frame rails underneath you.

It also feels narrow between your knees. Add the big, wide Race-spec footpegs and there’s plenty of room to move around without ever feeling as though the bike is getting in your way.

STOP RIGHT THERE

The controls are another strong point. The Brembo hydraulic clutch is friggin’ unbelievable. It’s light, consistent and easy to modulate when you’re trying to work around that slightly rich bottom-end jetting. The Nissin brakes are equally impressive and the front brake in particular feels considerably better than some previous Betas we’ve ridden.

A few years ago we occasionally found Beta’s front brake a little spongy and lacking initial bite, but that has been cleaned up. The Race also benefits from the larger front caliper arrangement that came from Beta’s 450 motocross program, and you can feel the extra braking performance. It’s touchy without being ridiculous and gives you plenty of confidence when you’re charging into a corner.

BALANCING ACT

I particularly like the way the bike carries momentum when you shut the throttle. Some injected two-strokes have a different sensation on the overrun when you back off, whereas the Beta feels natural and free. It rolls into corners nicely, carries momentum through ruts and lets you use that inertia to keep the bike moving rather than constantly having to accelerate it again.

That contributes massively to how agile the Beta feels. It’s light, neutral and nimble without becoming nervous, and whether you’re threading it through ruts or changing direction through tight singletrack, it never feels like you’re fighting against the motorcycle.

DON’T MESS WITH A GOOD THING

There isn’t a revolutionary story surrounding the 2026 Beta RR 300 Race because Beta hasn’t revolutionised it. What it has done is continue refining a package that was already one of our favourite 300cc two-strokes, and in most areas that’s worked.

I actually prefer the red X-Pro aesthetically, but there’s no denying the Race’s blue bodywork and up-spec components give it a pretty factory appearance. At $19,720, the RR 300 Race is certainly playing at the premium end of the enduro market. But if you want the firmer KYB suspension and racier cockpit over the X-Pro while retaining that classic carburetted 300cc two-stroke feel, this thing remains an absolute cracker.

ENGINE

Engine Type: Single-cylinder, liquid-cooled two-stroke
Displacement: 292.6cc
Bore x Stroke: 73.0 x 69.9mm
Compression Ratio: 11.6:1
Carburettor: Keihin PWK 36
Starter: Electric start
Lubrication: Electronic oil injection
Clutch: Hydraulic wet multi-disc
Transmission: Six-speed

DIMENSIONS

Frame: Molybdenum steel double-cradle
Wheelbase: 1482mm
Seat Height: 950mm
Ground Clearance: 340mm
Weight: 103.5kg (dry)
Fuel Capacity: 9.5L, 2.3L reserve

SUSPENSION & BRAKES

Front Suspension: KYB 48mm hydraulic USD fork, 300mm wheel travel
Rear Suspension: KYB Monoshock with progressive linkage, 287mm wheel travel
Front Brake: Nissin, 260mm wave disc with twin-piston floating caliper
Rear Brake: Nissin, 240mm wave disc with single-piston floating caliper

TYRES

Front Tyre: 90/90-21
Rear Tyre: 140/80-18

RRP

RRP: $19,720

Warranty: 6 months
Browser: betamotor.com.au