READER RIDE | ALEX DUNLEA’S 2023 BETA RR 200 RACING

WHY DID YOU BUY IT?

We originally started off on a 2021 KTM 125 SX but it didn’t suit enduro riding in the bush, so we sold it and bought a 2022 Beta 200 RR and loved how much better in the bush it was – it handled everything I could point it at. I stuck with that bike for about a year but there was no junior racing in the Australian Hard Enduro seriesback then, and I was putting too many hours on it, so we sold it and bought this current bike.

When I first got it and first raced it at Wildwood Rock in 2023 I won the Junior race. I then won the Australian Hard Enduro series in 2024 on this bike as well as Wildwood Rock Hard Enduro in Juniors. 

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO IT?

It is still a stock bike; we have not touched engine or suspension. I have only shortened the exhaust down by 125mm to try and get a bit more power out of it without touching the engine. I put on a fan, X-link, Guts Racing seat cover and Renthal ’bar pad, as well as adding Mitas mousse tubes and tyres front and rear.

 HOW DOES IT GO?

It’s a great bike for hard enduro because it’s so light and zippy on flowing singletracks and it’s got great midrange. At high speeds I find it tops-out quickly but it’s only a 200 and geared a bit low.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND BUYING ONE?

As a junior rider it’s a great bike because we are limited to 200cc two-stroke or 250cc four-stroke. It’s a bit lighter than the four-stroke and  easier to ride. I’m only about 70kg so it suits me in hard enduro for juniors. If you’re getting into hard enduro it would be difficult not to pick this bike because of its agility, light weight and power.

5 UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT ALEX AND HIS BIKE

1. I don’t get arm pump so that helps throughout the races.

2. I raced motorcross and Amcross until 2023.

3. In 2022 I won Australian Hard Enduro rounds at Bathurst and Hillston in Junior B on a KTM 85 SX.

4. I ride trials comps with Wollongong and Canberra clubs.

5. I started riding at four-years old on a Yamaha TTR-50.