Beta Xtrainer - Entry level 300cc 2T Enduro

[Chippertheripper]

It almost looked like he had a clake lever on at the end. Which is cheating.

[nhbubba]

I'm sure it is. Those cats dig those levers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86qN3anUTy8

Notice at one point he says he got rid of his Rekluse as it was "cheating".

[typeone]

I was really hoping this was a F/S thread, not a bump from the dead. I would love to try an Xtrainer out!

try and test ride one at a dealer... you're up in VT but the new dealer in Hatfield, MA has a demo bike. didn't research VT dealers but i think there are a few.

It almost looked like he had a clake lever on at the end. Which is cheating.

i dont care how well that thing works, there's no way i could have a monstrosity like that on my bars. sano it is not.

[nhbubba]

i dont care how well that thing works, there's no way i could have a monstrosity like that on my bars. sano it is not.

Interesting. One of the things I love about my KTM vs a lot of the asian bikes I've ridden is the hydro clutch. Easy clutch pull makes life in rock gardens and dicey climes so much easier. I'm sure the rekluse is even easier.. but then that is where we cross the zero mark on the scale of cheating, in my view. Hydro and/or mechanically assisted clutch is okay. Auto clutch is not. Part of why I ride is to learn to work these controls better.

The hand op rear brake appeals to me in a big way too. After 2 years I have not come anywhere near mastering using the rear foot brake except under a few very specific circumstances. I'm starting to think that a foot operated brake control is completely inefficient for dirt riding. Were I designing motorcycle controls from scratch, I'd never build it this way. Maybe for street/road race, but never for dirt.

On the other hand, moving controls like that is cheating if your intent is cross discipline training. Mechanically combining the brake and clutch for dummy proof wheelies is even worse.

[Paul_E_D]

My woods racing buddy and KTM dealer (shhhh) does not think much of the freeride. A bike for no one he says. From my non-race perspective, I think the bike (or the Beta) has tons of potential for recreational woods riders in NE. Imight only get to medium fast to an expert racer, but I can almost guarantee I would ride this bike a lot faster through the gnar than a regular sized bike.

[Chippertheripper]

I don't know, I think a properly sprung and valved freeride (if the fuel capacity could be enhanced as well) would be AWESOME for woodsy racing. Especially around here.

[typeone]

heads up... Rob (or Dave?) at Motoworx in Hatfield, MA will have his daughters XTrainer race bike and his two 250RR race bikes up for sale in February.

[Paul_E_D]

I will swing by there soon to have them mount my ice tires. Report to follow

[typeone]

cool. would like to take a ride out but work sched is brutal. i should give them a ring and see if they can score me a power valve spacer from the XTrainer. i'd like to test one on my RR. supposed to bump the motor to ~265 - 275cc feel down low. yum.

[typeone]

Interesting. One of the things I love about my KTM vs a lot of the asian bikes I've ridden is the hydro clutch. Easy clutch pull makes life in rock gardens and dicey climes so much easier. I'm sure the rekluse is even easier.. but then that is where we cross the zero mark on the scale of cheating, in my view. Hydro and/or mechanically assisted clutch is okay. Auto clutch is not. Part of why I ride is to learn to work these controls better.

The hand op rear brake appeals to me in a big way too. After 2 years I have not come anywhere near mastering using the rear foot brake except under a few very specific circumstances. I'm starting to think that a foot operated brake control is completely inefficient for dirt riding. Were I designing motorcycle controls from scratch, I'd never build it this way. Maybe for street/road race, but never for dirt.

On the other hand, moving controls like that is cheating if your intent is cross discipline training. Mechanically combining the brake and clutch for dummy proof wheelies is even worse.

i'm cool with whatever helps make you a better rider, cheater device or not, and have more fun... but that Clake thing is ugly as fuck.

the Ox-Brake is finally available for the Beta. if i can fit it on my bar i'll give one a try. i'd like to be able to drag the rear slightly in certain situations.

[maxim_X]

I got the rekluse originally to keep from stalling when i was leaning to ride offroad. Fast forward 3 years to today and i still have one, it keeps the bike from stalling but that's not the real advantage, the LHRB is the real reason to keep it. There is no other good way to run a rear hand brake than with a rekluse to take over clutch duty. The LHRB is the tits, no way around it, it's a game changer in the tough shit.

[R7]

My woods racing buddy and KTM dealer (shhhh) does not think much of the freeride. A bike for no one he says. From my non-race perspective, I think the bike (or the Beta) has tons of potential for recreational woods riders in NE. Imight only get to medium fast to an expert racer, but I can almost guarantee I would ride this bike a lot faster through the gnar than a regular sized bike.

FreeRide 250R is going to be my next bike. I agree, its got tons of potential for a recreation rider around here. I know my place (or the possible future place) is rock and roots where higher speeds aren't much of an issue. I like the design of the bike, narrow, lower seat height and that central radiator seems very crash friendly. And of course, its easily plateable, its street legal in Europe, its as simple as plugging the lights in.
I'd consider the beta, but dealer support in my area kinda sucks, and my gear is pumpkin colors already...lol

[Paul_E_D]

I'd like to give 'er a go...

[nhbubba]

And that pipe is up out of the way. Really annoyed at how un-crash worthy the pipe on my 200 is.

True for the Beta as well.

Only problem is the price tag.

The Beta has my attention for sure. Especially with that oil injection.

[R7]

I'd like to give 'er a go...

As with the past bikes, you're welcomed to try it any time if/when I get one.
I almost pulled the trigger on a new one just before man cation, got a great price , then real estate got in the way again.

[reks95]

Alta Motors is shipping the Redshift this year.
The Zero FX with one battery is around 240lbs or so.
Pretty soon you'll start seeing bikes on the trail with no clutch and no tranny.

Having a clutch is a side effect of ICE-powered bikes.
Mastering the clutch is only a core skill because of the ICE technology.
When viewed that way, a rekluse is just overcoming a shortcoming of ICE technology.
You could put it in the same bucket as FI, electric start, and any other technology that makes ICE bikes easier to live with.

That said, many people will hate electric and I can see why you'd want to master the clutch.

[nhbubba]

Yeahbutt the internal combustion engine has been a part of the motorcycle since day 1. Clutch, throttle, and brake control are the name of the game. Most of us are interested in this "cross training" (or stylized as "xtrainer") stuff as a way to learn skills that translate to other motorcycles. Auto clutches and non-standard brake controls circumvent that. Sure, give the bike a hydro clutch to minimize fatigue and maximize control. But make the human/clutch interface the same as it is on the road-race bike you want the skills to transfer to.

Maybe.

[carsick]

make the human/clutch interface the same as it is on the road-race bike you want the skills to transfer to.

Maybe.

I want GP shift on my dirt bike.

[Chippertheripper]

Meh, I'm not cross training. And all I really care about is going as fast as I can push myself. If there's a better tool for the job I'm certainly going to listen. It doesn't mean at all that I'll like it, but I'll give it a think.

That said, I plan on pushing myself on some more bicycles this year. There's a lot more bang/buck/risk/reward/potential to be unleashed there and now. There will not be a fire sale on orange dirties coming up though.

[gregp]

As a senior trail rider, I really like the Beta X-Trainer, and I would love to ride a NETRA Turkey Run on one. My KTM 350 is too tall for me when we get into the rock gardens, and I have difficulty reaching the ground. My 350 also has way too much power - I rarely use more than 1/3 of it. The only improvement I would ask of Beta is to make the bike with a 200cc motor.

[Paul_E_D]

I dunno, a detuned 300 might be a hell of a lot easier to ride than a 200. I like that concept and it's application here.

[typeone]

^ yup.

[gregp]

I guess I just want a lowered dirt bike, that still offers great motor performance. Like I said, my 350 has too much for me to use, but a good running 175-200cc 2-stroke has always been my favorite for NETRA events. A 300cc 2-stroke, with no power valve, a small pipe, and a heavy flywheel is great for the rock gardens, but maybe not so great for when things open up even a little bit.

[typeone]

the X-Trainer is supposed to still have some great top end, not just all low. there is a power valve, and a spacer to increase volume which can be removed. the small pipe can be swapped with the RR pipe to alter power. not sure how different the flywheels are.

you should test ride one at Motoworx and report back

[scottieducati]

This thing has me thinking....