2012 Beta 350RR: First Ride

The Italian company Beta might be a small one (relatively speaking) but it sure has been making some big waves lately. In just the last few years, Beta, better known for producing championship-winning trials bikes than it is full-size off-road bikes, has been making some giant leaps forward in the off-road arena, thanks to many recent improvements to their RR (race replica) line of off-road motorcycles, which now stands at four: 350, 400, 450 and 498. The bikes recently got their very own Beta-built motors (no more using hand-me-down KTM motors) and substantial chassis upgrades, and the results are beginning to show. You might have seen names like Chris Bach and Cody Webb popping up regularly in race reports lately, as both riders are doing quite well in their respective sports - Bach in GNCC, and Webb in EnduroCross and extreme enduro events. After having ridden some of the latest Betas, we have a better understanding as to why.

The 2012 Beta 350RR got a lot more than just a color change.

Cycle News was very impressed with the last Beta we rode, the '11 450RR, and we're just as impressed, if not more, with the latest Beta we straddled, the 2012 350RR. I recently got the chance to spend a day aboard the bike on some of the tightest, not to mention steepest, trails we could find in sunny Southern California (yes, the 350RR is CA green-sticker legal), and came away extremely impressed by how well this bike performed in the diverse conditions we put it through.

The first Beta 350RR made its debut as an '11 limited-edition model, but it got a late start and didn't really make a dent in the U.S market. It wasn't until April of this year that the bike became available in the U.S., which is also about the time people start talking about next year's bikes. But, apparently, so did the folks at Beta who quickly went to work on the 2012 350RR, which got a fairly major overhaul, despite the '11 getting good reviews.

Here is the list of changes to the 2012 350RR:

* Redesigned cylinder head, reinforced camshaft bridge and valve retainers, and updated cam-chain tensioner (reduce engine noise).

* New clutch primary gear and springs (better engagement and clutch action).

* Updated counterbalance bearings (increased reliability).

* Stronger cam chain guides.

* Increased oil volume to the engine cam chain (reduced friction).

* New oil drain plug (easier oil changes).

* All new Sachs 48mm fork with TFX (anti-stiction) technology, developed by Sachs exclusively for Beta.

* New SKF fork seals and wipers with self-lubricating compounds (reduced stiction).

* New triple-clamp.

* Redesigned frame with extra gussets as well as an increased tube diameter on the lower tubes. (Less flex and improved stability).

* New front and rear brake rotors.

* New Brembo clutch master cylinder (better clutch feel and engagement).

* Redesigned S/A muffler (better flow, quieter exhaust note).

* Redesigned front headlight and front fender support.

* Red color.

You might be thinking - how in the heck did they make so many changes in such a short amount of time? Well, there are certain advantages of being a smaller company and one of them is being able to make things happen much quicker, since there are fewer corporate hoops to jump through. So, here you have it, a substantially updated Beta 350RR.

The Beta 350RR delivers smooth and controlable power.

-more-