Cycle News Staff | August 13, 2020
If 350cc is too small, but 500cc is too big, is 390cc just right? Beta just might have the answer.
Photography by Kit Palmer
If you have noticed a lot more Beta motorcycles at your favorite riding areas and race tracks these days, there is a very good reason for this. It’s because this relatively small Italian manufacturer in Florence is building downright impressive dirt bikes these days. On top of that, the company has established a solid distribution via Beta USA, located in Paso Robles, California, for several years. As a result, Beta has attracted loyal dealers and more and more Beta owners. And it certainly doesn’t hurt building what we feel is one of the best off-road-performing dual-sport motorcycles on the trail right now in the Beta 390 RR-S. Spending the day on this bike will make any performance-minded dual-sport rider an instant fan.
2020 Beta 390 RR-S | Tech Talk
The 2020 Beta line of off-road motorcycles saw a lot of significant updates, including the 390 RR-S. Pretty much everything is new—the motor, the frame, the suspension, the bodywork, and even the larger fuel tank. So, essentially this is a completely reworked motorcycle, and, from what we can tell already, is a big step forward from an already good 2019 model.
The 2020 motor features new cases, cylinder head and clutch. The crankshaft is positioned closer to the swingarm pivot for better handling, and the entire engine is 2.2 pounds lighter. The cooling system is new, too, and includes a cooling fan, and there is an electric starter with the option to add a kickstart backup.
All the 2020 Beta line got new frames, subframes and bodywork to make the bike lighter and narrower, while handling better. The frames are still made out of Molybdenum steel arranged in a single backbone and double-cradle design. The updates also improved the tool-less access to the air filter and retained the slick push-button seat removal system. Wider footpegs were also added for 2020.
Beta has been using ZF Sachs suspension components on most of its bikes for several years now. The German company is not as well known as KYB, Showa, and WP but still has a reputation for making good products. For 2020, the 48mm coil-spring fork was upgraded by positioning the compression, rebound and spring preload adjusters to the top of the forks. The compression and preload are on the right fork leg while the rebound adjuster is on the left fork leg. All of them can be adjusted without tools. The rear shock, which uses an aluminum body, is lighter and said to be re-tuned for improved small bump compliance.
All Beta RR-S dual-sport bikes come standard with a Trail Tech Voyager GPS meter system, which is far superior to those found on most of Beta’s off-road and dual-sport competitors. The Voyager unit tracks engine hours, mileage and trip distances, and can also be used for GPS tracking and routes. You’ll pay the aftermarkets $300 or more for a similar-type system, so it’s nice that Beta includes the Voyager unit with the 390 RR-S.
The Beta RR-S line comes standard with a plastic skid plate and handguards. And unlike most other performance dual-sport bikes, the turn signals are reasonably small and unobtrusive. The stock mirrors are also the best currently available on a production dual sport because they can be folded down and out of your way for off-road sections.
The RR-S line comes fitted with DOT-legal Michelin Enduro tires, which are more off-road worthy than the standard tires on any other dual-sport bike.
As far as weight, on our scale, the 390 RR-S weighed in at 264 pounds with a full tank (2.4 gallons) ready to ride. By comparison, that’s 11 pounds more than the 2020 KTM 350 EXC that we recently tested.
2020 Beta 390 RR-S | Trail Talk
Comparing the Beta RR-S line with any alternative “performance” dual-sport bikes (KTM’s EXC, Husqvarna’s FE S, and Honda’s CRF450L for example), the first thing you will notice is that the Betas are more off-road oriented. The engines are a little peppier and feel less restricted, and the suspension settings are stiffer for more aggressive riding in rough terrain. Not everybody will prefer these more aggressive settings, because the tradeoff is less comfort for all-day riding.
Beta offers several RR-S models, but the 390 just might be the Goldilocks when it comes to “just the right” amount of power. It makes a lot of it but not too much, if you know what we mean. The Beta 390 is so much fun to ride, because it provides enough power when needed while still feeling light and “revy.” And complimenting the motor is the hydraulically actuated clutch that withstood a lot of abuse that we gave it while riding in tight terrain.
The bike comes standard with 15/48T sprockets and an optional 13-tooth front sprocket for more hard-core off-road use. We went with the 13-tooth option, which is ideal for technical off-road riding but not for the highway. The motor will not be happy going anything over 60 mph. Some of the other performance-oriented dual-sport models we noted earlier have a bit wider range in their gearboxes, so keep that in mind if you like to ride fast on the roads. If you just use the roads casually to legally connect the good trails, the off-road gearing is fine.
Like the motor, the suspension settings on the Beta RR-S dual-sport bikes are aimed more toward aggressive off-road riding. It’s even stiff enough to race for most people. You give up a little bit of comfort on the small stuff, but it sure makes it fun to ride aggressively and had us looking for things to jump off of. The new Beta chassis is a little more stable at higher speeds, but it still corners well.
The Nissin brakes with Galfer rotors perform well with no issues to report after a lot of mileage and varying terrain.
We averaged about 45 mpg, so the 2.4-gallon tank will get you a little over 100 miles. It has a low-fuel-warning light that illuminates way too early and had us a little freaked out the first few times, only to find out we still had at least a third of a tank left! That is where the translucent tank is helpful, as it was easy to see that we still had plenty of fuel left. We have noticed that the Beta two-stroke models also have a lot of fuel left when you need to switch to reserve as well, so it appears Beta does not want you left stranded out on the trail.
As noted earlier, the Trail Tech Voyager unit provides many more features than any other stock off-road bike meters. Our only complaint would be that it is positioned a little high and could be damaged in a crash. Still, kudos to Beta for including this very cool unit, but it would be nice to have it placed a little lower.
As for comfort, everything about the riding position felt good to all our test riders. The only complaint would be the stock seat, which is okay for aggressive riding when you don’t sit much, but a long day of riding, especially if it includes a lot of road miles, will leave you walking funny afterward. An aftermarket Seat Concepts seat would be at the top of our list of aftermarket upgrades for the 390 RR-S.
And the Michelin Enduro knobbies are not our favorite off-road tire, they have very stiff sidewalls that contribute to a harsh ride, but at least you don’t need to replace them right away as you do with the other bikes. They will last you a long time.
Mechanically, we had no issue with the 390, but one rear blinker lens did go MIA.
2020 Beta 390 RR-S | Back Home
If you want the most off-roadworthy off-road bike with a license plate, the Beta RR-S line is an absolute must for consideration. Beta has four different displacement options: 350, 390, 430 and 500cc, and we fell in love with the sporty performance of the 390. The bike can tackle challenging trails right out of the box and includes all the features necessary to do some aggressive off-road riding and casual dual-sport exploring.CN
2020 Beta 390 RR-S Specifications
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MSRP: |
$10,699 |
Engine Type: |
Liquid-cooled (w/ fan), 4-stroke, 4-valve (steel intake and exhaust), single |
Bore / Stroke: |
88mm x 63.4mm |
Displacement: |
386cc |
Compression Ratio: |
12.5:1 |
Ignition: |
DC-CDI with dual map selection, Kokusan, 200-watt output at 6000 RPM |
Spark Plug: |
NGK LKAR 8A-9 |
Lubrication: |
Twin oil pumps w/ cartridge oil filter, separate oil for engine and clutch |
Fuel System: |
42mm Electronic Fuel Injection (twin injectors) |
Clutch: |
Wet multi-disc |
Transmission: |
6-speed |
Final Gearing: |
15/48T (w/ optional 13T front) |
Final Drive: |
O-ring chain |
Starting system: |
Electric w/ optional backup kickstarter |
Frame: |
Molybdenum steel, double-cradle, w/ quick air filter access. |
Front Suspension: |
48mm Sachs USD fork, fully adjustable |
Rear Suspension: |
Single Sachs shock, fully adjustable, linkage |
Front-Wheel Travel: |
11.6 in. |
Rear-Wheel Travel: |
11.4 in. |
Front Wheel: |
21 in. |
Rear Wheel: |
18 in. |
Tires: |
Michelin Enduro (DOT-approved) |
Front Brake: |
Disc, single 260mm rotor |
Rear Brake: |
Disc, single 240mm rotor |
Wheelbase: |
58.7 in. |
Seat Height: |
37 in. |
Ground Clearance: |
12.6 in. |
Footrest Height: |
16.3 in. |
Weight (wet, actual): |
264 lbs. |
Fuel capacity: |
2.4 gal. |
Meter: |
Trail Tech Voyager GPS unit |