Beta belters!
By TMX Archives on 11th Mar 04
are at Addingham in Yorkshire with the 2004 Beta Rev-3 range. Today I'll be testing the whole lot starting with the 125 before moving on to the 200, 250 and 270cc models. HERE WE are at Addingham in Yorkshire with the 2004 Beta Rev-3 range. Today I'll be testing the whole lot starting with the 125 before moving on to the 200, 250 and 270cc models.In my opinion this year's Betas have to be some of the most desirable bikes on the market. When the Rev-3 models first came out in 2000 there were a few little complications with the early models but every year since then they've worked on all the technical problems and developed the bikes bit by bit and this year they've got it down to an absolute 'T'.Everything about the bikes looks great. They're really nice looking and everything about them including the new red colour is really eye-catching.The aluminium frame actually has the fuel tank built into it which saves on space and looks neat too. The welding is just fantastic all over and this helps make the finished products look so much better.The brakes on the whole range are twin-pot AJPs front and back. The feel of the brakes is spot on and the rear-brake pedal has been tweaked to make it easier to use.Something that's totally new on the '04 Betas is the rear shock. Paioli have developed this and it performs a lot better than last year's unit. The shock has got a red anodised body and looks really trick. The Paioli forks are great too and the suspension works really well as an overall package.Everything about the Betas is neat. The kick-start is well tucked away and the airbox - which was a problem when the Rev-3 was released - has been re-worked and you now get to it from the top and it's sealed much better. There's no water getting in here!The footpeg mounting brackets are actually bolted to the frame (unlike most bikes which are welded on). This is so much better because if you have a big crash and damage them you can just bolt on a new one instead of worrying about getting your frame welded or whatever.Another good little point about the Betas is the silencer which is re-packable. Just two Phillips screws and the whole thing comes apart and you can re-pack it - it's reet good.And finally you'll be glad to know that the Betas have got a nice flat bashplate so they're not going to rock you one way or the other if you sump out.The 125 is an absolutely fantastic little bike for the schoolboys now that all the youth classes are limited to 125cc bikes. This is a good step as it teaches the young 'uns how to ride properly and learn better technique.The Beta is probably the best schoolboy bike going. It's well built - something the fathers don't have to worry about too much - so the kids can go out and abuse it and it's not going to break. It's built really well. It looks the same as the bigger bikes except for the front pipe which is a bit smaller and I've been told the crank is different.Powerwise the 125 Beta is very good. It's really, really smooth on the bottom-end and even though I'm 12-and-a-half stone it pulls me around with no problems, even on the bigger hill climbs in third gear - and it grips really well too. When the top-end kicks in it just revs and revs.The suspension works really well on these bikes and the whole range really. Also the steering is spot on - it doesn't try and tuck under or anything.Moving on to the 200 now... I reckon this bike's aimed at people who are just starting and want to learn on something that won't rip their arms out of their sockets. And it's also well suited for the older guys.It's still got plenty of power - I can do all the stuff I can do on the 250 - but obviously you've got to use technique a little bit more to get up the big things. The power's so smooth, it finds plenty of grip.Just a fantastic bike. With this bike and the whole of the range really it feels so light between your legs. It's very hard to fault this bike, there's nothing at all wrong with it and I just feel right at home on it.The 250 is aimed at every clubman rider. I don't think that anyone needs more than this - it's a proper all-rounder. The power's so smooth and it'll take you anywhere - I've just done a load of big steps with no problems whatsoever. The jetting is perfect and it revs clean right through the whole range.Next up is the 270 which is the hot ticket for world class riders with loads and loads of big-time top-end power. I personally feel that the 270 is too much for most club trials but it's the weapon of choice for big hill climbs and stuff like that. It's still really smooth off the bottom and it'll pull away in fourth gear no worries.