Bike test - Beta Rev3
By TMX Archives on 13th Feb 06
Clarky's on home 'Yaaarkshire' turf as he gets his mitts on the '06 range of Rev-3s
Beta have had a fairly successful year with James Dabill taking the 2005 Junior World Championship on his Rev-3 while Spanish young gun Toni Bou wowed the Sheffield crowd with a come-from-behind win in the opening round of the WITC on his. There's no hiding the fact that these bikes perform well on the world stage - the big question for British trials enthusiasts is can Beta do the business at club and national level over here in the UK.
With a bevy of 2006 Betas ready to be put through their paces we hooked up with our intrepid trials tester Dan Clark in some dank, dark woods to put the 125, 200, 250 and 270 Rev-3s to the test in typical British trials going - yup, dank, dark woods. Nice! Over to you Dan...
"The 2006 Betas have some slight aesthetic changes from the '05 model (and so does Clarky - yes, he's even balder and uglier than ever] and I still reckon they're great looking bikes. The changes include a new headlight, rear fender, front disc cover and bold new graphics but the biggest changes will go unnoticed by the human eye. Lower footrests, a new shock absorber and a revised steering head angle should - in theory - help increase rideability and performance.
Powerwise the 125 has a new cylinder, cylinderhead, stator/CDI and carburettor settings while the 200/250/270 models gets a new cylinder with crankcase induction which has been modified to make the engine run much cleaner and more responsive.
Another bit of good news for Beta owners is the fitment of a revised stator. The stator has been a bit troublesome in the past but I'm assured the new part should remain trouble free.
Anyway, on with the riding. I'm gonna be selfish and start with the 250 Rev-3 which perennially is by far my favourite of the bunch. The first thing you notice when you get on the bike is that the footpegs do feel lower and a little bit further back which actually helps you get back and find grip when you need it. The other big change is the angle of the steering head which helps when turning tightly.
The way the motor delivers its power helps you find much needed grip too. It pulls hard and strong right from the bottom and keeps on pulling smoothly right through the range. It feels like it will do anything you ask of it without pulling your arms out. It's definitely helped by the jetting which seems to be spot on with no nasty flat spots or bogging.
As a package the suspension works brilliantly with the bike feeling equally comfortable in low speed river beds or when hitting big rock steps. The suspension generally offers a balanced and controlled feel and the bike doesn't ping off anything which is always a bonus.
Stopping the bike is easy enough too with the space-age looking Grimeca master cylinders and calipers working in unison to give controllable, progressive stopping power when you need it. There's plenty of feedback at the lever so you're not going to lock up by accident unless you're some sort of ham-fisted buffoon!
The 270 shares all the same great features as the 250 but with a lot more grunt. As soon as you start the engine using the strange feeling left-footed kickstart you can hear the extra bark and as you ride it you can feel the extra power. Knocking it up a gear is a necessity to get the most from this bike in slippery sections as it's very snappy although it is deceptively smooth off the bottom.
The power delivery makes this bike more suited for pro riders and WTC riders would no doubt choose it over the 250 but for me it's just way too powerful and I feel most riders would benefit from the more manageable 250.
The 125 is a big step down from the 270 in engine size but don't be fooled into thinking this bike is a gutless wonder. The engine feels really zippy but it's surprising just how much torque it packs - it pulls me around nicely and I'm a fair bit heavier than your average schoolie 125 user. Again the suspension and brakes are spot on as with all the range.
The extra 71cc in t'engine department on the 200 makes a massive difference. It's a smashing bike and the power - which doesn't pull your arms out - is lovely. Power delivery is smooth which help you to find plenty of grip even in the slippiest of sections. It's the extra amount of torque over the 125 that makes all the difference and for a beginner or clubman rider this is a cracking bike.
125
Capacity: 195cc
Bore and stroke: 54mm x 54mm
Front suspension: 38mm Paioli (165mm travel)
Rear suspension: Paioli (175mm travel)
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 165mm disc
Carburettor: Dell'Orto VHST 26 BD
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1310mm
Seat height: 660mm
Dry weight: 71kg
200
Capacity: 124cc
Bore and stroke: 64mm x 60.5mm
Front suspension: 38mm Paioli (165mm travel)
Rear suspension: Paioli (175mm travel)
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 165mm disc
Carburettor: Mikuni VM26/208
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1310mm
Seat height: 660mm
Dry weight: 71kg
250
Capacity: 249.7cc
Bore and stroke: 72.5mm x 60.5mm
Front suspension: 38mm Paioli (165mm travel)
Rear suspension: Paioli (175mm travel)
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 165mm disc
Carburettor: Mikuni VM26/208
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1310mm
Seat height: 660mm
Dry weight: 72kg
250
Capacity: 274.5cc
Bore and stroke: 76mm x 60.5mm
Front suspension: 38mm Paioli (165mm travel)
Rear suspension: Paioli (175mm travel)
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 165mm disc
Carburettor: Mikuni VM26/208
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1310mm
Seat height: 660mm
Dry weight: 72kg
Words by Dan Clark Photos by Sutty
With a bevy of 2006 Betas ready to be put through their paces we hooked up with our intrepid trials tester Dan Clark in some dank, dark woods to put the 125, 200, 250 and 270 Rev-3s to the test in typical British trials going - yup, dank, dark woods. Nice! Over to you Dan...
"The 2006 Betas have some slight aesthetic changes from the '05 model (and so does Clarky - yes, he's even balder and uglier than ever] and I still reckon they're great looking bikes. The changes include a new headlight, rear fender, front disc cover and bold new graphics but the biggest changes will go unnoticed by the human eye. Lower footrests, a new shock absorber and a revised steering head angle should - in theory - help increase rideability and performance.
Powerwise the 125 has a new cylinder, cylinderhead, stator/CDI and carburettor settings while the 200/250/270 models gets a new cylinder with crankcase induction which has been modified to make the engine run much cleaner and more responsive.
Another bit of good news for Beta owners is the fitment of a revised stator. The stator has been a bit troublesome in the past but I'm assured the new part should remain trouble free.
Anyway, on with the riding. I'm gonna be selfish and start with the 250 Rev-3 which perennially is by far my favourite of the bunch. The first thing you notice when you get on the bike is that the footpegs do feel lower and a little bit further back which actually helps you get back and find grip when you need it. The other big change is the angle of the steering head which helps when turning tightly.
The way the motor delivers its power helps you find much needed grip too. It pulls hard and strong right from the bottom and keeps on pulling smoothly right through the range. It feels like it will do anything you ask of it without pulling your arms out. It's definitely helped by the jetting which seems to be spot on with no nasty flat spots or bogging.
As a package the suspension works brilliantly with the bike feeling equally comfortable in low speed river beds or when hitting big rock steps. The suspension generally offers a balanced and controlled feel and the bike doesn't ping off anything which is always a bonus.
Stopping the bike is easy enough too with the space-age looking Grimeca master cylinders and calipers working in unison to give controllable, progressive stopping power when you need it. There's plenty of feedback at the lever so you're not going to lock up by accident unless you're some sort of ham-fisted buffoon!
The 270 shares all the same great features as the 250 but with a lot more grunt. As soon as you start the engine using the strange feeling left-footed kickstart you can hear the extra bark and as you ride it you can feel the extra power. Knocking it up a gear is a necessity to get the most from this bike in slippery sections as it's very snappy although it is deceptively smooth off the bottom.
The power delivery makes this bike more suited for pro riders and WTC riders would no doubt choose it over the 250 but for me it's just way too powerful and I feel most riders would benefit from the more manageable 250.
The 125 is a big step down from the 270 in engine size but don't be fooled into thinking this bike is a gutless wonder. The engine feels really zippy but it's surprising just how much torque it packs - it pulls me around nicely and I'm a fair bit heavier than your average schoolie 125 user. Again the suspension and brakes are spot on as with all the range.
The extra 71cc in t'engine department on the 200 makes a massive difference. It's a smashing bike and the power - which doesn't pull your arms out - is lovely. Power delivery is smooth which help you to find plenty of grip even in the slippiest of sections. It's the extra amount of torque over the 125 that makes all the difference and for a beginner or clubman rider this is a cracking bike.
125
Capacity: 195cc
Bore and stroke: 54mm x 54mm
Front suspension: 38mm Paioli (165mm travel)
Rear suspension: Paioli (175mm travel)
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 165mm disc
Carburettor: Dell'Orto VHST 26 BD
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1310mm
Seat height: 660mm
Dry weight: 71kg
200
Capacity: 124cc
Bore and stroke: 64mm x 60.5mm
Front suspension: 38mm Paioli (165mm travel)
Rear suspension: Paioli (175mm travel)
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 165mm disc
Carburettor: Mikuni VM26/208
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1310mm
Seat height: 660mm
Dry weight: 71kg
250
Capacity: 249.7cc
Bore and stroke: 72.5mm x 60.5mm
Front suspension: 38mm Paioli (165mm travel)
Rear suspension: Paioli (175mm travel)
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 165mm disc
Carburettor: Mikuni VM26/208
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1310mm
Seat height: 660mm
Dry weight: 72kg
250
Capacity: 274.5cc
Bore and stroke: 76mm x 60.5mm
Front suspension: 38mm Paioli (165mm travel)
Rear suspension: Paioli (175mm travel)
Front brake: 185mm disc
Rear brake: 165mm disc
Carburettor: Mikuni VM26/208
Gearbox: Six-speed
Wheelbase: 1310mm
Seat height: 660mm
Dry weight: 72kg
Words by Dan Clark Photos by Sutty
13 February 2006