No longer a boutique Italian dirt bike brand, Beta is a major player in off-road motorcycle racing. The 2018 Beta 300 RR and 250 RR enduro bikes get significant upgrades this year, in addition to going on a serious diet.1. The 2018 Beta 300 RR and 250 RR are more than 10 pounds lighter than last year. Over six of those pounds come from the new frame, while the motor sheds nearly four pounds.2018 Beta 250 RR
2. While not all-new, the 2018 Beta two-stroke motors are seriously updated. There’s a new cylinder, crankshaft and connecting rod, combustion chamber, and power valve timing for the 300 and 250. Additionally, the 300 gets a new piston and cylinder head for smoother power delivery.3. There’s a new clutch and shifter on the 2018s. The clutch changes focused on weight loss, progressive feel, a compact design, and consistent action as operating temperatures change. The star wheel and detent mechanism for shifting has a new design to reduce false neutrals and improve the feel when shifting.4. The kickstart lever is gone. The 300 RR and 250 RR are now e-start only from the factory, though a kickstarter can be ordered as an option. The lithium battery has lost weight, while getting more power.2018 Beta 300 RR5. If you’re not ready for a fuel-injected two-stroke, the 2018 Betas still run traditional carburetors. Oil injection returns, so you don’t have to prepare premix.6. Beta worked to give the 2018 300 RR and 250 RR more precise handling. The new frame adjusts the torsional and flexural rigidity to give the rider a better feel for the trail.7. Ergonomics have been improved. The airbox and rear subframe are now slimmer (as well as lighter) so the rider can move around more easily.8. The 2018 Beta 300 RR and 250 RR get improved suspension. Still using Sachs units, the 48mm fork gets new sliders and settings, while the shock’s settings are also reworked to match the fork. The sliders are both lighter and more resistant to flex.9. There’s no price increase for 2018, and the Beta 300 RR and 250 RR run the same price: $8499 MSRP. The bikes arrive at the dealers in August.
Hello everyone and welcome once again to Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly Podcast—Motos and Friends.
My name is Arthur Coldwells.
This week’s Podcast is brought to you by Yamaha motorcycles. Discover how the YZF-R7 provides the perfect balance of rider comfort and true supersport performance by checking it out at YamahaMotorsports.com, or see it for yourself at your local dealer.
This week’s episode features Senior Editor Nic de Sena’s impressions of the beautiful new Harley-Davidson Low Rider ST that is loosely based around the original FXRT Sport Glide from the 1980s. Hailing from The Golden State, these cult-status performance machines became known as West Coast style, with sportier suspension, increased horsepower, and niceties including creature comforts such as a tidy fairing and sporty luggage.
In past episodes you might have heard us mention my best friend, Daniel Schoenewald, and in the second segment I chat with him about some of the really special machines in his 170 or so—and growing—motorcycle collection. He’s always said to me that he doesn’t consider himself the owner, merely the curator of the motorcycles for the next generation.
Yet Daniel is not just a collector, but I can attest a really skilled rider. His bikes are not trailer queens, they’re ridden, and they’re ridden pretty hard. Actually, we have had many, many memorable rides on pretty much all of the machines in the collection at one time or another.
From all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!
