Advanced and expert riders rely on hopping the rear, and front, wheels to make turns, but the Evo 300 SS isn’t really about that. That’s fine, of course, as new riders will want to learn the basics and that means making tight turns with both wheels on the ground. If you want to learn floating turns rather than hopping, the SS will helpfully oblige.
Even with the Super Smooth motor, the bike is more than happy to take on large steps. Again, for newer riders, the tamped down throttle response is an asset. Rarely in trials does a lack of power cause a failure—it is almost always a breakdown of technique. The Super Smooth enhances your input, and because nothing happens too quickly, you have time to adjust and make things right.
Working your way through the most technical sections, you will truly appreciate the 2017 Beta Evo 300 SS. It doesn’t want to stall due to the inertia storage in the bottom end, and the additional torque provided by the motor and the lower gearing from the smaller countershaft sprocket keeps you going. The 300 SS will crawl along, finding traction and getting to the exit gates with a minimum of effort on the rider’s part.
While I found the Dry power mode to be my first choice most of the time, at the Sacramento PITS’ Cow Pile Trial, I tapped into the ease of the Rain mode for the third, and final, loop. It was a long and arduous trial, and being able to pad down the power even more on the last loop reduced fatigue enough to get me to the end of a tough event.
Having ridden the sections twice before in the Dry mode—except for one wet and rocky streambed—I didn’t have any issues in the slower Rain setting on the finishing loop. In some cases, I could inch my way over obstacles, saving every bit of energy I’d need for the tougher challenges.
In a section that was both intimidating and technical, I was able to sneak over a boulder at less than walking pace, which gave me the ability to place the Evo 300 SS exactly where I needed to go, with the least effort possible. It’s always a great feeling to nab a clean when you’re dog-tired.
All the controls on the 2017 Beta Evo 300 SS are intuitive. The hydraulic clutch pull is light for a 300, and both brakes are easily modulated. The throttle has a nice light touch. The only annoyance is the pro-class tether kill switch that can catch on branches and kill the motor unexpectedly.
