Beta’s 300RR two-strokes provide a reality check for the off-road world. While all the Austrian brands are marching headlong into the mouth of the technological unknown, Beta’s engineers have decided there’s still room for improvement with traditional hardware and proven designs.
The latest Beta 300RR Race Edition doesn’t have fuel injection, an electronic power valve or multi-phase mapping. It does, however, bring further refinement to the table for technology that’s been a pillar of engine design for years. The 300RR Race Edition now has a twin-spark-plug ignition. That’s in addition to the features that Beta puts on all its Race Editions, which include KYB suspension and a lengthy list of detail upgrades. Beta’s Race Edition two-strokes also do away with the oil injection that is present on standard RR models, pushing the traditional technology theme even further.
The Beta 300RR Race Edition has a long list of upgrades over the standard models. Tops on the list is the twin-plug ignition and KYB suspension.
TRADITIONAL WITH A TWIST
If you’ve been around for a year or two, you might know that twin-sparkplug motors are not new. The concept goes back to the very beginning of internal combustion and was fairly common on motorcycles in the ’70s. Back then, the thinking was that large motors needed two flash points for thorough combustion. The problem was that the ignition systems of the time really weren’t that powerful, and we soon learned that one powerful spark was better than two feeble sparks. In aircraft engines, however, the twin-spark design was embraced wholeheartedly because of their more robust electrical systems. Now, fast-forward to 2024 and motorcycle ignition systems present a dramatically under-appreciated advancement in motorcycle design. The Kokusan generators and ignitions that come on virtually all modern two-strokes are powerful and reliable. It was time, Beta engineers decided, to revisit an old concept. The twin-spark-plug ignition is only available on the 300 Race Edition, which is the most expensive two-stroke in the company’s lineup at $10,399. For that you also get a quick-release front axle, handguards, aluminum footpegs, a bi-metal sprocket and a bunch of anodized goodies.
Under it all is Beta’s two-stroke package, which has a 36mm Keihin PWK carb, a case reed with Moto Tassinari pedals, a mechanical power valve, a six-speed gearbox and an electric starter. This year the frame has been updated with increased rigidity in certain planes of motion, but it retains steel construction with a central backbone.
Pete Murray can get a little loopy at times.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Before we get too focused on spark plugs and Race Edition parts, you need to know that the Beta 300 twostroke platform is still absolute magic for tight trails. To be fair, technical riding at low speed is the stronghold of almost all 300 two-strokes, but the Beta goes a step further than most. The power delivery is smooth and unstoppable. It feels like it has the flywheel from a trials bike. It doesn’t, of course, but Beta’s experience in the trials world means the company knows something about making gentle, tractable power at very low rpm. When you’re in rocks the size of bowling balls, the Beta somehow finds a way to hook up and minimize wheelspin, even if your throttle control is sloppy. If you stomp on the rear brake and chop the throttle in a tall gear, you can make the motor stall on purpose, but it simply never happens in real-life situations.
From that low-rpm magic zone, the power progresses upward and onwards to a decent peak around 8000 rpm. It’s a powerful bike, but it doesn’t feel especially brutal on top because it’s so smooth and sweet. In an outright drag race, it will hang with any other off-road 300 two-stroke, although the recent newcomers in the motocross world have a distinct edge. The KTM 300SX and Beta’s own 300RX have a surge in the upper middle that the RR can’t match. That’s okay; you don’t necessarily want that kind of hit on an off-road bike. Some of those machines are on the brink of being unmanageable even on a motocross track. Off-road, they are completely impractical.
Another aspect of the 300RR motor that’s impressive is how well it’s jetted and how much latitude that jetting offers. It doesn’t ping, detonate or miss a beat. In our time with the bike, temperatures ranged from the 50s to the 90s. It ran the same. We also used it from sea level to 4000 feet without feeling the need to re-jet. That was unheard of in the old days. We can credit the Keihin PWK for some of that, but we also believe it’s about the aforementioned advancement in ignition systems. What the twinspark- plug design brings to the table is difficult to say without back-to-back testing, but we understand that dyno figures show a slight improvement. We also know that in the aircraft world, there’s a dramatic decrease in output when you manually disable the second set of spark plugs. Is that applesto-apples? No, but it demonstrates that a dual-plug system can be more efficient.
THE RACE EDITION FACTOR
Beyond the dual-plug feature, the Race Edition’s biggest bonus is in the suspension department. The KYB AOS closed-cartridge fork is a very big upgrade over the Sachs fork that comes on the standard edition. Same goes for the KYB shock. In front, the Race Edition’s springs are rated at 0.44 kg/mm, which is one step stiffer than those of the standard RR model. In the rear, both versions come with 5.2 kg/mm springs, but the difference in performance goes far beyond spring rates. The KYB suspension is more consistent and stable. It’s set up for a very cushy ride, so the Race Edition is at its best in tight, slow-speed sections, much like the motor. At a faster pace, you have to be mindful of chassis movement. This is particularly noticeable when you grab a handful of the very powerful Nissin front brake. You’ll get a surprising amount of fork dive. Riders who plan on competition will probably have to look to the aftermarket to get the most out of the KYB components. There are about a zillion shops that know how to do that.
Overall handling is typical of Beta motorcycles, which is to say very good. The bike comes in at 233 pounds without fuel, and it feels reasonably light and agile. KTMs, Husqvarnas and GasGas 300s used to have a weight advantage, but that has gone away in the fuel-injection age; all are now within a pound or two of each other on the fantastically reliable Dirt Bike scale. The Beta does feel like it’s slightly larger than those bikes. Tall riders will feel right at home; the rider compartment is spread out and roomy. Shorter riders might have to suffer with a seat height that is just a bit higher than most off-road bikes.
The second spark plug is somewhat hidden at the rear of this head. Both plugs have a hotter heat range than the one on the single-plug motor The Nissin front brake is as powerful as anything in the dirt bike world. Maxxis tires come on the majority of Beta’s off-road bikes in the U.S.
OFF-ROAD CRED
Over the years Beta has paid its dues with off-road guys. They’ve proven to be reliable and well thought out. The fact that it has push-button seat removal is one example; on many a group ride, someone is going to have a battery issue. The Beta is always the bike elected to provide a jump because it has such easy battery access. We also love the front-axle grab handle, the handguards, the skid plate and the 2.5-gallon fuel tank.
Beta has earned its place at the highest tier in the off-road hierarchy. The company has achieved that by doubling down with proven features and established designs. That doesn’t mean that Beta will never adopt new technology. But, you can be certain that when that happens, it will be the right time to move on.
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