300RR Racing first ride

[GMP]

All I can say is wow! The best motorcycle I have ever ridden, it has no right being this good basically stock! All I did to the suspension was respiring the rear 5.2kg/mm and set sag to 105mm. After a mere hour the fork was totally fluid and initially plush, unlike the GG version. I added a few clicks of comp, and reduced the HS comp on the shock five clicks. Bike is awesome in the rocks, at all speeds, that is just not supposed to be true for a stock bike! Handling is very light and turning is instantaneous. Comparing it to a GG, it's a more active ride, but does not deflect or get kicked off line. Once I got used to and trusted it, speed increased. Keep in mind this is on very rocky trail and fast, rocky jeep roads, not nice stuff. I tightened the already tight stock steering lock to the limits of my Scott's damper, what a pleasure compared to a '12 GG. Also, I never recalled the damper's high speed ckt kicking in once in the 3hr ride. Overall an awesome handling bike, I could and probably will race it with stock suspension. I really have complaints or know what I would do different yet.

Although its very powerful, it's a wide spread so no big hit off the bottom that makes a bike feel heavier and want to stand up. I left the PV alone, added a map switch and G2 throttle w/#200 cam. The soft setting is more than enough in technical trail, as it just delays the top end rush a bit. Top end on the pipe power is eye watering, but it is easily managed by these tuning methods. Stock PV setting has it coming on the pipe like you would expect from a 250, but below that is all thick smooth torque. Gearing and jetting are stock and just about perfect. Out of curiosity I might try a 50t from the stock 49t but we are splitting hairs here. Vibration, there is very little. Smoothest 2stroke I have ridden, says something about the balancing and tolerances in the motor.

So, I'm totally stoked with this bike, it fits me like a glove and after just three hrs I feel very confident on it. I took a shot here and I'm glad I did because this thing is a winner.

[twowheels]

Glenn: You have no idea how happy that makes me ... I didn't want be be the guy that sold you a bike you didn't like!

[flybars]

That's great news. Can hardly wait for mine to arrive.

[Hawkeye]

Glenn,

I thought you would like the bike, but I'm surprised and stoked that you are so enamored of your Beta. I had no comparisons to make to a recent model GG, so I was a bit more muted in my descriptions of excitement over this machine in the GG forum. But yes, it is a fantastic machine. Thanks for reaching out to me for my input on your switch to Beta, makes me feel confident about my ability to evaluate bikes.

[GMP]

I'm surprised too. I just did not expect it to work as well in such specialized terrain. Most of the time we have to put up with more of a compromise with stock stuff until we have time and/or $$ for a revalve. Now, I will probably tinker with the fork as I do my own service, but its entirely ridable stock. I will say though that if I rode it with the stock 4.8 rear spring it would have been a different story, glad thats the first thing I did. I just really appreciate the fact that for the $$, this bike is a top quality engineered and mfg. product, extemely well thought out, and obviously tested, not something shoved out the door to meet schedule or price point. I call it like I see it good and bad, and this one is good.

[Timber]

GMP, I'm real glad to have you over here on the Beta forum, I always read, respected and for he most part followed your advise on GasGasRider. I've had the 300rr for about 8 months now and tried to tell the gasser riders how great it was but unfortunately I got flamed over there for trying to educate the members on an alternate brand.

I loved my gassers but the beta just beats them in every category with the exception of tight woods turning. The fit and finish, quality of parts, power spread and handling are all on par or better than the competition. I raced mine to a AMA Western National Hare Scramble Championship in the A vet class and I holeshot every dead engine start I attempted.

The mods I've made to mine include, Presision Concepts valving on the sachs fork with .48 springs, 5.6 shock spring, 10mm bar risers in the most forward position and I set the squish on the head to .050" (.080" was stock).

Good luck with the bike, I look forward to hearing about your progress as you dial it in.

Nate Tucker

[Beta Steve]

What difference did you notice when reducing the squish? I have my bars 20mm up and the JD Jetting kit, need to learn more about the G2 throttle too! In order for me to agree the GG turns better we need to be talking '11 or older frame... I found a lot of hate for the Beta over there too. Pointing out GG was going to give up a large percentage of their market share to Beta if they didn't get their sh** together probably didn't help.

[twowheels]

Pointing out GG was going to give up a large percentage of their market share to Beta if they didn't get their sh** together probably didn't help.

Things did start to resemble the KTMTalk orange therapy room when Glenn raised his hand ... I've sold eighty percent of my Betas to current/former GG riders. I love me some well-sorted Gasser, but if you're in the 'I'd rather ride than wrench' mode the Beta has it hands down, not to mention how well they work.

[GMP]

True True, and a big reason this site was born. There are a lot of good people on GGRC but its not the objective platform it once was. I guess its at least partially due to simple statistics regarding membership size. Add a lot of frustration due to the problems the last year or so, and there you have it. Understadable, just not desirable, and thats all on that topic.

IMO the Beta outsteers the '12/'13 GG hands down. No contest on weight, overall geometry(at least perceived), and especially steering lock. The '07 - '11 is closer but the lighter weight of the Italian bike is evident. I'd have to ride them back to back but my gut says the Beta wins but by a slimmer margin, and I don't even have good tires on the bike yet.

G2 throttle is nice, been using them since they came out. Bigger the bike, the more effective or even neccessary. I even ran one on my Ducati Hypermotard on the street, to tame the off idle launch and make commuting a little more civilized. On a 300 for sure. Its like different ratios of throttle cable (slide) pull to throttle rotation during the first half of the rotation range, depending on the cam selected. Much easier to modulate power of a bike that makes a lot in this area. The last half of the rotation arc is unaffected. Its also a nice alloy tube with delrin bushings, very smooth.

[Hammer]

I ride a 11 GasGas 250 and a 300rr racing back to back quite a bit and like the way the Beta feels. To me the Beta doesn't have that lethargic heavy feel to it. My wife (I would rate her mid pack Vet B rider) likes her GasGas more. In her opinion the Beta steers to fast and doesn't feel planted. Just goes show you we all have different wants.
I will say this, as the mechanic I sure wish I could talk her into a Beta.