Choosing between a Beta Xtrainer or Beta RR300?

[ossi]

I have owned both.

There is no comparison. The RR is a bike.
The XT is a novelty at best.

[PurringPistons]

Kinda harsh, no? The XT is proven to be quite capable and well suited for all kinds of riding.

I have owned both.

There is no comparison. The RR is a bike.
The XT is a novelty at best.

[Angustoyou]

Depends entirely on what you want it for and how good you are. I'm quicker and have way more fun on the Xtrainer. 300RR is too much for me - and I don't mind admitting it.

[betajuice]

I have owned both.
There is no comparison. The RR is a bike.
The XT is a novelty at best.

no explanation? if you are an incredibly skilled rider this might make sense to some extent, and in that case i'd really like to hear your reasons why, we could all learn from you. although i wonder if you just do faster more open trails in which case of course it would seem like a novelty bike.... it's not meant for that.

ben hemingway came eighth at hell's gate on a stock xtrainer and he wasn't calling it a novelty bike after the race. mind you we won't see the top extreme enduro riders choose an xtrainer, at their skill level they'll always opt for a full enduro bike. but i reckon most of us regular guys will do better in hard terrain on an xtrainer.

[wasatchcomm]

Depends entirely on what you want it for and how good you are. I'm quicker and have way more fun on the Xtrainer. 300RR is too much for me - and I don't mind admitting it.

this is what fears me most

i think the trainer is most likely plenty of bike for me and for the riding i like to do

but having one in the garage already, made me lean toward a 300rr

so i have both
not to sound spoiled but, i just thought if i have both like another said i just have to choose what to ride that day.

[ossi]

I have owned both.
There is no comparison. The RR is a bike.
The XT is a novelty at best.

no explanation? if you are an incredibly skilled rider this might make sense to some extent, and in that case i'd really like to hear your reasons why, we could all learn from you. although i wonder if you just do faster more open trails in which case of course it would seem like a novelty bike.... it's not meant for that.

ben hemingway came eighth at hell's gate on a stock xtrainer and he wasn't calling it a novelty bike after the race. mind you we won't see the top extreme enduro riders choose an xtrainer, at their skill level they'll always opt for a full enduro bike. but i reckon most of us regular guys will do better in hard terrain on an xtrainer.

For $6999 you get a frame that is a bit scary on corridor roads and the top two gears. You get a great motor and the motor itself I give to the XT over the RR by a fraction. You also get the worst forks ever. Someone said they are not the worst and go look at a CRF 250 L's fork. I did, it was better.
You get a horrid rear shock as well. Both of my Betas have a bug in the system that makes the push button start a hit and miss affair. No kickstart on the XT was penny wise and pound foolish for the most literal sense. To fix these three issues you are looking a 2k in forks, shocks and kickstater.

The 8700 roughly I got a RR Race Edition. As opposed to brakes when I see a waterbar I hit gas now. Actually the bike has great manners in the air.
I got a kickstarter which I have been forced to use. I have a bike that fits better ergo wise. I have forks in the realm of my former YZ 250. The forks alone make it the choice. While the XT was really fun on some nasty as hell shit it is of no comparison to the RR as a Trail bike.

Now as a 53 year old confident and competent C rider with a past knee replacement I can honestly say this is a no brainer between the two.
I will never be as fast as I was years ago and I most likely would never have kept up with myself on my YZ 265 10 years ago on the RR, but I am in the realm. I was not even close to the realm on a XT. I grew up up riding desert and now ride woods with massive elevation changes. I was on and still have a KTM 350 as well that I would never bring to the desert, nor would I have the XT. I loved the massive hill climbs in my youth and had three different open class YZ's in my youth. The RR would do the desert nicely. Now I do see guys doing Johnson Valley on the XT and that is bad ass-my knee would never allow this and I am not making the giant hills in jawbone on a XT. XT in the desert to me is useless.

Now if all you ride is massive rocks and never see third gear up, get the XT and dump 2 k into it. Anything else get the RR and love it and it's good suspension and proper size.

[Angustoyou]

I guess we are very different riders. I do know I pass plenty of riders struggling on full on enduro bikes, and I've never been able to ride as fast, for as long, on increasingly tough terrain or with such enjoyment as I do on the Xtrainer. That includes flat out in top with a tooth bigger front sprocket. No dramas there for me, though the RR is I imagine set up for better high speed stability.

I checked the spec out before I bought it, and it looked like just the bike for me. I was right.

[ossi]

I guess we are very different riders. I do know I pass plenty of riders struggling on full on enduro bikes, and I've never been able to ride as fast, for as long, on increasingly tough terrain or with such enjoyment as I do on the Xtrainer.

I checked the spec out before I bought it, and it looked like just the bike for me. I was right.

That's fine, I did the same.

I was absolutely disappointed in the end products suspension.

[betajuice]

...
Now as a 53 year old confident and competent C rider with a past knee replacement I can honestly say this is a no brainer between the two. ..... Now if all you ride is massive rocks and never see third gear up, get the XT and dump 2 k into it. Anything else get the RR and love it and it's good suspension and proper size.

thanks for the details ossi, that makes more sense to me now. i still think the issue is you are riding it more aggressively than most, and on faster trails than many intend to be riding on. and the xtrainer will increasingly suck the more you ride it that way. i got to spend two days on it on tracks where i rarely got into fourth gear... loved it. at 92kg i would beef up the springs a little, possibly get some revalving but the springy nature of the suspension is great for what i'm doing.

my mate andrew is 85kg and loves his as is. he's very much your average trail rider and focused more on the technical side of riding too. there are plenty of trail hacks saying the same thing, although it looks as though those over 90kg do start to say the suspension is too soft.

re: the starter motors, i think you'll find it's a wiring issue. i had this issue, so did a mate of mine, and a guy in another state here. i hadn't heard anyone else with the problem till now.... just started a thread here: http://www.betarider.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1360

[Gazza]

I'm an average trail rider and I had my xTrainer set up for 105 kg. This involved heavier springs and some revalve on the fork. Our riding group consists of my brother on a rr300r, and mates on a mix of KTM 300s, 350s, and Yam 450s and a Berg 300. Local knowledge puts me as front rider using cornerman. We have a few 80 to 100 k loops from home. The loops are a mixture of single,technical,hills, rocky creek crossings, open forrest roads, more rocks and a little bitumen to get there.The X trainer handles all of this awesome. An adjustment in riding style is required for fast erosion mounds and quicker riding.Mix every thing up and at the end of the day ask the boys; How we going for pace? All say pace is good. My point is the X Trainer is awesome in the real world for us trail hacks.