New 17 300 re vs 17 KTM 300 xc

[3pine]

Just to relieve the 23 lb difference when I weighed both bikes , I know I had at least 1/2 gallon more fuel in the Beta . I think about 4 more lbs of fuel. Let's call it 19 lbs difference to be true. Now take away the lights and trail tech speedo ,skid plate, definitely heavier pipe and stinger (xc has a tiny silencer). Xc has no fork springs. Stillwell says that's 3 pounds . Now we're getting close to 10 lbs or less difference . No big deal.
I rode the Beta this afternoon to get better aquanted and break it in a little more. The idle started to increase a little so it's getting loosened up. I was thinking that the power delivery stock is fairly mellow . Linear but not much for top end when the trail opens up. I decided to loosen up the power valve screw one turn to see what it would do. It woke it up very noticeable. Then I went another half turn to almost flush and she will loft the wheel in 4th pretty easy.
I bolted on a RK Tec head tonight and rode it briefly. Might be time to turn the power valve back in ! In sane !

[twowheels]

I bolted on a RK Tec head tonight and rode it briefly. Might be time to turn the power valve back in ! In sane !

How did you spec the head? Do they have different inserts for elevation/fuel usage etc?

[3pine]

I bolted on a RK Tec head tonight and rode it briefly. Might be time to turn the power valve back in ! In sane !

How did you spec the head? Do they have different inserts for elevation/fuel usage etc?

They ask elevation range , type of riding, fuel grade you want to use.

[hawaiidirtrider]

This is the more fair comparison in weight.. an xc just doesn't come with the added stuff that the Beta comes with so when compared with the lights etc on the exc....

223 lbs.
http://www.betausa.com/content/300-rr-race-edition

220. 46 lbs
http://www.ktm.com/enduro/300-exc-1/

There's a few tiny things that make a difference ... but I'm guessing the lithium battery on the ktm and not on the Beta is one difference in weight.. maybe a pound or a couple pounds? idk.
I put a lighter pc slip on that is way smaller than the stock beta can and it's not very much louder.. so that makes it the same or lighter.. but it's all a wash I think depending on what tires , guards on your bike and other little things.. The bikes pretty much weigh the same to me. ..now the feel? That's up to riding both side by side and personal preference I'd think. Honestly.. on the 2 stroke side.. Beta is as light as anything out there. The 4 stroke side? maybe a few pounds heavier than ktm but nothing big from what I can tell. What is real is how heavy are the bikes with all the guards and full of fuel and ready to ride.. That's the real weight..and I don't think even with say a 10 lb difference that it's that big a deal.. especially for trail riding.. mx? maybe there's some difference that feels better or worse that some can feel.

[chasejj]

This is the more fair comparison in weight.. an xc just doesn't come with the added stuff that the Beta comes with so when compared with the lights etc on the exc....

223 lbs.
http://www.betausa.com/content/300-rr-race-edition

220. 46 lbs
http://www.ktm.com/enduro/300-exc-1/

There's a few tiny things that make a difference ... but I'm guessing the lithium battery on the ktm and not on the Beta is one difference in weight.. maybe a pound or a couple pounds? idk.
I put a lighter pc slip on that is way smaller than the stock beta can and it's not very much louder.. so that makes it the same or lighter.. but it's all a wash I think depending on what tires , guards on your bike and other little things.. The bikes pretty much weigh the same to me. ..now the feel? That's up to riding both side by side and personal preference I'd think. Honestly.. on the 2 stroke side.. Beta is as light as anything out there. The 4 stroke side? maybe a few pounds heavier than ktm but nothing big from what I can tell. What is real is how heavy are the bikes with all the guards and full of fuel and ready to ride.. That's the real weight..and I don't think even with say a 10 lb difference that it's that big a deal.. especially for trail riding.. mx? maybe there's some difference that feels better or worse that some can feel.

Hawaii-I hear ya. You are close but not that close. I think I would say that Beta's spec sheet is quite a few pounds optomistic. The XCW does also have the Xplor forks which are not as nice as the high zoot AER forks and weigh 3+ lbs more.

[hawaiidirtrider]

This is the more fair comparison in weight.. an xc just doesn't come with the added stuff that the Beta comes with so when compared with the lights etc on the exc....

223 lbs.
http://www.betausa.com/content/300-rr-race-edition

220. 46 lbs
http://www.ktm.com/enduro/300-exc-1/

There's a few tiny things that make a difference ... but I'm guessing the lithium battery on the ktm and not on the Beta is one difference in weight.. maybe a pound or a couple pounds? idk.
I put a lighter pc slip on that is way smaller than the stock beta can and it's not very much louder.. so that makes it the same or lighter.. but it's all a wash I think depending on what tires , guards on your bike and other little things.. The bikes pretty much weigh the same to me. ..now the feel? That's up to riding both side by side and personal preference I'd think. Honestly.. on the 2 stroke side.. Beta is as light as anything out there. The 4 stroke side? maybe a few pounds heavier than ktm but nothing big from what I can tell. What is real is how heavy are the bikes with all the guards and full of fuel and ready to ride.. That's the real weight..and I don't think even with say a 10 lb difference that it's that big a deal.. especially for trail riding.. mx? maybe there's some difference that feels better or worse that some can feel.

Hawaii-I hear ya. You are close but not that close. I think I would say that Beta's spec sheet is quite a few pounds optomistic. The XCW does also have the Xplor forks which are not as nice as the high zoot AER forks and weigh 3+ lbs more.

Why wouldn't it be that close??? ..2 and a half pounds isn't close enough?. but then ktm can be just about as optimistic as far as weight as Beta.. and Beta has been on par with weight claims with all their other models in the past.. . .. yea the best bet is to have a comparison with both bikes side by side on the same scale with the same features taken into consideration it still comes out pretty damn close.. and the aer? The jury is still out for me. I like springs instead of air but we will see how those air forks work as time goes on. Those air may be a better but I'll wait.. like I waited to see how the Beta 300 ran after a year or so also. Here's some shots of the 17' ktm 300's it's relating another issue but there still is the difference with what the exc and the xc's look and have on them.. although maybe modded some. For sure the easy way to even things out weight wise a little is just put a lithium battery on a Beta. They should come with them I think at this point. Ktm comes with them. Moto9 put up a weight loss thread in TT . It sort of got me wondering since so many were talking about how the ktm's were so light compared to the 16 and earlier ktm's...and then Beta sort of got thrown in there like it was so heavy by some.. I never thought that but I never rode the brand new 2 stroke ktm 300.. but just by going what some listed as weights from the factory and some reviews.. sort of brought things back to earth for me. Moto9 did go through some effort making his 300rr but I sure wouldn't go as far as he did.. he just likes a bike super light and I'm sorry but I like my estart..and my bike guarded up well. The main thing that he did was buy a small little light pc silencer.. I did that and that's ok for a mod.. I liked the stock pipe fine..but to go a little lighter there for not too far over a hundred bucks was a decent bling factor and a bit of weight loss.
to see the difference with lights etc..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYlsGAG2Alw
..and a light little pc slip on.. I'm copying moto9.. it's a good mod There's another guy on youtube on an mx track with his 2t beta on an mx track too..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R7Kbcj4QuU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWnY7EFOVxE

[3pine]

It seems to be a big deception what the manufacturers state as "weight" . Is it dry weight? Wet no fuel ? Etc . I weighed a brand new Beta 300 Race Edition with a little more than 1 1/2 gallons of fuel in the tank, transmission with oil and coolant full.This was on electronic Professional race car scales. It weighed 246 lbs.
We weighed the brand new 300 KTM xc five minutes later on the same scales in the same location. It had One gallon of fuel, transmission full and coolant full . 223 lbs
There is no way that I ever expected these two bikes to be close to the same weight . I just wanted to know out of curiosity.
Strip the Beta down to be equivalent to the Kado XC and the bikes would be a few pounds apart .JMHO
Look up the review of a 17 Husky 300 TX by Rocky Mountain ATV. They built the bike with most of the add ons that a Beta comes stock. They weighed the bike and mentioned it was at 247 lbs.
Right now I'm very satisfied with the Beta. A few things that attracted me was the spread of the transmission ratios . Nice low first gear ( slow old trail rider) and rocket 6th . The motor can pull the gaps also.
I like the lower seat but the seat itself is way too hard. Seat Concepts ? Maybe.
Think I might have LTR tweak the suspension eventually but going to break it in before. Right now the suspension begs for speed and it is amazing. The slow speed is a little choppy but pretty much expected that when I chose the RE.
The other thing that I will mention is I don't think I have ever looked at a more beautiful bike than this 300 RE !

[hawaiidirtrider]

Yea..I just went to a local dealership a couple days ago....that had a few different ktm 2 strokes,freeride, 250 ,150 etc too along with the new Honda 450 rx and yz 250 and yz250x..I was moving them all around and picking up the back end etc..all wet..low fuel and zero guards on..and I was not impressed with the weight on any of them..They all felt similar to my 300rr and my earlier honda cr 250 r. Iwas surprised as a bunch had been talking how light their yzx anthe new ktm 2 strokes were told to me to be much lighter. I didnt get that. ..felt the same to me...definitely similar...and all of them taller than a Beta seat height too.. except the freeride.. which I'd not ever buy.. especially for the price locally.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s-RPlDgho8

I think at this point in time the 300 2 stroke class is way closer than it's ever been.. with sherco , tm and husky, ktm and gasgas phoenix coming online..All are great..Between the Beta , husky/ktm I think are the best of the class and then it's personal preference on what one wants..but the weight issue just doesn't seem like much of an issue. It will be interesting to see the new gasgas.. The TM is beautiful and well made.. no estart so it goes to the back of the line.. the sherco has no kicker ..also to the back of the line to me.. so then it's gasgas, ktm, husky and Beta . I've got Beta and husky/ktm at the front with Beta edging the rest out.. I like a 6 speed.. and the warranty just spanks every other brand since none have one. I also like that I never touched my bike because it was jetted perfect...I take that back I raised the float level. I've been looking at ktm and husky for 17.. just because it's fun and that's what dirt bike riders do.. look for the newest coolest bike and want to get it.. if it's the best out there.. and hope ya don't like it because then that means visiting the credit union for maybe another loan.. but so far.. I don't see it. I'm not looking at ktm or husky and wanting to buy.. husky looks great though.. and I grew up a husky guy in the 70's and 80's.. there's still some old allegiance to the swedish brand in there.. but my 15' 300rr is still looking like the best for now.. I think I'd go race edition maybe if i were to do it again.. but the rr my year is the same as the 14 race motor etc.. just the forks were different.. but that's ok.. I like my open chamber sachs.. and if I feel like changing in the future no big deal.. there are lots of choices of forks..and I'm just not feeling like the newest ktm are any better than what I have. I had a chance to ride a 17 ktm 300 or was it a 250.. well I might be riding with the group that has the new ktm 2t this coming week. He did buy a lectron almost right away though. He didn't like it stock for some reason.. anyway maybe I'll feel the weight on the ktm like some say.. but so far the weight just seems similar. I do think I'd put white plastic on a ktm ..and graphics.. or just buy a husky if going that route.. I was into the orange for a long time when I had ktm a while back.. but now I'm sort of over it.. maybe I'd get black.. that's nice. I wish Beta had black plastics like they had for my 09 Beta 525.. just to have a choice.. white and red is ok though ..

[hawaiidirtrider]

I bolted on a RK Tec head tonight and rode it briefly. Might be time to turn the power valve back in ! In sane !

How did you spec the head? Do they have different inserts for elevation/fuel usage etc?

They ask elevation range , type of riding, fuel grade you want to use.

Yea that's on the bucket list for the future for my 300rr.. .. after I put on my stainless spokes and wider rear rim.. then maybe I'll be looking that way.. That RK head seems to work well from a bunch of different riders feedback...

[3pine]

Haven't had time to ride with the RK tek head other than warming it up to re check the coolant . I briefly twisted the throttle in 3rd gear and it was impressive. Had the power valve screw turned out flush also.