TWOMONTHSINwith the
Beta Xtrainer 300 and I’m
stoked with this feather-weight
machine. My initial impression
wasconfirmedwhenItookthe
Beta out for it’s full initiation to
theADBlong-termer regime.
The hand-over with Grabbo
in the last issue was more a
bike-building exercise than
trailride and it didn’t give me a
good opportunity to test the
latesttoy.Soitwasbacktothe
forest for another session a
coupleofweekslater,although
this time with Editor Mitch Lees
suited up in riding gear for the
first time in five months.
MitchandIheadedtothe
LetterAforhisfirstrideback
from injury and my first
trailride on the Beta. Everything
about the Beta is easy, from
loadingintothetalltubofthe
ADBute to manoeuvring it
around the garage – it’s just so
damn light!
This lack of weight translates
into a mountain bike-like feel,
evenmoresothana200ccor
125 two-stroke. Beta has done
anincrediblejobtocreateabike that changes direction,
turns, stops and picks up pace
so easily.
Downhill, the Beta gives me
heapsofconfidence because it
canchangelineand slow under
brakingwithoutfeeling like the
front wheel is going to wash or
thebackisgoing to overtake
thefront.Uphillthe torque
from the 300cc two-stroke
engine makes life easy.
MitchandIwere tackling
some rock-infested hills in the
Watagans and, at the top of
one, he commented that hecould hear me riding up this
snotty hill using only the
bottom-end. The amount of
torque is impressive, it’s like a
mountain goat this little bike.
The plush suspension has its
advantages and over rough,
rocky trails and up hills the
Beta has less of a tendency to
get pushed off line. This goes
against what I was anticipating
given it’s sub-100kg weight.
However, the same
suspension that works well in
some situations finds its limits
when the pace picks up andBETA
ACQUAINTED
REAR GUARD
HOW TO RIDE / ADBGARAGE / WE RECOMMEND / TECH / KIDZ KORNER / USED RIDE /
XTRAINER DEMONSTRATES THE LIGHTNESS OF BEING
140 | JUNE 2017 http://www.adbmag.com.au