E
nduro riders have been using
trials riding as a form of training
for years. It helps improve their
slow-speed riding and technical
skills. While enduroes in Australia are
now predominantly contested on
bush-based motocross tracks rather than
hardcore technical trails, much of what
we do out in the forest every other
weekend requires some sort of
trials-based skillset.
While most of us would love a training
mule to use in the backyard that
wouldn’t piss off Wilson from Home
Improvement, and the reality of owning
two bikes ain’t gonna sit well with the
Minister of Finance. It also takes up
valuable garage space that could be
better used housing a refrigeration
device for cold beverages. This is where
the Beta Alp comes in.
The Beta Alp is a cross-dressing trail
muncher with the ability to switch from
humble singletrack killer to rock-
hopping trials companion in less than
10 minutes. All you need is a T-bar and
the mechanical skills of a muppet and
you’ll have this 200cc trailbike looking
and feeling like a mountain goat.
But just who would fi nd this kind of
machine useful? It isn’t the race-bred
enduro buccaneer who spends more
time with the throttle on the stopper or
your weekend warrior who just wants to
play chicken with oncoming four-wheel
drives in the High Country.
The Beta Alp has a specifi c target
market among adventurous trailriders
and curious trials riders.MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
Beta’s Alp is not
just a trailbike. Peel
away the outer
clothing and you’ll
find a hard-core
trials machinehttp://www.adbmag.com.au APRIL 2016 | 61