BEGINNER’S BULLDOZER
If you consider yourself somewhat
talented on an enduro bike then
the Beta Alp may leave you more
frustrated than a eunuch with a
gift voucher for a brothel. The
Suzuki-supplied 199cc SOHC
engine produces similar power to a
Honda XR200 and things like
lofting the front wheel require
signifi cant clutch work.
The Alp was never meant to be
piloted by someone like Toby
Price. Its docile engine, soft
suspension and lounge-like cockpit
are ideal for novice trailriders.
There are several other options on
the market for these guys, like the
Yamaha TT-R 230 or XT250,
Honda’s CRF230F or Suzuki’s
DR200S, but none of them double
as a trials bike.
After a few hours in the Otways
State Forest it was clear this bike
was built for beginners. The
suspension doesn’t like bouncing
through trees at break neck speed
like a Beta 300RR enduro bike
and the power output makes you
feel like you’re dragging a snow
plough. But for a beginner this is
perfect. It’s easy to develop
throttle and clutch control and get
your head around the suspension
action without feeling like you’vegone 12 rounds with Mike Tyson
when you hop off.
Two years ago I got married. For
those who’ve signed on the dotted
line, you will know how hard it can
be to get out for a weekend ride
now that you’ve got important
shopping to do at Home Depot.
However, I’ve often fl oated the
idea of buying a small bike for my
wife to learn on so she could join
me on the trails. Anything to get
out there right?!
Her eyes light up every time I
mention it, but the only problem is,
I don’t want to spend the coin on a
beginner bike only for it to be used
once a month for just an hour here
or there.SOLUTION
The Alp could be the solution.
With a seat height of 830mm
(with the foam on) and a dry
weight of 108kg, the Beta is ideal
for my wife, who just clears the
bar for the BIG9 at Dream World.
The trials heritage of the Alp
means the weight is down low.
This makes it a very easy bike to
balance on and pick up if the
handlebar takes a soil sample. The
clutch and throttle are so smooth
you could dump the clutch and
still struggle to loop out into aHOWDOES
IT WORK?
To convert the Alpfrom a
trailbike to a trials bikeyou
remove the seat,tank shrouds,
headlight andplug-in wiring.
Thesidestandalso canbe
removed. All thiscan be done
with the Beta toolkit.UNDOTHE
HEADLIGHT
Unboltingthe headlight still
leavesyou with theignition
keyand steeringlock, which
might comein handy one
night when you're camping.UNPLUGTHE
WIRINGLOOM
Nowit's time to unplugthe
headlight wiringand flick
those indicators into theparts
box. With no ADR compliance
they don't make the bike legal.Main: Big guys will struggle to loft the front
- The seat goes on forever
- Two bolts to get it off
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62 | APRIL 2016 http://www.adbmag.com.au