126 | SEPTEMBER 2017 http://www.adbmag.com.auOUR BETA XTRAINER
long-termeriscomingalong
nicely and this month it took a
big step forward with the
addition ofatallseat,newrear
tyre and linkage guard.
The Xtrainer’s seat height is
a claimed910mm,whichis
lower thantheBetaRRrange
(930mm) but that’s the appeal
of the XtrainerandiswhyBeta
can market it for both
entry-level and vertically
challenged riders.
Being vertically
unchallenged, I don’t benefit
from the lowseatsoIwanted
to try a tall one to see what
difference an extra 30mm of
foam would make. We picked
one up through Beta
Australia’s online parts store.
The tall seat comes as a kit
so you need to use the plastic
base from the stock seat and
fi t it with the new foam and
cover usingastaplegun.As
far as seatcovers go, theBlackbird product that Beta
usesistopquality.Itwaseasy
tofitanddidn’ttake50
attempts to remove the
ripples, it went straight on first
goandtookallof15minutes.
Firstrideimpressionwith
thetallseatwasabigsurprise.
The difference between the
stockseatandthetallonewas
alotmorenoticeablethanI
expected it to be.
It’s rock hard and completely
flat so, rather than sitting in
thebike,yousitontopandit
makes transitioning between
sitting and standing easier.
Having more foam makes it
easiertogripthebikewithmy
knees and I feel far less
cramped sitting down.
Asuper-softGoldenTyreis
also new this month and, as I
was told, it’s basically like
cheating.It’saGT216Xandthe
levelofgripitproducesis
ridiculous. However, being
suchasoftcompoundmeansitEVERY INCH
COUNTS
OLLY GETS THE XTRAINER TO STAND UP TO HIM
234
1
First ride impression with the
tall seat was a big surprise
will wear out faster than a
hard-compound tyre, but
that’s the price you pay for
good grip.
The compound is closer to
that of a trials tyre and its
success speaks for itself. At
the ridiculous 2015 Erzberg
Rodeo there were only fi ve
fi nishers from the 500
starters and the fi rst four all
used this tyre.
I’ve also fi tted an X Link
Shock Guard. It’s machined
from billet 6061 T6 aluminium
and replaces the stock linkage.
It’s a straightforward swap, you
just need a T-bar to loosen the
nuts. The X Link guard protects
the linkage and shock eye from
logs and rocks by providing a
smooth transition between the
skidplate and linkage.
You can slide over obstacles
without getting hung out so it’s
a valuable part for a bike that’s
designed for extreme enduro.
Digital Editor Olly MaloneHOW TO RIDE / ADB GARAGE / WE RECOMMEND / TECH / KIDZ KORNER / USED RIDE /
REAR GUARD
BETA XTRAINER 300
RRP:
$10,190
WARRANTY:
Six months
DISTRIBUTOR:
Beta Motor Australia
INTERNET:
betamotor.com.auSO FAR...
HOURS:
20
MODS THIS MONTH:
Tall seat, Golden Tyre
GT216X rear, linkage guard
MODS NEXT MONTH:
None