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First Look: Beta My 23 RR

While the world is rediscovering the values of essential functionality, Betamotor continues to ride a wave of impressive motorsports victories, and began the 2022 edition of the Enduro World Championship as incumbent champion once again. It is in this context that the Rignano sull’Arno-based constructor presents the new MY23 RR, a bike which carries over many of the characteristics that made its predecessor so unbeatable last season, but which has been revised with a number of significant new features introduced across the range, plus other upgrades specific to certain engine sizes, in order to maintain the unassailable supremacy of the RR family as a whole.

Beta worked in close collaboration with the Enduro champions Brad Freeman and Steve Holcombe to develop a suite of new solutions regarding both the powertrain and the frame/suspension for the MY 2023 RR 2T and 4T models, to consolidate the already highly acclaimed characteristics of the previous generation. As always, the guiding philosophy of the engineers at Rignano sull’Arno has been to not only increasing the performance of the brand's bikes, but to also making this performance even more accessible. So rather than major changes, this model year has gained a series of upgrades intended to consolidate all the outstanding qualities of each individual model. Completing the picture are a new all-red colour scheme and new plastics with a more linear, essential, and sleeker design than before, providing the RR with an even more minimalist look. Some say “less is more”: Beta believes that only the very best will do, and creates bikes with no frills, with only what you really need, whether racing or out on a Sunday ride with your mates. As always, the range is made up of 8 different models, each with its own personality, to cater for the needs of a very diverse spectrum of riders. There's the perfect RR for every rider, but what every model has in common is the ability to instil confidence in the user and offer a genuinely rewarding riding experience. The key characteristics of each model are as follows:

CHARACTERISTICS OF RR MODELS

2T
125cc The smallest bike in the Beta range, it is the lightest and easiest to handle. In pure racing style, it is suitable for both young riders coming up from the lower categories and more expert riders looking for a fun bike.

200cc The chassis set-up and engine derive from its smaller sister, ensuring an extremely contained weight and excellent handling but with decidedly greater torque and power. Oil injection and an electric starter make this a complete bike, just perfect for Enduro enthusiasts.

250cc Ideal for those looking for a gentler 2-stroke bike with slightly less power and torque than top-of-the-range models to ensure excellent handling.

300cc Made for those who appreciate a big engine with significant torque at any speed. Suitable for those who favor long gearing.

4T
350cc This is the easiest-to- handle bike in the 4- stroke model range; it favors high-rev riding, yet retains a very linear power output.

390cc With an ideal handling to power ratio, its winning feature lies in its outstanding traction.

430cc A high-performance engine that is at its best when the rider exploits the long gearing and significant torque.

480cc This bike best expresses itself in wide open spaces.
Its characteristics are similar to the 430 model but with even greater torque and power, suitable for more expert and physically fit riders.

The updates introduced for the MY 2023 RR range are summed up below:
For all models
Beta never stops honing the frame and suspensions of its bikes. In the quest for an even sharper, purer rider feedback, Betamotor's engineers have revised the internals of the front fork - a ZF component, as on the previous generation - of the 2023 model year of the RR family. First and foremost, the geometry of the oil passages around the fork piston has been modified to eliminate any throttling effect completely and ensure impeccably smooth damper action throughout the entire travel. By creating freer-flowing oil return passages, this improvement opens up even greater possibilities for setting up the fork, as eliminating all structural impediments to the oil flow means that even the smallest change in setting produces a perceptible result. This results in an improved rider comfort and in a more effective fork support throughout the initial excursion of the damper. Therefore, the bike remains composed and controllable even in rough terrain conditions.

One of the changes over the previous generation with an impact on both style and function is the revised shape of the new radiator shrouds on the RR range. The new shrouds are narrower than before to give the rider more freedom of movement, especially when cornering in a motocross style with the bike leaned sharply into the bend and with the inner leg extended forwards. More ergonomically shaped than before, the shrouds let the rider assume a snugger position on the saddle with the bike gripped firmly between the legs for an even better rider feedback. The sleeker new shrouds also contribute to the revised, simple, and essential new look of the bike.all models now feature a new all-red colour scheme. The style of the graphics is more minimalist than before, with bold, clearly defined forms and purer, more modern lines which emphasise the muscular shape of the bike and link the new shrouds seamlessly to the other components.

In addition to the upgrades introduced across the entire family, there is a number of improvements specific to certain 2 stroke and 4 stroke models, which take performance to even greater heights.

In detail:
RR 125 2T
Flywheel and crankshaft: the 125 2T engine features a lighter flywheel and a smaller-diameter crankshaft than its predecessor. Both of these components have been introduced to reduce the inertia of the engine internals. In terms of performance, this translates to a quicker throttle response as it allows the components of the engine to spin up more rapidly, and lets the rider make full use of all the power available in spite of this model having less horsepower on tap than its bigger siblings.

Crankcase: the smaller-diameter crankshaft takes up less space in the crankcase. Betamotor's engineers have redesigned the crankcase to compensate for the space freed up by the smaller crankshaft, optimising the interior volume of the component itself to ensure the air/fuel mixture flow needed to maximise the performance unleashed by the new components.

Power valve: the power valve has been recalibrated to effectively manage the more explosive performance of the new engine.

For the 2023 model year, the RR 125 2T has received the most substantial and far-reaching modifications of the entire 2T range. The upgrades made to the little 1/8 litre power unit have added that extra sparkle that younger riders look for when squeezing every ounce of performance out of their bikes. This suite of upgrades geared to improving the performance of the bike and reduce engine inertia has made the RR 125, which was already an agile, reactive machine before, even quicker and more responsive than ever, and capable of holding its own in the same rough terrain conditions dominated by its bigger siblings.

RR 4T
Traction control: The most significant new feature in the 4T range is the introduction of traction control, which made its début last year in the Racing range. To make the performance of its models ever more accessible to the rider in any situation, all 4T Beta Enduro models now boast traction control. The traction control function on RR models is selectable by the rider from a button in the usual position between the steering tube and the fuel tank. The rider can disengage traction control at any time and in either of the engine maps available, while the function itself is calibrated differently for each of the two maps, offering the rider a choice of 4 different electronic control configurations.

Exhaust header: all 4T models feature a new exhaust header with a longer duct geometry than on the previous generation, improving engine response at low engine speeds and increasing torque at mid-range engine speeds. The result is a more tractable power delivery across the entire rev range, letting the rider get themselves out of trouble more easily or choose to use a higher gear than they normally would, for a more relaxed riding experience.

Engine map: today, even Enduro bikes - which seem simple in appearance - come with advanced electronics. To take full advantage of the increased torque at low to medium engine speeds made available by the new exhaust header, 4T models now feature dedicated new engine management maps which spread the power curve out more uniformly across the entire usable range of the engine, making the performance of even the biggest displacement Beta bikes completely accessible.