Beta 200 Riders

[skid]

Interested in hearing from some riders whose main ride is the 200. I have an 04 200 that I play around on bit. It seems a little down on power or maybe its response. My main ride is a GG 300 enduro bike which I tend to tractor around on. I tend to do the same thing with the 200. Most of my section riding seems to be in 2nd gear. I'm wondering if maybe the power is fine and I'm not wringing it out enough. So when you are out there working your 200 do you wring its neck or just chug along. Or is it a little of both. I've had a few expert riders tell me they thought it was fine. Sometimes I wonder though .... maybe I'm not working the throttle correctly

I rode a trial this past weekend and noticed that while on the loop trial, when 3rd would rev out and when I shifted to 4th, the bike really didn't pull 4th very well. Is 4th just a road gear?

[chewy]

I think this question must be just for me! I bought a couple of rev 3 200 08's last November Janet & I had been riding Montesa 4RT for the previous year. Just to qualify my opinion (as we all like to do!) I have been competing in trials regularly for the the last 38 years and have had every bike that has come out in that time going right back to a Greeves. The 200 Beta is a pussycat..dead easy to ride doesn't get you into trouble, There are very few situatiuons where you need 4th gear in sections and it is possible to get enough power for most challenges by using modern riding techniques (just watch the youngsters on 125's) of course there is going to be a lack of grunt but on balance for most riders this is a good thing, paticularly if one is a bit throttle happy as most of us are. As a general rule of thumb to answer your question regarding throttle / riding technique; I started using the 200 a lot in second gear but have found with gentle right hand that it will grip and grip and grip in bottom giving me more time to deal with the section (I am of course old and slow now) I have to agree 4th gear for me is generally a no no in sections but I avoid big sections nowadays anyway.

[doogle]

I have a Beta 200, and mine will pull fourth in sections when I want it to. Obviously don't need to use it that often, but if you wind it up enough it will pull it in most situations.

The majority of sections I ride in first, as was said above it doesn't get me into as much trouble as previous bikes. I probably use second a little bit more than on my last bike though.

[skid]

Thanks for the replies

Just a little clarification tho. I was not trying to use 4th when in a section, it was when i was on the trail between sections that it did not really pull 4th that well. Might just be that 4th is for the road and there is a big gap between it and 3rd.

So would you say the bike is best ridden higher in the rev range? gear down throttle up?? most of my section riding is in 1st and 2nd, most in second.

[bob]

Hiya,

I had a 2003 200 in the past, and I would agree that it is significantly less powerful than the 250, but it does have the benefit of being a slightly revvier engine. The bike may not set off in fourth, but it should pull it no problemprovided you have a bit of speed to keep the engine running smoothly. The bike certainaly shouldn't be running out of go before you've even reached fifth or sixth.

You should be able to use any gear riding between sections, provided that it matches your speed.

Bob

[02-apr]

Are you sure someone (I assume you got it secondhand) hasn't put SSDT gearing on it? I have never been an ace at big hillclimb sections but my 200 gets me up them in fourth. I even got away with fifth on one particularly slippy one.

Should be OK in any gear on the loop as I could always beat my pal on his 250 Scorpa across the rough. I know it was the bike and not me as he is a fast rider himself. He's got a 250 Beta now - drat it!