The Italian Stallion

After my expensive experiment with a four-stroke race bike, it was time to take a step back and remember why I loved dirt bikes. I enjoyed them most when they were running the way they should. When they didn't run well, I enjoyed fixing them myself. The 350XC-F electronics were mind-numbingly complex, and then I watched KTM's two-stroke engines move in the same direction. Did I really need to learn electrical engineering to maintain a modern dirt bike?

No, I did not.

Thankfully, small manufacturers like Beta were still offering old-school carbureted engines without oil injection, and with traditional coil spring forks. The 2020 engines were counter-balanced, dealer networks were improving, and the aftermarket was finally paying serious attention to the brand. I was drawn to the 300RR Race Edition for a few simple reasons:​

1. I was familiar with the characteristics of a 300cc engine, having owned a pair of KTM 300s as well as a Gas Gas 300. At my age and physical fitness, the 300 would allow me to be a bit lazier on the bike when my energy ran out.
2. Counterbalanced engines for 2020.
3. Traditional coil spring forks. As good as they may be, I just didn't want to be messing around with KTM's air forks, searching for that perfect PSI with an air pump and then trying to repeat it. This might not be an exact or fair comparison, but I remember those days of air spring mountain bike forks. I am bad enough at setting up coil spring forks...let the tinkerers have their air.
4. Good old fashioned premix. No oil injection to worry about. No TPI and its complexity. Just a straight-up, old school two-stroke engine. ​

Then a little thing called COVID-19 popped up and shut down the world. I didn't want to buy a new motorcycle until the old one was sold, and it took awhile to sell the KTM. Eventually a buyer materialized and a Beta dealer in Wisconsin sold me a new 300, sight unseen. I had never even touched a Beta motorcycle, let alone ridden one. It was a leap of faith.

During the height of COVID lockdowns, I drove to --GASP!!-- Wisconsin to pick up my new bike. After a decontamination at the border (just kidding), I wheeled the 300RR into our new virtual Zumba studio. When Michelle wasn't filming, I began shooting the necessary glamor photos, one of which is shown above. This was by far the prettiest motorcycle I'd ever owned. But would it perform?

No, it would not.

My leap of faith seemed a bit foolish the first time I rode the bike. I have never experienced such a poorly jetted, brand new bike. Every twist of throttle, when the RPMs were just above idle, produced a bog which lasted about a full second. And the throttle stuck open after less than 5 minutes cruising in a straight line through my pasture. Had the dealer been closer to my house, I would have driven straight back to where I bought it and left it there.

I kept increasing the size of the pilot jet, and the bogging gradually disappeared. But nobody...and by that I mean not a single internet discussion forum junkie in the world...was talking about having to re-jet from a 38 to a 48 pilot. And the air screw was only turned 3/4 out, which meant it was borderline, and probably should have been a 50 pilot. This just wasn't right.

I also felt that the bike was using a lot more fuel than my past 2- strokes. After a 1-hour test on a grass track in my pasture, I measured fuel consumption at 1.4 gallons. All the other 2-stroke bikes I'd owned were pretty consistently using about a gallon an hour.

Then I decided to test the engine compression. Surely the engine must have an air leak somewhere, causing a need for more fuel. My compression tester, which had been used maybe twice in the past 15 years, registered 130 PSI. Not good.

I called the dealer. They agreed to look at the bike and tracked down the problem quickly. The Beta factory had installed a European-spec needle in the carb. In Europe, to meet strict emissions laws, the bikes are sold with very lean carburetion and throttle stops. The carbs are fitted with needles never intended for the USA market. The dealer agreed to install the correct USA-spec needle.

The dealer also suggested I get a new compression tester. They measured 185 PSI on both my bike and their demo 300.