Beta Crosstrainer 300 from http://www.betamotor.com/nl/enduro/bikes/xtrainer "Beta has revolutionized the enduro market with a bike that is compact, light, and easy to ride. Meet the Xtrainer. Xtrainer is the only true “all-around” enduro bike in the market. It is the perfect bike for riders who wish to play ride without the intimidation of a full size enduro machine or for the expert rider looking to enhance their technical skills. Our engineers saw the need to build a bike that defines fun, a motorcycle that is perfect for newcomers becoming involved with the wonderful world of enduro riding. The Xtrainer offers excellent performance while at the same time is easy to ride. Features include a smaller deltabox frame which provides a lower seat height and a low center of gravity. Add to this a 43mm front fork along with a dedicated rear shock and you have a bike that is agile and easy to control which builds rider’s confidence. The chassis is mated to an engine that is from the popular 300 RR only designed to offer a power that is more linear and progressive making the bike more docile. Our engineers then added electronically controlled oil injection to provide the perfect oil/gas mixture thus eliminating the need to premix. So if you want to learn enduro, or if you want to improve your enduro technical skills, the Xtrainer is what you need. The first true enduro bike for everyone. Xtrainer; the true definition of Fun!"
The FreeRide is about $1500 more...BUT initial reports are that it won't be readily available, very limited. Hopefully that'll just be a first model year thing (at least for the US, since the FR has been abroad for two years now)...cause I'm tired of waiting for a Beta dealership to open up in town.
extremely considering this as a birthday present for my girlfriend. its between this and the ktm 200xcw. anybody know for sure if this can be tuned up to be close to the non-friendly beta 300? i dont see why not, but i want to know for sure before i make a decision.
from Dirt Rider: http://www.dirtrider.com/features/dropping-in-on-us-beta-importer-tim-pilg/ "The release of the new Beta Cross-trainer has sparked some interest in the off-road world, which is in short supply of bikes geared toward the entry-level rider. However, according to US Beta importer Tim Pilg, the new Beta Cross-trainer is also a great bike for those riders interesting in the more extreme aspects of off-roading. "We spoke to Pilg about the new bike. Q: Let’s talk about the new Beta Cross-trainer. Why should the off-road guys be excited about Beta’s new Cross-trainer. A: The Cross-trainer was basically a project we started three or four years ago, and the idea was to create an entry-level enduro bike. We did this for a couple of reasons. Let’s say a guy is out there who is in the market for a bike and maybe he’s not a racer but he’s a hardcore weekend rider, he just doesn’t compete. So he’s checking out bikes and the big bikes are just too intimidating. So ultimately we wanted a design a bike that was less intimidating but one that still had the performance. So we started with several different configurations. At first we took a trials bike chassis and added long-travel suspension, but that didn’t meet our goals. So then we tried putting a trials bike engine in a full-size enduro chassis however the fun factor was just not what we wanted. So ultimately, we started with the engine from our 300 RR, took away the “hit” and created a smooth power delivery that is easy to ride, we created a special exhaust system and put this new engine configuration in a smaller chassis. It still has a power valve but the settings are completely different. It doesn’t have a hit but it pulls through the entire range. The bike is very nimble and it weighs about the same as a 125 off-road bike does. It feels like a 125 but it has the power of a 300. The price came in under $7000.00 and we’re very excited about it. We’re going into production in February, so the bikes will be available here in March. Q: So when you say a smaller frame, explain that to us. A: Yeah, the bike is a little better than an inch shorter than a standard RR, and about an inch-and-a-half lower than the RR. Compared to an average enduro bike, it’s about two-and-a-half to three inches lower. The Betas are on the average an inch to an inch-and-a-half lower than the competitors. So the Cross-trainer is another inch lower than that. Q: So it’s a smaller overall chassis, but it still uses the full size wheels? A: Yes, it still have full size wheels. The bike looks a little smaller as well, so a vertically-challenged rider will feel right at home on the bike. "Some people are comparing it to the KTM Free Rider, but that wasn’t our target. It would be a great bike as a second bike for an extreme guy, because it rides very well on the extreme stuff, but the ultimate market is the entry-level enduro."
No new information - http://www.betamotor.com/system/attachments/0000/8601/Xtrainer.pdf It'll be interesting to see if it shows up on the Beta BYOB site - http://www.betausa.com/node/744
They're targeted for different riders. The EVO Sport is essentially a trials bike with trials gear ratios & steering geometry. Awesome at crawling speeds but not much fun on a fast fire road. BTW, I own an EVO200 with a seat/tank combo. It's still a trials bike with slightly extended range. Sitting is uncomfortable unless you're shorter then 5 feet tall. Here's how Beta's Tim Pilg describes the X-Trainer: Q: Lets talk about the new Beta Cross-trainer. Why should the off-road guys be excited about Betas new Cross-trainer. A: The Cross-trainer was basically a project we started three or four years ago, and the idea was to create an entry-level enduro bike. We did this for a couple of reasons. Lets say a guy is out there who is in the market for a bike and maybe hes not a racer but hes a hardcore weekend rider, he just doesnt compete. So hes checking out bikes and the big bikes are just too intimidating. So ultimately we wanted a design a bike that was less intimidating but one that still had the performance. So we started with several different configurations. At first we took a trials bike chassis and added long-travel suspension, but that didnt meet our goals. So then we tried putting a trials bike engine in a full-size enduro chassis however the fun factor was just not what we wanted. So ultimately, we started with the engine from our 300 RR, took away the hit and created a smooth power delivery that is easy to ride, we created a special exhaust system and put this new engine configuration in a smaller chassis. It still has a power valve but the settings are completely different. It doesnt have a hit but it pulls through the entire range. The bike is very nimble and it weighs about the same as a 125 off-road bike does. It feels like a 125 but it has the power of a 300. The price came in under $7000.00 and were very excited about it. Were going into production in February, so the bikes will be available here in March. Q: So when you say a smaller frame, explain that to us. A: Yeah, the bike is a little better than an inch shorter than a standard RR, and about an inch-and-a-half lower than the RR. Compared to an average enduro bike, its about two-and-a-half to three inches lower. The Betas are on the average an inch to an inch-and-a-half lower than the competitors. So the Cross-trainer is another inch lower than that. Q: So its a smaller overall chassis, but it still uses the full size wheels? A: Yes, it still have full size wheels. The bike looks a little smaller as well, so a vertically-challenged rider will feel right at home on the bike. Some people are comparing it to the KTM FreeRide, but that wasnt our target. It would be a great bike as a second bike for an extreme guy, because it rides very well on the extreme stuff, but the ultimate market is the entry-level enduro." Different bikes, different strengths, you decide what best fits your riding. Cheers, M. PS - my XT300 is on order, March delivery.
Specs - EVO Sport: Wheelbase: 51.4 Seat Height: 32 Ground Clearance: 12.2 Footrest Height: 13.6 Dry Weight: 149 lbs. dry Fuel Tank Capacity: 2 US gallons (both tanks) X-Trainer: Wheelbase: 57.8 Seat Height: 35.8 Ground Clearance: 12.6 Footrest Height: 15.4 Dry Weight: 218 lbs. Fuel Tank Capacity: 2.25 US gallons
cross trainer??? that's great! I can hear it now. "Honey, I am going to get into shape and I am going to need a cross trainer...." "OH, and I am going to need to be riding it everyday after work and all weekend."
